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8 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

The price is low not because of the ship you are on but because of the time of the year. I would be asking questions as to why people think this is not the best time of year to sail this particular itinerary and if those reasons are as important to you. Maybe you are better off on the higher priced cruise because of factors other than the newness of the ship.

 

The cruises I'm referring to are only separated by 3 days. But the prices are moving around each week, and have been converging recently, so I'll probably end up with the newer ship 🙂.

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

It’s always been the same price for us. I know some fellow cruisers have stated that they have developed a relationship with some of the representatives and have been able to negotiate better deals (usually something included rather than money off I think. 

 

We tend to find what we want online or as a result of a promo email from Viking and then book with a travel agent who gives us the maximum allowable onboard credit allowed by Viking.  We have never been able to get the phone representatives to match that credit. 

Thank you! 

In browsing Viking Ocean cruises I've noticed you can call them to request quotes. Is this really an opportunity to negotiate pricing/packaging? Or is this just customer service which'll provide the same offers/pricing you can get yourself on the website?

I'm considering booking a Viking Homelands cruise for 2021, and my dates work for either the original Viking Star, or the brand new Viking Venus.

I haven't been on a Viking cruise before, but it looks like all the ships are fairly similar. Does anyone believe it's worth paying a couple grand extra for the new Venus? Is the Star aging well?

I plan on booking a Penthouse Jr Suite if that makes any difference.

19 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

Way back in the day, Carnival was my main line. Now, I can’t stand them and the shenanigans that occur on board. Then I went to RCI. I am still amazed by them but I’m a little over the family atmosphere. 

 

I’ve tried almost every well known line from luxury to premium to mass market. 

 

But ever since Celebrity came out with Solstice Class, they have been my first choice. I just got off Edge and I was totally blown away. Wow!  So for now, Celebrity is #1 for me. In fact, I think they deliver a better product than premium lines like Oceania. 

 

That said, Viking Ocean is a pretty close second for me. 

What sort of shenanigans on Carnival are you referring to? I've heard lots of stories, but I'm curious what sorts of things drove you away.

I'm interested to hear you like Celebrity above Oceania and Viking, could you share a bit more on what you prioritize that Celebrity does more to your liking?

2 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

 but we all have our primary goto line

 

no "we" don't

Haha, OK. Got me! Tis sorta funny how many folks went out of their way to clarify that my question doesn't apply to them 🙂

I hear you folks that don't have a primary line. There's a ton of options these days, and I've always found cruise loyalty programs to be fairly mediocre.

Anywho, I'd love to keep hearing from folks that have traditionally leaned towards one line and then shifted towards another.

Lots of things can cause someone to switch to a new cruise line (sure you may vary lines, but we all have our primary goto line). Sometimes your tastes/priorities change. Sometimes the line your prefer makes cutbacks or other changes.

I've done 5+ RCCL cruises at this point and starting to consider trying out other lines because I feel as though service and food quality has declined. The newer ships are neat, and the entertainment is still solid, but I'm getting a smidge older and looking for a more consistent level of service on a quieter ship at this point.

I'm not asking what line I should choose, rather, I'm curious what has caused other folks to make the switch from one cruise line to another? What was falling short on your previously favorite line, and what line have you found to better meet your needs?