Is There A Cruise Line You Are Tempted To Try Sailing Outside of RC?

[LXA350]

I'd say it's more a temptation to try a dfferent cruiseline for itinarary reasons of which the offering of RCL will involve always less options in the future as the large ships are limited on where they can go. A cruise from Hawaii to Australia covering a large amount of the South Sea Islands or a antarctica expedition cruise on Hapag Lloyd Cruises would be something...but not in budget for the time being 😉

[firefly333]

4 hours ago, Megtheblackbelt said:

 

 

Galapagos Islands would be so cool! I have a vague memory of looking in to these voyages some time ago and seeing that they were suuuuper high priced, if I remember correctly. Definitely a bucket-list trip, though.

I would say they start at least 10k. I wanted to see them too. I hear they charge a super high amount to get from one island to another too, like add in 500 pp just to land. Conservative they tell me.

 

I'd say plan on 20k solo

[Newleno]

Oh we just go with the best deal,  cruising is pretty much the same generally speaking.  Of course some are a little better than others.  Disney has been our best overall experience.   So if money matters just pick the best deal.  Our cruises  - Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland (downtown ports in Tokyo and Shanghai Bund), NCL, Royal, Windstar - we even took a small tub (no stabilizers) across the drake passage to Antarctica.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Newleno

[Mrs.Dukes]

16 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Not sure I’d switch just to try another mass market cruise line but would definitely look at other for unique experiences or itineraries. Definitely want to try Azamara for a European cruise. 

Definitely try Azamara. We are not frequent cruisers, and have mainly cruised on Royal. We took an Azamara European cruise last year, and it was fabulous. Reminded us of our first cruise we took on Royal back in the early 90’s. Food and service were excellent. Very friendly crew. Because they’re smaller ships they tend to be able to dock at the most convenient ports in the city. Highly recommend it!

[later]

I am satisfied with Royal but would like to do the Norwegian coast line all the way North which means Hurtigruten I guess.

 

Maybe Viking Sea cruses.

[Erik101]

Virgin Voyages: The Scarlet Lady. Reasons: 

 

1. No children 

2. No buffets 

3. No dress codes for dinner 

4. Fares include just about everything except alcohol. No such thing as specialty restaurants or fees for soda or bottled water. 
5. Unique restaurants. I read about their Test Kitchen and how it’s half restaurant / half cooking classes. 👍

Edited May 2, 2020 by Erik101

[Newleno]

15 minutes ago, Erik101 said:

Virgin Voyages: The Scarlet Lady. Reasons: 

 

1. No children 

2. No buffets 

3. No dress codes for dinner 

4. Fares include just about everything except alcohol. No such thing as specialty restaurants or fees for soda or bottled water. 
5. Unique restaurants. I read about their Test Kitchen and how it’s half restaurant / half cooking classes. 👍

no buffets is a big deal breaker,  Do they have take out or some other alternative or does everyone have to sit down and go thru an arduous 1 1/2 hour sit down meal process 3 times a day. 

[John&LaLa]

7 hours ago, mugtech said:

Itineraries can make a difference.  No RCI to South America.  Would like to do islands in the Indian Ocean and South Africa also, but NCL has Dawn scheduled, my tied for least favorite NCL ship along with Star. 

 

Sun is pretty bad

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

What is a wet dial? 

 

Wait

 

Probably where they call you back if you leave a number

[Erik101]

13 minutes ago, Newleno said:

no buffets is a big deal breaker,  Do they have take out or some other alternative or does everyone have to sit down and go thru an arduous 1 1/2 hour sit down meal process 3 times a day. 

From what I read, the ship has a food court area called The Galley, where all the venues are made to order.  I would think that’ll be your take out / alternative option. 

