Upgrade ~ Princess vs RCCL

[99florida]

I am a Diamond Plus member with RCCL so it's obvious that I have been loyal to Royal. We wanted to do a quick get-a-way cruise and was looking at the Enchantment. At one time the price was $179/inside for 3 nights. Not bad but was waiting to see if it would drop a bit more. Unfortunately it did not and as a matter of fact it went up. Well I wasn't willing to pay more for what I saw so I decided to look at other lines. I found a fantastic deal with Princess for the same weekend but with an additional night :) The price was $159/inside for 4 nights. With all taxes and fees it came out to $457 for two along with $100 OBC. What a deal... How could one not take the offer? Yes, I've sailed with Princess many times but not at the loyal level that I have with RCCL. I personally find the food better on Princess but the shows and activities better on RCCL.

 

Long story short, we took the deal a few weeks ago. Last week they upgraded us to an OV room. Yahoo!!! For the price wow! Well it gets better. On Friday, I received an email stating an upgrade. I thought, "I know, we were already informed." However, this was another UPGRADE to a (deluxe) balcony in the best location. UNBELIEVABLE..... We have sailed over 225(+) nights on RCCL and was upgraded once from an inside to an outside about a decade ago. We sailed about 10 cruises on Princess and we get this? YAHOO and lucky me/us......

 

Makes me think as I am getting older, do I need all the hoopla now that our boys are older and no longer need the Yippie Yippie stuff? Slowing down and being catered to is now on my agenda...

 

THANK YOU PRINCESS ;););)

[dz9yvr]

I am a Diamond Plus member ...

 

THANK YOU PRINCESS ;););)

 

 

I think many D+ members will reach the same conclusion. Princess has a lot of nice ships and at those prices you can buy your own before dinner drinks. No need to worry about the disappearing CL or loss of other benefits.

[gowensricks]

Wow congratulations, that is an awesome upgrade!!!

[99florida]

We also are entitled to 150 internet minutes each (300 total) and preferred boarding.

 

 

We'll take 2 bottles of our favorite wine (allowed) to enjoy on our balcony;

 

Can't get much better than this.

 

Maybe the RCCL monitors will take notice and might just help others to get an upgrade. Heck why not? Isn't that their saying? If there is availability, then do the upgrade. Don't offer something that very rarely if ever is given.

 

FYI: I am sailing on the Enchantment (girls' trip) in March. I wonder if we'll get upgraded? D+, Emerald, & Gold status ;)

[linedancer]

I am also Diamond Plus on RCCL, but the last two cruises were with Princess. As you said, we could not resist the prices. We were not as lucky as you to get an upgrade, but we were already in a deluxe balcony. I also agree, the food was better on Princess, but the shows better on RCCL. We really enjoyed Princess and will do it again.

 

RCCL is changing so much, sometimes you just have to check out other cruise lines. We will be back on Allure in January, but will keep checking prices on Princess for other cruises.

 

Irene

[05mak05]

We're Diamond Plus and are also at the point of not needing the hoopla. We were upgraded to a balcony on our 2nd Princess cruise but never once on Royal Caribbean. I wish Princess would give Galveston just one more chance!

Edited October 19, 2014 by 05mak05

[99florida]

I am also Diamond Plus on RCCL, but the last two cruises were with Princess. As you said, we could not resist the prices. We were not as lucky as you to get an upgrade, but we were already in a deluxe balcony. I also agree, the food was better on Princess, but the shows better on RCCL. We really enjoyed Princess and will do it again.

 

RCCL is changing so much, sometimes you just have to check out other cruise lines. We will be back on Allure in January, but will keep checking prices on Princess for other cruises.

 

Irene

 

Yes, the entertainment is better on RCCL but it really is hard to resist a great price with perks, better food (IMO), and service equally as good.

[Wilda]

Count me in as another poster that agrees with OP. We have been upgraded on Princess to a mini suite and as a result...have only booked mini suites the two other times we have cruised with them.

