Loyal RCCL cruisers who’ve tried a luxury cruise line… What did you think?

[waterbug123]

curious to hear from those who splurged on a luxury line after many cruises with RCCL. What was your impression? Was it worth it? What was it like? Was it a dream come true, a disaster, or a “Glad I did that but don’t need to do it again”?

 

I have been on 27 Royal Caribbean cruises (and 6 Celebrity.) I have also been on 2 Oceania cruises. The first Oceania was on a small ship that held around 600 pax; the second was a bit larger, though still smaller than any RC, and held something like 1200 or 1500 pax. I enjoyed both, but especially the first one.

 

If you are someone who needs to be constantly entertained with belly flop contests, trivia contests, napkin folding demos, flow riders, karaoke nights, large production shows etc. etc. then stick with mass market lines. While I certainly enjoy Royal's larger ships, I really enjoyed the quiet elegance on Oceania. The (first) ship was so small we actually boarded the ship first, THEN checked in. Yes, check in was actually on board the ship! As another poster mentioned, all specialty restaurants are included and they are top notch; however, the main dining room was also excellent....well above any mass market line I've been on. I really enjoyed not having the cruise director on the PA every 5 minutes announcing the next art show, $10 sale, poolside contest or spa promotion, and likewise enjoyed not having a photographer jumping in my face every time I turned around, insisting that we pose for a photo. Evenings were pretty quiet compared to mass market lines but we always had fun. There was one larger lounge where there was occasionally some entertainment but we only went there once. The smaller lounge doubled as both piano bar and casino bar and was right around the corner from the casino. The casino was small, with only 3 or 4 tables and a total of only 4 or 5 dealers, but I loved it. By the 2nd night every dealer knew my name and welcomed me warmly, they were all friendly, and the small number of pax who frequented the casino also became quite friendly, as we kept seeing and sitting next to each other.

 

The service was also excellent, and I felt like the staff tried to make every pax feel like a highly valued customer. I did notice on the 2nd and larger ship that it did not feel quite over the top excellent, and began to feel more like a mass market line, with staff busier with their jobs and not quite as attentive to individual pax, though it wasn't bad service by any means.

I hope to sail on Oceania again, but will definitely choose one of their smaller ships again.

 

 

What do you think of the food? I heard it was leaps and bounds. However, I had an ex-girlfriend who went with me on Carnival and Royal Caribbean, but ended up going on an Azamara cruise with her Father. I know Azamara and Oceania are close in quality, and her report was the food was meh, nothing to write home about and her food tastes were similar to mine.

 

I haven't been on Azamara so can't comment on that. However, my BF and I are both foodies and can admittedly be a bit snobbish about wine as well, and thoroughly enjoyed Oceania. On our first Oceania I believe there were 2 specialty restaurants and we ate in both of them once. They were excellent. However, the MDR was also excellent, on a par with, or even above, the best specialty restaurants we've found on mass market lines. Both food and service were outstanding in all dining venues. We ate at the buffet for breakfast and because it was a port intensive cruise most pax were getting off the ship pretty early so the buffet was crowded. Many similar offerings as mass market lines, but overall a better quality and a more refined feeling than the Windjammer!

[AlaskaNewbie68]

Reading this with interest. We actually booked an OCeania cruise and had to cancel due to work conflicts, but definitely want to try them. My biggest concern is ship movement with the smaller ships. We've only been on HAL Westerdam so far and now have RC Adventure booked for NE/Canada. Any thoughts on movement with the smaller ships would be appreciated. Thanks!

[John&LaLa]

Very interested in this thread too :) One day I will try Regent Seven Seas. Depending on what time of the year you go, a cruise on Regent Seven Seas is less expensive than a loft suite on Harmony AND you dont pay for airfare, gratuities, alcohol, excursions or anything else for that matter. I love the idea of a truly all inclusive cruise.