[LorraineP]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

I've looked at Haven and Yacht Club a couple of times but never found any of the deals that people have talked about.  Pricing was about the same, or even more, than a Royal suite.  Still interested in YC and will likely try it once retired and we have more flexibility on time.  At that point, we'll also be interested in more unique itineraries that might have us cruising on another cruise line.  We're still in our 50s and very active, and I'm worried that the higher priced cruise lines will be less about activity and more about relaxing.  Still, Oceania does sound intriguing.  And we'll likely give X a shot at least once.

 

37 minutes ago, Erik101 said:

From what I read, the ship has a food court area called The Galley, where all the venues are made to order.  I would think that’ll be your take out / alternative option. 

Royal Suite doesn’t provide a private pool or spa. Top Sail pool also has a grill where your food is made to order & the butler brings food & drinks to you. Beautiful private lounge with piano player & violinist in evenings, order any cocktails there or any bar on ship any time. I could go on & on. 

[Megtheblackbelt]

50 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Wait

 

Probably where they call you back if you leave a number

 

Ahhh, sorry. With my cellular company in Spain - not sure if this is every company in Spain - when you dial out, you hear these weird waiting dials/noises while waiting for the line to connect/the person you’re calling to pick up. I don’t get these for MSC, which indicates I am not connecting to them at all. Yay. 🙂 

[Megtheblackbelt]

I will say that the one thing I don’t like about MSC so far - and this is very nit picky, especially since I have only had my first cruise with them booked for 2 days - is that their MSC excursions in the online planner don’t have any guest/participant ratings. If I’m going to book an excursion/tour, I want to KNOW what I’m getting myself in to, and how others who have done the tour perceive the value (or lack thereof) to be.

 

Definitely not a deal breaker obviously, but something I would like to have (after experiencing/finding value in it with RC).

[Megtheblackbelt]

1 hour ago, Newleno said:

Oh we just go with the best deal,  cruising is pretty much the same generally speaking.  Of course some are a little better than others.  Disney has been our best overall experience.   So if money matters just pick the best deal.  Our cruises  - Carnival, Celebrity, Disney, Holland (downtown ports in Tokyo and Shanghai Bund), NCL, Royal, Windstar - we even took a small tub (no stabilizers) across the drake passage to Antarctica.

 

Antarctica is a DREAM cruise. But that will have to wait 20-40 years, because I feel like Antarctica is a destination you have to go ALL out on. Once in a lifetime, all or nothing kinda’ thing, so do it right type. AKA big euros. How was your experience? 

 

1 hour ago, Erik101 said:

Virgin Voyages: The Scarlet Lady. Reasons: 

 

1. No children 

2. No buffets 

3. No dress codes for dinner 

4. Fares include just about everything except alcohol. No such thing as specialty restaurants or fees for soda or bottled water. 
5. Unique restaurants. I read about their Test Kitchen and how it’s half restaurant / half cooking classes. 👍

 

The idea seems on point to me, but from what I have read of the reviews, the execution is off. Perhaps Scarlett Lady 2.0 will improve with more pools, activities, storage, etc. 

 

10 minutes ago, LorraineP said:

 

Royal Suite doesn’t provide a private pool or spa. Top Sail pool also has a grill where your food is made to order & the butler brings food & drinks to you. Beautiful private lounge with piano player & violinist in evenings, order any cocktails there or any bar on ship any time. I could go on & on. 

 

I think RC implementing a similar option to YC or Haven would be a huge success for them. People are already paying the big bucks for their top of the line suites, so imagine if they added the exclusivity of having their own area within the ship? WoOoooOoOw.

[Erik101]

17 minutes ago, Megtheblackbelt said: 

 

The idea seems on point to me, but from what I have read of the reviews, the execution is off. Perhaps Scarlett Lady 2.0 will improve with more pools, activities, storage, etc. 

Agree 💯 on execution! For now, I’ll be continuously reading reviews and watching YouTube commentaries on the Scarlet Lady. Eventually, they’ll get the execution right and that’s when I’ll make a choice to sail Virgin. Just need to give them time. 

[cruiselvr04]

We have a Celebrity cruise booked for October.  

