Comments Needed for New Book

[LauraS]

Andy Vladimir and Bob Dickinson are doing a second edition of their book, SELLING THE SEA- An Inside Look at the Cruise Industry published by John Wiley. The new edition will be out next year.

 

They are interested in comments from you on how you chose which cruise line to sail on, and why. It would be great if you could include the following in your reply:

 

- Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

- Which is your favorite cruise line?

- Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

 

For purposes of publication, your names will be kept confidential.

 

As information the last edition was published 10 years ago sold over 30,000 copies -- mostly to people in the industry and so your thoughts are very important to them.

 

I'm sure this is unnecessary but I'll remind you that our Community Guidelines are in effect and we're looking forward to our members putting their best foot forward to help both Mr. Vladimir and Mr. Dickinson.

 

Stay on topic please!

 

Laura

[Cruising89143]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

Enjoyed the ship from a previous cruise. There are no ships out there today that can give you the experience that the Voyager class ships currently provide.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

Royal Caribbean - RCI provides a great overall cruise experience on some of the most beautiful ships sailing today. They also have a nice past guest program and clean ships that are well maintained. I feel like RCI values me as a customer and that is something that I did not get with a previous "fun" line. I also like sailing ships that looks and feels like a ship inside and out.

 

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

Past experience with Royal Caribbean.

[1stcruiser1]

Why I picked last cruise I was on, and what infleunced my decision.

I had never been on a cruise and wasn't sure if it would be a onetime thing, so I researched a bunch of different lines and saw that Exploprer of the sea was what I was looking for. The itinery was great with 4 stops instead of 3 as some others had and all of the things to do on the ship sold us. We will definately go again and it will be on a Royal Caribbean ship.

[frudutx]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

We picked it for it's itinerary and the ship, Empress. We wanted to try the smallest of the fleet. We were not disappointed.

Which is your favorite cruise line?

We like Royal Caribbean's reputation.

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision? All of the above. Yes, some of the ships are older than the others and need some tender loving care but, we enjoyed ourselves just the same. The crews on each ship were just as attentive. We really do like to "Get out there"!

[Murphy]

We picked our last cruise for it's unique itinerary. It was a fall repositioning cruise that went from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale on the Enchantment of the Seas. We have relatives in Florida, so we "try" to either embark or disembark from one of the Florida ports, but were looking for something other than the typical "eastern" or "western" Caribbean itineraries that we've been on before. We loved departing from the exotic Quebec City and still being able to visit family after the cruise.

 

Favorite cruiseline... Celebrity. Love the atmosphere onboard and the "special" feeling we get from the staff.

 

The itinerary sold us on the cruise, but we did get a great price as well.

[Jason's Storm]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

Last Cruise (which will be the cruise I am going on soon) I picked, because when I was on Carnival many years ago, an Royal Carribean ship was in port at the same time and I thought it just had a better image than Carnival. Also the itinerary (with the ship going to the eastern caribbean and ending in Baltimore) and the price of the cabin (with the eventual upgrade) where a huge plus.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

Sorry haven't taken enough cruises to really select yet.

 

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

Out of those three the price. The main one was the itinerary. It let me spend some time with family at the end, which I probably wouldn't of had time to see anyways.

 

Laura, You can use my name, either Toby or Jason's Storm, and can I get a free book.;):p

 

~JS

[Teeara]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

I specifically chose the last cruise I was on due to the itinerary. I really wanted to go to Belize to do the cave tubing and to Grand Cayman to do swimming with the stingrays. Also, my mom and I had done the Eastern Caribbean the time before so we decided to do Western this time around.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

Royal Caribbean. I LOVE the Voyager class ships. There is so much to do and there is NEVER an opportunity to get bored. As a matter of fact, I specifically chose another Voyager class (Exporer of the Seas) for our Western Caribbean itinerary just so I could do the things I didn't have a chance to do on the first cruise (Mariner of the Seas). Now with the new Freedom class ships coming out I will be setting my next cruise on one of them!