Did you notice many Regent ships have the same names as Royals Voyager Class? [emoji848]

 

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[Plum Happy]

The whole "nothing to do" aspect is what is keeping me from booking a luxury line like Regent. I have a Celebrity coming up (first time on X) and I'm worried I'll be bored to death on that.

 

I have sailed on Celebrity three times and have another next year, you have absolutely nothing to be worried about with Celebrity, you will not be bored on the ship.

 

Just as Royal provides a daily list of things going on during certain times, they too have programs going on. Their enrichment programs are very interesting, especially on sea days.

[CruiseAF]

Carnival = Hampton inn/courtyard

 

Disney = Disney Deluxe Resort (Polynesian/GF/ contemporary)

 

NCL = Embassy suites

 

Rccl = Hilton/Marriott

 

MSC = intercontinental with motel 6 food [emoji4]

 

Princess = Westin/Hyatt

 

Celebrity = JW Marriott/ Waldorf

 

Azamara/Oceania = Ritz Carlton

 

Silversea/Crystal = Four seasons/plaza hotel

 

 

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[The Fun Researcher]

Thank you so much to all who've replied so far. My wife and I have loved reading the responses, and please keep them coming. It's fun to read about your experiences and that's all we can go by since we haven't been on a "luxury" cruise line (yet :) )

 

Dan

[Merly]

We have sailed Regent and Silversea and loved both. On Regent trips are included, and they are good ones. We went parasailing in Key West for example. We loved the small ships, food and restaurants were fantastic, nothing but nothing was too much trouble. Thought we might have issues getting a sun lounger by the pool, but nope. Staff were absolutely brilliant, and staff to passenger ratio high, whatever you want to drink, in you suite or public areas. On both the casinos are very small and there is only one show a night but as we aren’t bothered about the shows that didn’t matter. Apart from getting on and off the ship and getting into your suite you don’t need to show your card. We never spent a penny more than the cruise cost, you don’t need to.

 

We felt that if you add it all up and compare it to other lines, paying for drinks WiFi etc. There is not a lot in it.

[sailor moon]

We are going on a Norway cruise with Hurtigruten next year. My parents did their South America/Antarctica cruise last year and loved it. 200 pax ship, great service and food, and educational lectures and immersive experiences. I can't wait to try them for Norway!

I’m looking at their Antarctica cruises!:hearteyes:

[Ocean Cat]

While I’ve never sailed RCCL ( soon) I have sailed Carnival and Princess. Last year we sailed on The Seabourn Odyssey. The food and service were unsurpassed. The cabin bathrooms were opulent, It had a large bathtub. Tips and drinks were included. Now, that being said, we were on the bottom floor with a decent sized window. We paid, or rather my father in law paid, $5000 pp for 7 nights. On my last three cruises Carnival,Princess and in Nov On Royals Allure we paid around $2800 for the two of us-drinks and tips and ocean balcony. So $10k or $2800, you’ll have to decide for yourself. I think I’ll go with the least expensive. Even if we added the delux dining pkg every night that’d only put us over $3000 for the two of us.

[Baron Barracuda]

After 25 years of sailing primarily with Royal and X we're taking our first Viking Ocean sailing next month, 14 nights from NY to Miami. Couple of months back they sent us an unsolicited email offer of free air and large obc that was too good to ignore. We booked a penthouse level cabin that after adjusting for obc cost under $250/night, comparable to Royal js but with many more inclusions: free beer and wine with lunch & dinner (optional bev pkg add on is only $20/night), mini bar with alcohol and daily replenishment, free shore excursion in every port, free internet, free laundry, and free specialty dining. No kids under 18 allowed. They offer guest lecturers but no on board casino. Ships carry under 1,000 passengers. Searched the VO boards and everyone seems pleased. Really looking forward to this.

[Shippy]

I would not mind dong a upscale cruise line, but really like suites on rccl , liked the perks, but even perfer celebrity suites , since all there ships have suite restaurant and suite lounge with free drinks all day not just for a happy hour, our cruise was a music charter so entertainment was even better than rccl. Will do same cruise next year then try msc yacht club.