 

We have never been upgraded on an RCI ship and given the way they dole out upgrades...we never will be. I like that Princess gives lowly new cruisers a taste of something better...and as a result they got better revenue from us.

 

Royal on the other hand barely recognizes loyalty until you hit 80 nights on their ships. Perhaps if they took a cue from Princess and upgraded people that faithfully sail their ships year after year after year...even though they have not reached D status they would not have posts like the OP wrote.

 

We will cruise Princess again once our grandchildren are a bit older.

Edited October 19, 2014 by Wilda

[rainey52]

I hate to have to agree but "I agree". After 25 plus sailings only on Royal we sailed the Caribbean Princess this past Sept for a deal we couldn't pass up. 5 nights $349 pp and $400 OBC. Food was great, cabin obstructed view was comfortable, service great in all areas. I love Royal and have trip booked May 2015 but I think we will keep all options open from now on.

[Folk Singer]

I think many D+ members will reach the same conclusion. Princess has a lot of nice ships and at those prices you can buy your own before dinner drinks. No need to worry about the disappearing CL or loss of other benefits.

 

 

Have to think about it.

[matj2000]

We also are entitled to 150 internet minutes each (300 total) and preferred boarding.

 

 

We'll take 2 bottles of our favorite wine (allowed) to enjoy on our balcony;

 

Can't get much better than this.

 

 

Big Wow.

 

Do you really want to go on a cruise and sit around and play on the internet?

 

I don't.

 

Also, I brought 8 bottles of wine on Princess this year.

 

They didn't seem to care......

[John&LaLa]

Yes, the entertainment is better on RCCL but it really is hard to resist a great price with perks, better food (IMO), and service equally as good.

 

Geez, it must really be bad on Princess

 

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[99florida]

Big Wow.

 

Do you really want to go on a cruise and sit around and play on the internet?

 

I don't.

 

Also, I brought 8 bottles of wine on Princess this year.

 

They didn't seem to care......

 

No, not really. But it's good to have when checking with our young adult boys.

 

What I really want is a good deal (which I did thank you very much) and share my good fortune with others hoping good things may come their way too.

 

Enjoy your night :D

[rubrrick]

Because Princess came back to the West Coast last year, we have been dividing our time between the two lines.

 

We are Pinnacle Club members on Royal Caribbean, and have to admit that we have had our fair share of upgrades......many of them being from some time back.

 

Princess has also given us upgrades, and as Elite members with them, they also give us extremely reasonable rates to upgrade from a mini suite to a full suite, like 15% of what they normally charge.

 

Both lines have their strong points, but we still love Royal better. The food on Royal has really slipped over the years, and the food on Princess has a better flavor, and Sabatini's for breakfast outshines everything that Royal has tried for suite breakfasts.

 

The officers and crew on Royal Caribbean far outshine any ship that Princess has........they are open to meeting and chatting with everyone, and that is a point that I don't think that Princess will ever change.

 

For us, Royal still has an edge, but they better put someone in charge of the line.......as it gets more slipshod by the day.:rolleyes:

 

Rick

[99florida]

Geez, it must really be bad on Princess

:p

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Oh no, no, no.... Just the opposite :D

 

Happy Days :p

[chris2597]

We sail RCCL and Princess and find them comparable in most ways. However, Princess wins as my fav by a bit. Princess has been offering some outstanding rates lately and RCCL has had some very tempting last minute deals.

 

 

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[Langley Cruisers]

We are RCI Diamond members and were pleasantly surprised with an upgrade to a junior suite on Princess in May. Very nice. Have never been upgraded on RCI. However... there are just too many things we do not love about Princess so most likely will not sail with them again. *shrug*

.

[Merion_Mom]

I just returned from my third Princess cruise late last night.

 

I had a great time because I was with my "gang".

 

But the cruise was quite lacking in any number of ways.

 

Better food? Nah. Some dishes were very good. I had a crawfish etouffee that was excellent. I had a NY strip steak that wasn't bad. It was nice to have a sit-down lunch on embarkation day.

