Pros/cons of picking one cruise line to stick with vs shopping around

[pookel]

I'm booked for my first cruise in January through Norwegian. Assuming I love it and want to do more cruises in the future, what are the advantages/disadvantages of sticking with Norwegian and racking up rewards points/loyalty tiers, vs shopping around with other cruise lines? How many different cruise lines have you sailed with, and how did you decide which lines to use? 

[navybankerteacher]

"Loyalty" credits really do not amount to very much.  Of course, any discount is nice to get but you really should focus on an itinerary you want rather than the cheapest one out there.  Additionally, for any given time frame one line may be offering lower fares than another -- you should always shop around -- even if you might have been happy with your first line.  I have sailed with over ten lines (some no longer sailing) and always see what's out there "across the board"  when making plans.

 

At this point, however, I tend to favor smaller lines with more focused itineraries.  After you've "done" the Caribbean a couple of times, or the Pacific Coast of Mexico once, you might want to broaden your search.

Edited December 12, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[pookel]

9 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

"Loyalty" credits really do not amount to very much.  Of course, any discount is nice to get but you really should focus on an itinerary you want rather than the cheapest one out there.  Additionally, for any given time frame one line may be offering lower fares than another -- you should always shop around -- even if you might have been happy with your first line.  I have sailed with over ten lines (some no longer sailing) and always see what's out there "across the board"  when making plans.

 

At this point, however, I tend to favor smaller lines with more focused itineraries.  After you've "done" the Caribbean a couple of times, or the Pacific Coast of Mexico once, you might want to broaden your search.

 

At this point I can't even imagine caring that much about the itinerary! I haven't been to basically any cruise port city outside the US, ever, so it's all new to me and everything sounds equally fabulous. Caribbean? Sure! Europe? Sure! Mexico? Absolutely!

 

Maybe in 10-20 years I'll start to get bored though, lol

[crzndeb]

I’ve cruised on most of the mass market lines at least once. Right now I am sailing mostly on Royal Caribbean, because as a solo, I get double points, and I’m very close to 340 points (will get in the Spring), and that will get me a discount on my solo fare. But I also factor in itineraries. At this stage in my cruising career, I like longer sailings. Also on Royal, I now get 5 drinks a day, so I spend no money on drinks of any kind. So basically my only daily charges are gratuities.

[BklynBoy8]

We have sailed Chandris, Holland America, Cunard and decided with Cunard. 

 

We are traditional cruisers and really do not care to sail Mega or Party boats. Glitter is not for us. We like the traditional style of sailing with set dinner times, educational lectures etc.. No  surf board pools, go carts, ice skating ring,  rock climbing  etc on board.

 

We have liked it so much we have built loyalty that well supports our bookings.

 

You will learn over the years your preference and style.

[crystalspin]

2 hours ago, pookel said:

...vs shopping around with other cruise lines? How many different cruise lines have you sailed with, and how did you decide which lines to use? 

I would say that you should 'shop' a couple other lines, just to determine if your first impression was valid! We have sailed on three major lines that are still in business: Holland America seven (with three more scheduled), NCL and RCI one each. The latter two cruises were decided by itinerary and price, while the HAL sailings were of course picked by itinerary and the calendar, but more to making OUR schedule fit theirs!

 

We will be 4-star Mariners on HAL with the back to back we have this coming month, and the free laundry and half-price wine packages are somewhat enticing, especially with at least one longer trip on the horizon for 2024. But we would never have stayed with a line that wasn't pleasant and welcoming just for the points!

 

Not wanting to hex your NCL trip, but I hated the Norwegian Star. Lots of people say I shouldn't judge the line by an older smaller ship, but I think a line should either keep all of their ships up to par, or sell them to someone who will! Our Royal Caribbean transAtlantic on the Rhapsody OTS was just fine and more like HAL than dissimilar. I would sail with RCI/RCCL again, but they have forgotten me and do not send me any kind of communications so I never remember to check their offerings.

 

I have also booked with Princess a number of times, but something always happens that it winds up cancelled, not the least being two cancelled by the Pandemic. Post-startup they are not sailing R/T Alaska out of Los Angeles -- only Carnival is -- so we are booked on Carnival next September, and I have to say, I am not excited. It's starting to look better to drive to San Francisco to sail R/T with Princess!

