First time booking Royal Caribbean, questions.

[yesplease]

Hi everyone. We have only done one cruise before, that was 6 years ago on Disney, it was a land and sea vacation. We loved the cruise portion. Although Disney was great it was so expensive and so I've been researching a nice cruise line that is somewhat affordable and believe I've found I with RCCL. Our fear is that we'll be disappointed with the next cruise line b/c Disney was SO NICE. Would you say that 's a legitimate fear? I feel like I'm pretty safe here. For instance, part of me says book a carnival as they seem so much cheaper and just try not to compare it to the other cruise. Then another part of me says if we're going to spend this much money, pay a little more and ensure you'll feel comfortable. So I'll take any opinions/suggestions on that topic. :)

My main question is --as much as I'm looking for a good deal would it be safe to book a RCCL as far out as I can and just keep watching for the price to drop before final payment date?? It seems like I read somewhere you have limited time to change it?

Also, we are a family of 4. Our boys are 13 & 14. Will anything I book so long as it says 'up to 4' accommodate us or do I need to pay more attention to which rooms have Pullman beds, etc?

TIA!!

[mr. godfredo]

You have some great questions! I am sure you will get a ton of replies here. Perhaps it would be helpful to share with us what ship and itinerary you are contemplating. RCCL has many ships and though in my opinion they are all nice, it depends what you may be looking for. With a family, I would opt for one of the bigger ships as they have more activities and things to do. I think that you will do fine with Royal, just do your homework and look at what best meets the needs of your family.For our next cruise, I opted to go with Navigator OTS in March as it is a large ship, great for families, lots of activities, newly refurbished, and closer to the west coast for travel. All of those thingsd come to play when I look to book! Enjoy the process and make the planning half of the fun for the family!

[Ubiquitous Cruiser]

My main question is --as much as I'm looking for a good deal would it be safe to book a RCCL as far out as I can and just keep watching for the price to drop before final payment date?? It seems like I read somewhere you have limited time to change it?

 

Also, we are a family of 4. Our boys are 13 & 14. Will anything I book so long as it says 'up to 4' accommodate us or do I need to pay more attention to which rooms have Pullman beds, etc?

TIA!!

 

You're correct in your understanding that you can get a price adjustment up until your final payment is due. That does not include special WOW sales or limited time sales events. You can also upgrade to a higher level cabin if the price for it comes down & you want to pay the difference.

 

As for booking a specific cabin with 4, the booking engine on RCL won't let you book a room that accommodates 2 if you note that there are 4 in your party & you want one cabin ... So no worries there.

 

Happy cruising!

[cb at sea]

When you're booking, you will need the deck plans in front of you, as that will show you what kind of bedding is in each cabin. If your boys will share a bed, then you might be able to get away with a sofa bed, as long as it's a double. If they want separate beds, you'll need either a sofa bed and pullman, or 2 pullmans.

 

There's nothing wrong with RCI! You will have a great time, especially on one of the larger ships, like Voyager, Freedom or Oasis class. Tons for your kids to do.

 

You will find the cabins to be a bit smaller on RCI than on Disney. You won't find as many dedicated "adult" areas. Disney's food is a notch better. BUT...overall, I think your family would have a great vacation on RCI OR Carnival! They are truly more alike than different!

[Paulette3028]

Hi everyone. We have only done one cruise before, that was 6 years ago on Disney, it was a land and sea vacation. We loved the cruise portion. Although Disney was great it was so expensive and so I've been researching a nice cruise line that is somewhat affordable and believe I've found I with RCCL. Our fear is that we'll be disappointed with the next cruise line b/c Disney was SO NICE. Would you say that 's a legitimate fear? I feel like I'm pretty safe here. For instance, part of me says book a carnival as they seem so much cheaper and just try not to compare it to the other cruise. Then another part of me says if we're going to spend this much money, pay a little more and ensure you'll feel comfortable. So I'll take any opinions/suggestions on that topic. :)

My main question is --as much as I'm looking for a good deal would it be safe to book a RCCL as far out as I can and just keep watching for the price to drop before final payment date?? It seems like I read somewhere you have limited time to change it?

Also, we are a family of 4. Our boys are 13 & 14. Will anything I book so long as it says 'up to 4' accommodate us or do I need to pay more attention to which rooms have Pullman beds, etc?

TIA!!

 

I believe the biggest mistake people make is the 'comparison' issue. There is no other cruise line, like Disney. By nature of the product they offer. Will a RCCl cruise give you and the family a great experience -- absolutely, but only if you 'don't plan on comparing it to the Disney cruise".