 

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

Besides the itinerary, which is very important to me, I would also say that member reviews on Cruise Critic and other cruising websites have a big influence on my decisions. If I am reading consistently that a ship has problems then I am not likely to book a cruise on that ship. I like newer ships simply because they are in better shape than the older ones and tend to be larger.

[blythe]

Why did you choose the last cruise you were on?

The main factor was the itinerary (eastern on Mariner of the Seas). We wanted the most sea days possible on a 7 night cruise. After 10 cruises, the ports are no longer especially important to us and we prefer the sea days. The second factor was that it is an RCI ship and we had had excellent cruises on the previous 3 RCI ships that we sailed on.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

I have to say Royal Caribbean because we have had more cruises with them (4) than any of the others and have always enjoyed their ships. We had the good fortune to sail on the Sovereign, the Legend, and the Vision. In all cases, we were on those ships within a year or two of their launching and they were in superb condition and offered wonderful food and service. We also like Celebrity but have only been on 2 of their ships.

 

Was there any on thing that most influenced your decision?

Besides the itinerary, cruising on the Mariner of the Seas gave us an opportunity to try one of the megaships. Also, RCI has a nice repeat passenger program and we will probably stay with RCI ships in order to enjoy the advantages of the C&A program. We also very much appreciate that RCI cruise credits will transfer over to Celebrity.

[cyndyt]

Reason choose last cruise:

Had previously sailed on the ship and my children wanted to return. Also the chance to visit Jamaica.

 

Favourite cruise line:

RCI but have only tried 2 lines so far.

 

Biggest influence:

My very first cruise was last minute and I ended up on whatever ship my travel agent could find to accomodate me, and it wasn't the line I had originally been looking at. I absolutely loved the ship because of the crew's great attitude and have mostly stuck with that line since.

[zackiedawg]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

I pick my cruises based on a combination of factors, including the itinerary, price for mid-sized cabins or minisuites, size and amenities of ship, and the type of passenger the ship draws. Last year I picked a cruise with Holland America, typically a line I would not choose as the average age that line draws tends to be older than me and onboard activities are infrequent. However, the larger Zuiderdam draws a slightly different age group, has more activities, the prices were very good, and the minisuite rooms were very large. The itinerary was a western route which I have done many times with other lines, but the fact that this line added Half Moon Cay and Key West, two stops I had not been to, made the decision easier.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

Royal Caribbean, though predominantly because of the typical passenger age, and good mix of both design & elegance and fun & entertainment. Celebrity I felt had the best overall design, upscale feel, food, and service - and runs a VERY close second to RCCL. Holland America had the best classic liner design and feel and very good service. Princess had the best past-cruiser benefits. Royal Caribbean does very well in most categories - good food, good service, good design, good elegance...but adds more fun, more activity, and a better average age group for me.

 

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

The ship itself usually influences my decision first. Overall size, design, and amenities on board are the primary motivating factor. Having cruised ships from 17,000 tons to 147,000 tons, the 90,000 ton ships are 'just right' in size for me. I love the Voyager class too...but the 90K class still have the huge common lounges, atriums, etc. but with less people onboard and more intimate spaces.

 

Itinerary is still the deciding factor between two similar ships. I will pay more to get the itinerary that I want - or choose another cruise line because of it. I think that 'classic' itineraries should always be maintained without too much change - the 7-day Eastern route Caribbean should be a Nassau/San Juan/St Thomas/Private Island affair, and the Western 7-day Caribbean should be a Jamaica/Grand Cayman/Cozumel/Private Island affair. Skipping any of these ports will usually cause me to eliminate that cruise from consideration. Also, 'new' itineraries should be available beside the classics...which can offer new ports of call or different routes for those who are in the mood for something different than the classic routes.