 

Hanging out on a line's Cruise Critic board is an unappreciated way to see if the ships' culture will mesh with yours! Certainly all of the cruiselines have their fans or they wouldn't be in business!

Edited December 13, 2022 by crystalspin

[pris993]

We have been cruising since the early 1980s.  Did not actually shop around per say, but we have cruised 9 different lines over the years.  We picked cruises by itineraries mostly.  We also use to like to check out new ship designs. We have 60+ cruises, we lost count in the last 20 years.  At this point we cruised the most on Princess.  Just turned out that way, going on our 31st cruise on Princess in two weeks.  But we also cruised on Celebrity, HAL, Cunard, Crystal, RCCL, NCL and a few lines no longer around.  

 

Variety is the spice of life.  Decide on what interests you.  

[ldubs]

Pros & cons of staying with one cruise line: 

 

Pros:  Earn perks faster.  Familiarity/comfort level. 

 

Cons: Might pay more for a specific itinerary.  May not have preferred itinerary.  May forego an opportunity to experience something you might like more.   Won't earn perks on other lines. 

 

For us the perks are pretty nice.   I would not discount having them.  However, unless everything else is equal, perks don't dictate our choice for a cruise.   Fortunately, while not top tier, we now have some status on the three cruise lines we prefer.  It took us years to get to this point.   

[Honolulu Blue]

13 hours ago, pookel said:

I'm booked for my first cruise in January through Norwegian. Assuming I love it and want to do more cruises in the future, what are the advantages/disadvantages of sticking with Norwegian and racking up rewards points/loyalty tiers, vs shopping around with other cruise lines? How many different cruise lines have you sailed with, and how did you decide which lines to use? 

Most of the pros and cons in the title of your post have been covered by others.  I don't have much to add other than just try to enjoy your upcoming cruise and don't worry too much (yet) about brand loyalty.

 

I've sailed with 5 different cruise lines (all mainstream) and this is my current priority list:

 

1.  Theme

2.  Personal availability

3.  Price

4.  Itinerary

5.  Cruise line experience, of which perks are a relatively small part for me

 

Have fun on NCL!  Tell Harry and Frank I said hi!!

[Honolulu Blue]

12 hours ago, pookel said:

At this point I can't even imagine caring that much about the itinerary! I haven't been to basically any cruise port city outside the US, ever, so it's all new to me and everything sounds equally fabulous. Caribbean? Sure! Europe? Sure! Mexico? Absolutely!

 

Maybe in 10-20 years I'll start to get bored though, lol

I'm sure you'll find your favorites among cruise ports and itineraries if you cruise enough.

 

I'm starting to get a little bored with the Caribbean, and it didn't even take me 10 years.  But a cruise to the Caribbean is better than most of the alternatives, IMHO.

[Capt_BJ]

 I know folks that lived their entire life within a few miles from their birth place because they know it is the best place to live in the entire world and have no desire to even VISIT anyplace else.

 

 I know folks who only eat out at ONE restaurant every week with no desire to try anyplace else or anything new because they know it is the best place

 

Check my full sig and you'll see a lot of cruise lines listed. We started cruising in the 80's and several things have changed: our tastes, our budget, sailing with and without kids, kids ages changing (in 30's now) and desire to see new places.

 

We've sailed some lines repeatedly but never as many as 10 times. Some lines we sailed are no longer in business! Having some 'industry experience/knowledge' there are lines I will not sail . . . 

 

Currently we're fans of VIKING - both the river and ocean versions ......  no kids, no casino, good food, no 'nickel and dime'

 

our next cruise (a few months from now) we'll revisit some parts of Norway we've enjoyed before and add Iceland - new territory for us. We're just off of a Royal with stops in Carib that we'd mostly been to before. Repeat customers on this line . .  . in part because we find places they home port very convenient ....

Edited December 13, 2022 by Capt_BJ

[evandbob]

If the OP decides to pursue loyalty rewards with 1 cruise line, I suggest that a choice be made between 3 different lines that appeal to him, are in his price range, and has desirable itineraries and departure ports.  He will find some differences between the perks offered from 1 line to the next.

