What keeps you sailing with Royal?

[vacationers]

We became Diamond + a while back but have not cruised again on RCCL. The service has gone down and that special attention is mostly gone. Sometimes we never see our cabin attendant. They reduced the amount of cabin attendants giving them to many cabins to handle. Yet, they give then business cards!! Wow, what an expense! The specialty restaurants have gone up and now I guess it is too much trouble for announcements. lol… We are not very big drinkers, but the prices are very high.

 

We have placed holds on several cruises but after really analyzing the cost, we always cancel. Now we look at other cruise lines and talk to other people that have cruises other lines. I also read other boards to get a sense of what goes on. Everything is mostly similar. It was the service perks and prices that kept me going back. Now it is going away little by little. Even VISA ints, you get the thing of…you cannot combined them with specials. other say yes you can. Well credit card is credit card and I have not seen any disclousures to the fact.

 

But like someone mentioned before, some islands have great prices on their resorts. you can check cheap caribbeans.com

 

The BOGO sale is a joke. When I check now the prices on cruises that I had considered before, there is a big increase. I feel like their insulting my intelligence. I know some people pay the price but like most of us, I am on a constant budget and trying to do the best deal on my vacation..So bottom one is, if I want to cruise, I feel I now have choices. NC, Carnival are great as eel!.

 

No offense to anyone, but I don't mind paying a little more if the service is good.

[Agutaya]

In the past, it was the excellent service and a product we could count on for consistency. We knew what to expect and what we would be paying for a vacation that was guaranteed to make us VERY happy. We are all D and are not that far from D+, but we've never booked to reach a "status" with the cruise line, although the incentives of reaching D was certainly a reason we continued to book with them. We have a cruise booked for June that we got a decent price for almost a year ago. We will most likely be taking a break from Royal after this cruise because of the increased pricing, lack of advantages afforded to long time cruisers loyal to Royal. We've cruised exclusively with Royal, but will be looking for a new adventure on a different cruise line in the future. :(

 

I could duplicate your post word for word, except that our B2B cruises are in Oct/Nov instead June. We booked at the begining of the BOGOHO sale last May when It was a good deal (before it turned into the BOGOHOAX).

 

We still have a few Next Cruise certificates to use up. They are the old ones too so are worth some good OBC, especially for a transatlantic.

 

Here's a non-cruising option you can check out: Stay for a week or so on St. Thomas or St. John, then you can take the ferries to the other islands during the days and spend as much time as you want on them. We're looking into doing that in 2016.

 

That sounds like a good idea. I'll check into it.

[sweetlove13]

My next cruise is next month with RCI. I got a decent but not great price. I wanted to try the Mediterranean & Morocco next year & WANTED it to be RCI but when I researched it a 10-day in a promenade was about $2100 for me to go solo & I wasn't crazy about some of the ports. I found a 17-day on NCL for $2200 in a studio with much better ports so I booked that instead even though I've never tried NCL before. What's better is this past weekend I got an $875 price drop making it one of the cheapest cruises I've ever booked if you look at it cost per night. So I guess it'll be goodbye RCI for a while. [emoji20]

[cruzeluvr]

In the past, it was the excellent service and a product we could count on for consistency. We knew what to expect and what we would be paying for a vacation that was guaranteed to make us VERY happy. We are all D and are not that far from D+, but we've never booked to reach a "status" with the cruise line, although the incentives of reaching D was certainly a reason we continued to book with them. We have a cruise booked for June that we got a decent price for almost a year ago. We will most likely be taking a break from Royal after this cruise because of the increased pricing, lack of advantages afforded to long time cruisers loyal to Royal. We've cruised exclusively with Royal, but will be looking for a new adventure on a different cruise line in the future. :(

If we didn't book our upcoming 2015 May Indy cruise last May with the great BOGO price, we would be looking at other options. We live in S. FL and can only sail in the summer so other than Carnival, RC was our only option. But with NCL sailing year round now, we have more options. We are D+ and while the balcony discount is a nice perk, its not going to keep us with RCI if there prices keep going up. All inclusive land vacations are starting to look better and better. But that said, we have never had a bad cruise with RCI, its just a matter of price.

We are D+ and if we had not booked our upcoming May 2015 cruise on board almost a year ago, getting a great price and OBC, we would not be cruising with Royal. The Royal experience has eroded so much since we started cruising with them back in 1996, that their current product is hardly recognizable to us. It's still enjoyable, but not nearly as much as it used to be. We usually book well in advance, but for the first time in a long time, we do not have another cruised booked after the next one next month. We will also be looking at other lines as well as more land based vacations.

[kruzerci]

I just don't see paying Marriot pricing for a Super 8 Motel product. :o

 

 

Bingo.

