Long time CCL traveler cruises RCCL for first time

[Tongiejayhawk]

Myself, DH, DS and eight others sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas on June 5^th for a Mediterranean cruise from Ravenna, Italy. This was my 20^th cruise but first time on RCCL. I have sailed with Carnival, Holland America, NCL and Disney. I’m writing the review from a perspective of how RCCL compared to the others. I’ll post to the RCCL and CCL forums since I’ve sailed with CCL the most. I’ll break it down by category and then share my and others’ overall thoughts.

 

Communication: Horrible in general and compared to the other lines. I was inclined to give RCCL some slack since things have changed since 2020 but I have cruised since then as have several others in our group. The communication before the cruise was so frustrating – being given false information, being on hold for hours at a time, or not receiving any information. One example is that there was a train strike the day of embarkation. Luckily for us, we stayed in Ravenna the night before. Our plan was to take a taxi to the port from the train station. While waiting in the taxi line, a nice gentleman came over and asked if we were coming back from a cruise or leaving for one. We said we were leaving for one. He said most of the people in line were trying to leave Ravenna because there was a train strike and weren’t having luck getting a taxi. He said we were fortunate that we could take a bus to the port. He pointed to a gal with a clipboard and said “she’s from RCCL”. He said we could probably get on the bus for $10 pp and that it was frustrating because no one told him that on his embarkation day, one week ago. My husband went and talked to the gal and it was true. Then, instead of her coming over to address the large line of people, my husband told everyone that the bus over there was a RCCL transfer to the port. Several people thanked him and we thanked the gentleman that told us.

 

Next, was my frustration with the coffee beverage package. In the last two years, I have planned a lot of trips. I thought I had purchased the coffee package but wasn’t sure. I looked at the app, the website and my boarding documents and couldn’t find anything so I thought I passed on it. Then on the 5^th day, the nice barista said I had bought the package and showed me my name on a list. What?! He said I should just ask for a refund at that point. It was such little money but off of principle, I did get a refund. I am at a loss why you have to go to the coffee bar to pick up your card. Why isn’t it delivered in the room with your excursion tickets? Or on the app? Guest services said they are working to add it to the app. The same thing with the internet package. I knew 100% that I bought it because I needed it for work. But there was nothing in the cabin or the app stating I purchased it or how to access it. We had to visit the technology center for this.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: This was really smooth, probably better than most with the exception of HA. Although they encourage leaving luggage out the night before, we did self-assist.

 

Spa: The spa was nice and I had a great masseuse. They use the same products as CCL – Elemis. I didn’t use the gym but others in my group said they were impressed with the amount of equipment.

 

Casino: We preferred RCCL’s casino compared to other lines. It was large, had a decent sized non-smoking section and there were fans running to make it less smoky. We played slots and they seemed looser than others we’ve played. My DH enjoys watching (and sometimes playing) craps but they never had a table open. The main negative is that they didn’t have staff circulating to provide drinks.

 

Laundry: We definitely needed to do laundry since we stayed in Italy several days before the cruise. We asked Guest Services on embarkation day if there would be any specials during the cruise (similar to other cruise lines) and were told “no.” The prices seemed high compared to other lines but we sucked it up and paid over $100 to wash some items. Then what do you know, midway through the cruise, there was a special – fill the bag for $30. Grrr….

 

Excursions: We enjoyed our excursions. The only real negative is the website. There were no reviews. And they really need to put their transfers as excursions like other lines to avoid the problem mentioned above.

 

Food: This was very disappointing. Definitely the worst of all five lines. First, when the Windjammer is closed, very little options exist. And it closes at weird times. One example is when I needed to leave for an excursion at noon. I went up at 11:00 a.m. thinking I’ll get something to eat. Nope, it was closed from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The only option I had was the little sandwich place by the pool or the coffee bar. I had my choice of a small focaccia sandwich or a smoked salmon on croissant. I tried the former but it was inedible. Luckily, I had protein bars in my cabin. Similarity, the Windjammer closed at night. The same place by the pool had pizza. But we all agreed we’ve had better frozen pizza. We missed Guy’s, the Blue Iguana and Neapolitan style pizza. And no 24-hour soft serve. Lastly, there is a charge for room service. Big, big bummer.

 

The food in the dining room was hit or miss. Some days I would say it was the best of all five, some days it was awful. I ordered the filet for $16.95 one night and it was fabulous. My friend ordered a medium rare steak and it was burnt.

