Different classes

[In2why]

Not sure how to put this......cause no matter how I state it, it will come across at elitist.

 

I recently was reading about the Titanic with my little people and it showed the different class levels on the ship.

 

I found it interesting because each class has a different dining room and of course cabin areas. The service also varied depending on the class.

Based on the description most cruise ships have gotten rid of first and third class and everything fits the second class model.

 

I wonder if there is a market for something like that again. It would stop a lot of the bickering per se on the boards here.

 

First class of course pays more and has a higher quality of service and food in the dining room. They are also more formal in dress and manners.

Second class is as it is now

3rd class would be less service but less tipping required, the food would all be buffet, and the price of course would be less.

 

I often wonder as I am reading if this wouldn't suit more people. I would like it how it is when I am with the kids, and more of a first class experience when it is DH and I. Or is that when people choose different cruise lines, so that they get a more upscale experience? Or I guess if you chose to eat in the specialty dining areas each night you would also get the better food, service, and a more formal experience.

 

Just things that make me go Hmmmmm

[arush5268d]

I'm pretty sure that this thread will get ugly....but I definately see where you are coming from and I hope that this thread stays civil.

 

 

I know that the QM2, for example, still has divided classes and levels of dining.

 

I don't see this happening on Carnival ever - but perhaps RCCL. It seems that you have casual cruise lines and then upscale cruise lines. Not much in between.

[firefly333]

I dont think it would stop any of the bickering. Look at the RCL boards if you need proof that your theory wouldnt work. They gave suites some chairs ... way over on the side, not even the ones right by the pool. You should hear the outcry. People probably ordinarily wouldnt even choose those lounge chairs up on the stairs, they want the ones right by the pool, but once they roped them off for suite guests, people cried foul. Discrimination etc.

[G'ma]

Not sure how to put this......cause no matter how I state it, it will come across at elitist.

 

I recently was reading about the Titanic with my little people and it showed the different class levels on the ship.

 

I found it interesting because each class has a different dining room and of course cabin areas. The service also varied depending on the class.

Based on the description most cruise ships have gotten rid of first and third class and everything fits the second class model.

 

I wonder if there is a market for something like that again. It would stop a lot of the bickering per se on the boards here.

 

First class of course pays more and has a higher quality of service and food in the dining room. They are also more formal in dress and manners.

Second class is as it is now

3rd class would be less service but less tipping required, the food would all be buffet, and the price of course would be less.

 

I often wonder as I am reading if this wouldn't suit more people. I would like it how it is when I am with the kids, and more of a first class experience when it is DH and I. Or is that when people choose different cruise lines, so that they get a more upscale experience? Or I guess if you chose to eat in the specialty dining areas each night you would also get the better food, service, and a more formal experience.

 

Just things that make me go Hmmmmm

 

Cunard still has "classes"...it's the only company that does.

 

Those who are into that sort of cruising are welcomed onboard, for sure.

 

There are also a host of smaller cruise companies where the elite do not meet to eat or interact. Those wanting a no-frills cruise will be welcomed onboard also.

 

For the rest of us, things are just fine like they are. Not all cruise lines are equal. Some have lots of "for-fee" venues where you shell out extra $$ for the privilege of dining in a private restaurant....some don't.

 

The choice belongs to all of us. Personally, I prefer a more democratic atmosphere - without having to shell out money to get a decent meal. I confine my cruising to a company where everyone is equal and there are no dining venues that charge me for what I've already paid for.....

[TrikeRider]

NCL does have the courtyard area on some of its ships - a separate area only for those in the higher priced suites.

[In2why]

I dont think it would stop any of the bickering. Look at the RCL boards if you need proof that your theory wouldnt work. They gave suites some chairs ... way over on the side, not even the ones right by the pool. You should hear the outcry. People probably ordinarily wouldnt even choose those lounge chairs up on the stairs, they want the ones right by the pool, but once they roped them off for suite guests, people cried foul. Discrimination etc.