 

As pointed out by a previous poster, find the ship that will have great ports of call for you and activities on board for the 13 and 14 year old -- which means one of the larger ships with a more sophisticated Adventurer Oceans program for the teenagers, so they have a way to meet other kids their own age. I can't make any suggestions as far as cabins, DH and I have never cruised with kids. You may need to rely on a travel agent or speak with a RCCL representative for which cabin will accommodate your family the best.

 

As far as the family experience -- from people I know who have traveled with teenagers and much younger kids, they have had a blast on RCCL. I expect you will also.

[yesplease]

You have some great questions! I am sure you will get a ton of replies here. Perhaps it would be helpful to share with us what ship and itinerary you are contemplating. RCCL has many ships and though in my opinion they are all nice, it depends what you may be looking for. With a family, I would opt for one of the bigger ships as they have more activities and things to do. I think that you will do fine with Royal, just do your homework and look at what best meets the needs of your family.For our next cruise, I opted to go with Navigator OTS in March as it is a large ship, great for families, lots of activities, newly refurbished, and closer to the west coast for travel. All of those thingsd come to play when I look to book! Enjoy the process and make the planning half of the fun for the family!

 

Ideally Oasis looks great!! We, however are in Nebraska and COULD drive by going to Galveston where I believe Navigator is?? Here's another thing, one of my boys is fearful of anything close to Mexico as news story's of pirating and people going missing have him scared.. I believe most Galveston ships have western Caribbean stops.

[yesplease]

You're correct in your understanding that you can get a price adjustment up until your final payment is due. That does not include special WOW sales or limited time sales events. You can also upgrade to a higher level cabin if the price for it comes down & you want to pay the difference.

 

As for booking a specific cabin with 4, the booking engine on RCL won't let you book a room that accommodates 2 if you note that there are 4 in your party & you want one cabin ... So no worries there.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Thank you! So if you book a wow sale that price is not changeable. Good to know!

[yesplease]

When you're booking, you will need the deck plans in front of you, as that will show you what kind of bedding is in each cabin. If your boys will share a bed, then you might be able to get away with a sofa bed, as long as it's a double. If they want separate beds, you'll need either a sofa bed and pullman, or 2 pullmans.

 

There's nothing wrong with RCI! You will have a great time, especially on one of the larger ships, like Voyager, Freedom or Oasis class. Tons for your kids to do.

 

You will find the cabins to be a bit smaller on RCI than on Disney. You won't find as many dedicated "adult" areas. Disney's food is a notch better. BUT...overall, I think your family would have a great vacation on RCI OR Carnival! They are truly more alike than different!

 

My 13 year old offered to sleep on the floor. They just want to cruise again! Food between RCI and Carnival about the same you think??

[hansolosmom]

Our first cruise experience was also a land & sea vacation with Disney. Our travel agent suggest Royal for our next cruise & we really enjoyed it. Try not to make comparisons (I know its hard not to). Each line has pros & cons but are enjoyable.

 

I would try the Freedom class for your age kids. It's got a good amount of things to do without being overwhelming like Oasis or Allure.

 

We also do 4 in a room. When you're looking at the deck plans, you want the 2 Pullmans (+ symbol) or the Pullman & sofa (Diamond symbol) avoid the triangle which is the sofa bed.

[yesplease]

I believe the biggest mistake people make is the 'comparison' issue. There is no other cruise line, like Disney. By nature of the product they offer. Will a RCCl cruise give you and the family a great experience -- absolutely, but only if you 'don't plan on comparing it to the Disney cruise".

 

As pointed out by a previous poster, find the ship that will have great ports of call for you and activities on board for the 13 and 14 year old -- which means one of the larger ships with a more sophisticated Adventurer Oceans program for the teenagers, so they have a way to meet other kids their own age. I can't make any suggestions as far as cabins, DH and I have never cruised with kids. You may need to rely on a travel agent or speak with a RCCL representative for which cabin will accommodate your family the best.

 

As far as the family experience -- from people I know who have traveled with teenagers and much younger kids, they have had a blast on RCCL. I expect you will also.

 

Thank you!

[yesplease]

Our first cruise experience was also a land & sea vacation with Disney. Our travel agent suggest Royal for our next cruise & we really enjoyed it. Try not to make comparisons (I know its hard not to). Each line has pros & cons but are enjoyable.

 

I would try the Freedom class for your age kids. It's got a good amount of things to do without being overwhelming like Oasis or Allure.

 

We also do 4 in a room. When you're looking at the deck plans, you want the 2 Pullmans (+ symbol) or the Pullman & sofa (Diamond symbol) avoid the triangle which is the sofa bed.