 

Entertainment: Disappointing compared to the others. While I’m not a big “show” person, several in our party are. They only had one big show. They talked to the dancers one day and the crew said they normally do three shows in a week but with the pandemic they’re down to one. I asked my friends that have been on several cruises since the pandemic and the other lines are back to three shows a week.

 

It felt like there weren’t many activities planned. We had a very port-intensive itinerary so maybe that’s why. We didn’t see much of the Cruise Director – some even wondered if we had one.

 

Pool: Both pools were at a good temperature and were not overly crowded the times I was there. I enjoyed the covered pool to escape some of the sun. I don’t understand why the main pool has no shallow end for kids. It’s over 5 ft deep. The hot tubs were better than most other lines – they were actually hot.

 

The screen for the outdoors movies needs replaced badly. It’s pixilated and looks like the original from the time the ship was built. One member from our group tried to watch a movie at night but gave up. They were just in dry dock – not sure why they didn’t replace it then. They should just turn it off – it seems more embarrassing to show it the way it is.

 

Crew: The staff all seemed to try really hard and put on smiles. But you could tell something was off. Some of our friends heard others discussing how short-staffed they were and RCCL just can’t get enough employees. Our wait staff was not good at all (again, very nice). All the table around us consistently ordered later than us but we were the last served – sometimes a whole ½ hour behind. Our room steward was wonderful.

 

Cabins: Our cabin was an aft balcony and I thought it was really nice. The storage space in the bathroom was lacking but it felt like our couch was larger than other lines. I’m not a fan of the slider’s lock. Others have mentioned getting locked outside and we almost did that to our son when my DH and I left the cabin.

 

We had friends with 4 in their cabin, a spacious balcony. Instead of a trundle or beds coming from the ceiling, the sofa folded out in a futon style. They said it was hard and made sleep nearly impossible.

 

I did like the television program options. They had some really quirky shows – it seemed many one season series that I never heard of but got sucked into watching.

 

Conclusion: All 11 of us agree that RCCL is our least favorite cruise line that we’ve sailed. There were even some in our group that had sailed RCCL previously and said something was very off from their past experiences. We won’t be sailing with her again, even if we get free offers (we get plenty of free offers from CCL and HA). The icing on the cake is that I just had time today to complete the survey and what do you know, it says it’s expired – after only disembarking 8 days ago from an international cruise. Heavy sigh.

[lazydayz]

Sorry to hear it wasn’t up to par.  We like Royal and did the Brilliance in January for a four night cruise.  The main dining room sucked but other than that, we enjoyed it.  I would not choose BOTS for a weekend long cruise. Really enjoyed the casino and the live music, but for us, just too small for a longer cruise. 

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, lazydayz said:

Sorry to hear it wasn’t up to par.  We like Royal and did the Brilliance in January for a four night cruise.  The main dining room sucked but other than that, we enjoyed it.  I would not choose BOTS for a weekend long cruise. Really enjoyed the casino and the live music, but for us, just too small for a longer cruise. 

I did grandeur in may and it's the very oldest. Brillance was built in 2001 so close. I guess I'm spoiled by newer ships but missed having more food options. Fares reflected the ships age, a bargain.

 

I had cheers on carnival and dont remember them leaving instructions in my cabin. So op didnt do any research or know what she purchased. Forgot she had coffee card, and had to ask how to get online. Not that hard. If I'm on rcl and try to use wifi I get a popup asking me to sign in or do I want to use the free wifi for the app. I click set up account, make a name and password. I'm not even a little tech savvy. But glad she at least went to ask how if she couldnt figure it out. I get 2 free days and it says how much I get I can click on. 

 

Does carnival leave instructions in the cabin of everyone who purchased wifi? Or if they purchased cheers. I dont remember getting instructions and had cheers twice. 

 

It is a older ship. Idk if I would do grandeur again ... though it was very cheap. Half the per day price of newer ships. .. lol I saw the price and that's why I jumped on it. 

 

Crew was short staffed. I just saw blerk had a thread where staff is being finally increased. Some govt form thing that was behind. Someone came over to rcl board a few days ago and will never do carnival again. Said the line for guys burgers was 1 hour. .its summer, ships are near full  crew is doing their best. I'm taking a break from cruises after grandeur tbh.  Until sept. Hoping things with staffing more normal. It's true. Ships are short staffed. Grandeur at least had everything.