 

 

That is interesting that people thought it was discrimination. I recently read a review of the Oasis where a woman was upset because she paid 12,500 for her suite and didn't get priority seating in the entertainment venues as promised. I would never pay that for a cabin, but if someone did pay that, I think they are entitled to priority seating as well.

 

The dining areas bother me more than anything when I think about the different experiences people want. None of them are right or wrong but they are all different and there isn't a middle ground. Some people want comfort and singing in the dining room, and some people want more formal and more of a fine dining experience. I was just thinking that if you got what you paid for it would make more sense.

[MrPete]

Cunard comes to mind first.

 

NCL seems to have it in their villas.

 

RCCL looks like they are experimenting, with certain amenities for suite guests, like deck chair sections or show lounge areas.

 

The club members on the different lines dabble a bit.

 

I imagine it's only a matter of time before someone on the mass lines offers "supper club included" in the fare.

 

I happened to like that all "classes" had equal opportunity to all areas of the ship, so you never really knew who you were rubbing elbows with.

[In2why]

Cunard still has "classes"...it's the only company that does.

 

Those who are into that sort of cruising are welcomed onboard' date=' for sure.

 

There are also a host of smaller cruise companies where the elite do not meet to eat or interact. Those wanting a no-frills cruise will be welcomed onboard also.

 

For the rest of us, things are just fine like they are. Not all cruise lines are equal. Some have lots of "for-fee" venues where you shell out extra $$ for the privilege of dining in a private restaurant....some don't.

 

The choice belongs to all of us. Personally, I prefer a more democratic atmosphere - without having to shell out money to get a decent meal. I confine my cruising to a company where everyone is equal and there are no dining venues that charge me for what I've already paid for.....[/quote']

 

 

But Carnival already has venues where you pay to eat, and the food is falling off in quality according to most reviews that I read over the last 2 years. Fares are actually lower, the economy is not the best, so something has to give and I think we can all agree that it has been the food and service since Carnival is making its employess do more with less.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

I recently read a review of the Oasis where a woman . . .paid 12,500 for her suite. . .

 

:eek: Stunned at that amount!

[Mike981]

Reminds me of when I have had a butler at an AI, a lot of not so kind looks.

 

I just figure it's their problem not mine.

 

I tell ya', it is darn nice though.

[golfadj]

But Carnival already has venues where you pay to eat, and the food is falling off in quality according to most reviews that I read over the last 2 years. Fares are actually lower, the economy is not the best, so something has to give and I think we can all agree that it has been the food and service since Carnival is making its employess do more with less.

 

I will disagree that food is falling off in quality.

 

Have been on 5 cruises in the past two years and if anything quality is up.

 

What has changed is crew has more people to take care of and sometimes they are rushed to keep up. However service to us is still excellent.

 

Also entertainment cost I believe is down. For example on last 8 day cruise two weeks ago one night was Carnival legends with passengers performing the "legends" and another night as a guest talent show. Therefore now two nights with "free" entertainment to Carnival.

[LynneL]

I guess you say this opportunity is somewhat offered already without putting people in a class category:

 

Book supper clubs for every night & you will be paying a bit more but getting a different dining experience & a different dining room than the general guest population. Also attire would not be as casual. I think some lines have them open for lunch. (personally I wasn't a huge fan - nice but didn't Wow me...each to their own)

 

Serenity area on Princess where you can pay either 1/2 day or full day use & get more comfy chairs, quieter area with no kids & a bit more pampering. Have a massage while out there.

 

Book a cabin that is larger, has a better location, a balcony, etc.

 

So no, not like saying to people you are traveling first class, but if you do all those things & book ahead or as soon as on board, you are cruising a step above others in some comfort areas without putting a label on it. Also gives people a chance to pick & choose which items are the most important without getting the "whole package." (I think of buying a car where you want one upgrade but have to take a pkg. that has 5 other things you don't really want.)

[In2why]

Reminds me of when I have had a butler at an AI, a lot of not so kind looks.