 

We usually stay at a nice resort in Fort Lauderdale pre-cruise but the cruise was always the real main attraction. Within the past three years or so, it has started feel that it is the other way around.

 

We still love Royal Caribbean's ships and the feeling of being out on the water, but there is literally nothing luxurious about the brand and atmosphere onboard anymore.

[janrey1234]

We've chosen Royal because of destination time of year and length of cruise. I don't find them that expensive and comparible to other lines and pretty much inline with other non cruise trips to Europe. I would cruise other lines if they met the requirements.

 

I should add I don't care if I ever see my attendant so long as room is clean. I go on cruises for the ports and the less days at sea the better. It's a hotel room with meals and transportation to me.

Edited April 13, 2015 by janrey1234

[Choozin Croozin]

I know I am looking at alternatives. Bored with the same itineraries at a high price. Had some friends that wanted to go with us in March 2016. An E3 cabin for them is $1700 higher than our E1. Insane. Sad thing is we will be Diamond in November.

[bobnbetty]

My husband and I when we started cruising a few years ago we did Royal four times before doing Carnival several times. We are doing the Navigator in early November after it returns to Florida. We are really looking forward to it, did the NOTS once before it left Florida and we loved it, especially the adult areas for rest/relaxation. We are bringing another couple with us who have never done Royal. Hoping that they will like it as much as we do.

[erby2283]

I just had to post after seeing some responses on here.

 

I have cruised Princess, NCL, Royal, but my last 4 cruises have been on Carnival. Why? Solely based on price. I don't drink alcohol at all so drink prices will not sway me one way or another. I live in Charlotte so I pretty much have to fly anywhere I want to cruise from (except Charleston which has limited choices).

 

Maybe I just seem to find really good deals but I can cruise on a balcony on Carnival for less than $1300 (for two). I have cruised on NCL for a wedding cruise from NY to Bermuda and that was over $2100 for an INSIDE on the Dawn.

 

Then last week, I put a deposit down on what some called the BOGO "Hoax." If you call $1561 for a D2 balcony on Adventure of the Seas out of San Juan (including insurance) for two people a hoax then call it what you want. I thought that was an excellent price.

 

I personally enjoyed my 2 other cruises on RC, both on Mariner of the Seas. My first cruise was supposed to be a Mexican Riviera cruise but it was during the swine flu outbreak and they told us 3 days prior to sailing we would be going to San Francisco, Victoria,BC and Seattle. However, RC gave us the opportunity to cancel with a full refund or continue to sail with an awesome OBC and future cruise credit (which I used 8 months later to take my Mexican Riviera cruise). My TA told me their offer of a full refund 3 days before the cruise if virtually unheard since they can change their itinerary at their whim and I appreciated their efforts but since airfare and hotels couldn't be canceled, I decided to go and and had an awesome time!

 

Price...then ports....those are my bottom lines. I have enjoyed all my cruises....they are comparable to one another and are what you make of them.

[Ladysilver]

We won't pay the high prices either. Virtually all of the cruises we have coming up were booked either before the BOGOHoax started, or during the first 2 weeks of May 2014, when they really did have some deals. If we see a price we're comfortable with, we book it, but that is getting rare.

 

Same thing for us. :D

[saraet4464]

We started on Royal a number of years ago because of reputation. We were concerned with Carnival and NCL's "low-end" reps and were not fond of the Princess, HAL or other cruise lines because of the reported age demographics. We got a Royal Visa card and have cruised at discounted rates or excessive OBC with points from that. We have always like Royal. Last month we were on the Vision of the Seas and even though we were somewhat disappointed with some of the entertainment, we were happy with the food and service. Personally I can't remember if things were better ten years ago - what I do know that my cruise enjoyment has always depended on who I traveled with, which I always enjoyed.

 

Now that I am reading many positive things about Carnival and NCL I am willing to try both. Our son joined us last month on the Vision but wants to go on Carnival next to find a younger crowd (he is 25). I want to try the new NCL Escape coming out later this year and will probably get a NCL MasterCard to start accumulating points for that.

 

I still think that unless I get norovirus or have some other catastrophe happen I will be fine with Royal or any other line. My husband and I are not that picky and I like cruising to just get away from it all.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I've stayed with Royal because I'm currently happy with their product. Personally, I still think the service is great and that food is very good. I'm sure the loyal Royal's who have been cruising with them since the early 90's definitely see a decline, but since we started in 2003, I haven't noticed that much of a decline. Maybe I'm just easy to please. Plus, I've strayed away from Royal a few times (Princess, Carnival, and NCL) and each time I've found myself wishing that we'd been on Royal. At this time, we won't be returning to any of those cruise lines, however, we may try Celebrity in the future.