 

My liberty back in march was missing some food, cheeses especially. Caprese salad I think it's called with tomatoes and mozzarella they subbed sliced watermelon and feta cheese. I didnt try it but heard it was refreshing. I took a picture of it someone else ordered. I thought it was funny. 

 

[Drazil65]

Royal was our very first cruise 21 years ago (honeymoon) and the cruise that got us hooked!  We have occasionally cruised Royal (bigger ships) and once on NCL (not a fan) over the years but have mostly stayed with CCL.  We feel that there are hit or misses with both RCCL and CCL but CCL continues to be our go to choice.  Glad you tried something different and now you now.   

[mtchg]

I am Platinum for both CCL and RCCL but admittedly have not cruised since Alaska on Rhapsody of the Seas in 2013 (going on Carnival again in October) In 2010 did a 14 day Mediterranean cruise on the Independence of the Seas..beautiful mega-ship that we really enjoyed. But our previous Carnival cruises were just as enjoyable. That was years ago, so with time and the pandemic, subsequent budget, supply and staffing issues have deteriorated the quality of all lines. Hopefully temporarily. 

[john91498]

I only sailed RCCL and Celebrity until I got married and had kids. We feel Carnival is more kid friendly with the water parks and the camps.  

[Lane Hog]

The OP's low points are the exact same things we've noticed between Carnival and Royal.

We really enjoy the comedy shows and entertainment on Carnival, especially the Dive-In Movies. 

On Royal, we're in the stateroom watching TV by 9pm.... 
 

[Joe817]

11 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

The OP's low points are the exact same things we've noticed between Carnival and Royal.

We really enjoy the comedy shows and entertainment on Carnival, especially the Dive-In Movies. 

On Royal, we're in the stateroom watching TV by 9pm.... 
 

Wow. That speaks volumes for the 'fun 'factor' between the two. Thanks for sharing. 👍

[lazydayz]

There is plenty to do on Royal after 9. Heck, even on Holland and Celebrity I found things to do until 11.  Try Oasis class on Royal.  There’s a ton of high quality entertainment late at night. 

[Stick93]

The one difference that puts Royal ahead of Carnival are the passengers. Had a few situations on carnival where I was afraid for my life (no joke) and security was a joke. The diversity on the ship sometimes can attracts a rough crowd. Never had that on Royal. 

[Illbcruzn4life]

6 hours ago, Tongiejayhawk said:

Myself, DH, DS and eight others sailed on the Brilliance of the Seas on June 5^th for a Mediterranean cruise from Ravenna, Italy. This was my 20^th cruise but first time on RCCL. I have sailed with Carnival, Holland America, NCL and Disney. I’m writing the review from a perspective of how RCCL compared to the others. I’ll post to the RCCL and CCL forums since I’ve sailed with CCL the most. I’ll break it down by category and then share my and others’ overall thoughts.

 

Communication: Horrible in general and compared to the other lines. I was inclined to give RCCL some slack since things have changed since 2020 but I have cruised since then as have several others in our group. The communication before the cruise was so frustrating – being given false information, being on hold for hours at a time, or not receiving any information. One example is that there was a train strike the day of embarkation. Luckily for us, we stayed in Ravenna the night before. Our plan was to take a taxi to the port from the train station. While waiting in the taxi line, a nice gentleman came over and asked if we were coming back from a cruise or leaving for one. We said we were leaving for one. He said most of the people in line were trying to leave Ravenna because there was a train strike and weren’t having luck getting a taxi. He said we were fortunate that we could take a bus to the port. He pointed to a gal with a clipboard and said “she’s from RCCL”. He said we could probably get on the bus for $10 pp and that it was frustrating because no one told him that on his embarkation day, one week ago. My husband went and talked to the gal and it was true. Then, instead of her coming over to address the large line of people, my husband told everyone that the bus over there was a RCCL transfer to the port. Several people thanked him and we thanked the gentleman that told us.

 

Next, was my frustration with the coffee beverage package. In the last two years, I have planned a lot of trips. I thought I had purchased the coffee package but wasn’t sure. I looked at the app, the website and my boarding documents and couldn’t find anything so I thought I passed on it. Then on the 5^th day, the nice barista said I had bought the package and showed me my name on a list. What?! He said I should just ask for a refund at that point. It was such little money but off of principle, I did get a refund. I am at a loss why you have to go to the coffee bar to pick up your card. Why isn’t it delivered in the room with your excursion tickets? Or on the app? Guest services said they are working to add it to the app. The same thing with the internet package. I knew 100% that I bought it because I needed it for work. But there was nothing in the cabin or the app stating I purchased it or how to access it. We had to visit the technology center for this.

