Other lines comparable to Royal?

[Raenstoirm]

We are having an issue with Royal right now and, to be honest, it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I think next week's cruise will be the last time we sail with them. :roll eyes: We really loved Royal up until this incident, so we would like to pick another line that has similar amenities and such. Hal, Princess, NCL? Who is the direct competitor?

[Clarea]

Probably most direct competition is Princess and NCL, but Carnival and HAL too.

[Kcjarvis]

We are having an issue with Royal right now and, to be honest, it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I think next week's cruise will be the last time we sail with them. :roll eyes: We really loved Royal up until this incident, so we would like to pick another line that has similar amenities and such. Hal, Princess, NCL? Who is the direct competitor?

 

 

Ok I'll bite. What's the issue?

 

 

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[SissasMomE]

We love NCL. We left Royal a few years back after less than stellar service (and it was so long ago that I don't even remember what the issue was!) We are looking again, though, because DD wants to sail to San Juan, and it's her high school graduation ... so .... we're looking:)

[OCruisers]

Most will say Princess and we do like Princess better than RCCL but have no problem cruising on either ... just somewhat quite different.

Carnival might be closest for people who like all of the water slides and the amusement park things on RCCL. NCL could also be an option.

What kicked you off about RCCL?

LuLu

[runner15km]

I would step up a notch and sail Celebrity. :)

[dplusd]

I'd say Princess is most comparable to Royal. They are a bit different, each do some things better than the other. We enjoy both lines equally.

 

I would also consider Celebrity, particularly their newer Solstice class ships.

[Langley Cruisers]

Ok I'll bite. What's the issue?

 

Really? It's so none of anyone's business. I'm sure OP would have mentioned it if s/he wanted to.

[Harooni]

I would step up a notch and sail Celebrity. :)

whats the food like? how is the set up similar ,like mdr and buffet?

[cb at sea]

Any of the mainstream lines will be similar....Hal and Celebrity may be a slight step up..but will have a slightly older clientele, too...but it really will depend on where each cruiseline is sailing! The Caribbean routes will all be more similar than different. All have buffets...and main dining rooms, and specialty restaurants. All offer room service. All have pools, entertainment and casinos! (Disney is the only one with no casino) NCL probably has the best suite perks, if you like to book suites! Carnival has some of the larger standard cabins.

Edited May 7, 2014 by cb at sea

[SeagoingMom]

We are having an issue with Royal right now and, to be honest, it has left a bad taste in my mouth. I think next week's cruise will be the last time we sail with them. :roll eyes: We really loved Royal up until this incident, so we would like to pick another line that has similar amenities and such. Hal, Princess, NCL? Who is the direct competitor?

It's hard for guess what it is you are looking for based on the general terms "amenities and such." Can you be specific about what you enjoy (or used to enjoy :o) on RCCL? That would help others give you comparables. I personally don't imagine HAL, for example, to be comparable in many (or perhaps any?) significant ways to what I imagine RCCL to be like -- but then, I've been on HAL but not RC. Nor did my Princess or Celebrity cruises seem like what I imagine RC to be!

 

And nobody has even mentioned Costa or MSC! Do they compare?

 

Really, all the mainstream cruise lines compete with each other, but saying that just doesn't sound helpful. :o

Edited May 7, 2014 by SeagoingMom

[Cruisegirl6]

I am 50 and going this saturday on my 53rd cruise, I have travelled on different cruise lines and do compare.

 

 

Although I am very curious why you are leaving RC I honestly can say my least liked cruise line is NCL, gosh I hated that Breakaway ship last year, it had so many negatives that in the past 20 ships I been on it was my most disliked ship, we will NEVER go back to NCL again. During the past many years I have been on NCL to get off the ship and stay away, but after a few years give it another try and again disappointed, we learned our lesson now nomore NCL.

 

HAL I can honestly say the majority of passengers are elderly and from my experiences, many are in wheelchairs, scooters, have oxygen tanks and such, its just a much older cruise, one that I won't take.