 

But I had leg of lamb that was awful. And some bad ice cream. Others in my group did not enjoy many of the things that were ordered in the MDR.

 

And the buffet. Well, how do I put this? The buffet SUCKS. UGH.

 

Entertainment: A mentalist? Really?

 

One of the rudest Activities Managers EVER.

 

Old CD who was LONG past his expiration date.

 

Impossible to get on an elevator. Almost no one used the stairs, because the demographics were half-past dead. Several instances of people saying, "No room" and hitting the close-door button, when the elevator was NOT full.

 

Half the passengers were using "assistive devices". Hallways were narrow and often blocked by passengers' scooters, walkers and appliances left out in the hall.

 

Many nice bar servers and waiters. Cabin steward with no personality. I never got the robe that I asked for. But I did get my ice every day. My friends next door? Got a robe, but had to ask four times before they got ice.

 

No notice in daily paper ("Princess Patter") as to which deck was being used that day for getting off the ship in port. Overheard other cabin steward telling other passenger the WRONG deck. Friend denied different departure tags at Guest Services. ("tough luck, lady")

 

Friend went for ice cream at 10:50 P.M. Counter supposed to be open until 11 P.M. Workers had closed it already and refused to serve her. As she turned away, she clearly heard one say to the other, "They work us too F&%#ing hard around here."

 

Excellent burgers at poolside grill.

 

Excellent snacks and incidental food in the International Café in the Piazza. They tended to run out of the popular things.

 

Nice wine tasting at Vines. Reasonably priced, too. Free tapas with wine purchases, so we even got tapas with our wine and cheese.

 

Price was not that great. No upgrades. I'm already Platinum. :D

 

And YES, it was weird being back on the Crown Princess. ;) :eek:

[Merion_Mom]

Oh, one more thing.

 

You think that TV programming is bad on RC? It's worse on Princess. :rolleyes:

[Folk Singer]

no, not really. But it's good to have when checking with our young adult boys.

 

What i really want is a good deal (which i did thank you very much) and share my good fortune with others hoping good things may come their way too.

 

Enjoy your night :d

 

:) ;);)

[Folk Singer]

Wow congratulations, that is an awesome upgrade!!!

 

 

You are right about that. :)

[Clarea]

Oh, one more thing..... :rolleyes:

Very interesting comparision, thanks Carol.

[Cruzaholic41]

Big Wow.

 

Do you really want to go on a cruise and sit around and play on the internet?

 

I don't.

 

Also, I brought 8 bottles of wine on Princess this year.

 

They didn't seem to care......

 

They spend a lot of time on the internet and apparently you spend a lot of time plastered. Frankly, I'd rather be on a ship with people like them.

[rubrrick]

Oh, one more thing.

 

You think that TV programming is bad on RC? It's worse on Princess. :rolleyes:

 

And to think that we just got off of the same ship 3 weeks ago!

 

You are right about the elevators and also Princess has very narrow corridors.

 

Maybe one difference is that we were in a full suite, and had a great cabin attendant. We left after 15 minutes of the mentalists show. UGH!

 

Loved the pub food served in the Wheelhouse Bar.

 

Frankly Carol, you add a lot of fun to the days, when we have cruised together in the past and I miss you!!:)

 

Rick

[Aquahound]

 

Loved the pub food served in the Wheelhouse Bar.

 

Frankly Carol, you add a lot of fun to the days, when we have cruised together in the past and I miss you!!:)

 

I don't know Rick....you've got some pretty interesting Princess stories yourself. You and B definitely have a history of being the life of the party. :D

 

But to the point of this thread, I've never been upgraded on Princess and have only been upgraded once on RCI. Then again, I've only been on 2 Princess cruises.

 

I actually thought the buffet on Ruby and Caribbean was better than RCI...not the design of the buffet, but the food itself. It's amazing how many options they squeeze into that tiny little serving area. We actually prefered dinner in the buffet. But that could have also been because we found the MDR very chaotic and uncomfortable.