 

Embarkation/Disembarkation: This was really smooth, probably better than most with the exception of HA. Although they encourage leaving luggage out the night before, we did self-assist.

 

Spa: The spa was nice and I had a great masseuse. They use the same products as CCL – Elemis. I didn’t use the gym but others in my group said they were impressed with the amount of equipment.

 

Casino: We preferred RCCL’s casino compared to other lines. It was large, had a decent sized non-smoking section and there were fans running to make it less smoky. We played slots and they seemed looser than others we’ve played. My DH enjoys watching (and sometimes playing) craps but they never had a table open. The main negative is that they didn’t have staff circulating to provide drinks.

 

Laundry: We definitely needed to do laundry since we stayed in Italy several days before the cruise. We asked Guest Services on embarkation day if there would be any specials during the cruise (similar to other cruise lines) and were told “no.” The prices seemed high compared to other lines but we sucked it up and paid over $100 to wash some items. Then what do you know, midway through the cruise, there was a special – fill the bag for $30. Grrr….

 

Excursions: We enjoyed our excursions. The only real negative is the website. There were no reviews. And they really need to put their transfers as excursions like other lines to avoid the problem mentioned above.

 

Food: This was very disappointing. Definitely the worst of all five lines. First, when the Windjammer is closed, very little options exist. And it closes at weird times. One example is when I needed to leave for an excursion at noon. I went up at 11:00 a.m. thinking I’ll get something to eat. Nope, it was closed from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The only option I had was the little sandwich place by the pool or the coffee bar. I had my choice of a small focaccia sandwich or a smoked salmon on croissant. I tried the former but it was inedible. Luckily, I had protein bars in my cabin. Similarity, the Windjammer closed at night. The same place by the pool had pizza. But we all agreed we’ve had better frozen pizza. We missed Guy’s, the Blue Iguana and Neapolitan style pizza. And no 24-hour soft serve. Lastly, there is a charge for room service. Big, big bummer.

 

The food in the dining room was hit or miss. Some days I would say it was the best of all five, some days it was awful. I ordered the filet for $16.95 one night and it was fabulous. My friend ordered a medium rare steak and it was burnt.

 

Entertainment: Disappointing compared to the others. While I’m not a big “show” person, several in our party are. They only had one big show. They talked to the dancers one day and the crew said they normally do three shows in a week but with the pandemic they’re down to one. I asked my friends that have been on several cruises since the pandemic and the other lines are back to three shows a week.

 

It felt like there weren’t many activities planned. We had a very port-intensive itinerary so maybe that’s why. We didn’t see much of the Cruise Director – some even wondered if we had one.

 

Pool: Both pools were at a good temperature and were not overly crowded the times I was there. I enjoyed the covered pool to escape some of the sun. I don’t understand why the main pool has no shallow end for kids. It’s over 5 ft deep. The hot tubs were better than most other lines – they were actually hot.

 

The screen for the outdoors movies needs replaced badly. It’s pixilated and looks like the original from the time the ship was built. One member from our group tried to watch a movie at night but gave up. They were just in dry dock – not sure why they didn’t replace it then. They should just turn it off – it seems more embarrassing to show it the way it is.

 

Crew: The staff all seemed to try really hard and put on smiles. But you could tell something was off. Some of our friends heard others discussing how short-staffed they were and RCCL just can’t get enough employees. Our wait staff was not good at all (again, very nice). All the table around us consistently ordered later than us but we were the last served – sometimes a whole ½ hour behind. Our room steward was wonderful.

 

Cabins: Our cabin was an aft balcony and I thought it was really nice. The storage space in the bathroom was lacking but it felt like our couch was larger than other lines. I’m not a fan of the slider’s lock. Others have mentioned getting locked outside and we almost did that to our son when my DH and I left the cabin.

 

We had friends with 4 in their cabin, a spacious balcony. Instead of a trundle or beds coming from the ceiling, the sofa folded out in a futon style. They said it was hard and made sleep nearly impossible.

 

I did like the television program options. They had some really quirky shows – it seemed many one season series that I never heard of but got sucked into watching.

 

Conclusion: All 11 of us agree that RCCL is our least favorite cruise line that we’ve sailed. There were even some in our group that had sailed RCCL previously and said something was very off from their past experiences. We won’t be sailing with her again, even if we get free offers (we get plenty of free offers from CCL and HA). The icing on the cake is that I just had time today to complete the survey and what do you know, it says it’s expired – after only disembarking 8 days ago from an international cruise. Heavy sigh.

