Anyone Else Leaving or Considering Leaving RCL Over Prices?

[island lady]

19 hours ago, dunrobbin said:

SOMEONE WAY UP THEIR      COMMENTED THAT MORE PEOPLE WERE LEARNING THE CASINO TRICK TO GETTING FREE CRUISES. 

CAN'T FIND THE POST NOW.  CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN THE SECRET TO THE CASINO FREE CRUISES? 

THANKS!

 

LOL...you don't really think those casino cruises were "free" do you?  😉 

[lovesthebeach2]

1 hour ago, island lady said:

 

LOL...you don't really think those casino cruises were "free" do you?  😉 

Lots of people do it seems….. I don’t even use the free spins we get with loyalty…in fact I just remembered we get that.  Casinos are too smoky for us to go in and we never even walk through, we change decks if we need to get somewhere and it would mean walking through it.

[Ocean Boy]

15 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Lots of people do it seems….. I don’t even use the free spins we get with loyalty…in fact I just remembered we get that.  Casinos are too smoky for us to go in and we never even walk through, we change decks if we need to get somewhere and it would mean walking through it.

I don't use the free spins either. I also can't stand even walking through because of the smoke or left over stench from the smoke.

[island lady]

27 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Lots of people do it seems….. I don’t even use the free spins we get with loyalty…in fact I just remembered we get that.  Casinos are too smoky for us to go in and we never even walk through, we change decks if we need to get somewhere and it would mean walking through it.

 

Same here basically...but we do use the free promo spins (8 buck on first two days) as a goofy thing to do on a sea day morning.  This last time on Wonder, we went into the smoke free separate section, and I won 31 bucks.  Woo hoo!   Gave us extra tip cash.  😄  

[Tlbecker1]

23 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Lots of people do it seems….. I don’t even use the free spins we get with loyalty…in fact I just remembered we get that.  Casinos are too smoky for us to go in and we never even walk through, we change decks if we need to get somewhere and it would mean walking through it.

I won $368.00 with my free $6.00 last year and I never went back.

[A&L_Ont]

Currently in the process of booking a Sandals over a cruise for our anniversary in July.
 

We can fly business to Antigua, stay in a butler room with transfers for just what a suite costs on a RC ship.  The cruise cost doesn’t include airfare, pre-cruise hotel, specialty dining, Ubers or a drink package.  We are hoping that the price bubble with break with RC but who knows when that will happen. It makes it an easy decision even though we love to cruise. 

Edited March 24 by A&L_Ont

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

Currently in the process of booking a Sandals over a cruise for our anniversary in July.
 

We can fly business to Antigua, stay in a butler room with transfers for just what a suite costs on a RC ship.  The cruise cost doesn’t include airfare, pre-cruise hotel, specialty dining, Ubers or a drink package.  We are hoping that the price bubble with break with RC but who knows when that will happen. It makes it an easy decision even though we love to cruise. 

@A&L_Ont,

 

We have discussed this. I know exactly where you are coming from. The CEO has gotten his wish. Royal cruises have approached the costs of rival vacation experiences.

 

Time to consider the rival vacation experiences because the pricing advantage that cruisers used to enjoy is evaporating.

 

Enjoy the experience no matter what or where you go.

[A&L_Ont]

6 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

@A&L_Ont,

 

We have discussed this. I know exactly where you are coming from. The CEO has gotten his wish. Royal cruises have approached the costs of rival vacation experiences.

 

Time to consider the rival vacation experiences because the pricing advantage that cruisers used to enjoy is evaporating.

 

Enjoy the experience no matter what or where you go.

100% correct. We went to a Royalton Resort in Cancun in December with Owen for half of what a NYE cruise would cost. We had their Butler program which gave a few small advantages VS a normal guest. 
 

Our March break cruise of 2025 is our only cruise booked at the moment. We booked it almost 2 years ago, and have a 2 BDR GS on Freedom for 6 nights. We could switch to a CLS on Oasis for 8 nights but we are not going to for 10k more. 