 

And regarding prices, I only cruise once a year, and so far I've been able to find good prices. Pricing for my upcoming Oasis cruise is decent, and cruises I've been looking at for 2016 aren't that bad. With that said, I do understand how the pricing may affect those who cruise 10+ times a year.

[Paulette3028]

My husband and I when we started cruising a few years ago we did Royal four times before doing Carnival several times. We are doing the Navigator in early November after it returns to Florida. We are really looking forward to it, did the NOTS once before it left Florida and we loved it, especially the adult areas for rest/relaxation. We are bringing another couple with us who have never done Royal. Hoping that they will like it as much as we do.

 

Which Navigator cruise are you on in November? We are on the 6 day itinerary, departing on 11/22 and cruising over Thanksgiving.

[Paulette3028]

Here's one perspective- most of the complaints- from minor to major- don't apply to us.

 

The new drink thing- we barely drink, maybe buying a glass of wine or two for a 7 night cruise. No big deal.

 

The cost- outside of the huge discounts we got when the BOGOHO sale started, the prices we have are pretty close to what they have been. We don't vacation outside of a few times during the year, and the prices still don't seem bad to us. Heck our rate on an T-Giving Athem cruise is really good.

 

The service- I have never experienced the terrible service that people complain about. So hard to put any credence into those complaints.

 

The food- if I had a complaint- it's that they push too much of it. I've never once gone hungry on a cruise, and typicall gain weight.

 

The entertainment- I know it's not for everyone, but apparently it is for us.

 

So in summary- it still fits.

 

If people want to call me some kind of cheerleader or overly loyal or whatever- you know, that's not my problem. We are having fun, and I'm not here to make you happy.

 

Lots for me to agree with......and the simplest statement is: 'it still fits' us.

 

We are not big drinkers, and we realized after our last Indy cruise, that we don't even need to bring on board two bottles of wine....there seems to be plenty for us to drink, between 5-8 either in DL or bars around the ship. The few beers we drink over the course of a cruise, we will still buy.

 

The activities and entertainment keep us happy and busy enough. We saw Chicago on Allure and that was nice....but if they put a very long show on ANY ship, it won't thrill me, because that will cut into the evening time of other things.

 

When we have a problem in the dining room, cold food that should be hot or something else, we take care of it 'at that moment' and viola, things go right after that.

 

Some people will call me a Royal cheerleader, but I am only a cheerleader for myself, and until I can't find pricing that makes sense for the vacation I am getting....I have no reason to look elsewhere, unless of course their is an itinerary I want that they don't offer. That I am sure will happen as well.

 

We did not start cruising until 2004, and yes we have seen changes; people who have been cruising since the 70's or 80's or even the 90's have seen more, and perhaps harsher ones. But pricing we can find that makes sense to us, for the FUN we are getting.

 

It all is in the viewfinder and perspective you use!

[TexCruise371]

We will continue to cruise Royal but, on the smaller ships. I still am able to find some good prices on most. We have cruised Oasis and Allure and had great cruises but since then we have had several cruises on smaller ship and had fabulous cruises. In fact, our cruise on Vision in February had to be rated in our top 3 cruises.

 

I will say that we had a Grand Suite booked on an Alaskan 11 day cruise tour for this August but had to cancel due to a business conflict. We then booked basically the same cruise for July 2016 (yes, different months) but it is $3000 dollars higher :eek: ;)

 

The BOGO prices were actually pretty good early on as we felt like we got some fantastic deals on 3 cruises.

 

We are certainly not opposed to looking at other cruise lines but as I said, I can still find some good deals if I stay away from the Oasis and Quantum class.

[pinkroses]

Here's one perspective- most of the complaints- from minor to major- don't apply to us.

 

The new drink thing- we barely drink, maybe buying a glass of wine or two for a 7 night cruise. No big deal.

 

The cost- outside of the huge discounts we got when the BOGOHO sale started, the prices we have are pretty close to what they have been. We don't vacation outside of a few times during the year, and the prices still don't seem bad to us. Heck our rate on an T-Giving Athem cruise is really good.

 

The service- I have never experienced the terrible service that people complain about. So hard to put any credence into those complaints.

 

The food- if I had a complaint- it's that they push too much of it. I've never once gone hungry on a cruise, and typicall gain weight.

 

The entertainment- I know it's not for everyone, but apparently it is for us.

 

So in summary- it still fits.

 

If people want to call me some kind of cheerleader or overly loyal or whatever- you know, that's not my problem. We are having fun, and I'm not here to make you happy.

 

I agree

[F27TW]

My partner.

 

Who has become a "status wh*re". Me ? I could care less .. but for some reason, he has this sudden need to climb the ranks of the silly people who live to shove their status in the faces of others.