 

He should also be aware that perks can be awarded through casino play instead of thru the # of cruises one has booked on the same line.

 

However, if he sticks to 1 line, he will never know what he is missing.  I cruised mostly Carnival and now have their highest loyalty level.  However, Celebrity gives me better perks like no fare balcony cabins on their newest ships thru their casino program, so I've been cruising that line lately.  

 

We've also done Disney for a 3 generation family cruise, Princess for the Med & Alaska, MSC and NCL for pricing and haven't regretted branching out.

[Hlitner]

We think this is a pretty basic issue.  Just like there are some folks who like to vacation at the same place, time after time, there are folks who like the familiarity of the same cruise line (and even ship).  There are others (including me) who enjoy lots of variety and prefer to constantly try different things.  I sometimes post about having the "spirit of adventure" which simply means expanding one's horizons be it with different cruise lines, trips to different parts of the world, dining in different restaurants, etc.  

 

Over the years we have heard the same refrain from many fellow frequent cruisers.  It goes something like this, "we are getting bored with cruising,"  "or we hate these islands,"  etc.  When we suggest they try a completely different cruise line and take a cruise in a different part of the world we will than hear, "but we are loyal to XXX,"  or "we don't want to go there because they do not speak English," etc.  We have been cruising, extensively, for over 50 years.  To us, each cruise is like a new adventure.  But we attribute that feeling to the fact that we have cruised on 16 (maybe 17) different cruise lines and nearly 70 different ships to (and around) 6 continents.  On every cruise we will meet some folks who are unhappy with their favorite/only cruise line but recoil at the idea of trying a different line.  Go figure.

 

Hank

[pookel]

12 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Over the years we have heard the same refrain from many fellow frequent cruisers.  It goes something like this, "we are getting bored with cruising,"  "or we hate these islands,"  etc.  When we suggest they try a completely different cruise line and take a cruise in a different part of the world we will than hear, "but we are loyal to XXX,"  or "we don't want to go there because they do not speak English," etc.  We have been cruising, extensively, for over 50 years.  To us, each cruise is like a new adventure.  But we attribute that feeling to the fact that we have cruised on 16 (maybe 17) different cruise lines and nearly 70 different ships to (and around) 6 continents.  On every cruise we will meet some folks who are unhappy with their favorite/only cruise line but recoil at the idea of trying a different line.  Go figure.

 

Hank

 

This sounds like a fun way to approach things! I love going new places & to places where "they don't speak English" - although it can be a real adventure navigating rural Thailand without a translator, I can tell you that. (We visited my brother who is a monk there, and it was fine while he was with us because he's fluent, but there were a couple evenings when he couldn't be with us and there was a lot of smiling and pointing at things. Google Translate doesn't handle the Thai language well at all, apparently - we were all trying!)

 

I was afraid everyone was going to tell me I'd waste a lot of money by switching around to different lines, but my preference would be to try new things and not just stick with one line, I think.

[pookel]

Honestly, from preliminary research the only line I am leery of trying is MSC. I know some people have had great experiences, but it sounds like they're inconsistent & sometimes have staffing issues, and I don't want to risk having a bad experience. (Also, I can't deal with long lines & disorganized crowds, which sounds like a perennial issue on MSC.)

[Hlitner]

10 minutes ago, pookel said:

Honestly, from preliminary research the only line I am leery of trying is MSC. I know some people have had great experiences, but it sounds like they're inconsistent & sometimes have staffing issues, and I don't want to risk having a bad experience. (Also, I can't deal with long lines & disorganized crowds, which sounds like a perennial issue on MSC.)

About 4 years ago, on a whim, DW and I decided to try MSC and booked 3 weeks on the Divina in their Yacht Club.  The experience blew us away as we thought it comparable to some of the luxury lines (we also have cruises a few of those) and we immediately booked another Yacht Club cruise.  In October we again were in the Yacht Club on the relatively new Seashore and were again blown away by the service and quality which we thought was as good as Seabourn...in some ways.   But I caution folks that MSC is like two different cruise lines:  1. The Yacht Club and 2. Everything outside the Yacht Club.  Outside the YC the experience is akin to lines like RCI and Carnival with the usual crowded conditions, so-so food, etc.   The only time we venture outside the environs of the YC is when we want to enjoy the entertainment that is scattered all over the ship.

