Should I work for a higher VIFP tier or try other cruise lines?

[Oshawapilot]

I used to think like the OP. We stuck with RCI because of the "cachet" of being a tier member....platinum, emerald, diamond, etc etc.

 

And you know what? The perks are meh (at least until you reach one of the top tiers) and not worth limiting ones bookings to one single cruise line as a result unless you're REALLY benefiting from it.

 

So despite being Diamond on RCI, we are trying Carnival. I wish we had done so earlier honestly. We might like it, or we might rush back to RCI, who knows, but I'm willing to give it a shot.

 

I agree, as a complete newbie to cruising don't get sucked into the loyalty thing quite yet - find what you like before you commit to building it.

[stevec999]

If you enjoyed Carnival take another Carnival. We sailed Carnival until we ran out of new itinerarys to try. We have since tried other lines and found we like a couple others better. Of course we are 20 years older than when we started cruising and what we want out of a cruise has changed. We will never be on one of the monster ships. Smaller and more intimate is more our style now. We prefer Oceania then Celebrity. Of course our next cruise is on the Splendor. Carnival is great for a cheap get away for us.

[Glock19]

I use to just sail Carnival because of the modern ships and the price. I'm sorry I didn't sail more on RC. Now RC is the modern line and at times has just as good prices and Carnival. I still sail both but I like RC better.

[ellasmomanddad]

It’s fun to explore all the cruise lines and what they offer. I did 3 Carnival cruises and then found a really good RC deal and tried them a couple of years ago. Last cruise we went back to Carnival. I dream of doing a Disney Cruise but they are usually so expensive that it would probably take a few years of saving up to do one of those! I think Celebrity is one that I’m definitely interested in trying in the next few years.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I did a NCL on the breakaway then a DCL on the dream then went back to NCL on the Dawn. It is very tough for me to pick a cruise line now, the breakaway was my first experience so i was a little awe struck and not paying attention honestly. I saw the best on DCL and it was like going on the love boat but with mickey and great entertainment after that and seeing the NCL dawn a year later I'm not sure i could get back on a NCL ship again. Would i feel the same about carnival. Did i get too spoiled by the mouse?

[Oshawapilot]

As for the megaship versus the smaller ships, don't knock the big ones unless you've tried it.

 

We were on Allure with 6100 other passengers and it was consistently less crowded then many cruises we've done on smaller ships with 1/3 set number of passengers. There simply so much more space as well as things to see and do that it keeps the population of the ship much more broken up versus the smaller ships.

[evandbob]

The Op, IMO, should try other cruise lines. After sampling a few, then make a decision as to which line you like best and then concentrate on booking that line.

 

Of course, itinerary and price come into play as well. I cruised Carnival mainly for price, but whyen they started charging me two fares as a solo, I branched out. I didn't know what I was missing on other lines (some good, some not so good) until I tried them!

[pe4all]

Try other lines! We went from Disney to Carnival, stuck there for many cruises, tried Royal, disliked our cruise, went back to Carnival, and then tried NCL, which we discovered we like a lot. We now go back and forth between CCL and NCL, and I just hit Platinum on NCL after only 7 cruises! I have 149 sea days on CCL, and will be "stuck" on Platinum there for a while. On NCL we have new itineraries, new entertainment, no dress code (except for some specialty restaurants) different ships to try, new food choices. We travel for itinerary, so no cruise line is off the table for us at this point!

[cruzinlisa]

If you were one cruise away from platinum maybe, but otherwise I would shop around. Carnival may change their loyalty program around (not for the better) anyway. We have cruised Celebrity, Disney, Royal (1 each) and Carnival. My preference is Celebrity, but its most expensive. Second choice would be Disney. I would like to sail on Oasis class ship on Royal. NCL, MSC, HAL, and Princess are other lines I would like to try some day, but typically the price and departure ports don't work out for me. I look for a cruise that interests me at a price I can afford. My needs change at different times for different vacations. Sometimes the goal is to get on a ship as cheaply as possible (Carnival typically wins that). Sometimes its the most luxury at the best price. With Royal it was finding a good price on a RCCL ship (did not even look around).

[sprint180]

I've cruised Carnival, NCL, Princess and will be on Royal in 33 days!!!! I would try a few until you find one you really like. Definitely my family thought NCL was like Carnival. I liked it a bit better and my kids said they couldn't tell the difference. All that I have been on have a version of any time dining if that is a thought. Princess is a different feel then Carnival, More quiet. If your on a cruise you can't go wrong.