 

Ok, good to know!! Thanks so much everyone!

[Ourusualbeach]

Ideally Oasis looks great!! We, however are in Nebraska and COULD drive by going to Galveston where I believe Navigator is?? Here's another thing, one of my boys is fearful of anything close to Mexico as news story's of pirating and people going missing have him scared.. I believe most Galveston ships have western Caribbean stops.

 

The Navigator has just been completely refurbished and is like a brand new ship. Every area of the ship has been touched up. They have also added a flowrider so there us now not much difference between her and the Freedom class ships.

 

If you can drive to cruise on her I would definitely recommend it. Save that $ on airfare.

 

When looking at cabins check out the prices of getting 2 rooms side by side or one across the hall. In many cases it is only a tiny bit more expensive than putting 4 in one room and everyone will benefit from the extra space and the second bathroom.

 

Whatever you decide you will have a great time.:)

[Coralc]

Prices are adjustable on the WOW sale up until final payment.

 

Navigator will have a Flow rider after the dry dock. It also has min-golf, rock wall, ice skating and inline skating. You probably could save some money driving to Galveston.

 

I think Navigator would be a nice choice with teenagers. :)

[Ubiquitous Cruiser]

Thank you! So if you book a wow sale that price is not changeable. Good to know!

 

Glad to help but to be clear if you book a WOW sale you can still get a price adjustment later if it works to your advantage. But you cannot book at a full fare & then later get a price adjustment if the WOW sale is lower.

 

Also note that if you do book a WOW & later get a price adjustment you will lose any onboard credits (OBC) from the WOW. So no double dipping.

[yesplease]

Not having to save for airfare would have us cruising that much sooner! I didn't realize that about the Navigator. The flowrider was a request of my boys! Thank you.

 

Are WOW sales just emailed to you or are they the limited time sales on the website?

[jelayne]

Ideally Oasis looks great!! We, however are in Nebraska and COULD drive by going to Galveston where I believe Navigator is?? Here's another thing, one of my boys is fearful of anything close to Mexico as news story's of pirating and people going missing have him scared.. I believe most Galveston ships have western Caribbean stops.

 

The Navigator always stops in Cozumel but has itineraries that include Roatan, Belize, Grand Cayman or Falmouth. So on one of those sailing only 1 port out of 3 is in Mexico, maybe that will reduce his concerns.

[Ourusualbeach]

The Navigator always stops in Cozumel but has itineraries that include Roatan, Belize, Grand Cayman or Falmouth. So on one of those sailing only 1 port out of 3 is in Mexico, maybe that will reduce his concerns.

 

And stopping in Cozumel is completely different than stopping in Mexico. Cozumel is very safe with a crime rate that is probably lower than most large North American cities.

[JoeRum]

We did 2- 7 day cruise's on the Disney Magic years ago. First one was the Eastern Caribbean, second one was the Western. Our girls loved them both. Our girls are grown and my Wife and I cruised last Feb. on the Monarch of the seas. An old ship that has now left the fleet. It was nice, the food was good and we had a blast. Next week we will be on Brilliance of the sea. Disney is great but it will cost you more. Our first RC cruise was great and we are looking at planning for another next year. Grand Cayman and Cozumel are awesome!!

[Jiffymom]

We took girls on a Disney land/sea it was great fun but they were 6 and 8. Loved all the characters and princess on the ship. But at 11 and 13 they are done with that They have really grown and that is not so exciting. They prefer water, swim ,action , music Typical pre teen. So they loved RCCL so did I. I got tired of tripping over high chairs in the dining rooms

You won't be sorry.

We also took them on a four day carnival. That was way to much of a party boat. Won't do that again .

We are waiting to book a 2015 and I don't really care which ship itinerary is what we go for.

[lhz3456]

We have cruised with our kids on both Disney and Royal and we have loved both. I don't think my daughters care which ship we go on, just as long as we cruise. I think now that my kids are older (13 and 15) that they would not find a Disney ship as entertaining as they once did. Disney was nice, the food was great but I didn't think our room or balcony was any better there than our cruises with RCI. The split bathroom was nice on Disney but that's a small thing when you consider the price difference. The food on RCI was good (some nights better than others). We did the Main Dining Room as well as lots of Windjammer. We have sailed primarily out of Galveston (we live in Arkansas) because we can drive easily and have found it to be an easy port to navigate. We are sailing out of New Orleans in March and chose RCI because we have been so happy with them. I'm confident that you and your family will love Royal and it won't be your last cruise with them!