Edited March 24 by A&L_Ont

[Engineroom Snipe]

3 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

100% correct. We went to a Royalton Resort in Cancun in December with Owen for half of what a NYE cruise would cost. We had their Butler program which gave a few small advantages VS a normal guest. 
 

Our March break cruise of 2025 is our only cruise booked at the moment. We booked it almost 2 years ago, and have a 2 BDR GS on Freedom for 6 nights. We could switch to a CLS on Oasis for 8 nights but we are not going to for 10k more. 

10K more....Ouch!

[island lady]

I like to mix it up.   Yes, Royal has had my loyal business for over 20 years, but now I am booking other lines due to so many cutbacks and over pricing.  I am still paying a pack of $$ for other lines I am booking, but I am getting back the better service, food, and perks that is lost to me (IMHO) with Royal now.   Royal pricing to me is up there to comparable pricing with higher end lines, so why do I need Royal?  

 

And the other thing is we don't just cruise.  

 

Have a four week stay at a winery guest house coming up the end of May that we will enjoy.  And my cooking is far superior than cruise ship food anyway.  😉 

[lovesthebeach2]

4 hours ago, Tlbecker1 said:

I won $368.00 with my free $6.00 last year and I never went back.

Then I better start using my free spins! Thanks for the convincing 😁

[Tlbecker1]

Just now, lovesthebeach2 said:

Then I better start using my free spins! Thanks for the convincing 😁

You just never know. 😀

[island lady]

1 minute ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Then I better start using my free spins! Thanks for the convincing 😁

 

Definitely do that...you have nothing to lose!!  😄   

[Ocean Boy]

4 hours ago, Tlbecker1 said:

I won $368.00 with my free $6.00 last year and I never went back.

I might have to try this on my next cruise.

[island lady]

3 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I might have to try this on my next cruise.

 

Go for it OB....you have nothing to lose but a fun thing to do on a sea day...but go very early...less pax, less smoke.  😉 

[firefly333]

6 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I might have to try this on my next cruise.

I started to use my free spin lately and twice walked away with a small win. $13 and $16. Took my money and left. Gave away the change voucher, cant get it without standing in line at cashiers desk, so I just took the bills. 

 

One time $6, I was not in there first 24 hours, $8 the other time. Last time lost fast.

 

Go to the smoke free area if smoke bothers you.

Edited March 24 by firefly333

[doghog]

On 3/23/2024 at 8:53 AM, island lady said:

 

Same here basically...but we do use the free promo spins (8 buck on first two days) as a goofy thing to do on a sea day morning.  This last time on Wonder, we went into the smoke free separate section, and I won 31 bucks.  Woo hoo!   Gave us extra tip cash.  😄  

That's how we roll (pun intended).  In and out before the smokers turn the casino into a smoking lounge. The most I've won is $280.00 and a couple of T-shirts. Kathy, not so lucky. 🤣 I still have a couple of those gold coins the casino use to hand out to use in the designated slot machines. Useless now.

[island lady]

2 minutes ago, doghog said:

That's how we roll (pun intended).  In and out before the smokers turn the casino into a smoking lounge. The most I've won is $280.00 and a couple of T-shirts. Kathy, not so lucky. 🤣 I still have a couple of those gold coins the casino use to hand out to use in the designated slot machines. Useless now.

 

I remember that t-shirt you won!  😄 

 

Ahh...the old gold coins with the dedicated slot machine with the red light on top.  Funny they did not make that a much more user friendly machine to get the hook into the newbies.  😄  

[doghog]

21 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

I remember that t-shirt you won!  😄 

 

Ahh...the old gold coins with the dedicated slot machine with the red light on top.  Funny they did not make that a much more user friendly machine to get the hook into the newbies.  😄  

Remember the casino/pit boss? He was more like a pitbull. Yikes! He obviously knew Kathy and I weren't gamblers. 😂

[island lady]

36 minutes ago, doghog said:

Remember the casino/pit boss? He was more like a pitbull. Yikes! He obviously knew Kathy and I weren't gamblers. 😂

 

Yeah, he was a tad bit intense.  😉 😄   We as well, when we came in there as you were leaving.  We are just here for the freebies sir.  🤣

[mac_tlc]

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Currently in the process of booking a Sandals over a cruise for our anniversary in July.
 

