If not Royal than.....

[Strangerush]

Please help me finish this. There are a ton of threads about disappointment with Royal lately. I can honestly say that I have not been disappointed at all, but simply cannot afford Royal anymore if they continue the current model of pricing.

 

DH and myself are in our late 20s, currently limited on available times to cruise, and have only done Royal thus far. We are nervous to change lines as we work hard to be able to cruise and don't want to feel like we wasted our money if we end up unhappy with someone else. BUT I would rather be on a cruise than not so...

 

If you have been with another line why do you like them? Who is your 'alternate' of choice? If not Royal, than who?

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I've sailed with NCL, Carnival, and Princess (each only 1 time)... To be honest, IMO, none of them compare to Royal. Carnival was probably our least favorite... NCL and Princess were better than Carnival though. I'd probably consider sailing on Princess again. I didn't like NCL because I felt that the service was lacking (i.e. we saw our room attendant about once throughout the week, and I don't think we had one conversation with a staff member) and I didn't like "Freestyle". I haven't sailed Celebrity, but I want to try them eventually.

 

If you are very active and care about having a lot of things going on, I'd go with NCL. If you care more about service, food, etc., I'd go with Princess or Celebrity.

 

Hope this helps a little! :)

[celebrity]

I see a lot of loyal cruisers jumping to NCL. Definitely worth looking into.

They are pricing themselves out of the main stream market.

Good luck in your search.

[Strangerush]

Thank you. We are really hooked on cruising and just have no idea where to begin looking elsewhere! I knew more experienced cruisers here would be willing to share their thoughts. I know this time around will have to be a "keep an open mind" vacation..

[celebrity]

Thank you. We are really hooked on cruising and just have no idea where to begin looking elsewhere! I knew more experienced cruisers here would be willing to share their thoughts. I know this time around will have to be a "keep an open mind" vacation..

 

Where are you looking to cruise? Celebrity or Princess may also be an option. I know a lot of people discount Celebrity but my sons also love that line.

By the way, we have sailed Royal, Celebrity and Princess. Celebrity gets our vote as favorite..hence my screen name.

Edited March 15, 2015 by celebrity

[sjh422]

We have loved our cruises on Royal (Oasis and Allure) however, all future cruises are definitely priced higher so we, too, are thinking about other cruise lines. the cabins we last sailed on are all at least $1000 per person higher going forward.

 

We have taken about 8 cruises on Celebrity and find it to be a cruise line that attracts the 50+ age group. Their food is great but their range of entertainment is not even close the the caliber of Royal. Also, have cruised Princess (Regal and Royal), food is great, more entertainment than on Celebrity but their production shows are mediocre. We enjoyed the lounge shows and game shows more. We stayed in mini-suites which were great.

 

After having read a lot on Cruise Critic, we are booking cruises on the NCL Getaway and Escape. their pricing is such that we can get a suite in The Haven with unlimited drink packages, unlimited specialty dining, paid gratuities and OBC. Also, NCL has a wide range of entertainment options that are very close to those offered on Oasis and Allure. It certainly is worth a try.

[yogimax]

Celebrity fits the bill, but they are slightly more expensive.

 

I suggest you avoid Carnival at all costs. You can try NCL, but will probably be disappointed.

 

Best bet is to watch prices on RCCL and jump on a bargain (which still do exist).

[John Reid]

I have cruised on four different lines and have enjoyed all but one of the twelve cruises. The lines have different personalities. Even at 65 years old, I have enjoyed my three Carnival cruises. I was concerned before my first with them, but I ended up quite pleased. I increasingly look to them first for my next cruise but only for 6 to 8 day cruises. Not interested in a short booze cruise. Their drawback is that the main theater entertainment is not as good or varied as Royal. But there were other good options. I very much enjoyed my three Princess cruises; I really like their ship layout (at least before their two new builds). I enjoyed my one Holland America cruise, but know that it was a very sedate experience, just what I was looking for at that time. I enjoyed four of my five Royal cruises. But I find it hard to generalize how good the total experience is on Royal due the huge range of possible experiences based on the wide variety of ships. It varies from class of ship to class of ship.

 

What I probably want to say most is that my first cruise, which was on Royal Enchantment, hooked me on cruising, but cruising on other lines did not diminish the experience at all. I found that none of the ships was the best in ALL categories that make for an enjoyable cruise.

 

Enjoy your future cruises.

[Spurschick]

Celebrity fits the bill, but they are slightly more expensive.

 

I suggest you avoid Carnival at all costs. You can try NCL, but will probably be disappointed.

 

Best bet is to watch prices on RCCL and jump on a bargain (which still do exist).

 

Absolutely loved celebrity as did DD. Just trying to persuade DH to go on them. I can get some of their cruises cheaper than RC. Similar dates and itineraries. Some of RC pricing at the moment is so inflated Celebrity is very competitive.