 

Hank

[9tee2Sea]

17 hours ago, pookel said:

I'm booked for my first cruise in January through Norwegian. Assuming I love it and want to do more cruises in the future, what are the advantages/disadvantages of sticking with Norwegian and racking up rewards points/loyalty tiers, vs shopping around with other cruise lines? How many different cruise lines have you sailed with, and how did you decide which lines to use? 

I have sailed on Princess (3 times) Carnival ( 5 times) Cunard (2 times), MSC (1 time), RCCL ( 1 time),

NCL ( A whole bunch.).  I personally like NCL.  To me, it has the right balance.  It's not too structured like some other cruise lines.  On NCL I really enjoy the Dine AnyTime.  Some cruise lines you have just 2 seatings ( early can be really early, Late can be too late).  I am platinum on NCL, so those perks do add up.  As of now, I get 3-5 meals in a specialty restaurant for free, Priority boarding ( which really saves time), 1 bag free laundry ( although during your cruise, there will be a 50% laundry special), and a few extra perks.  Find a cruise line you feel comfortable with and plan most of your cruises with them.   One way on NCL to get to a higher level is to book a cruise when they offer double latitudes points. You will automatically be a latitudes member after completion of your first cruise.  Look in the NCL website and you will see a comparison list of all the different tiers of rewards.

[Theosprey247]

I have no loyalty.  Whichever cruise line offers the itinerary at a good price I'll sail on that line. 

[navybankerteacher]

54 minutes ago, Theosprey247 said:

I have no loyalty.  Whichever cruise line offers the itinerary at a good price I'll sail on that line. 

A common sense approach.  The lines are not loyal to you, so why should you be loyal to one of them?    Simply getting a “loyalty” benefit is nice, but when you plan a cruise you should always check alternatives - it is quite possible that a line you have never sailed might be priced lower for a comparable itinerary.   And, hopefully, price is not the ONLY thing in your mind - sometimes paying a little more on a new line can give you a lot more than sticking with same old same old.

[George C]

4 hours ago, Hlitner said:

About 4 years ago, on a whim, DW and I decided to try MSC and booked 3 weeks on the Divina in their Yacht Club.  The experience blew us away as we thought it comparable to some of the luxury lines (we also have cruises a few of those) and we immediately booked another Yacht Club cruise.  In October we again were in the Yacht Club on the relatively new Seashore and were again blown away by the service and quality which we thought was as good as Seabourn...in some ways.   But I caution folks that MSC is like two different cruise lines:  1. The Yacht Club and 2. Everything outside the Yacht Club.  Outside the YC the experience is akin to lines like RCI and Carnival with the usual crowded conditions, so-so food, etc.   The only time we venture outside the environs of the YC is when we want to enjoy the entertainment that is scattered all over the ship.

 

Hank

We also loved MSc yacht club need to book another, also love celebrity suites and there perks similar to yacht club but I would give yacht club a slight edge . We also like rccl I think they have the best entertainment and normally a good selection of specialty restaurants, we also get 5 free drink daily there. I doubt I will book anything but those 3 lines, have done about 75 cruises on lots of different lines 

[lenquixote66]

21 hours ago, pookel said:

I'm booked for my first cruise in January through Norwegian. Assuming I love it and want to do more cruises in the future, what are the advantages/disadvantages of sticking with Norwegian and racking up rewards points/loyalty tiers, vs shopping around with other cruise lines? How many different cruise lines have you sailed with, and how did you decide which lines to use? 

We have been on 6 cruise lines .We only got to a relatively high level on one and that was on our last cruise in Dec.2019.We began with Cunard ,then Carival,did not like the latter.Next went to HAL ,loved that but had a negative experience on a ship,then went to Celebrity and loved it ,then to NCL because we live close to the cruise port and lastly RCI in 2015 and loved it .