 

YOU WILL LOVE THE YACHT CLUB...

Still the best kept secret at sea although you can tell more are finding out....no last minute yacht club cabins...you must check way in advance to find one available. You can usually pick up a YC cabin for between $1700-$2000. pp All alcohol is included.

Only 70 cabins on a large ship. Must have a key card to enter. Your own pool area/restaurant/lounge/etc.

All the advantages of a large ship but you can just hide out in the YC area when you want to avoid crowds.

So....the small ship experience. Some people never leave the YC area, but on a big ship so there is lots to do.

My husband hit a $5,000. jackpot in their casino last year !

[actuarian]

You can usually pick up a YC cabin for between $1700-$2000. pp All alcohol is included.

Only 70 cabins on a large ship. Must have a key card to enter. Your own pool area/restaurant/lounge/etc.

All the advantages of a large ship but you can just hide out in the YC area when you want to avoid crowds.

 

Actually, you can cruise in the YC for $1500 pp (1-week cruise, all fees and taxes included) if you are willing to be in a YC inside room (category YIN). You still get all the privileges of the YC, just without a window in your room. However, YIN cabins are only on the newest MSC ships (such as the Seaside) and you have to reserve far in advance since there are no more than 12 YIN rooms per ship. A YIN room is probably the least expensive way to try luxury cruising. IMHO, the YC really is a luxury cruise ship that is within a mainstream cruise ship so it provides all the advantages of both.

[drsel]

Actually, you can cruise in the YC for $1500 pp (1-week cruise, all fees and taxes included) if you are willing to be in a YC inside room (category YIN). You still get all the privileges of the YC, just without a window in your room. However, YIN cabins are only on the newest MSC ships (such as the Seaside) and you have to reserve far in advance since there are no more than 12 YIN rooms per ship. A YIN room is probably the least expensive way to try luxury cruising. IMHO, the YC really is a luxury cruise ship that is within a mainstream cruise ship so it provides all the advantages of both.

So, how is Yacht club different? Anything else besides the unlimited alcoholic beverages, private pool, restaurant and lounge?

[John&LaLa]

So, how is Yacht club different? Anything else besides the unlimited alcoholic beverages, private pool, restaurant and lounge?

Tiny cabins [emoji6]

 

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[rafinmd]

I'll give my perspective here. My first love is Crystal (Just off the Symphony, in November I'll go from Diamond to D+ on the Grandeur) so I hope I'll sneak in as "Loyal". I posted this on a thread on the Crystal forum but I think it's relevant here:

 

 

Here are some of my key comparisons:

Compared to Royal you will find everyone remarkably equal from a first time in an E cabin to someone with 100 cruises in a penthouse. The penthouses do get a few perks like more free trips to the specialty restaurants and some cocktail parties in the Captains Quarters but nothing that has a significant experience on other's onboard experience. The biggest benefits of the loyalty program are fare discounts (about 2%), OBC every 5 cruises, and eventually free cruises (25 and 50 cruise milestones).

The activities will be a LOT different. Nothing like hairy chest contests or the Quest (but if the Liars Club is offered do check it out), some of the activities will be dance lessons, afternoon tea, bridge and computer classes (varies by cruise) and a very strong enrichment program.

 

Do pay attention to Reflection when you get it each day as you will find very few announcements. The Captain will usually have a noon update (perhaps 9AM) but that's about it unless it's a change or a port clearance announcement.

I think there are relatively few private tour operators in Alaska so the shore excursion department is relatively important. Crystal's are very civilized; they always meet onboard and have an "escort" on each tour who will lead the group out to the waiting bus which will almost always be loaded far short of capacity with a lot of room to move around.

 

 

 

Food is subjective but one thing that's quite nice is you can do a special order with a day's advance notice. If they have the ingredients on board they will almost certainly do it.