 

We are still at a low level anyway (Platinum) but he is determined to be part of the "Elite" (:rolleyes:) ...

 

Im ready to try another line .... maybe one of the nicer NCL or Carnival ships ... or Holland America even .. but he's got this strange loyalty to RC .. even though the decline in RC service in the past few years is noticeable.

 

And to me, the ships all have a certain sameness. Same cabin décor, same venue names, same same same. The difference in what you pay to sail RC is becoming not worth it, IMO.

 

After our June trip on Indy, I think its gonna be time for a break. Just to see what else is out there ... who knows .. I might wanna come back.

 

And cue all the cheerleaders who are gonna say "well goodbye then .. maybe you will be happier on other lines ... blah blah blah .... save it ... I've read all the snarky lines enough times on here.

[Paulette3028]

My partner.

 

Who has become a "status wh*re". Me ? I could care less .. but for some reason, he has this sudden need to climb the ranks of the silly people who live to shove their status in the faces of others.

 

We are still at a low level anyway (Platinum) but he is determined to be part of the "Elite" (:rolleyes:) ...

 

Im ready to try another line .... maybe one of the nicer NCL or Carnival ships ... or Holland America even .. but he's got this strange loyalty to RC .. even though the decline in RC service in the past few years is noticeable.

 

And to me, the ships all have a certain sameness. Same cabin décor, same venue names, same same same. The difference in what you pay to sail RC is becoming not worth it, IMO.

 

After our June trip on Indy, I think its gonna be time for a break. Just to see what else is out there ... who knows .. I might wanna come back.

 

And cue all the cheerleaders who are gonna say "well goodbye then .. maybe you will be happier on other lines ... blah blah blah .... save it ... I've read all the snarky lines enough times on here.

 

When I was growing up, we would go each summer away to the Catskills for a vacation -- same type of hotel, same type of accommodations, same type of food served -- it was like going home.

 

DH and I were on Indy this past February. We had been on her sister ship, Liberty a few years ago.....and going on Indy, was like going home (even though the hotel had a different name).....so familiarity has its benefits. Indy did not disappoint....what was different about her and Liberty was well appreciated and it wasn't a lot....but we had a lot of fun on the cruise.

 

So enjoy....and decide after what to do.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Paulette3028

[squadron]

We're trying Princess for our next cruise. Rising costs and lower standards have caused us to look at other lines.

 

Several times have done "dummy bookings" on Princess and every time they have been more expensive than RCI. Did a Princess cruise years ago but don't remember enough about it to compare.

[grhunter]

The OP asked what keeps you on RCCL. and seems to say Carnival is a better value now with the price increase and service decline of Royal. That isn't bashing Royal, just that value is determined by the consumer. The difference between the two lines has narrowed. I gave carnival two chances in the 90s and there was no comparison back then. But as I think back, today's Royal is similar to the Carnival of the 90s. I wouldn't go back to Carnival, but wish I could go back to the Royal of the 90s. So try not to be defensive if Royal meets your needs. Just enjoy it. And remember that what you value in today's cruising may not be part of your favorite line in the future.

[dvond]

Its all about price, ports and convenience in that order, we have zero loyalty to any line, cruise 3x a year and the 3 major ones all have their positives and negatives and there is no such thing as a bad cruise for the prices we pay. If RCL has a cruise that fits our time frame and price point we will go if it does not we will not pay more for the RCL name

[cocacola86]

Thing I like is that you can book and pay in CDN dollars.

[modes]

Innovation, they are the best at it.

[molsonschooner]

Also, I consistently find great prices on Royal. I found a great 7 night I'm looking to book that only cost 2,100 for 3 in a D1 balcony room. The ports are great for someone who seems to have been to every darn island. This one is taking me to 2 new ones and 2 I haven't seen since 99. Hopefully will book in less then a month.

 

This sounds very good. When, where and what ship is this?

[scorpluvsdolphins]

Bob and Lee,

 

I know what you mean about the prices. I have to cancel my two July cruises as they added July to the no single supplement. The worst part is I booked a Junior suite and now they changed the OBC for JS's. I hope to keep it, but will probably reduce it when I change cruise dates.

 

I do have the serenade cruise for Christmas and New Year's, but so far no one can go with me and of course no single supplement, so I May have to cancel that one. I got a pretty good deal for two people but it's too expensive for one.

 

The only two that I will definitely be going on will be the last majesty and one in late March of next year.

 

So sad as I really enjoy cruising on Royal.

 

 

This summer it looks like I might be taking to Carnival cruises for the first time. I can go on 2 seven night cruises in a balcony on Carnival for the same price as one 7 night cruise on Royal.

 

If I get to go on those cruises I'll let you know what they're like.

 

 

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