 

For an upcoming cruise, I eliminated the 7-day east routes of Holland America, Princess, and Celebrity because none included San Juan, PR - one of the 'classic' route stops. I booked the Radiance 8-day because it offered the 'classic east route' I was looking for, PLUS added new stops.

 

Other comments:

 

I think more 8-12 day cruises out of Florida should be made available - there have been less and less 10-day cruises during summer/fall/winter over the past 6 years as more ships are pulled out of Florida to other ports, or scheduled on shorter 3-7 day cruises. 10-day itineraries can provide all new ports of call not accessible on shorter cruises. I chose Coral Princess and Celebrity Summit over other favorite cruise lines/ships because of their 10-day itineraries (Panama Canal and Southern Adventure), and chose my upcoming Radiance of the Seas because of the 8-day itinerary with Antigua.

 

Finally - past-cruiser loyalty programs can be very strong incentives, and provide a huge market for cruise lines if properly treated. Many people in the passenger loyalty programs have multiple cruises with other lines too - and are people who cruise 1-5 times a year. A cruise line which offers better loyalty programs can easily convince someone to cruise with their ship over another. I know a 100+ cruiser who has chosen Princess 4 times in the past 2 years over other, more preferred, lines because of Princess' past passenger perks on board. It's not financially motivated - it is the special feeling of receiving free or bonus services they might not otherwise have used. Free internet, free spa use, free laundry or dry cleaning are all great perks that draw past passengers onboard, where they spend money at bars and in casinos and gift shops.

[RED318is]

My favorite cruise line is Royal Caribbean, but I'm not influenced by slogans. I just thought it was Like No Vacation on Earth and It was Way More Than a Cruise, so I had to Go on Get Out There.

[SheilaNC]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

Itinerary and length of cruise - wanted to do the Mediterranean and didn't want to do a round trip from one port. Since airfare to Europe is so expensive, we wanted to have as much time as possible both on the ship and pre- and post- cruise - the 12 day itinerary provided that. We. also, always wanted to see Venice and the itinerary gave us the opportunity to spend extra pre-cruise time there. The Millennium in Europe was a wonderful way to have a taste of many wonderful ports.

 

- Which is your favorite cruise line?

Celebrity - we've sailed 4 cruiselines and seem to find what we're looking for in service, ambiance and great new friends on X ships.

 

- Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision? The service that we had experienced on other X cruises was the main thing that influenced our choice. Since this was a major cruise and expenditure for us, we wanted to be sure that the crew would provide us with the perfect cruising experience AND they did!

[KLLund]

We always start with the itinerary and the dates and for from there to the pricing. We enjoy trying various cruise lines and ships so we don't worry so much about the ship. We have the luxury of being able to book very close to sailing so those discounts can make the difference between one line and another.

 

I do find it fascinating how different the "personality" of various ships can be. Do date we have done delta queen steamboat company, orient lines, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess (twice ) and Norwegian.. with RCL coming up next month. Now that I type that I also realize Orient, Celebrity and Holland America were all in Europe and the others were all in this hemisphere. That may have some influence on my decision as well since I don't mind paying a bit more when I am going so far and for a longer period of time.

[LarissaJay]

1. We picked the last cruise because it sailed out of Florida (where we live), the price was right, and the timing was right. My husband doesn't know his work schedule far in advance, so we usually have to take last-minute vacations. Cruising is great for that; it's an easy vacation, not much planning involved. We typically book no more than 1-2 months in advance.

 

2. Overall, Royal Caribbean is probably our favorite cruise line.

 

3. Royal Caribbean has the best prices for what you get, and they are reliable in that they they have consistently good service, good food, and beautiful ships. I also really like their itineraries.

[lawsoncd3]

I hadn't sailed in over 10 years and one day my husband and I decided to go on a cruise. He asked me what cruise line I would recommend and without hesitation, I suggested RCI. My past experiences were pleasant, great time, and affordable. This being his first cruise, I wanted to make it as special as our budget could allow and found RCI could provide more "bang for our buck." Additionally, my husband has heard only great things about RCI, the itenary's, the staff, the food, etc.