 

 

 

Roy

[Clarea]

Tiny cabins [emoji6]

Plus the potential of screaming children jumping in the YC pool.

[drsel]

Plus the potential of screaming children jumping in the YC pool.

Tiny cabins and screaming kids jumping into the exclusive YC pool?

And you got to pay more for this??

[John&LaLa]

Tiny cabins and screaming kids jumping into the exclusive YC pool?

And you got to pay more for this??

YMMV

 

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[Shippy]

The Fun Researcher,

One of many things that your research should bring to you is understanding that MSC YC experience is never a 5* ship experience.

It's a very good product (4* on Fantasia-class ships and 4*++ on the Seaside-class), but something "within a ship" is not a ship.

This is a result of hypertrophic grow of the suite perks on a cruise ship that eventually has reached the point of class division.

Get familiar with what class division vs suite perks means.

 

MSC did a good job with the YC on the Seaside (they surpassed the "Haven" on most NCL ships where it's available).

However $1500 pp for a 7-day caribbean cruise is a "good value"only for those who are willing to pay suite prices.

Otherwise it's a crazy price.

The larger the privileged part of the ship is, the worse is "the rest of experience".

A 5* ship is not the one where you need to hide from crowds (neither in you inside cabin, nor in a "ship-within-a-ship" reservation).

Your research is for the "whole ship experience".

 

 

Happy cruising!

 

No one 'needs' to hide out, it is a choice. I am sure there are people on all cruise ships that 'hide' out to a certain extent.

I will agree with the fact that the cabins are small...but nice. It is really the experience that you get that makes people love the yacht club.

As for the price....your own lounge/pool area/restaurant/ all inclusive drinks/mini bar/ free gelato/etc.

kinda makes it a good deal. On the Seaside, earlier this year, they served all you could eat lobster tails at the pool buffet & I never saw any kids screaming or jumping in the pool. I think the fact the cabins are small keeps the yacht club area mostly adults.

Almost forgot to add... you do not enter the port when you first arrive. A butler outside takes your luggage and escorts you to a room where you have champagne & cookies until your cabin is ready. You are also escorted off the ship at the end so you do not get stuck in the crowds.

 

We cruise several times a year....MSC Yacht Club, Regent, an Oasis class ship & one misc. cruise.

Love them all as they are all very different.

[actuarian]

So, how is Yacht club different? Anything else besides the unlimited alcoholic beverages, private pool, restaurant and lounge?

 

Everyone in the YC has a butler who does almost everything that a genie does on Royal Caribbean but the YC costs only a fraction of the cost of Royal Caribbean Star Class. Perhaps, more importantly, the YC has its own private area that spans 3 decks. That includes its own restaurant, pool deck, lido buffet and lounge (with its own buffet and with evening entertainment). The YC main restaurant is at least as good as Luminae on Celebrity or Coastal Kitchen on Royal Caribbean. While the YC does not have its own shopping, YC butlers will escort YC cruisers to the shops at times when they are closed to everyone else. In short, if a YC cruiser wants the "small ship" experience, there is no need to ever leave the YC area. However, YC cruisers can go out into the rest of the ship when they want to and get the "big ship" experience. When they are outside the YC, YC cruisers are treated the same as everyone else but they still get complementary alcohol and they have room key activated elevators that take them back to the YC without making any other stops. The reason that the YC club costs less than Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Suite Class is that most rooms in the YC are not suites. They are just ordinary size rooms, although they have better furniture. Some are even inside rooms. The idea is that there is no reason for YC passengers to use their rooms for anything but showering and sleeping. With all those private YC areas, why stay in a stateroom?