[arpie05]

It doesn't hurt to try another line if they offer an itinerary you like or a departure port that is convenient. You will see from my Signature line I have tried NCL and RCI and my next is back to Carnival. I did not care for RCI at all. TOO much work involved (prescheduling shows) and the upcharge restaurant charges are unreal! (Nice but ridiculously priced! I would never pay $50 for a meal for one person - I barely would spend $25pp) (But Midwest Prices are much less than east and west coast - before you flame me)

[my kids mama]

I have to preface my comments by saying " I am old" and have been cruising since 1982 and I wasn't a child then. Close--but already married, divorced and a mother of one.

 

 

I started on Home Lines, which went out of business. Next came Carnival and I sailed a few times. Then one time I decided to try Celebrity. I picked the ship because the cruise brochure had a beautiful picture on the cover and I wanted to sail on that line.

 

I was still young and Celebrity seemed a lot "higher class" and more refined and I loved the food. I sailed enough on Celebrity to become Elite. Then, I met my second husband.

 

 

He had never been on a cruise so it was up to me to decide what/where/when. I thought since he was the hate to dress up guy, that Carnival would be best for us. So, a few cruises on Carnival and we enjoyed them all.

 

My husband wasn't in love with cruising as I was so I went with my sister on Royal Caribbean. It was fun, but I still didn't feel I needed to be loyal to any line. Long story short, we started sailing again on Carnival.

 

Then my husband wanted to go to Alaska, so we went there twice on NCL. Then we really started cruising on Royal Caribbean. We found the perks offered to Diamond and then Diamond Plus passengers better than the ones we were offered as Platinum on Carnival.

 

We still sailed Carnival here and there as we lived in FL and wanted to sail from Pt Canaveral which was about an hour from home. We sailed enough on Carnival to be almost Diamond.

 

I am back to sailing on Royal Caribbean all the time now because my husband has passed away and I now travel with other family and the large Royal Caribbean ships are the ones my family love. I also like that I have been able to buy the deluxe alcohol package (up til now) without having my cabin mate have to purchase it too. I love that there are more specialty restaurants and there are discounted packages to go to several for a reduced price.

 

I love that I am Diamond Plus and get free drinks in the Diamond Lounge. I love that I get a couple of free days of real internet service. I love that I get a couple of free sodas or beer in my cabin, and a bottle of wine delivered to the cabin or the dining room. I love that I get one bag of laundry free, even though on Carnival I could get more.

 

I think all the major cruise lines are declining in food, but I don't mind spending a few extra bucks for a dinner away from the MDR and all the noise in there. I like not having to wait a long time when I am seated in the MDR to get a glass of wine to drink with dinner, as opposed to getting it when I am half way through dinner, or when I am about ready for dessert.

 

I know I have rambled on, and most will have tuned me out by now, but I wanted to explain that sticking with just one line, unless it meets or exceeds your expectations isn't worth it. No matter what you choose to do, enjoy life-- it's often cut too short.

Well said Katie! I agree that life is too short! You just never know.

[bassmaster150]

I took my first cruise this year on Carnival. I absolutely loved it. Have my second coming up this week. There was tons to do, enjoyed the food, great price, just an overall great vacation. I definitely want to try RCI. The others, I don't think sound like they're for me.

 

So I guess this is more of a personal preference question. What have others done? The benefits of platinum look pretty cool. Do you care about your loyalty program? Is it more refreshing to try other lines? Any other thoughts?

 

Interesting question here...when we first started cruising, we made an effort to get to platinum on carnival which we did. Now we are platinum on both Carnival and Princess and to be honest with you, after crunching the numbers, I really don't think it is all worth it. We are going to cruise because we love to cruise, but now we look more at itinerary and ship than we do the loyalty program. If you add up the tens of thousands of dollars you will spend just to get priority embarcation/debarkation, a "gift", and some free laundry its really not worth it in my opinion. Our last cruise was on the Norwegian Breakaway just because we heard so much about the ship, and we are glad we did it because it is an incredible ship. Our next cruise is a 14 day journey around the bottom of South America on Princess.....simply because that was the itinerary that appealed to us the most. That is my $.02....I am sure that others have their own opinions on this.

[nealstuber]

Our direct, face-to-face effort last month to request twice-a-day service resulted in less than once-a-day service! ....,,We were very clear that we leave around 7am and return around 9 pm. ..

 

 

DW and I will always ask for twice a day and don’t begrudge you asking for it. But just curious, if you’re out from 7a-to 9 how would you even know if you got twice a day service and why would you care?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[saharaga]

This. Our first attempt at exploring other lines didn't go well. Long story short, we have no intention of ever setting foot on a Princess ship again. By the time we were brave enough to try again, we were so far in with Carnival that we decided it was best to see it through to Platinum. Now that we're finally platinum with Carnival, we'll be sailing a lot more with RCI. We're also looking at sailing with Disney before our son gets too much older.

