Still Loyal to Royal?

[bx wahine]

Just came back from 7 days on AOS and I am feeling pretty let down. This was our 7th cruise and 5th time on Royal, and I have to say that I'll think long and hard about doing it again. I know that you often get what you pay for, which is why I don't mind paying more for a cruise on RCI than another cruise line (of course, I look for hot deals and discounts too). I'm a fan of their entertainment, activities, service and itineraries - which did not compare well with the other cruise lines I tried.

 

What bothered me was the increased service charges, the sense of being 'nickel and dimed', and the product pushing on this last cruise. Was this just a singular bad experience or have other people felt the same?

 

Wondering if I should stay loyal to Royal. Please share your thoughts.

 

Thanks!

[cb at sea]

More details????? What did they "push" on you?

[bx wahine]

Oh, the usual....the pictures, the drinks, the spa stuff, the wine packages, the water packages, the excursions, the juice packages...yadda yadda yadda. I felt like there was someone hawking something wherever I looked. And the coupon booklet?? What a joke. I have to spend $50 on a bottle of wine just to get a 10% discount on the next one. What happened to the 2 for 1 drink coupon? (and I'm not talking about milkshakes at Johnny Rockets either)

[Sue L]

they do that the same as any other line.

[Illmaxict]

a simple two letter word solves all your problems. sure it can get annoying, but i say no thank you all the time. it takes me about a second and a half and then its over. still the product on royal is great. stay loyal to royal, you will be glad you did

[bx wahine]

I'm sure you guys are right. I just didn't feel like this last cruise was a great value. Maybe I have deeper issues - i.e., the small cabins yet expensive cabins, the $12.95 pay per view movies, the $15 charge to press 3 items of clothing (and no, I'm not talking about evening wear). The temptation to go elsewhere and save a few bucks is strong at the moment. I know Royal has a great product but I wonder, are they hurting for money so much that all this is necessary? BTW, I get tired of saying "No thanks" over and over again.

 

Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. Am I just crazy or am I the only one who feels this way?

[crusinmama06]

All of the mass market cruise lines are doing this. So the grass isn't any greener....

 

And who would do a pay per view movie on a cruise ship? There was free movie channels on Indy. I watched all kinds of new movies.

[TravlGrl]

You may want to go to another line but find that you miss RCCL, and will want to come right back! ;)

[Morecruisesplz]

I'm sure you guys are right. I just didn't feel like this last cruise was a great value. Maybe I have deeper issues - i.e., the small cabins yet expensive cabins, the $12.95 pay per view movies, the $15 charge to press 3 items of clothing (and no, I'm not talking about evening wear). The temptation to go elsewhere and save a few bucks is strong at the moment. Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox now. Am I just crazy or am I the only one who feels this way?

 

Need more info to answer your question accurately. You were on the AOS 7 day out of San Juan? What cabin category were you and how much did you pay? Without knowing what you paid it is hard to help you decide if you received a great value or not and if you might do better with another line.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I'm still loyal to Royal.

Both my son and his fiance are in mangement at different luxury hotels. Both hotels are cutting costs and services in order to make ends meet in these economic realities.

One of the hotels has had the most beautiful landscaping for years and years. I was shocked to ride by last week and notice the cutback in landscaping. I mean I couldn't even believe it...a five star resort!

 

It was famous for its giant Christmas gingerbread house. Well, last Christmas that disappeared and will not return this year either.

 

The entire hospitality industry has been hard hit for nearly two years and they are doing everything they can think of to save money and keep their employees working. Royal Caribbean isn't the only guilty party in this.

[bx wahine]

I get the point that most of you are making. Let me re-frame the question. In the current cruise environment (cutbacks, etc.), in your opinion how does RCI stack up to other mainstream lines, specifically Princess and Carnival?

 

I've tried both and before this last cruise, I thought Royal was hands-down the best. My recent experience is making me wonder if that is still the case or if I should try another cruise line. I should probably let you guys know, I can only cruise once a year so I need to choose wisely to increase the odds of enjoying that once a year experience. Thanks!

[ztacruisnmommy]

about the pay per view movies....

 

my husband and i got one on our last cruise. that one was 15 dollars ;)

[Sue L]

I get the point that most of you are making. Let me re-frame the question. In the current cruise environment (cutbacks, etc.), in your opinion how does RCI stack up to other mainstream lines, specifically Princess and Carnival?

 

I've tried both and before this last cruise, I thought Royal was hands-down the best. My recent experience is making me wonder if that is still the case or if I should try another cruise line. I should probably let you guys know, I can only cruise once a year so I need to choose wisely to increase the odds of enjoying that once a year experience. Thanks!

 

 

All cruiselines have been making cuts, so it all matters where you consider where each one started in your eyes.

 

I was just on Brilliance of the Seas, the cutbacks frankly didn't affect me, I don't eat the chocolates, the coupon book was eh, but not a deal breaker. After 15 cruises we don't do pictures anymore and I have no issue of walking by anything that doesn't appeal to me.

[Bigtex1622]

I say go a head, nickel and dime me.

I found out that our Alaska trip, we took a decade ago,

cost us $5,000 more back then.

That is for 3 people, but still is, Five Thousand Dollars, CHEAPER NOW.

I say keep the fares low, and charge for drink packages and stuff.

I cannot drink cokes, so why would I

want them to charge $40 more per person

just to get them for free.