 

DH and DD were not overly impressed with NCL.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Spurschick

[OCruisers]

There are many who "flip flop" between RCCL and Celebrity because their "loyalty status" is honored by both.

LuLu

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Maybe, with all these mutinous threads, there will be less crowding in the diamond & concierge lounges. ;-)

 

For now, the fabulous coffee machines in the lounges will keep me 'Loyal to Royal'.

[Midwestgal]

What you need to do is try different lines and see what meet your needs best. People here can tell you only what works for them, what one person loves another my hate.

[phoenix1181]

We've only cruised Royal & NCL & have been happy with both. Our first cruise with NCL was before Freestyle & awful so it was a very long time before we tried them again. Our last 3 cruises were on the Dawn & very enjoyable. Our next two are with Royal because that was where I got the best deal for what we wanted.

 

As far as I'm concerned, they're more alike than different. I'll cruise with whichever one has the best price for the cruise I want. And if I'm not happy with what they have, I'll look at other lines as well.

[dplusd]

To the OP...I definitely recommend trying other cruiselines. Princess and Celebrity are very similar to Royal. Each line has some things they do better and that's part of the fun of experiencing another brand. After a few cruises in a row on Royal, we feel the need to mix it up a bit so cruising doesn't get stale for us.

 

Unless Royal brings their pricing more in line with Princess and Celebrity, we will not be sailing them much. We like Royal but don't feel they offer a premium experience over the other mainstream lines.

[Granny DI]

We've sailed NCL, RCCL, HAL,Princess, Celebrity, Cunard, Princess, Oceania , Avalon River cruises and Azamara. The only cruise line we won't repeat is Azamara and the only ship we won't book again is Adventure of the Seas.

 

I've cruised in everything from a studio on the Epic to the Haven on the NCL Breakaway. The best suite experience hands down is the Haven Aft suite on the Breakaway. Best food ever was on the old Norwegian Crown. Best entertainment was the Oasis. Best itinerary was Venice to Istanbul on the Ryndam.

 

Our next cruise is the Breakaway again in the Haven. Next winter we plan to sail to the southern Caribbean on the Royal Princess. We've only had two duds in 30+ cruises so don't worry about trying something new.

[gkbiiii]

Well I am trading up to Crystal and plan to soon try a Transatlantic on Cunard QM2, as well as a cruise on Holland.

 

I mean an extra $1,500 for 2 for a 14 night drink package, or paying $15.00+18% gratuity on drinks?? For that type of money, I can go a few blocks from where I live and have cocktails at the Fountainblue.

[mcatmcat]

Please help me finish this. There are a ton of threads about disappointment with Royal lately. I can honestly say that I have not been disappointed at all, but simply cannot afford Royal anymore if they continue the current model of pricing.

 

 

 

DH and myself are in our late 20s, currently limited on available times to cruise, and have only done Royal thus far. We are nervous to change lines as we work hard to be able to cruise and don't want to feel like we wasted our money if we end up unhappy with someone else. BUT I would rather be on a cruise than not so...

 

 

 

If you have been with another line why do you like them? Who is your 'alternate' of choice? If not Royal, than who?

 

 

I see your message and honestly feel you. We are almost in the same situation and for me I don't find something similar like royal. Carnival is out of the question unless you book the newest ship and still they are not like royal. MSC is better than carnival but not in service, employees will barely smile to you and service is super slow. NCL might the an option but not really into the freestyle cruise,but I have to admit that I was interested in NCL since they are having a new ship from FL next year

 

For 2016 I just end up booking with Royal again but I did something different. For me to sail with them again I had to cut the night from 7to 6, sail a month ahead of my usual vacation time and forget about Oasis class or a new class ship.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

The only cruise line we won't repeat is Azamara and the only ship we won't book again is Adventure of the Seas.

 

What did you think of Azamara? I've always thought for the money, Crystal would be a better option.

[celebrity]

Well I am trading up to Crystal and plan to soon try a Transatlantic on Cunard QM2, as well as a cruise on Holland.

 

I mean an extra $1,500 for 2 for a 14 night drink package, or paying $15.00+18% gratuity on drinks?? For that type of money, I can go a few blocks from where I live and have cocktails at the Fountainblue.

 

Good for you! Crystal is my dream but certainly out of budget. Would love to read about your experiences on Crystal and Cunard. Happy sails!

[celebrity]

We have loved our cruises on Royal (Oasis and Allure) however, all future cruises are definitely priced higher so we, too, are thinking about other cruise lines. the cabins we last sailed on are all at least $1000 per person higher going forward.

 

We have taken about 8 cruises on Celebrity and find it to be a cruise line that attracts the 50+ age group. Their food is great but their range of entertainment is not even close the the caliber of Royal. Also, have cruised Princess (Regal and Royal), food is great, more entertainment than on Celebrity but their production shows are mediocre. We enjoyed the lounge shows and game shows more. We stayed in mini-suites which were great.