 

I just figure it's their problem not mine.

 

I tell ya', it is darn nice though.

 

 

I am sure lol.....

 

I don't even think it is so much a money=class thing because money has little to do with who has "class". I am sure that there are quite a few people who could afford 1st class but would choose 2nd or 3rd and people might decide to save up for a 1st class experience. I see it as giving everyone more choices instead of less.

 

We just recently had a 20+ page thread on whether it was okay to wear Pajammas on the Serenity Deck in the morning, and that is what got me thinking about this type of thing. For some people it is all about comfort on a cruise.....curlers in public, wearing robes everywhere, jeans on formal night....now called Elegant night lol. For others they want to dress up, and the food is part of the cruising experience. Trying different things and having more courses. (My only pet peeve is when the photographer bothers me while I am eating I get peeved because it is rude and I have a hard time staying polite)

It wouldn't make sense to have all areas of the ship separate. But already we pay more for the "better" cabins....and for where the cabins are located. We pay more is we want fine dining. So if each SS card had a color on it that allowed certain things like entrance to fine dining, priority seating in entertainment venues, Captain table perks perhaps? and so on down to no frill cruising where people are basically gettting a ride to the ports they want to see? I think it could work....and would make people happier....although if that were the case I guess a line would already do it.

[Tenga1899]

I think your "classes" still exist but as the cruise industry has shifted away from a primary means of transportation (all the TA routes including what the Titanic was sailing) and into a vacation industry, the classes have been broken up on individual ships and instead now exist between the various cruise lines. You'd get a different experience sailing Regent versus Carnival for instance, but you'd also pay for that difference as the OP was describing. I do agree that recently some of the mass market lines have begun experimenting with reintroducing cruising with at least some type of "class" flavor, but that is probably more to entice new customers into their system as well as encourage other cruisers to drop just "that little bit" more money for a perk. People like perks, no surprise a cruise line might offer a few extra if you give them more money. :)

[jimbo5544]

I guess you say this opportunity is somewhat offered already without putting people in a class category:

 

Book supper clubs for every night & you will be paying a bit more but getting a different dining experience & a different dining room than the general guest population. Also attire would not be as casual. I think some lines have them open for lunch. (personally I wasn't a huge fan - nice but didn't Wow me...each to their own)

 

Serenity area on Princess where you can pay either 1/2 day or full day use & get more comfy chairs, quieter area with no kids & a bit more pampering. Have a massage while out there.

 

Book a cabin that is larger, has a better location, a balcony, etc.

 

So no, not like saying to people you are traveling first class, but if you do all those things & book ahead or as soon as on board, you are cruising a step above others in some comfort areas without putting a label on it. Also gives people a chance to pick & choose which items are the most important without getting the "whole package." (I think of buying a car where you want one upgrade but have to take a pkg. that has 5 other things you don't really want.)

There are two sides to this. Some people take it as options (you don't have to do it) and some people take it as having to pay for something they think they are entitled to (for free). I doubt you will see Carnival go further in this area.

[martinchem]

Prices run crazy on ships, they have something for everyone, and I thing thats great. I can only comment on me and my wife, our feeling is "just get us on the ship".

[In2why]

I guess you say this opportunity is somewhat offered already without putting people in a class category:

 

Book supper clubs for every night & you will be paying a bit more but getting a different dining experience & a different dining room than the general guest population. Also attire would not be as casual. I think some lines have them open for lunch. (personally I wasn't a huge fan - nice but didn't Wow me...each to their own)

 

Serenity area on Princess where you can pay either 1/2 day or full day use & get more comfy chairs, quieter area with no kids & a bit more pampering. Have a massage while out there.

 

Book a cabin that is larger, has a better location, a balcony, etc.

 

So no, not like saying to people you are traveling first class, but if you do all those things & book ahead or as soon as on board, you are cruising a step above others in some comfort areas without putting a label on it. Also gives people a chance to pick & choose which items are the most important without getting the "whole package." (I think of buying a car where you want one upgrade but have to take a pkg. that has 5 other things you don't really want.)