Just cruised Carnival in April and a lot of the complaints you had were also on our cruise but I didn't think of them as something to complain about. We are platinum and you receive different goodies for being platinum. Nothing was left in our cabin or delivered. You went and picked the stuff up in different locations.

 

Also you are wondering why they didn't fix or replace the big screen. During covid the cruise lineslost billions so unfortunately things like that have to wait. I believe CCL has past on fixing or upgrading certain things until a future date as well.

 

You were on one of the oldest ships in the fleet. It certainly wouldn't compare with some of the newer ships in RCI's fleet or CCL's.

 

Have fun with whichever ship you cruise on next. 😀

[karmamule]

If you want a livelier ship with lots to do for a wider range of hours then, as others have said, the Oasis class ships on Royal are the way to go. If you love Carnival then I'd say just keep going with them. But, if you do still want some variety then next time be sure to book an Oasis class ship if you're going to go on Royal.

[scrotser]

Having cruised both CCL and RCCL, I think we prefer CCL.  We really enjoy the comedy club, and generally like the food better on CCL (Guys and Blue Iguana).  Otherwise, we find them fairly equal.  RCCL tends to be a bit higher priced, but I would not agree that the passengers are any better / different.  I think THAT changes more due to itinerary / cruise length.

[cruisemom67]

We cruised Royal a few weeks ago. I agree with most of OP comments. Also, if you or your child has allergies,  CCL is MUCH better. Royal almost killed my oldest child TWICE with nut allergies. First cruise she ended up in their ER area after they accidentally had a nut from their butter pecan ice cream fall into her chocolate ice cream. Second cruise she was told she could eat something with pesto in it. She didn't as she knew most pestos are made with cashews (she loves pesto and usually makes her own and leaves out the nuts). This last cruise, my youngest daughter came with. She has sensitivity to both gluten and dairy. In Windjammer,  she was told she could eat salmon or the vegetables.  She doesn't like salmon. She ate rice.  They did try to make it better the next day after we complained,  but she lost 4 pounds on the cruise. She weighs 120 (she's 22) and didn't need to lose weight. We definitely prefer CCL. I will say that we took 2 four-day cruises on CCL in the last 7 months. Many of the people on these cheap cruises were talking about all the drugs they brought on board. They were not the usual clients I see on cruises. Made me very uncomfortable.  We are going on a 7 day in July with CCL.  Hopefully the passengers will be better. Honestly, if they are not, we may find another line. We are not fans of NCL, so we may keep looking!

[mz-s]

8 hours ago, Stick93 said:

The one difference that puts Royal ahead of Carnival are the passengers. Had a few situations on carnival where I was afraid for my life (no joke) and security was a joke. The diversity on the ship sometimes can attracts a rough crowd. Never had that on Royal. 

 

One of Carnival's biggest issues, and it's been going on for years, is they refuse to handle issues like this. Just as one example more and more people are smoking on their balconies (I can smell it coming up from the balconies when on Lido) and not just tobacco either. And Carnival does nothing about it. I think it's doing major damage to their brand.

[pc_load_letter]

Interesting thread. We've cruised all lines but with being in socal, we generally take Carnival since they are closest and often cheapest.

 

We looked at RCL out of San Pedro and the cost was almost triple of what Carnival was priced at for the same length cruise (Mexican riviera).

 

I do want to try the Oasis class at some point and we do enjoy NCL but I am nervous for our cruise next month. We upgraded to a balcony and now everyone has me paranoid. Our March cruise on Miracle was nice but the ship was almost empty. I am thinking Radiance will be full.

[firefly333]

12 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

The OP's low points are the exact same things we've noticed between Carnival and Royal.

We really enjoy the comedy shows and entertainment on Carnival, especially the Dive-In Movies. 

On Royal, we're in the stateroom watching TV by 9pm.... 
 

If you love the movies by the pool that's one thing grandeur had. Spider man long way home and other recent movies. I read it was broke on this ship. It's also brome on liberrty and they are so tired of being asked when it will be fixed.. never. Might be replaced in a dry dock. Parts too old to replace. Dont fo liberty OTS either if you want movies at night.

 

I'm ready for some new ships I havent done. I'm even watching jubilee for a sale. New would be so nice... I'm in the mood.