 

maybe if you were already close to Platinum, I would stick to CCL. Being a new cruiser, explore

[nealstuber]

This. Our first attempt at exploring other lines didn't go well. Long story short, we have no intention of ever setting foot on a Princess ship again. By the time we were brave enough to try again, we were so far in with Carnival that we decided it was best to see it through to Platinum. Now that we're finally platinum with Carnival, we'll be sailing a lot more with RCI. We're also looking at sailing with Disney before our son gets too much older.

 

 

 

I’m not sure I understand the concept of working towards as status and then going on a line where you can’t enjoy it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[saharaga]

Well you're not me so that's probably why you don't get it. We'll still cruise on Carnival, just not as often. If they would freshen up the itineraries and schedule Journeys cruises during times that we can sail, we would have few reasons to even look at other lines.

 

I’m not sure I understand the concept of working towards as status and then going on a line where you can’t enjoy it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Kevin Hort]

We just got off the Carnival Miracle to Mexico and it was not a great week. The food was just okay, the steward was missing most of the time , they only service the room once now so our room was dirty till late afternoon, and the dinning room seemed to have half the workers of last cruise. The toilets weren’t working very well throughout the ship and smelled. There was a pool party each night till after midnight and it was loud enough that it kept lots of people awake. The Legend to Alaska last year was a completely different experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

What, exactly, does this have to do with the OP's original question?

[MMastell]

Experience other lines. There are things you may like and things you may dislike. I have just under 50 cruises and I am so glad that I have sailed almost every major cruise line. There are some I love and some I found that didn't fit my taste. I love Carnival, Celebrity, NCL and Azamara but I am not fond of RCL. That is just my personal preference. I love HAL's itineraries but they are the most boring ships afloat and wouldn't even consider them for a Caribbean cruise.

 

Go forth, discover and cruise.

 

Take care,

Mike

[nealstuber]

Well you're not me so that's probably why you don't get it. We'll still cruise on Carnival, just not as often. If they would freshen up the itineraries and schedule Journeys cruises during times that we can sail, we would have few reasons to even look at other lines.

 

 

 

Oh, I totally get all that. If you’re burnt on the ship or the line, makes sense. I don’t understand taking one more cruise just to get status and then getting on the back of the embark line once you’ve earned it.

 

We’re P on Carnival and one cruise away from D on RCCL. I don’t think going for status was ever a part of the decisions we made when we made them. But now that we have some perks on both these lines, the notion of starting over again on another line is a factor and weighs against the “been there done that factor”. So we’re thinking about MSC as they currently match status and we can shake things up.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[riclop]

I took my first cruise this year on Carnival. I absolutely loved it. Have my second coming up this week. There was tons to do, enjoyed the food, great price, just an overall great vacation. I definitely want to try RCI. The others, I don't think sound like they're for me.

 

So I guess this is more of a personal preference question. What have others done? The benefits of platinum look pretty cool. Do you care about your loyalty program? Is it more refreshing to try other lines? Any other thoughts?

If you liked Carnival you will love other lines.

[firefly333]

I think last time I checked I was 2 cruises from diamond on RCL, about 6 cruises from diamond on Carnival and a few here and there on NCL and Celebrity. All had good things. I liked the food best on NCL, I think the desserts on Carnival taste like cardboard, but maybe they have improved, but I like the rest about Carnival.

 

NCL had the best food and the best of both Carnival and RCL of the big kid toys like trampolines to throw you into the air and rope walks and all that stuff but doesnt go out of Galveston.

 

I like the free wine at night on RCL for platinum, almost to the tier for mixed drinks, though I prefer wine so so no biggie. Ive sat out a few dinners on RCL up in the crows nest and drank wine and read my book with some snacks and a book more than once.

 

I took Celebrity to Hawaii, and my RCL status transferred to my first cruise on Celebrity so i was top tier. Got free internet and I dont remember what all. I like that your top status on RCL or Celebrity applies to both lines. A little nicer rooms on Celebrity.

 

Ill be on Carnival next because I want to drive to port, so its galveston or new orleans, and the only choice that came up this time of year was Carnival to get to Belize. I want to buy a years supply of sleeping meds and a few other things you can only buy in Belize, not in other ports and I dont want to carry them on a plane.o

 

What I dont like about Carnival is solo pays X 2 all the time. RCL sometimes has solo deals, but they dont seem to be out of Galveston right now or they werent going to Belize. They didnt come up as a option, but often RCL is cheaper if you are going solo, at least for me.

 

I just got a email for NCL, get all 5 perks if you book OV or above. I play online war games and someone in my group leaves today on NCL on the pick 2 perks deal, never saw the pick all 5 perks deal before, but it goes out of places Id have to fly to. 5 perks being, tips, drinks, internet, excursions, specialty dining and F&F included in the price. if you only get to pick 2 perks most pick drinks and tips included if you book before final payment. Can only get them by booking further out than I want to book. I thought the desserts on NCL far better than Carnival or even RCL at meals.

