Is RC turning into Carnival????

[cruis2007]

I was on the Majesty last week (March 5-9)and I felt like I was on a Carnival Cruise!!!! There were 800 college students onboard. RC crew did not know how to react so they stood by and allowed foul language, sloppy drunkeness,vomiting in pools and fighting to go on. It wasn't until two days into the cruise for them to remove 6 guests to be removed off the boat and turned over to Bahamian authorities. And even still they couldn't control the group.I was really disappointed in RC. I realize its the beginning of Spring Break but there is fun and going overboard. No Pun intended!!! Anyone experience this on larger boats? I want to book on Liberty but I'm really thinking twice.:confused:

[cruisin from florida]

It wasn't spring break, but we had some very rowdy and drunk (and full-grown/middle-aged) neighbors in the dining room on our last weekend Sovereign cruise.

 

I know they enforce the "kids in the casino" rule. Why can't other rules be enforced as well?

 

I think you'll find a different crowd on the 7 night Liberty. But RCCL needs to try to keep the shorter cruises to the same standard as the longer ones, IMO. The shorter cruises are often a person's first experience with RCI, and as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

[Mark_from_Plano]

I'm so sorry for your experience. We just got off of a spring break cruise on Rhapsody of the Seas and while I was slightly annoyed at some of the behavior, ours was nothing close to your experience. Here's what I would say...

 

That type of behavior is going to gravitate toward cheaper cruises at certain times of the year. Therefore a shorter (4 or 5 day) cruise during any portion of spring break is much more likely to occur than on say a 7 day cruise in the middle of November.

 

I wouldn't say that RC isn't quite as bad yet in this regard as Carnival (taken as a whole), it is a less expensive cruise line (one of the reasons we like it, right :) ), and therefore could be more subject to getting this type of boorish behavior from time to time. Try a longer cruise at a different time of year. I don't think you'll see this type of behavior to the extent you saw it on Majesty this week.

[cruis2007]

I really think it was a taping of "Girls Gone Wild"......I'm sure my teenage son enjoyed the show......

[time4agetaway]

We've been on plenty of Carnival and haven't seen that kind of behavior (ok, maybe on one cruise...). I think it is the cruise lines job to keep that kind of behavior in check.

 

This will be our first cruise with Royal Caribbean. I hope it is as enjoyable as our Celebrity cruise was! I hear RCI was much classier than the Carnival cruises. I hope our 5 day cruise lives up to the standard of the seven day cruises!

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

I was on the Majesty last week (March 5-9)and I felt like I was on a Carnival Cruise!!!! There were 800 college students onboard. RC crew did not know how to react so they stood by and allowed foul language, sloppy drunkeness,vomiting in pools and fighting to go on. It wasn't until two days into the cruise for them to remove 6 guests to be removed off the boat and turned over to Bahamian authorities. And even still they couldn't control the group.I was really disappointed in RC. I realize its the beginning of Spring Break but there is fun and going overboard. No Pun intended!!! Anyone experience this on larger boats? I want to book on Liberty but I'm really thinking twice.:confused:

 

Just wondering how many RCI and how many Carnival cruises you have been on to make such a statement. :confused:

 

Short cruises, no matter what line, tend to attract the younger party crowd. As you saw first hand its not limited to Carnival. A lot of people make snotty remarks (you know the cheerleading crowd) and have never even been on a Carnival ship.

 

If you want a better experience try a longer cruise. Book Liberty. If you still feel the same then fine, atleast you found out first hand and not from people who dont know what they are talking about. :rolleyes:

[cruis2007]

This was not an inexpensive cruise at all - for a $100 more I really could have taken a 7 day and definately not my first cruise. Unfortunately, it was my extended family's first and they looked at my like I was nuts boasting about how great it would be....open mouth-insert foot. Guest Relations were freaking because this is gonna go on for 6 more weeks according to their passenger rosters. Good Luck, Crew Members!!!!!

[Cruising89143]

I have been on short cruises with both RCI and Carnival. Depends on the time of year that you cruise but yes you will find basically the same type of cruiser on any short cruise. Most are first time cruisers or folks looking for a quick get away cheap cruise. You just happened to cruise during spring break. One needs to do their homework when cruising. Spring break, summer and holidays brings more kids on board. Spring break tends to bring more college age kids on board.

[MAGNUM PI]

Sorry that you had such a horrible cruise experience.

 

We just returned from last week's Serenade of the Seas 7 day cruise, from San Juan. It was our fourth southern caribbean itinerary cruise. Two on RCCL, one on Celebrity, and one on Carnival.

 

Leaving from San Juan, seems to avoid the situations that you experienced.

It was spring break, for our college aged daughters; very few college aged people were on our cruise, however.

