Have you ever regretted sailing another line?

[PEB]

I have cruised on RCCL, Celebrity, NCL, American Hawaii, Carnival, Princess and HAL. I have my favorite cruise line because I truly know what my favorite is because I have cruised on different lines. I have several lines that I have a lot of cruises on. I enjoy all the lines for different reasons. I can enjoy any line because I always look for what I enjoy on every ship and do not waste my time looking for what I do not like.

[sammiedawg]

We participate in many loyalty programs and I must say the HAL mariner benefits are very, very weak. Benefits through the three star level are mostly discounts to entice you to spend extra money onboard. Pretty worthless. I don’t recall getting anything of value. We leave all the trinkets, certificates, medals, tiles on the cabin desk.

The best and easiest to attain benefits are on Princess, without really trying or spending much. At various levels we earned free internet packages, laundry, mini bar set up. They also give the very best past passenger discounts.

The best but expensive to attain benefits are on the premium and luxury lines. We’ve hit a sweet spot on one of them but we’ve spent a lot to get there.

[travelingfrog]

In my almost 40 years of cruising, I’ve only had a handful of cruises that could be considered bad. Instances involved getting violently ill (where I couldn’t eat or leave my cabin for days), another instance when fellow passengers were so disruptive that they turned a short weekend cruise into a brawl which included racially motivated fist fights, destroyed property, trash everywhere and even vomit crusted to the carpet for the entire cruise. And another cruise where a cabin steward single handedly terrorized us for days after we reported his very inappropriate behavior. He was removed from his duties and eventually fired after his subsequent behavior towards us. Try to have a good cruise when you have a stalker with access to your cabin for days, even after he was strictly forbidden from coming anywhere near you.

 

But besides that, I’ve enjoyed every single one of my cruises!

 

 

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Wow, Tapi, this sounds like a nightmare!

 

 

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[sail7seas]

I have been in Princess' and Celebrity Loyalty Programs for many years and have no ideea what benefits or any tthey offer. I never looked and really don't care.

[Btimmer]

That was our experience on the Allure too. Bigger doesn't always mean crowded. They did a far better job of getting people on and off the ship than any HAL cruise we've been on. And the regular MDR was hands better in food and service than HAL. Only downer for those mega ships is the ports they can hit. Limits the variety.

 

 

 

Dan

 

 

 

We experienced the same thing on the Harmony of the Seas, especially the getting on and off part. It was truly wonderful.

 

 

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[sail7seas]

originally posted by Tapi:

 

 

In my almost 40 years of cruising, I’ve only had a handful of cruises that could be considered bad. Instances involved getting violently ill (where I couldn’t eat or leave my cabin for days), another instance when fellow passengers were so disruptive that they turned a short weekend cruise into a brawl which included racially motivated fist fights, destroyed property, trash everywhere and even vomit crusted to the carpet for the entire cruise. And another cruise where a cabin steward single handedly terrorized us for days after we reported his very inappropriate behavior. He was removed from his duties and eventually fired after his subsequent behavior towards us. Try to have a good cruise when you have a stalker with access to your cabin for days, even after he was strictly forbidden from coming anywhere near you.

 

 

 

I would have been so gone from that ship. With a steward behaving in such a threatening manner and security doing nothing ab out it......... I would have disembarked with prromises of the action s I w ould puruse once I was home. AWful, awful, awful

[Tatka]

I have been in Princess' and Celebrity Loyalty Programs for many years and have no ideea what benefits or any tthey offer. I never looked and really don't care.

We didn't care for a long time, but there are some nice benefits like Elite lounge (Dimond on RCCL as they match levels) with drinks. Haven't used it yet, but Royal aside from longe offers three preloaded drinks in any bar from 5 till 8 pm daily.

Large discounts for wifi or even free WiFi on Princess starting from Platinum are also nice (now that they improved quality greatly) as I sometimes have to work from cruises to get additional cruise weeks.

[Aquahound]

That was our experience on the Allure too. Bigger doesn't always mean crowded. They did a far better job of getting people on and off the ship than any HAL cruise we've been on. And the regular MDR was hands better in food and service than HAL.

 

 

Agreed. I've cruised Oasis Class 4 times and I never felt crowded. Plus, those ships have the best entertainment at sea. RCI has a lot to offer as a cruise line and in many fields, HAL cannot touch them. It's just another example of what folks are missing by being married to one brand.

[Sea girl 23]

We experienced the same thing on the Harmony of the Seas, especially the getting on and off part. It was truly wonderful.

 

 

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Amazing how they can get that so right with getting on and off..I've run into traffic jams of people trying to disembark on HAL..multiple times.Not fun.

[JimAOk1945]

Yes we have but they have all been good cruises.

*❅.•*˚✻🎄🌺.• * ˚⛄.❅~May you all have a Beautiful, Blessed Christmas Season~full of Peace, Hope, & Love~.⛄•*˚❅.🌺✻•*˚•.༺.•𝓔𝓋𝒶 ღ•༺•✻🌺•*˚❆*❅.•*˚✻🌺🎄.• * ˚⛄.❅🎄

 

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[Tatka]

Agreed. I've cruised Oasis Class 4 times and I never felt crowded. Plus, those ships have the best entertainment at sea. RCI has a lot to offer as a cruise line and in many fields, HAL cannot touch them. It's just another example of what folks are missing by being married to one brand.

I also agree. And Quantum class which is smaller (relatively) is much more crowded. Although Solarium is the best among all lines/ships.