[Joebucks]

People do it with lots of travel. Airfare, hotels, cruises, rental cars, etc. Why is that? Because they people are completely and utterly obsessed with getting something for "free". Sure I spent more by choosing this airline every time, and the itinerary is not the most convenient, but I GOT FREE LUGGAGE! If you question the stupidity of it, I will defend it at all costs.

 

There's pros and cons to everything. I do think Royal Caribbean has one of the best loyalty programs. I mean getting 3 to 5 beverages per day is a pretty sizable value proposition. If you enjoy the product, then why the heck not? However, being a man of habit myself, I know that doing the same thing over and over gets old. Going through a completely new experience can be more rewarding than having your laundry done for free. 

[crystalspin]

On 12/12/2022 at 5:41 PM, crystalspin said:

I have also booked with Princess a number of times, but something always happens that it winds up cancelled, not the least being two cancelled by the Pandemic. Post-startup they are not sailing R/T Alaska out of Los Angeles -- only Carnival is -- so we are booked on Carnival next September, and I have to say, I am not excited. It's starting to look better to drive to San Francisco to sail R/T with Princess!

OK, I remembered why driving to SF and sailing with Princess is not appealing. Then I went back to look at the September sailing with Carnival and discovered: (1) it is sold out, and (2) the cabins and rate I booked under look pretty good after all!

[Flatbush Flyer]

There’s a huge difference between “loyalty” and “preference.” Hopefully, I don’t have to explain it.

 

When it comes to cruises, we prefer a single line that meets all of our preferences and expectations (e.g., small ships, excellent food/service and heavenly sleep experience) and does so at a value laden price. And, importantly, the nature of our preferred line’s itineraries include significant variety with a focus on longer, multi-segment trips with the right mix of unusual ports and adequate sea days.

A lot of folks here on CC say  “all that matters is itinerary.” But, while I agree that itinerary is important, the reality remains that Roman antiquities and/or the Moai on Easter Island will always remain unchanged - no matter how you get there.  In one sense, any accompanying “ship doesn’t matter” comment suggests their past shipboard experiences have been less than optimal or they just haven’t found a preferred line where their “home away from home” (whether two weeks or two months) satisfies all their expectations.

 

In essence, as long as our preferred line’s performance/value (as well as itinerary diversity/desirability) remains an excellent “fit,” we will stay with what now serves as our

 “moving vacation home”- a comfortable retreat that let’s us concentrate on our port adventures while returning each day to an exceptional setting that seldom disappoints us. 

 

FWIW: we monitor the offerings and reviews of what some folks consider our preferred line’s “competitors.” We also take notice of what other “regulars” (and even newbies) on our preferred line have to say about their experiences with those competitors. In all honesty, the bulk of those conversations bottom line with our hearing a comment regarding the “competitors” best summarized as “one and done.”

[bonsai3s]

On 12/12/2022 at 2:12 PM, pookel said:

I'm booked for my first cruise in January through Norwegian. Assuming I love it and want to do more cruises in the future, what are the advantages/disadvantages of sticking with Norwegian and racking up rewards points/loyalty tiers, vs shopping around with other cruise lines? How many different cruise lines have you sailed with, and how did you decide which lines to use? 

When we started cruising (early 80's), we got addicted. Never thought I could enjoy this type of vacation.

 

We had no idea about "loyalty/reward points"...we were young, had limited vacation time, and not much money. We simply chose the cheapest cruise we can afford, during the time we can go. Didn't matter where.

 

We ended up sailing on many cruiselines...and have genuinely fond memories from all of them. We truly have not had a bad cruise.

 

When we got older and had more time and money...we started cruising more often. It was fun sailing on so many different ships. It took us years to learn about "loyalty" and thankful to our British friend (Gordon) who introduced us to Cruise Critic.

 

Ultimately, we gravitated to Princess, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. We are grateful for all the perks and benefits we have received from these cruiselines. I

 

* Our favorite cruise was on Renaissance Cruises...South Pacific/French Polynesia...regrettably, this cruiseline no longer exist. The ships (R3/R4) are now part of Azamara...and we will be cruising on Azamara in 2024.

* Our most sentimental cruise was on Celebrity Millenium...12n, Istanbul to Barcelona...my mom and dad were with us. They have both since passed away...rest in peace. I think of them every time we are on a ship.