 

I dont think I have a strong preference. I go with whatever fits into where I want to go and price. I dont cruise to get the perks. I dont want to fly and go thru the scanner with a years worth of prescription pills in my purse dictated Carnival this time. I have insomnia, and didnt have insurance for about 15 years, it was just cheaper to do self medication. I pick up some antibiotics, a package of pain pills and whatever else while Im there, even some prilosec for my Dad. But Ill do some regular shopping too. I love Roatan and looking forward to Freedom, My first time on Freedom, Ive done Conquest out of Galveston to death so a new ship will be a treat.

 

I ran into a guy in the casino who says he cruises once a year now too, to Belize to pick up meds. Just cheaper than paying for insurance.

 

I did do Carnival to Alaska, and have to say it was one of my most awesome cruises, they had a naturalist onboard, if anyone ever gets the chance, for sure Carnival is a good choice to Alaska. I even got invited to a meet and mingle with the captain, i think i hit 150 days on Carnival or some such milestone, not sure, but that was awesome too. Best ever cruise. And it was Carnival.

[lcantw3658]

We just got off the Carnival Miracle to Mexico and it was not a great week. The food was just okay, the steward was missing most of the time , they only service the room once now so our room was dirty till late afternoon, and the dinning room seemed to have half the workers of last cruise. The toilets weren’t working very well throughout the ship and smelled. There was a pool party each night till after midnight and it was loud enough that it kept lots of people awake. The Legend to Alaska last year was a completely different experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

What exactly do you mean by dirty? How dirty do you leave your room? If you mean the beds aren't made til later and it bothers you so much then nothing is stopping you from making your own bed. I just don't understand people who are bothered by once a day housekeeping. As far as "seeing the steward" why is this even a need? I usually see them once at beginning, tell them any special needs- such as I like ice and clean glasses at least once a day- and that's it. You would never want to know housekeeping in a hotel or make ridiculous demands so why is a cruise ship any different?

[skiingj]

Explore. Carnival has a terrible loyalty program. Some Diamond perks are a slap in the face. No way I'm working towards Diamond with Carnival. Carnival has a history of taking perks away. I'm trying to be loyal with Royal, they have a much better loyalty program. It blows Carnival's out of the water ;). Try other lines now, I regret waiting a decade to try Royal.

[firefly333]

btw when I said above that Carnival was a awesome choice to Alaska .. I meant they seem to be the only line that cruises up some flord? inlet and the first half you see whales and the second half birds and other wildlife. If you listened tothe naturalist you could pick out the strata where the glaciers had gone. We hit a glorious sunny day and went almost right up to the glacier that other lines dont go to. For about $150 you could take a little boat and go all the way up where there were seals? laying around and see things close up, though the ship went very close but not right up to the glacier. It might not always be able to make that passage, I think it depends on the weather. I didnt see the birds, but others did, forget what they were, but I saw plenty of humpback whales both directions, tons of them.

 

There is another port with a excursion to a glacier, including one where you can walk on it. I got off the ship where there is a booth and for about $7 each way you can take a bus to the park and hike at your own pace, not Carnivals. I hiked up to the waterfall, it was pouring rain, luckily had a poncho. Its over a mile each way but worth it even in the rain, lotsa of nature to see, humongous mushrooms and all kinds of things along that trail. some shorter trails. But I wouldnt have had time to make it to the falls had I gone on Carnvals excursion that day. One little trail let to a salmon stream where there were tons of salmon. its a national park, extra to do the inside part. but hiking was free. I wasnt sure i could make it all the way to the falls but I surprised myself. i probably hiked over 3 miles that day in the pouring rain, but still worth seeing the glaciers closer up on foot and other things there.

 

Take Carnival to Alaska, you wouldnt be sorry. .. even though we hit one glorious sunny day for the carnival ship to see some glacier... and then the next port the worst rain they had seen all summer. You dont even have to pay for a excursion to see whales, you can see lots from the itinerary that Carival does that other lines dont.

[firefly333]

I forgot Ive also cruised on Princess. Im not young and I thought the age of the passengers was a lot oldeer. A lot fewer kids though if thats what you like. easy to find a bridge game, lets say that.

 

I liked Carnival better.

 

Try Disney if you can find a good deal. They revolve you thru 3 MDRs all with differentn themes, one starts with black and white walls and changes to color by the end of your dinner. It also had some adults only areas, and on the beach has steak for the adults in their own area.

 

I almost tried Cunard but it got cancelled, but you have to fly to NYC to get a round trip to England and back. The prices arent as bad as you would think.

 

I would try almost any except that Italian one, i hate Italian food and dont eat pasta, and they have it featured at dinner every night. Nothing I read makes me think I would enjoy that line.