 

I personally like the C&A Society and the benefits we get from being members. I don't really want to try another cruise line because I don't want to miss my cruise credit!

 

So, for now, We'll Get Out There and have a great vacation...

 

Dona

[Cuizer2]

- Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

- Which is your favorite cruise line?

- Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

 

Laura

Why did I pick the last cruise I was on? The last cruise I was on was the NCL Star to the Mexican Riviera. I live near Los Angles and not having to fly was a plus. I am interested in the cruise to Fanning Island, but had heard mixed reviews of NCL. So, I wanted to see for myself. So in this case I choose the cruise because I wanted to check out the cruise line, and the home port is about 45 miles from where I live.

 

Prior was a cruise on the RCI Navigator of the Seas. I always wanted to try out one of the RCI Voyager class ships, and when I found out my friends had booked this ship, on an itinerary I was interested in, I booked it. So in this case it was the ship and the itinerary I was interested in.

 

Prior cruise was on the Carnival Pride. Again, leaving from a port close to home was a plus. The fact that it had three days at sea was also a plus. See, I booked this for myself and my sister, brother-in-law and two nephews. I wanted to spend the time with them, and had learned the value of doing so at sea from prior cruises. So in this case it was the close home port and the extra day at sea that interested me.

 

My next cruise (next week) is on the Carnival Glory. In this case I was interested in doing an Eastern Caribbean itinerary and being a member of the Carnival Vacation Club (CVC) I decided to start using some of my points. Of the many Carnival choices to the Eastern Caribbean, three things tipped the scale toward the Glory. 1) I had not been on a Conquest class ship yet. 2) Arriving in San Juan at 5:00pm did not interest me. 3) I wanted to visit the Kennedy Space Center. So in this case there was something at the home port that I wanted to see and I was interested in the itinerary and trying out a new class of ship.

 

My next cruise (after the Carnival Glory) is the Freedom of the Seas to the Western Caribbean. Once again I have talked my sister, brother-in-law, his sister and of course my two nephews into joining me. Since I had so much fun on the Navigator of the Seas in the Western Caribbean, and since the Freedom of the Seas sounds like an interesting ship, I have asked my travel agent to book a family suite for the six of us.

 

Which is my favorite cruise line? I have been on four different cruise lines so far. Carnival, NCL and RCI all provide a quality product. Picking one would be like choosing which child you love more. Each child, and each cruise line is different. Nonetheless, just like each child is loved the same amount (for different reasons) I would be willing to sail on Carnival, NCL or RCI again. I would choose whichever line offered me the most value for the given cruise I am on. Though I have not tried HAL or Celebrity yet, the more formal atmosphere each has (especially at night) is a turn off for me. I am on vacation, I don't want to have to get dressed up.

 

Was there any one thing that most influenced my decision? As noted in question number one above, I cruise for different reasons, and thus I am looking for the ship that best meets my needs for that cruise. I guess for this I have to give a little history. My first real cruise was a two week cruise in Alaska on a ship that was over 40 years old (it was one of the lasst two to be built in America prior to the NCL Hawaiian ships). It was my parent's 50th anniversary and they paid for the cruise. Given the age of the ship, it did not offer much (no kids area, no pool in Alaska, no balconies ...). Nonetheless, I did have fun. In Skagway we were docked next to the Carnival Jubilee. I could see the Jubilee had more to offer. So when I got home I did some reasearch and found out that the Carnival Holiday did a three day cruise from Los Angeles (where I live). I thought this would be a great chance to see what a more modern ship could offer. I could see the possibilities, and moved up the Pride (as noted above). So while price is a factor, I would rather spend more if I thought the extra money would offer more value.