 

We`had a fabulous time, as usual. Don't give up, because of your disappointing cruise. "Get out there", as RCCL says.......

[RCCLCARIB]

We were on the Brilliance OTS last year on a 11 Night Panama Canal with an interior cabin starting at $1399 pp and Balconies as high as $2200 pp and we had the same trouble.

 

Children running...I mean running.. down/up the stairs, through the hall ways, knowcking over paintings, older people, and stateroom attendent cleaning carts.

 

We would get into the elevator after several teenerages walked out...we would stop at floors 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, and 4..just wrong behavior.

 

We would go to the Windjammer where kids would be eating on the floor vs at a table...so when you walked by, you had to watch out for fingers, drinks, and plates.

 

As mentioned, the security guards where overwhelmed.

 

Look at this and maybe this will explain some things.

Scroll towards the bottom after you open this link...and find a title that uses some particular language.

 

http://video.google.com/videosearch?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=Royal+Caribbean&sa=N&tab=nv

 

I think RCCL tries their best, but are sometimes overwhelmed by rude and crazy kids, teens, and college students.

 

I don't know...I hope my cruise in to the MX Riviera will not be this way in 3 weeks!!

[cruisinfanatic]

Those short cruises are called "booze cruises" for a reason.

[cruis2007]

We've been on this particular Majesty cruise before and it was nothing like this one....

[Cruising89143]

We've been on this particular Majesty cruise before and it was nothing like this one....

 

 

No cruise is the same. Each cruise a different make up of passengers board the ship. You happened to board the ship with a group of spring breakers. I have done three and four night cruises that were very calm and then others were party central. Luck of the draw.

[TRadle]

We are thinking about booking Liberty of the Seas March 3-9, 2008. Is the consensus here that a 7 day cruise will not have this type of wildness? :confused:

I don’t mind kids and I don’t mind young adults but I draw the line with puck in pools. YUCK. :eek:

[Cruising89143]

We are thinking about booking Liberty of the Seas March 3-9, 2008. Is the consensus here that a 7 day cruise will not have this type of wildness? :confused:

 

I don’t mind kids and I don’t mind young adults but I draw the line with puck in pools. YUCK. :eek:

 

 

Cruise on any mass market line during spring break, summer and holidays and you are guaranteed to have plenty of kids on board. The problem with this is the cruise lines can only do so much. The rest has to be done by the parents which many feel that this is their vacation and also a vacation to let the cruise line watch their kids. That is where the problems start. Just be prepared that you may have issues with kids being on board.

[cruisingjon]

I was on the Majesty last week (March 5-9)and I felt like I was on a Carnival Cruise!!!! There were 800 college students onboard. RC crew did not know how to react so they stood by and allowed foul language, sloppy drunkeness,vomiting in pools and fighting to go on. It wasn't until two days into the cruise for them to remove 6 guests to be removed off the boat and turned over to Bahamian authorities. And even still they couldn't control the group.I was really disappointed in RC. I realize its the beginning of Spring Break but there is fun and going overboard. No Pun intended!!! Anyone experience this on larger boats? I want to book on Liberty but I'm really thinking twice.:confused:

 

Get ready to get flamed by the Carnival folks!!!! They really do not like having the truth thrown in their face.

 

Hopefully RCCL is not turning into Carnival....or I guess I will find another cruise line. Going on SOS in May...we will see what happens then.

[serendipity16]

I was on the Majesty last week (March 5-9)and I felt like I was on a Carnival Cruise!!!! There were 800 college students onboard. RC crew did not know how to react so they stood by and allowed foul language, sloppy drunkeness,vomiting in pools and fighting to go on. It wasn't until two days into the cruise for them to remove 6 guests to be removed off the boat and turned over to Bahamian authorities. And even still they couldn't control the group.I was really disappointed in RC. I realize its the beginning of Spring Break but there is fun and going overboard. No Pun intended!!! Anyone experience this on larger boats? I want to book on Liberty but I'm really thinking twice.:confused:

 

I was actually on the same cruise as you this past week. My friends and I are all college students and even we were kind of surprised at some of the things we saw. One reason that we chose RC over Carnival was because one of our friends isn't 21 yet and all he needed was someone who was 21+ to be in the same room as him.

 

I didn't hear about the 6 guests being removed from the boat. How did you hear about it? I did see 2 guests running to the gate as we departed Key West though.

 

Oh yea, my friend witnessed some girl getting the pool bloody. I think she hit her mouth?

[cruisnfool]

Its been many years since I did a 4 or 5 day cruise but the age of cruisers is dropping.

 

Also cruisngator is correct...stay away from spring break, summer and holidays and you will lessen your chances of large groups of rowdy people.