 

Been on a few Princess cruises and they were really great and love Princess! Passengers are sophisticated like, not very old and not very young. I enjoy the Princess experience overall very much!

 

Whats important to me are the buffets, the MDR, specialty restaurants and service overall. I have never had a problem on Princess, although I remain not to have a problem on RC either.

[rhuntington3]

Celebrity Solstice class ships are really nice; Solstice, Eclipse, Reflection, Equinox and Silhouette.

[wwcruisers]

Really? It's so none of anyone's business. I'm sure OP would have mentioned it if s/he wanted to.

 

Karen, you are absolutely right. People should be able to come here and ask a question, without having to tell everyone their life's story. :cool:

 

However, I can think of one reason that a few more details from the OP would be helpful, here. I'm one of those who would normally chime in and suggest Celebrity -- having enjoyed many great cruises on both lines. But, if it turns out that the OP's issues are not so much with Royal, but with RCCL Corporate -- well, Celebrity might not be such a good fit, either.

[Langley Cruisers]

....But, if it turns out that the OP's issues are not so much with Royal, but with RCCL Corporate -- well, Celebrity might not be such a good fit, either.

 

Exactly what I was thinking too. :) OP would have reciprocal C&A status on Celebrity is they wanted to try that.

[papaflamingo]

Really? It's so none of anyone's business. I'm sure OP would have mentioned it if s/he wanted to.

 

I disagree with you. How do you compare a cruiseline when you don't know what it is they dislike about Royal Caribbean? If it's a problem with corporate, then Celebrity will be no change, Celebrity is the same corporation. If it's a problem with too many drunks, would Carnival be better? If it's a problem with too many old people, would HAL solve it? How do you answer that?

I have sailed Carnival, NCL, and Princess. For me Princess seems most like Royal Caribbean. But if the problem is with Royal Caribbean, why look for the same? So I think the question "what was the problem" is very reasonable. If the OP doesn't want to answer it, she can say so. But understanding the problem might lead to a more accurate answer about which other cruiseline would be a better fit.

[Langley Cruisers]

I disagree with you. How do you compare a cruiseline when you don't know what it is they dislike about Royal Caribbean?...

 

Understood, but OP said there was "an issue" and "an incident". Sounds like more to do with policy or Corporate or something other than life onboard ship. Anyway, I still stand by it's none of our business. :)

[purplethorn]

IMO... If OP REALLY didn't want us to know the issue they would have never mentioned there was one

They would have simply asked what is a cruise line most comparable to rccl

 

 

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[nana541]

The OP spelled out her issue on another thread...seems she upgraded to a suite and lost a $300 OBC that was part of her original booking promo. She's not a happy camper :)

 

 

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Edited May 7, 2014 by nana541

[LindaO]

To the OP... if your post yesterday is your horrible problem with RCI... then I'm afraid you'll run into the same issues with other companies. Sorry... but you have to read the 'rules' before making changes in your reservations... sometimes a 'great' deal becomes less enticing when you have to lose something to get it. I hope this all works out for you... but posting that you had an 'incident' and not providing details is somewhat inflammatory. You would gain credibility by offering a few details here, as you were more than willing to share the information on another post.

 

This is what the OP posted --

 

Well, we went and did something stupid. We upgraded to a GS. :D Its actually kinda funny how it came about. I was playing online RCCL looking at the bogo promo and clicked to the prices for our cruise. We had a JS and I joked to Stephen that we should upgrade to get the real suite perks. Only a royal family suite was available though, so we honestly considered it and then realized 2 bedrooms is way to big for two people. But Stephen did say that if a GS opens, we would grab it. This morning a GS did open, but it was 2k more than what we spent on the JS so it was a no go. This afternoon the prices dropped, so we snagged the GS.