 

So, for the first cruise, someone else made all the decissions. For the second cruise, the chance to try out a different ship, without flying, on a short quick cruise, is what was important to me. For my third cruise, not having to fly and having three days at sea was most important. Price was not an issue, as I decided to book two suites (for the five of us) that week. The next cruise just happened to be a ship I was interested in on an itinerary I was interested in. When I found out friends were already on the ship, I booked it. The next cruise was a chance to test out a cruise line because I was interested in a longer itinerary that would require a flight. Before I invested that kind of time and money, I wanted to make sure I would enjoy the experience. So once again I booked the cruise because I wanted to try out something new. For my sixth cruise itinerary was the most important factor, and wanting to visit an attraction at the home port was an added plus. The next cruise the ship will be the most important factor.

 

The next cruise the home port is the most important factor. I want to cruise past the Statue of Liberty. Thus ports that don't require sailing past the Statue of Liberty don't interest me. So, looking ahead to the summer of 2008, most likely it will be the Carnival Victory or Trimuph for five days to Canada. So in this case, it is the location of the port that interests me. RCI cruises from a port that does not require the ships sail past the Statue of Liberty, so I will not consider RCI for this reason. NCL is however another possibility, but since I am a member of the CVC, I want to use up more of my points.

[BabesBelle]

My family and I chose the last cruise because we loved the first one so much. Our first experience with cruising was on Disney's Magic, but it was part of a land/sea package - 3 days Disney World followed by 4 days on Magic. 4 days just wasn't enough for any of us, so 2 years later we booked 7 nights on Disney Wonder, eastern carribean.

 

We have only cruised with Disney up to now, but are sailing on the Mariner in July. Having no experience with another line so far, we are still happy with Disney, but are really looking forward to an RCI cruise so we can try a new ship with different activities, staterooms, and food.

 

Why we chose RCI this time is an interesting question. It started with the discovery that Disney did not have the specific accomodations we wanted during the times were wanted to sail, and proceeded right through Disney being about twice as expensive for comparable staterooms. When we researched our choices, we discovered RCI, and the stateroom we wanted was available.

 

When we were preparing for our past cruises, we discovered the Cruise Critic message boards, so when we decided on RCI for a July cruise, we came back here to help us get "in the mood." Comments on these boards have helped solidify our decision to choose RCI over other lines for this trip. We are all excited and have great expectations that we'll enjoy this cruise as much or more as our past ones.

[Nisroftheseas]

My first cruise was two years ago. I was thirteen and the only one in my family that really wanted to go on a cruise, but my family agreed that if I could find something promising (in budget: $3,000), my idea may be considered. However, the main concern was the foe of all vacations: boredom.

 

After months of planning and pursuasion on my part, we chose a Royal Caribbean cruise on Mariner pf the Seas, for its plethora of activities. However, as we chose to sail during the high season for four people and seven days, our budget was pretty much thrown out the window (so we drove to Port Canaveral from our home in Washington DC).

 

Our vacation was wonderful. Infact, the ship was so amazing and entertaining, that the general consensus in the family was that the best days were the three days at sea. Nobody wanted to get off the ship. After the cruise, we just kindof moped around the house being bored (suffering serious cruise withdrawl).

 

Our experience was so great that we swore off all other cruise lines, and are going on our next mariner cruise this summer (though this time we went for the inside cabin, since we spent all our time on deck when we were awake). This time we're hoping to do some of the activities we chose to skip simply because there wasn't enough time to do it all!

[Jeepers385]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

It was a surprise 4 day cruise for my DH's 50th b'day and BIL had never cruised before and wanted to get a taste (he's hooked).

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

 

Tie between Princess and Royal Caribbean, love them both.

 

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

Had heard a lot of good things about the Majesty of the Seas and we weren't disappointed.

Debbie

[Trijorelo]

1) The reason I picked my next cruise is the ship. Freedom of the seas sounded amazing, an experience not to be missed.

 

2) Can't really answer the second question, we have only experienced Carnival and will be going on RCCL for the first time in July 06

 

3) One thing that influenced my choice on the first cruise was the fact that Valor was Carnival's newer ship. Freedom is also a new ship and has a lot of activity for kids. (I travel with my 3 kids). I must admit that there wasn' t enough on board activities on the Valor to keep them busy . I don't think this will be an issue on FOS.

