PrincessCatarina Posted May 22, 2018 #1 Share Posted May 22, 2018 Has anyone else booked with the new Ritz line yet? They emailed priority reservation numbers to Marriott Rewards members yesterday and I called as soon as the phone line opened this morning. I had short-listed 7 specific rooms and the first 2 were already taken about 5 minutes into the reservation process! The voyages seem quite popular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourmet Gal Posted February 22, 2019 #2 Share Posted February 22, 2019 I booked a B2B and also had to settle for our second choice suite. I booked last August Lisbon to London. Which cruise did you book? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelcat2 Posted March 26, 2019 #3 Share Posted March 26, 2019 (edited) It sounds as if they are really catering to Marriott customers which doesn't please us at all. Not all Ritz Carlton properties are luxury and I wonder if they count points at their lesser cost hotels. The yachts look nice (no butler but a "dedicated concierge" whatever that means) and the prices are a within the luxury range (lower end). And, there is a charge for specialty dining. It should be interesting to see where they draw their customers from. Edited March 26, 2019 by Travelcat2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourmet Gal Posted March 30, 2019 #4 Share Posted March 30, 2019 (edited) Well, interesting question. It’s been decades since I stayed at a Marriott and I almost always book FS or Peninsula over RC but I received a brochure directly from RC. So they are certainly not catering just to Marriott customers...they would of course be foolish to ignore any of their built-in client base, don’t you think? The price point does seem moderate to me but high for a Marriott customer. Not sure how their point system works...I suspect an RC cruise using points would require a massive number of points. The ship’s size, amenities and beauty are appealing to a luxury customer. I believe the concierges operate just as butlers do on SS or SB if I am reading the descriptions accurately. There is a charge at only one restaurant...not unusual. I really like that there are no formal nights and dress codes aren’t stuffy. The suite sizes are appealing and look comfortable and the itinerary we’ve booked is perfect for us and rather unique in the combination of ports and overnights. Beyond that I suspect there will be the typical nickel and diming for which RC is so well known. Looking forward to trying something new. Edited March 30, 2019 by Gourmet Gal Addition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted April 17, 2019 #5 Share Posted April 17, 2019 From all posted here it sounds like a Premium and not luxury line to me. We have not stayed in a Marriott since the 70’s but when choosing 5 and 6 star hotels do sometimes stat at Ritz Carltons. The Arts Barcelona is one of those and i wonder if these ships can be equal to their club service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted April 18, 2019 #6 Share Posted April 18, 2019 More concerning is that many of the horse in Administration come from he hotel sector end not the cruise sector. There is a big difference as they will soon find out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted April 25, 2019 #7 Share Posted April 25, 2019 They're also marketing hard to Ritz Carlton Residences owners. We own a condo in a residence and we're getting bombarded with information about them. They are offering discounts to residents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelcat2 Posted May 6, 2019 #8 Share Posted May 6, 2019 On 4/18/2019 at 3:20 AM, wripro said: More concerning is that many of the horse in Administration come from he hotel sector end not the cruise sector. There is a big difference as they will soon find out. This is the second time that we have agreed this year! And, the last post - about offering discounts to residents is enough to make sure that we will not even consider booking this "hotel cruise line" (pretending to be a real cruise line). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted May 6, 2019 #9 Share Posted May 6, 2019 14 hours ago, Travelcat2 said: This is the second time that we have agreed this year! And, the last post - about offering discounts to residents is enough to make sure that we will not even consider booking this "hotel cruise line" (pretending to be a real cruise line). Are we getting mellower? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelcat2 Posted May 6, 2019 #10 Share Posted May 6, 2019 1 hour ago, wripro said: Are we getting mellower? Older and mellower - definitely Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourmet Gal Posted July 9, 2019 #11 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Just cancelled. Decided I didn’t like the timing of Lisbon to London after all. Looking forward to reading impressions of this ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelcat2 Posted July 10, 2019 #12 Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) On 4/17/2019 at 8:32 AM, orchestrapal said: From all posted here it sounds like a Premium and not luxury line to me. We have not stayed in a Marriott since the 70’s but when choosing 5 and 6 star hotels do sometimes stat at Ritz Carltons. The Arts Barcelona is one of those and i wonder if these ships can be equal to their club service. Agree with you (and wripro). It will be interesting to read reviews of the ship when it comes out. For now, I have no interest in going to a Marriott Hotel at sea (that is trying to be a cruise line). Wait until the Marriott chefs try cooking on a ship (omg) Edited July 10, 2019 by Travelcat2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessCatarina Posted August 3, 2019 Author #13 Share Posted August 3, 2019 On 2/21/2019 at 6:53 PM, Gourmet Gal said: I booked a B2B and also had to settle for our second choice suite. I booked last August Lisbon to London. Which cruise did you book? Booked the Monaco Grand Prix sailing in May but we are on the fence about whether to keep it or transfer deposit to a later sailing. It would be nice to have some more details available. Also wondering when they will post early 2021 itineraries. 