[Cruisin-Family]

so we've cruised a lot with RCI, and a little with Carnival and Disney...

 

I also observe the standards dropping with RCI over the years and they seem to have more challenges with the training of their staff. It is a challenge to keep everyone on staff trained at the level you need them at with the number of ships they have, formidable challenge for sure.

 

But would like to see them adhere to behavior and staff/food quality standards.

 

They do well, but there is room for improvement.

 

We have a 4 year old, and trust me it is a challenge to keep him in line on the ship. So we do give it our best shot, the reality is for us that he can only come for desserts for dinner or it is just too long for him to sit through adult conversations...!

 

BUT, the Adventure Ocean for kids do a great job and thank the vacation gods for that.

 

We also had a, what we fervently believe to be, a staff theft of our property for the first time in 16 years of sailing with RCI. Still waiting for their formal response, but it just isn't the cruise line that we started cruising with years ago...but it is still a good cruise line with a good product (their ships are the greatest differtiator in my assessment) compared to Carnival.

[ljpjr]

you've made me a little nervous, we are booked on the liberty of the seas march1/08. I too don't mind kids of any age but I would not appreciate this kind of behavior at all. We sailed on the radiance last year this same week and had not problems what so ever. I hoping since the price is a bit higher on the liberty that they will be less likely to choose this one. We don't have much choice in the dates whereas my son is in grade 10 and I don't want him to miss that much time from school. :cool:

[Sue L]

Last week was a huge college spring break week and according to this website http://www.tripsmarter.com/panamacity/springbreak/sbcalendar.htm

 

there were 935,662 kids off from college. This current week March 12-16 is even worse with over 2 MILLION students off!:eek:

[cb at sea]

I don't know why the cruiseline doesn't enforce their rules! It clearly states that unruly behavior will get you thrown off the ship--when you pay your money, you agree to their rules. They just need to "toughen up", and start making examples of these folks who think they are immune from any consequence!

We did a 4-day-and did NOT have this sort of problem! Perhaps if they raised the prices during spring break, so many "young adults' wouldn't be able to afford this type of "party". They've made things soooo affordable, and reduced quality because of the price reductions, that this is going to continue to happen!

[goodml]

Get ready to get flamed by the Carnival folks!!!! They really do not like having the truth thrown in their face.

 

Hopefully RCCL is not turning into Carnival....or I guess I will find another cruise line. Going on SOS in May...we will see what happens then.

 

:rolleyes: Nonsense. I've sailed the two lines almost equally over the years and noticed very little difference when it comes to the shorter cruises. In fact the absolute worst partiers we've ever had on a ship were on Sovereign in March 2001. Four young women were actually put off the ship that time around. Generalities are ridiculous.

[Esmerelda]

To the OP....I have sailed on 3 different Carnival ships. Two of those cruises, I was a single mom with 2 children under the age of 11 at the time. There were numerous times I wandered this ship in the public areas alone (as in the theatres....dance clubs...etc) and never once witnessed anything you described (my kids were at the kids clubs). I'm not sure where you are coming from with your comment regarding Carnival? If I would have seen anything even remotely close to what you described, I assure you myself and 2 small children would not have sailed with them twice. My last Carnival cruise was my honeymoon in May of 05 and I also did not witness anything as you described. In fact I really never saw anyone out of line that week. As of yet, I have not sailed RCCL so I don't know the type of atmosphere on their ships yet, I am very excited to see. (we are on the Liberty this summer)

 

I would say that any place, whether on land or at sea at spring break has a LOT of college/high school kids that are doing things they should not be doing. I don't feel it was a Carnival thing...I would guess it was more of a spring break thing.

 

Esmerelda

[veryhotred]

We are thinking about booking Liberty of the Seas March 3-9, 2008. Is the consensus here that a 7 day cruise will not have this type of wildness? :confused:

 

I don’t mind kids and I don’t mind young adults but I draw the line with puck in pools. YUCK. :eek:

Ya mean puke?..lol..that is gross and something I wouldn't want to swim with either!!

 

Get ready to get flamed by the Carnival folks!!!! They really do not like having the truth thrown in their face.

 

Hopefully RCCL is not turning into Carnival....or I guess I will find another cruise line. Going on SOS in May...we will see what happens then .

 

Well here I am...a Carnival fan for you to "throw this in my face" as you say. I have never seen anything as this thread mentions on a Carnival cruise! You make it like EVERY Carnival cruise is like this and I am here to say that is not true. There was never anyone out of control, throwing up in public places, drunken stupidity, or anything close to any of that when we were on board. So in my opinion if RCI turns into Carnival, great, then I will sail RCL again!!!