 

After having read a lot on Cruise Critic, we are booking cruises on the NCL Getaway and Escape. their pricing is such that we can get a suite in The Haven with unlimited drink packages, unlimited specialty dining, paid gratuities and OBC. Also, NCL has a wide range of entertainment options that are very close to those offered on Oasis and Allure. It certainly is worth a try.

 

I respectfully disagree re the over 50 crowd. My two sons have been sailng with us their entire lives and there were plenty of 20 something cruisers on board. They may have had generous parents or grandparents that footed the bill, but they were there.

I think length of trip and itinerary come into play.

OP: I do hope you come back and let us know what you have chosen. Happy Sails!

Edited March 15, 2015 by celebrity

[drmomto3kids]

Disney for sure!

We've sailed DCL 3 times and the service and kids clubs can't be beat. But we enjoy trying new ships and itineraries too and have pretty much stuck to RCI (except our first cruise which was Carnival and I'm in no hurry to sail Carnival again.) Norwegian has our attention now and we'll be investigating that for an Alaskan or European cruise or maybe Caribbean on Epic. I also hear good things about Celebrity and would try that.

I think cruise lines should offer much better loyalty incentives early on to keep a person's business. We will be Emerald shortly and find no real benefit to RCI's loyalty program. We just like their ships and have been satisfied with the service. Our gifts with Disney have been much better right after our first cruise plus they give us more gifts for being DVC members even though it really has nothing to do with the cruise line. Still not enough to keep us loyal to them... they just don't have enough choices.

[Debde]

For now, the fabulous coffee machines in the lounges will keep me 'Loyal to Royal'.

 

Come on..... I had to ask-really???

[karen1821]

I have sailed RCCL 24 times. Loved every one of them. Being a solo cruiser, I always check for deals. With the new prices, I am considering Carnival which I have cruised with them 4 times. They were ok. I sail out of Baltimore which is an hour drive. I have been offered their casino pack and play offer three times, so it is very cheap. I am sailing on the Quantum in a few weeks for $1500, and then one each in May and June two people each for a total of $1000 in a balcony on Carnival. Makes sense to me which way to go. If RCCL's prices don't come down, I will be leaning to Carnival.

[big al]

Please help me finish this. There are a ton of threads about disappointment with Royal lately. I can honestly say that I have not been disappointed at all, but simply cannot afford Royal anymore if they continue the current model of pricing.

 

DH and myself are in our late 20s, currently limited on available times to cruise, and have only done Royal thus far. We are nervous to change lines as we work hard to be able to cruise and don't want to feel like we wasted our money if we end up unhappy with someone else. BUT I would rather be on a cruise than not so...

 

If you have been with another line why do you like them? Who is your 'alternate' of choice? If not Royal, than who?

 

Cruise agent here & Diamond on Royal...we have cruised Disney, NCL, Celebrity, HAL, Princess & Carnival..only MSC & Costa have escaped us as far as mainstream lines...I love Disney ( best cabins, best service, best MDR food, best private island, best musical production shows IMO..), NCL ( best specialty dining, great entertainment, best values with currently FREE alcohol OR FREE specialty dining) , Celebrity has magnificent ships in the Solstice class, etc..do you dine in only one restaurant? Stay at only one hotel chain? Variety is the spice of life & especially in cruise lines...I agree, RCI has priced some people out of the market, especially with their newer ships..IF you like lots of dining & entertainment options, try the NCL Getaway or Epic...Carnival's Breeze & Dream or Magic have gotten good reviews & have good deals..MSC Divina has GREAT prices & is the MOST beautiful ship I have ever toured ( did a ship tour last year- amazing!)...Disney is more $$, but we thought The Dream's 4 night cruise was just that- a dream come true..remember that HAL, Celebrity & Princess are all nice BUT have a slightly more "mature" passenger base, so people your age may feel a bit out of place..I would look into NCL ( again, the Getaway, Breakaway, or the Epic OR the new Escape in Nov. '15 ONLY), Carnival's Dream ,Breeze ( my #1 choice), or Magic, and maybe Celebrity's Solstice class ships...when you limit yourself to one cruise line, at a certain time of year, you will ALWAYS run into challenges...we cruised the RCI Liberty Of The Seas 5 nights in Nov.'12, then Disney Dream Nov. '13, Then RCI Oasis Oct.'14, now Princess's new Regal Princess April '15..see what I mean? Variety..all 3 of our last cruises were terrific...we are trying the Celebrity Solstice next year for Alaska..Variety!!

 

Big Al

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Come on..... I had to ask-really???

 

Yes, really. We set our cruise expectations low so that every cruise (even the American flagged & crewed NCL Pride of Aloha) we have taken has been great for us.

 

In this class of cruising, the Diamond & Concierge lounges beat anything the competition offers -- defectors will surely miss them, and return eventually.