[SRQbeachgirl]

6 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

One of Carnival's biggest issues, and it's been going on for years, is they refuse to handle issues like this. Just as one example more and more people are smoking on their balconies (I can smell it coming up from the balconies when on Lido) and not just tobacco either. And Carnival does nothing about it. I think it's doing major damage to their brand.

 

I see this blanket statement every now and then and I think it does a disservice to CCL. Every single time I have been able to identify which balcony smoke is coming from I have called Guest Services and every single time they have sent security to that cabin. So maybe that didn't happen in some people's experience or maybe it couldn't be identified as to which cabin it was coming from, but by the same token, do we know that RCL or NCL handles these situations any better? 

[maryann2]

5 minutes ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

I see this blanket statement every now and then and I think it does a disservice to CCL. Every single time I have been able to identify which balcony smoke is coming from I have called Guest Services and every single time they have sent security to that cabin. So maybe that didn't happen in some people's experience or maybe it couldn't be identified as to which cabin it was coming from, but by the same token, do we know that RCL or NCL handles these situations any better? 

I agree.

I had an issue with balcony smoking one time on the Carnival Pride TA. Informed guest services.

Never happened again.

[jetsfan58]

There's a reason why we have only sailed on one RCCL ship. It's all about economics, nickel and dime and we just didn't care for the overall experience. Two plus decades of Carnival and growing! 

[Illbcruzn4life]

24 minutes ago, jetsfan58 said:

There's a reason why we have only sailed on one RCCL ship. It's all about economics, nickel and dime and we just didn't care for the overall experience. Two plus decades of Carnival and growing! 

Yep its even worse 18 years later.

[Stick93]

11 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

One of Carnival's biggest issues, and it's been going on for years, is they refuse to handle issues like this. Just as one example more and more people are smoking on their balconies (I can smell it coming up from the balconies when on Lido) and not just tobacco either. And Carnival does nothing about it. I think it's doing major damage to their brand.

This blanket statement is written about people who don’t use this website. I have been on more carnival cruises than all the others combined and in my person experience the crowds have been tougher on certain sailings. I still love the carnival experience and there are many things carnival does better, but the overall experience is worse when dealing with some of the loud music in hallways, people with clothing falling off and rough attitudes. I have personally seen this better controlled on Royal - not so much Norwegian.  
 

As for price they are all about equal now. Actually sailing oasis for less than the magic out of NY. Price has been very similar lately for the cruises I am looking at.  

[Illbcruzn4life]

4 hours ago, Stick93 said:

This blanket statement is written about people who don’t use this website. I have been on more carnival cruises than all the others combined and in my person experience the crowds have been tougher on certain sailings. I still love the carnival experience and there are many things carnival does better, but the overall experience is worse when dealing with some of the loud music in hallways, people with clothing falling off and rough attitudes. I have personally seen this better controlled on Royal - not so much Norwegian.  
 

As for price they are all about equal now. Actually sailing oasis for less than the magic out of NY. Price has been very similar lately for the cruises I am looking at.  

we actually just booked the Oasis from NJ! Good price and no airfare. Only downside is Cats! 

Edited June 22, 2022 by Illbcruzn4life

[tap_out]

7 hours ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

we actually just booked the Oasis from NJ! Good price and no airfare. Only downside is Cats! 

I don't know if we just got a really good deal with are VIFP but Oasis was $1800 more for a family of three then our August Magic sailing. I really wanted to sail Oasis but couldn't justify spending that much extra 

[firefly333]

I do think there can be a noticeable difference on less expensive cruises on older ships. Ecstasy 3 day might have a different crowd than mardi gras. I certainly noticed it on grandeur. Of course criticising anything among the loyal you get attacked. OP was on a ship more than 20 years old. I noticed fewer places to eat. She said WJ opened at noon. On grandeur the cafe alternated hours with WJ. They dont have the staff I thought to have both open at the same time. Lines every morning at the coffee bar. On newer bigger ships there is a line for coffee and another for pastries or fruit or whatever. Only room for one crew to be standing there taking orders at the cash register. 

 

While older ships are pretty and lower priced, newer ships have more choices. Part of her complaints to me are just being familiar with the brand. First and last time on rcl. I felt that way on ncl, out of my element. They didnt clean my cabins for days and I kept asking. I didnt know I'd hit a switch that turned on a light over my door that meant dont clean. I went 4 days before guest services finally mentioned the light over the door. I was kinda aggravated as a first timer. 

 

Judging by a older ship and only trying the line once I'd have never done ncl again.