MJ:)

[pibbman316]

Reason choose last cruise:

I chose the NCL Sun for two reasons, first was the exotic Western Carribean intinerary which included Belize, Gautemala and Mexico. The second reason was the price, for less than $600 I was sailing for 7 days in an oceanview stateroom.

 

Favourite cruise line:

The flavor and fun layout of the Royal Caribbean ships make for a great vacation.

 

Biggest influence:

PRICE!! I am a college student and the biggest bang for my buck is where I go.

[wrp96]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

I needed one more cruise credit on Royal Caribbean to reach Diamond Crown and Anchor status. I choose the 3-night Monarch of the Seas cruise because it was a short cruise that fit my time frame and sailed out of the West Coast, a new destination for me. I cruised the week before on the Serenade of the Seas and I chose that one because it was sailing to the Southern Caribbean which I've been wanting to see for years, I chose the Serenade over the Adventure because it was a slightly smaller, more elegant ship, that usually had less kids on it than the Adventure and I had originally planned to bring my mother on the cruise.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

Royal Caribbean. My first cruise was on Royal Caribbean which hooked me on cruising and they haven't given me any reason to cruise any other lines.

 

Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

I chose Royal Caribbean originally because a travel agent suggested it. I stayed with Royal Caribbean because I've always had an amazing time on their ships. Their ships are beautiful with tons of activities, good service, and good food. They also reward loyalty with their Crown and Anchor program which I appreciate. I chose my Monarch cruise because it was cheap and short.

[Onessa]

- Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

Last cruise was POAm. Selected due entirely to iterarary. We typcially select our cruises based upon the itinarary.

- Which is your favorite cruise line?

Royal Carribean - the line's attention to detail in the design and decorating of their ships really makes the cruise experience. Love their artwork and their public spaces. They provide a nice balance between the traditional cruise experience and the more casual, relaxed atmposphere that makes vacationing fun. They have great activities for families.

We are not as fond of their 'Mega" ships as we are of their smaller ships. We are a bit disappointed with their itinararies - they are getting too commerialized. Our last cruise was on NCLA becuase of the "all Hawaii" aspect. Out next cruise is on Princess (Baltic) because of their ports and time scheudled in ports.

- Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

The "No foreign port" aspect of the NCLA cruise. I cruise for the ports not the "cruise experience" - I don't want to spend three days stuck on the seas to get to HI, I'd rather spend my time there.

 

[glgolfer]

Just curious how many of the "favorite cruise line quotes" will make it into the book considering who BD is.

[izzyvet]

Why did you pick the last cruise you were on?

 

Price was a big determining factor in my last cruise. We wanted to book a group cruise for our family and could not have it too pricey, so that everyone who wanted to go would be able too. Thanksgiving week ended up being perfect in both time off for everyone, including the kids, and the rate was cheaper than either the week before or after. We picked RCL because of my past experience with the line and activities for the kids. We picked the Radiance because I had never cruised that class of ship before and really wanted to try it. Also the itinerary had some ports that I hadn't been to before.

 

Which is your favorite cruise line?

 

Have to say Royal Caribbean. Have not cruised that many other lines though. Once on Carnival, which we really enjoyed and would try again if price and itinarary were right. We did like Norwergian, but have not cruised with them since they started "Free-Style". Do still consider them when planning cruises though. With RCCL, the service, activities on board, ships and value are just right for us.

 

- Was there any one thing (pricing, advertising slogan, or the ship itself?) that most influenced your decision?

 

In order of priority in influencing our decisions I would have to say, number one is price, then itinerary, and then the ship. I can cruise any time of year, so I tend to price shop first, then focus in on whether that is really a cruise, ship, or line that I really want to go on. So far, on narrowing all that down, RCCL had always come out on top for me.