 

***Just as I was typing this our TA called. Royal is screwing us. We had a $300 OBC from the February deal. Because we changed cabins the deal goes away. :mad: Total BS. The TA didn't know this until she sent me the paperwork and I saw the issue with the missing OBC. We were on a 3 way call (TA, RCCL rep and me) until the Royal rep figured out she can't handle this and bumped us to resolutions. The TA said she would call me back when she gets somewhere with royal resolutions. We just paid them another $1100 today and then they take away the $300 they already gave us. How does that work out in their head? So the upgrade cost us $1400 and that is unacceptable. I was all excited about the upgrade, but this OBC issue has left a bad taste in my mouth. I honestly don't know if I will be cruising with Royal again. Bad customer service! On a happy note, our TA seems on top of this and she has a call into the next level of royal rep (who has already left for the day), so she is solidifying her value to me.

[Kcjarvis]

To the OP... if your post yesterday is your horrible problem with RCI... then I'm afraid you'll run into the same issues with other companies. Sorry... but you have to read the 'rules' before making changes in your reservations... sometimes a 'great' deal becomes less enticing when you have to lose something to get it. I hope this all works out for you... but posting that you had an 'incident' and not providing details is somewhat inflammatory. You would gain credibility by offering a few details here, as you were more than willing to share the information on another post.

 

This is what the OP posted --

 

Well, we went and did something stupid. We upgraded to a GS. :D Its actually kinda funny how it came about. I was playing online RCCL looking at the bogo promo and clicked to the prices for our cruise. We had a JS and I joked to Stephen that we should upgrade to get the real suite perks. Only a royal family suite was available though, so we honestly considered it and then realized 2 bedrooms is way to big for two people. But Stephen did say that if a GS opens, we would grab it. This morning a GS did open, but it was 2k more than what we spent on the JS so it was a no go. This afternoon the prices dropped, so we snagged the GS.

 

***Just as I was typing this our TA called. Royal is screwing us. We had a $300 OBC from the February deal. Because we changed cabins the deal goes away. :mad: Total BS. The TA didn't know this until she sent me the paperwork and I saw the issue with the missing OBC. We were on a 3 way call (TA, RCCL rep and me) until the Royal rep figured out she can't handle this and bumped us to resolutions. The TA said she would call me back when she gets somewhere with royal resolutions. We just paid them another $1100 today and then they take away the $300 they already gave us. How does that work out in their head? So the upgrade cost us $1400 and that is unacceptable. I was all excited about the upgrade, but this OBC issue has left a bad taste in my mouth. I honestly don't know if I will be cruising with Royal again. Bad customer service! On a happy note, our TA seems on top of this and she has a call into the next level of royal rep (who has already left for the day), so she is solidifying her value to me.

 

Thanks LindaO.

[PhillyFinest27]

But as you see people have mixed feelings about all cruise lines. You have to find one comparable to what your looking for. But Norwegian is closest to Royal Caribbean... Celebrity, Princess, Holland America are all step up in classes of ships but atmosphere can be different.

But Norwegian is a wonderful Haven area and I have been on their ship and the service was great. You gotta remember NCL is more laid back because it's freestyle

 

 

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[uksimonusa]

To the OP... if your post yesterday is your horrible problem with RCI... then I'm afraid you'll run into the same issues with other companies. Sorry... but you have to read the 'rules' before making changes in your reservations... sometimes a 'great' deal becomes less enticing when you have to lose something to get it. I hope this all works out for you... but posting that you had an 'incident' and not providing details is somewhat inflammatory. You would gain credibility by offering a few details here, as you were more than willing to share the information on another post.

 

This is what the OP posted --

 

Well, we went and did something stupid. We upgraded to a GS. :D Its actually kinda funny how it came about. I was playing online RCCL looking at the bogo promo and clicked to the prices for our cruise. We had a JS and I joked to Stephen that we should upgrade to get the real suite perks. Only a royal family suite was available though, so we honestly considered it and then realized 2 bedrooms is way to big for two people. But Stephen did say that if a GS opens, we would grab it. This morning a GS did open, but it was 2k more than what we spent on the JS so it was a no go. This afternoon the prices dropped, so we snagged the GS.