I would rather keep that savings and spend it where I wanted it.

I want Juice I will pay for it,

Please keep the fares low.

I told everyone going, expect to spend about $200 on board.

More for the beer drinkers. :D

[Ashland]

I get the point that most of you are making. Let me re-frame the question. In the current cruise environment (cutbacks, etc.), in your opinion how does RCI stack up to other mainstream lines, specifically Princess and Carnival?

 

I've tried both and before this last cruise, I thought Royal was hands-down the best. My recent experience is making me wonder if that is still the case or if I should try another cruise line. I should probably let you guys know, I can only cruise once a year so I need to choose wisely to increase the odds of enjoying that once a year experience. Thanks!

I am really loyal to royal..however after reading about your experiences ..I think maybe it might be time for you to try another cruiseline...then you and only you would know if the grass is greener somewhere else...hope you will then be able to get the very best cruise for your hard earned money..whatever line that is...Best of luck..let us know....

[Bigtex1622]

I am really loyal to royal..however after reading about your experiences ..I think maybe it might be time for you to try another cruiseline...then you and only you would know if the grass is greener somewhere else...hope you will then be able to get the very best cruise for your hard earned money..whatever line that is...Best of luck..let us know....

 

I have never been on Royal, and am praying it is greener here!!! :D:D

[klingoncruiser]

Yeah, seems like most of the cruise lines are sliding to match Carnivore. However I still like so many things about RCL over other lines. It is good to try other lines to see which one you like most. RCL continues to fill that need. However I must say that Celebrity is continuing to be more like the older cruises I took and find them becoming more of my favorite. It is nice though to have two lines I find good. Give me a choice.

 

As already stated, the words no thanks works great on all the lines. It is becoming a necessity to pick your pockets to stay in business. They drop the price to get you on board and then try to get at least 500 pp out of you. I enjoy the game and bring my A game back to them. They get some money, why not, but I have cruised enough to no longer need photos, art auctions and tours that I can get ashore for less. Oh well... let the games begin.

[HB Cruiser]

This is not intended to be a flame, PLEASE do not take it that way.

 

We are going to have to settle for what we get. EVERY DAY I run into people that say they want this, that, and the other for no more money than they paid the last time, it does not matter what it is.

 

With that being said, what can we expect? We know their expenses are going up, they cannot possibly afford to keep giving and giving. I know the prices for Oasis are hugh, they should be, but the others are not any more than they were seven years ago. Something has got to give, it does not take an economist to figure that one out.

 

Tim

[ocntscha]

I don't eat the chocolates

I've never been on Royal Caribbean but am considering booking a cruise on Serenade of the Seas out of San Juan over the summer. So anyhow, doesn't Royal Caribbean put chocolates on your pillows?

 

By the way, I have cruised Princess a couple times lately and the hawking stuff at every turn is alive and well there too.

[bx wahine]

Thank you all for your points of view. I may indeed have to try another cruise line. Princess comes to mind, but having been there and done that, I may try Celebrity - the comments I've seen on this string intrigue me. Besides, now that I finally made Platinum C&A status, wouldn't I get matching recognition on that line?

 

If I try something else and find that I should have stayed loyal to Royal, I will repost and admit that some of y'all already told me so! ;)

[Sue L]

Thank you all for your points of view. I may indeed have to try another cruise line. Princess comes to mind, but having been there and done that, I may try Celebrity - the comments I've seen on this string intrigue me. Besides, now that I finally made Platinum C&A status, wouldn't I get matching recognition on that line?

 

If I try something else and find that I should have stayed loyal to Royal, I will repost and admit that some of y'all already told me so! ;)

 

 

You will get select status on Celebrity.

[Happy ks]

The first post could have been written by me 11 years ago, on our first cruise. It was astonishing to have the hard sell, the constant announcements all day long, the hawkers with inches of phony gold and cheap T-shirts, etc... especially on our one and only Carnival cruise. NCL does it, RCI does it, not so much Celebrity, but the stuff is there for you to buy, just like any other cruise line.

 

I really don't feel there is any more "nickel and diming" done on any ship or cruise line, they are just offering more choices.

 

I don't even say no, I just walk by without making eye contact.

[borrowash]

I often hear things like "this is the last time on RCI/X, not as good as it used to be" etc etc, then I ask "who they are going to cruise with next".

They usually bluster and mumble but will not state anything definite.

[rubrrick]

I've never been on Royal Caribbean but am considering booking a cruise on Serenade of the Seas out of San Juan over the summer. So anyhow, doesn't Royal Caribbean put chocolates on your pillows?

 

By the way, I have cruised Princess a couple times lately and the hawking stuff at every turn is alive and well there too.

 

Royal Caribbean has stopped putting what they used to call chocolates on the pillows of every cabin, save the suites. There, one will find an actual chocolate made by a company that still manufactures here in the U.S. It's a Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate square. Very nice!!:D

 

One very nice thing that Celebrity has implimented, following Royal Caribbean, is a cocktail hour in Michael's Club

 

It's been a few years now since we have tried other lines, and for the most part, we left the other lines as we thought that Royal Caribbean gave just a bit more for the buck.

 

With all of the cutbacks, not only on RCCL but on others as well, it would be interesting to hear what some of the other lines are doing to continue to attract their loyal following.

 

Rick

[MrPete]

If you walk away, you just have to figure out what RCCL offers exclusively that you will miss.

 

The decision is yours.