 

 

That makes Sense too......you can Ala Carte your cruise experience.

 

 

 

If you wanted a more formal, but still fun cruise where would you go? Which line? Princess?

[luv2gonow]

I personally don't want to see separate classes on the ships. Cunard does it....great...I wont' cruise Cunard.

 

I love that everyone is treated the same.....one of the reasons i love Disney. Your there....and it is magical....rich, poor, middle......everyone gets the same smile:D

K

[ryanpatricksmom]

I've sailed in a concierge suite on DCL, and a deluxe PH suite on NCL. Both came with amenities that put us into a different "class". In both cases we had a butler, concierge to arrange dining/shore excursions/special requests, and in-suite dining that included any food option served anywhere on the ship. We received stocked fridges, little gifts, and invitations to dine with the Captain. I believe that we also on NCL had access to a restaurant that non-suite passengers were excluded from. We paid dearly for the privilege...and had we not also received much nicer accommodations, I would never have paid for the extra amenities. Along with the extra service came additional staff to tip, so there was an additional cost there as well.

 

We've also sailed on Princess in a mini-suite, and Carnival multiple times in suites, but the only real advantage there was VIP embarkation. Now that I no longer sail with my kids, we chose a standard balcony nearly all of the time. We don't need the extra space anymore, and I'm two cruises away from platinum, so soon the VIP boarding won't help me either. Even the oversized balconies lose some of their appeal after awhile...frankly, once my butt is in the chair, whether I have 20 square feet or 85 square feet surrounding me, doesn't really matter. I'd rather cruise more, for less.

 

All told, I'm no longer interested in the whistles and bells, but I don't fault those who want them. All of the cruiselines have some "class" distinction in place....if you pay more for a particular category, you get special treatment. Carnival is the most egalitarian in that the option for special treatment is extremely limited, and that works fine for me. If I were interested in a higher level of service, there are plenty of other choices out there that would more than happy to take my money.

[bxmvm]

I haven't read all the responses, and I also am a first time cruiser, so my own response may be premature, but my issue is this:

 

1. I may want to pay for first class service, rooms, etc., but that doesn't necessarily mean I want a formal dining experience. I like the cruise lines the way they are now, and I picked CCL specifically because I felt I would be getting great service, but the cruise itself would not be as formal as, say, Cunard.

 

I would pay for even BETTER service, but not if that meant a more formal experience. To me, a vacation is relaxing, and a formal experiencetakes away from that. But that is just me :)

[jtdlmc]

I personally don't want to see separate classes on the ships. Cunard does it....great...I wont' cruise Cunard.

 

 

I agree. I think the different cruise lines offer the classes. If you want a formal, elegant cruise with service to match then cruise a line that offers that. If you want a laid back, fun, casual cruise, then go with a cruise line that offers that. No need to have different "classes" on the same ship, it will only cause more problems IMO.

[Meredisney]

Did anyone ever stop to think that doing this could divide familes? My husband and I are absolutlety a different class then my sister in-law and her kids but if we all went on a family cruise vacation together, I would still want to eat and experience the cruise with my nieces and nephews. It would break my heart if a cruise line told them they couldn't socialize with us because we are of a different class :(

[Tenga1899]

Did anyone ever stop to think that doing this could divide familes? My husband and I are absolutlety a different class then my sister in-law and her kids but if we all went on a family cruise vacation together, I would still want to eat and experience the cruise with my nieces and nephews. It would break my heart if a cruise line told them they couldn't socialize with us because we are of a different class :(

 

Yeah but wouldn't you plan to all be in the same "class" if that was the idea? It's not like the cruise line would be "ranking" people as you got on the boat saying you are 1st, you are 3rd, you need to go in different directions now... :confused:

[LynneL]

That makes Sense too......you can Ala Carte your cruise experience.