[Cheezus]

Everyone in the YC has a butler who does almost everything that a genie does on Royal Caribbean but the YC costs only a fraction of the cost of Royal Caribbean Star Class. Perhaps, more importantly, the YC has its own private area that spans 3 decks. That includes its own restaurant, pool deck, lido buffet and lounge (with its own buffet and with evening entertainment). The YC main restaurant is at least as good as Luminae on Celebrity or Coastal Kitchen on Royal Caribbean. While the YC does not have its own shopping, YC butlers will escort YC cruisers to the shops at times when they are closed to everyone else. In short, if a YC cruiser wants the "small ship" experience, there is no need to ever leave the YC area. However, YC cruisers can go out into the rest of the ship when they want to and get the "big ship" experience. When they are outside the YC, YC cruisers are treated the same as everyone else but they still get complementary alcohol and they have room key activated elevators that take them back to the YC without making any other stops. The reason that the YC club costs less than Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Suite Class is that most rooms in the YC are not suites. They are just ordinary size rooms, although they have better furniture. Some are even inside rooms. The idea is that there is no reason for YC passengers to use their rooms for anything but showering and sleeping. With all those private YC areas, why stay in a stateroom?

 

I'm sold!

[The Fun Researcher]

The YC cabins on MSC are an interesting discussion, but I'm more interested in information regarding a cruise on a true "luxury" line like those mentioned in the OP.

 

Really appreciate the feedback and experiences that you are all sharing. Thanks again. -Dan

[rozbe]

The lines I’m referring to are the likes of: Regent, Crystal, Oceania, Viking, Seaborn, Silversea, etc…

 

For some odd reason that question popped into my mind. I’m curious to hear from those who splurged on a luxury line after many cruises with RCCL. What was your impression? Was it worth it? What was it like? Was it a dream come true, a disaster, or a “Glad I did that but don’t need to do it again”?

 

I would consider it in the future for a special occasion.

 

Thanks in advance, Dan

 

 

 

In the last few years we have done 7 Oceania and Regent cruises. We also did a Celebrity to Japan in April. That was one of the worst I have ever been on. I took the family on Anthem 1 1/2 years ago because of the convenience. I am returning on the Anthem in December as I do not want to deal with airports after 2 awful trips within 3 months of each other

There is no comparison between RCCL and Oceania and Regent. I personally love Oceania. Food is fantastic. At night u can go to the buffet and have unlimited lobster tails, jumbo shrimp, lamb chops and steak. As someone mentioned there is no nickel and diving. If u r going without children, this is the way to go. These ships can also dock close to towns as they are no more than 1100 passengers. No big container ports and they provide free shuttles to town

The only thing RCCL has that’s better is the entertainment. In my case it’s the location to the port

Roz

 

 

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[Shippy]

The YC cabins on MSC are an interesting discussion, but I'm more interested in information regarding a cruise on a true "luxury" line like those mentioned in the OP.

 

Really appreciate the feedback and experiences that you are all sharing. Thanks again. -Dan

 

Youtube MSC Yacht Club & you will see some luxury...like the Swavorski crystal stairways that sparkle so bright in person that they are hard to look at closeup.

 

The YC cabins (YC1) on the Seaside are small but on the MSC Divina, they have YC2 & YC3 cabins that absolutely huge.

For some unknown reason, on the Seaside, those cabins are classified differently & have no yacht club access.

We always used to chose those. I think the Divina is now in Europe. It used to have its main port in the Caribbean before the Seaside arrived.

[Troban]

We have sailed 1 Regent to Alaska. Then 2 Oceana, 1 a reg balcony 2nd time in a Neptune Suite. Go for the Suite. We enjoyed both lines very much. Yes it’s an older crowd, but that’s ok for us, we do very use port days and come back have a great 2 hour dinner a walk then bed. Bathrooms in the suites or on Regent are huge.

 

This spring I a taking a Royal with Freedom of the seas with a group , the ONLY reason I agreed was we are doing the Presidential suite which gives us one nice perks. I am not trying to be posh but after sailing smaller ships the idea of cattle calls does not sound fun. Am a bit concerned about food- I like good food and I have allergies so I am getting a speciality dining package. I think the adage you will enjoy it if you want to applies, plus pick your itinerary and active level, plus how much luxury you want. There are cruise lines for all.