[nealstuber]

We did regret choosing CB for Christmas 2 years ago out of Houston. We’re usually Carnival or Royal people (with some X and NCL) thrown in.

But I’d think coming from HAL, you’d find it a bit sportier. With respect to the Carnival brands we think:

Carnival = Chevy

Princess = Buick

HAL = Caddy

 

 

 

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[sammiedawg]

We did regret choosing CB for Christmas 2 years ago out of Houston. We’re usually Carnival or Royal people (with some X and NCL) thrown in.

But I’d think coming from HAL, you’d find it a bit sportier. With respect to the Carnival brands we think:

Carnival = Chevy

Princess = Buick

HAL = Caddy

 

 

 

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Didn’t know Caddy’s had leaking ceilings, non working plumbing, non working HVAC, moldy odors. Just the highlights from recent trip reports.

Glad we are Acura/Lexus types.

[Tatka]

I liked our experience in Veendam, but Caddy.... is a reach. I understand plumbing problems can happen on any ship, but overall condition of her... wasn't great at all. No comparison to any Princess ships we sailed on.

 

Now Queen Mary 2 I'd call a Caddy.

 

If you like Holland ships you will love her.

Except food for regular accommodations was nothing special in my mind.

[Sea girl 23]

Didn’t know Caddy’s had leaking ceilings, non working plumbing, non working HVAC, moldy odors. Just the highlights from recent trip reports.

Glad we are Acura/Lexus types.

 

Seriously.Exactly why I avoid the older ships.No way in Hades am I spending 2 weeks on a leaky,moldy ship.

[Homosassa]

We did regret choosing CB for Christmas 2 years ago out of Houston. We’re usually Carnival or Royal people (with some X and NCL) thrown in.

 

 

 

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What is CB?

[sail7seas]

We didn't care for a long time, but there are some nice benefits like Elite lounge (Dimond on RCCL as they match levels) with drinks. Haven't used it yet, but Royal aside from longe offers three preloaded drinks in any bar from 5 till 8 pm daily.

Large discounts for wifi or even free WiFi on Princess starting from Platinum are also nice (now that they improved quality greatly) as I sometimes have to work from cruises to get additional cruise weeks.

 

What is a preloaded drink? :confused:

 

I don't drink all that much and usually only wine so RCI' i bar doesn't mean that much to me.

 

Again, some benefits mean little to some people but are savored by others. As a Five Star MARiner HAL providing me with i free laundry is worh t nothing to me.......... as I pay for it as included in the price of the cabin we always book.

[sail7seas]

We didn't care for a long time, but there are some nice benefits like Elite lounge (Dimond on RCCL as they match levels) with drinks. Haven't used it yet, but Royal aside from longe offers three preloaded drinks in any bar from 5 till 8 pm daily. Large discounts for wifi or even free WiFi on Princess starting from Platinum are also nice (now that they improved quality greatly) as I sometimes have to work from cruises to get additional cruise weeks.

What is a preloaded drink? :confused: I don't drink all that mcfh and usually only wine so theri bar doesn't mean that much to me. Again, some benefits mean little to some people but are savored by others. As a Five Star MARiner HAL providing me with free laundry is worh t nothing to me.......... as I pay for it as included in the price of the cabin we always book.

[Tatka]

What is a preloaded drink? :confused:

 

I don't drink all that much and usually only wine so RCI' i bar doesn't mean that much to me.

 

Again, some benefits mean little to some people but are savored by others. As a Five Star MARiner HAL providing me with i free laundry is worh t nothing to me.......... as I pay for it as included in the price of the cabin we always book.

Preloaded drinks means that you can go to any bars from 5 to 8 and get 3 drinks per evening. This is aside from drinks in special lounge.

We are not heavy drinkers to buy packages, so this would be enough for us without paying current drink prices.

 

Laundry... we won't use as we do not sail for longer than 2 weeks.

Edited December 4, 2017 by Tatka

[Cruzaholic41]

If Princess is a Buick, HAL would be a Buick with leather seats. The Caddy would be Celebrity.

[runner15km]

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[Aquahound]

Preloaded drinks means that you can go to any bars from 5 to 8 and get 3 drinks per evening. This is aside from drinks in special lounge.

We are not heavy drinkers to buy packages, so this would be enough for us without paying current drink prices.

 

As I said earlier, status is not a motivator in my cruise choices. But I gotta say, RCI does have nice perks at the higher levels. This is the typical Diamond Lounge on RCI. On top of the nightly pre-loaded drinks for any bar on the ship, the D lounge has unlimited free drinks every night from 5-8:30 and a free 24/7 self-serve cappuccino/espresso machine. Plus, I'd say the view is a lot better than HAL's Neptune Lounge. ;)

 

[RedneckBob]

Answer to OP thread: NO

 

Variety is the spice of life. It's like when I loved peanuts for years until I tried cashews. Though I know a few of CC members love one cruise line and will not switch; you will never know what you might have missed.

[nealstuber]

If Princess is a Buick, HAL would be a Buick with leather seats. The Caddy would be Celebrity.

 

 

Celebrity is RC’s Lincoln Vs their Ford.

CB is Caribbean Princess, not sure why.

 

 

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[DeeniEncinitas]

My answer is absolutely not!!!

My main cruise line is HAL with 12 cruises with her! #1 as far as I’m concerned.

Windstar, Crystal and Viking Are special to us for many reasons and don’t regret trying another line! Like the saying says “it’s always good to come home!” HAL is my comfort home.

Denise:)