 

***Just as I was typing this our TA called. Royal is screwing us. We had a $300 OBC from the February deal. Because we changed cabins the deal goes away. :mad: Total BS. The TA didn't know this until she sent me the paperwork and I saw the issue with the missing OBC. We were on a 3 way call (TA, RCCL rep and me) until the Royal rep figured out she can't handle this and bumped us to resolutions. The TA said she would call me back when she gets somewhere with royal resolutions. We just paid them another $1100 today and then they take away the $300 they already gave us. How does that work out in their head? So the upgrade cost us $1400 and that is unacceptable. I was all excited about the upgrade, but this OBC issue has left a bad taste in my mouth. I honestly don't know if I will be cruising with Royal again. Bad customer service! On a happy note, our TA seems on top of this and she has a call into the next level of royal rep (who has already left for the day), so she is solidifying her value to me.

 

Well if this is the OP's incident, then she needs to be looking for a new, knowledgeable, TA as well as a new cruiseline

[Cindy]

What other cruise line you choose really depends on what it is that you like about Royal Caribbean that you want to try to replicate on another line. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and what is important to you could make a difference in your decision. For example, I would cruise with HAL again for a unique, port intensive, and longer itinerary, but I don't think the seven night cruise is their forte. I'd take a Princess cruise in a heartbeat, but the only way I'd cruise on Carnival again would be if it was a group vacation. Do you cruise for the entertainment? If so, RCI is the best I have seen on any line.

 

I currently choose RCI over Princess for two reasons -- first, I like the ships themselves better, and second the past passenger program reciprocity with Celebrity and Azamara is very appealing. I would suggest Celebrity's large ships, but they by and large work under the same booking umbrella as Royal Caribbean. In fact, I've been easily transferred from an RCI agent to a Celebrity agent, and I recently booked a Celebrity cruise while I was on a Royal Caribbean ship.

 

Do be aware that ALL the cruise lines have very restrictive booking/change policies. While I understand your frustration, chances are you would have a similar problem changing your booking on any line, depending on what was being offered when you originally made the reservation. I know you're upset right now, but why don't you give it a little time to see if your TA can help before you decide to change from a cruise line you've enjoyed over an OBC?

Edited May 7, 2014 by Cindy

[alfaeric]

To the OP... if your post yesterday is your horrible problem with RCI... then I'm afraid you'll run into the same issues with other companies. Sorry... but you have to read the 'rules' before making changes in your reservations... sometimes a 'great' deal becomes less enticing when you have to lose something to get it. I hope this all works out for you... but posting that you had an 'incident' and not providing details is somewhat inflammatory. You would gain credibility by offering a few details here, as you were more than willing to share the information on another post.

 

This is what the OP posted --

 

Well, we went and did something stupid. We upgraded to a GS. :D Its actually kinda funny how it came about. I was playing online RCCL looking at the bogo promo and clicked to the prices for our cruise. We had a JS and I joked to Stephen that we should upgrade to get the real suite perks. Only a royal family suite was available though, so we honestly considered it and then realized 2 bedrooms is way to big for two people. But Stephen did say that if a GS opens, we would grab it. This morning a GS did open, but it was 2k more than what we spent on the JS so it was a no go. This afternoon the prices dropped, so we snagged the GS.

 

***Just as I was typing this our TA called. Royal is screwing us. We had a $300 OBC from the February deal. Because we changed cabins the deal goes away. :mad: Total BS. The TA didn't know this until she sent me the paperwork and I saw the issue with the missing OBC. We were on a 3 way call (TA, RCCL rep and me) until the Royal rep figured out she can't handle this and bumped us to resolutions. The TA said she would call me back when she gets somewhere with royal resolutions. We just paid them another $1100 today and then they take away the $300 they already gave us. How does that work out in their head? So the upgrade cost us $1400 and that is unacceptable. I was all excited about the upgrade, but this OBC issue has left a bad taste in my mouth. I honestly don't know if I will be cruising with Royal again. Bad customer service! On a happy note, our TA seems on top of this and she has a call into the next level of royal rep (who has already left for the day), so she is solidifying her value to me.

 

Between this problem and someone elses problem, this totally solidifies our reason to book directly with Royal Caribbean and avoid TA's.

 

no reason to explain why- so happy sailings, OP.