 

If you wanted a more formal, but still fun cruise where would you go? Which line? Princess?

 

I've gone on Carnival 15 times and have 2 more upcoming...been on Princess once (as well as Royal Caribbean a couple of times & other lines) so I can't give a really equal comparison. I only know about the 1 ship I went on, Crown Princess, which was only a year old at the time, but here goes...

 

I loved my cruise on the Crown Princess. Probably rates as an all time favorite (it was also our 25th ann. & did vow renewal ceremony so that biased me a bit too). I didn't find Princess that much more formal, if say comparing dress, also lots of younger families, but I think it had just a little something extra overall. Outside your cabin door you had a little placecard with your name and after our renewal they changed it to "Just Remarried...with our names." Decor more elegant. My dining experience was exceptional - waiter had cheese platter waiting on the table for us each night (I didn't notice it on neighboring table - maybe they didn't want it - but we never asked for it), when we ordered an entree or dessert & he thought something on menu was better he'd put that in center of table for us to try, bent over backwards for us even though we didn't ask for anything special - the best! (& I love Carnival staff & we've had some great Carnival waiters). Then I spoke to another family, different waiter & they had a totally different experience. We had to eat one night in the anytime dining room due to a problem with our table & in that case the experience would only get an "OK". That waiter did his job serving & nothing extra.

 

One nice thing on the Crown Princess was fresh flowers in vases on counters around ship, even on some of the bathroom counters. Had a champagne "fountain" on formal night. For the movie on the big screen at night they put chair covers that had small built in pillows on the lounge chair pads & came around with blankets & some sort of munchie - no charge (little hot fried donuts one night - during one afternoon fresh chocolate chip cookies & a guy had a cannister on his back that pumped out cold milk). They had an Piazza area (think it was called that - main area of ship where they sometimes had music playing). There they had a counter - picture a bakery display case - where you could order fresh cookies anytime, variety of donuts in the a.m., great chicken salad or panninis (sp?) at lunch, etc. all at no charge. (No beverages there - had to buy from bar next to counter or get from Lido deck).

 

Now the part where Carnival pulls way ahead...nightlife. I am not such the party animal but I always travel with my kids & their friends who are in the 20-25 yr. old age frame. The Crown had some sort of entertainment in a lounge before the late sitting (hyponotist who was great, 50s-60s music one evening, then 70s-80s music/dances/staff dresses up another). That was in addition to the usual night show. However, after the show the ship seemed very quiet. Maybe because a lot of families with young kids - I don't know. My husband & I and another couple went to one lounge & were the only people there. The guys walked out but my friend & I stayed only because we felt bad for the band. They asked us what we wanted to hear but it just wasn't a dance music band. I believe they had a disco but my kids went to the big screen movies at night a lot or just got some drinks & hung out by a pool located at the back of the ship and made their own party. My oldest son & his girlfriend went on another Princess cruise & enjoyed it but again at night just sort of made friends with a group of young people traveling together & hung out with them. I'm sure they did have entertainment, but you get the point - not as lively and seeing people roaming all hours of the night as you do on Carnival.

 

So, I guess it just depends what you are looking towards and experiences can vary with each cruise I imagine, as well as if you are sailing on a newer large ship or older small ship. I also find Carnival offers more options/ships than Princess does for the ports we're looking to sail from (we're for the most part NY or Florida). Good Luck!!! I probably told you waaaay more than you ever wanted but if you knew me....that's me - lol.

[Meredisney]

Yeah but wouldn't you plan to all be in the same "class" if that was the idea? It's not like the cruise line would be "ranking" people as you got on the boat saying you are 1st, you are 3rd, you need to go in different directions now... :confused:

 

You have a point Tenga1899, I didnt think of it like that. I was more or less thinking that while we may perfer a balcony, my SIL would rather book the inside stateroom. If classes were determined by what category you booked, then we probably would be assigned a different diningroom and so on. But, I suppose that could probably happen now with different dining rotations unless we linked our reservations. So I understand your point.