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourmet Gal Posted August 3, 2019 #14 Share Posted August 3, 2019 I’m also going to wait for the next round of itineraries and the second ship. Would like to have more feedback and wait til they work out the kinks. The cancellation penalty can be applied within one year for a future sailing. Booked a very similar SS itinerary instead that ends at Tower Bridge in London instead of Greenwich. Also, I don’t think this will be a lowly Marriott of the seas as an earlier poster implied. Just because they own RC doesn’t mean it’s the same product. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted August 4, 2019 #15 Share Posted August 4, 2019 I think with Ritz Carlton it is especially important to give them plenty of time to work out their kinks before stepping on board. They are basically a hotel company who has hired mostly administrative people from the hotel industry instead of the shipping industry and I venture to say they will have a lot of adjustments and refinements to make before they are any good at this cruising thing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourmet Gal Posted August 5, 2019 #16 Share Posted August 5, 2019 Wripro, not sure where you get your information but here are the facts: https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20600-ritz-carlton-staffs-up-with-eight-key-executive-hires.html The CEO is also quite experienced. Do you really think investors and Marriott would stand for “mostly administrative people from the hotel industry”? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
princeton123211 Posted August 6, 2019 #17 Share Posted August 6, 2019 On 8/4/2019 at 2:39 PM, wripro said: They are basically a hotel company who has hired mostly administrative people from the hotel industry instead of the shipping industry and I venture to say they will have a lot of adjustments and refinements to make before they are any good at this cruising thing. Yeah-- this is actually factually incorrect. I've spoken to many people there and most of their middle and upper management were hired away from Seabourn, Silversea, Regent, and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted August 6, 2019 #18 Share Posted August 6, 2019 Glad to hear this. It may be something new as when they first started hiring it was from the hotel segment. I'd still give them a few months to work out the kinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gourmet Gal Posted September 23, 2019 #19 Share Posted September 23, 2019 The 2021 schedule is out and at first glance is very disappointing. Looks like a repeat of 2020, nothing new and poor timing for any destination I would be interested in. Any news on timing if the additional ships? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillB Posted September 24, 2019 #20 Share Posted September 24, 2019 On 2/21/2019 at 9:53 PM, Gourmet Gal said: I booked a B2B and also had to settle for our second choice suite. I booked last August Lisbon to London. Which cruise did you book? We just booked Amsterdam to Copenhagen. Should be a unique experience for us since we have never cruised on a small ship/ yacht. if you have, would be interested in any comments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillB Posted September 24, 2019 #21 Share Posted September 24, 2019 On 3/26/2019 at 2:57 PM, Travelcat2 said: ItAnd, there is a charge for specialty dining. It is my understanding that only the super duper dinner has a charge and the rest of the restaurants are included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WillB Posted September 24, 2019 #22 Share Posted September 24, 2019 It is my understanding that only the super duper dinner has a charge and the rest of the restaurants are included. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Travelcat2 Posted September 24, 2019 #23 Share Posted September 24, 2019 Not sure what you are referring to. Generally there is one Connoisseur Wine lunch per cruise and there is a charge. Most people use on board credits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessCatarina Posted September 25, 2019 Author #24 Share Posted September 25, 2019 Has anyone talked to RCYC reps recently about whether they will launch on time? They have a private charter sold at the end of January, followed by a sold-out inaugural cruise....it is certainly in their interest to keep the schedule. https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/ritz-carlton-assures-ship-will-keep-inaugural-date-despite-reported-delay/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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