We can fly business to Antigua, stay in a butler room with transfers for just what a suite costs on a RC ship.  The cruise cost doesn’t include airfare, pre-cruise hotel, specialty dining, Ubers or a drink package.  We are hoping that the price bubble with break with RC but who knows when that will happen. It makes it an easy decision even though we love to cruise. 

I assume the Celebrity Beyond was more expensive then too? Weren’t you considering that one also? 
 

For us, we have no interest in a land all-inclusive. Not beach people so staying on one beach locale does not have any attraction. 
 

With current prices, we will just cruise less. 
 

In fact, I may even cancel one of our O cruises because the ancillary plane, hotel, etc costs make the total too high.

 

 

mac_tlc

[A&L_Ont]

3 minutes ago, mac_tlc said:

I assume the Celebrity Beyond was more expensive then too? Weren’t you considering that one also? 
 

For us, we have no interest in a land all-inclusive. Not beach people so staying on one beach locale does not have any attraction. 
 

With current prices, we will just cruise less. 
 

In fact, I may even cancel one of our O cruises because the ancillary plane, hotel, etc costs make the total too high.

 

 

mac_tlc

Celebrity unfortunately didn’t work in the end. We are panning this between a baseball tournament and a wedding.  It basically gave us a 3 and 4 night sailing to become a 7 day cruise.  For the AI we can fly go on a Tuesday and return 7 days later with greater ease and savings. 
 

I can handle the beach/pool for a week at an AI, even though I love the ship.  I hear you about the ancillary costs too.

[island lady]

16 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

I assume the Celebrity Beyond was more expensive then too? Weren’t you considering that one also? 
 

For us, we have no interest in a land all-inclusive. Not beach people so staying on one beach locale does not have any attraction. 
 

With current prices, we will just cruise less. 
 

In fact, I may even cancel one of our O cruises because the ancillary plane, hotel, etc costs make the total too high.

 

 

mac_tlc

 

Agree...we are same.  Simply not beach people any longer.  Me, I am too tired of being cut on with skin cancer...ouch in so many ways.  🤕   We live near the beach in Florida, but never go there.   

 

So our land based trips are in other areas with current rental homes booked in Alaska, Maine, and Oregon.  Our cruises on other lines are in the more adventurous areas of the world.  Too much been there done that in the Carib.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25 by island lady

[mac_tlc]

5 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Agree...we are same.  Simply not beach people any longer.  Me, I am too tired of being cut on with skin cancer...ouch in so many ways.  🤕   We live near the beach in Florida, but never go there.   

 

So our land based trips are in other areas with current rental homes booked in Alaska, Maine, and Oregon.  Our cruises on other lines are in the more adventurous areas of the world.  Too much been there done that in the Carib.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Given current prices, this may be as close as I get to going on Wonder of the Seas.

 

From Jetty Park yesterday, in your neck of the woods, I believe….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 25 by mac_tlc

[lovesthebeach2]

11 minutes ago, island lady said:

 

Agree...we are same.  Simply not beach people any longer.  Me, I am too tired of being cut on with skin cancer...ouch in so many ways.  🤕   We live near the beach in Florida, but never go there.   

 

So our land based trips are in other areas with current rental homes booked in Alaska, Maine, and Oregon.  Our cruises on other lines are in the more adventurous areas of the world.  Too much been there done that in the Carib.  😉 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do you book your rentals and how do you find them? Is it Airbnb? VRBO?