 

Royal is value for entertainment and the the Caribbean.  However when we talk about Alaska I look at Holland for its 2 week itinerary.  We’ve been on a Viking River Cruise which was awesome.  For itinerary beyond US ports I want to try Oceania and Viking. Although they are more expensive the itinerary is much better and port intensive.  For us the Caribbean is all about relaxation but when we travel across oceans we want to see as much as possible and it’s more about traveling then vacation.

 

3 more years until we retire and then we will branch out as much as monetarily possible.

 

 

 

[mk-ultra]

This year was going to be my year for trying some other lines beyond Royal.  I did a 5 night Mexico cruise on the Grand Princess in January.  Not so much for the itinerary or the ship, but because it's a round-trip from my home port (SF) and a shorter cruise like that makes sense since there are no flights or hotels involved.  Staff & food were really good; ship layout was pretty funky and hamstrung by useless (out of service, slow) elevators.  Older ship but still in good shape other than the elevators.  Won't be repeating a cruise on that class of ship w/Princess again though.  I had a 2020 10 night Alaska cruise on her sister ship that was cancelled when Princess waved off all SF sailings for the remainder of this year.

 

My next trip was to be a 6 night R/T Mexico trip on the Carnival Miracle (also out of SF).  Would have departed yesterday, but natch it was cancelled due to COVID.  Fully paid -- we'll see how long it takes to see the refund.  Carnival cancelled on Apr 14, if I recall correctly.

 

Last trip for 2020 is a 10 night ABC cruise on Celebrity Edge in November booked last year.  That's still booked, though I've done nothing but put down my deposit and use up my OBC for booze, internet and shore excursions.  Magic 8-ball hasn't a clue whether or not this one will actually sail, or if I'm willing to sail on it if it does.  Short of having a vaccination or effective treatment for COVID-19, I'm still noodling the risks.  I'm not particularly high-risk, but meh... returning as an asymptomatic carrier or getting isolated on the ship for 2+ weeks are both bad outcomes even if I don't get hit hard.

 

Considering trying Silversea or Cunard in 2021.  Booked a bunch of Royal cruises for 2022 when they were released in Dec 2019 and had crazy good pricing.  Ultimate Panoramic Suite prices were amazing when they first released them.

 

Virgin is definitely on my to-try list.  I'm not going to fly to the east coast for anything less than a 7 night cruise though.

Edited May 2, 2020 by mk-ultra

[Megtheblackbelt]

1 hour ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We have a Celebrity cruise booked for October.  

 

Royal is value for entertainment and the the Caribbean.  However when we talk about Alaska I look at Holland for its 2 week itinerary.  We’ve been on a Viking River Cruise which was awesome.  For itinerary beyond US ports I want to try Oceania and Viking. Although they are more expensive the itinerary is much better and port intensive.  For us the Caribbean is all about relaxation but when we travel across oceans we want to see as much as possible and it’s more about traveling then vacation.

 

3 more years until we retire and then we will branch out as much as monetarily possible.

 

 

 

 

I have 40+ more years until retirement, so I think 3 will pass incredibly quickly for the both of us! 😂 Yay for retirement! Will you take a long-anticipated celebratory retirement cruise once you do?

 

6 minutes ago, mk-ultra said:

This year was going to be my year for trying some other lines beyond Royal.  I did a 5 night Mexico cruise on the Grand Princess in January.  Not so much for the itinerary or the ship, but because it's a round-trip from my home port (SF) and a shorter cruise like that makes sense since their are no flights or hotels involved.  Staff & food were really good; ship layout was pretty funky and hamstrung by useless (out of service, slow) elevators.  Older ship but still in good shape other than the elevators.  Won't be repeating a cruise on that class of ship again though.  I had a 2020 10 night Alaska cruise on her sister ship was cancelled when Princess waved off all SF sailings for the remainer of this year.

 

My next trip was to be a 6 night R/T Mexico trip on the Carnival Miracle (also out of SF).  Would have departed yesterday, but natch it was cancelled due to COVID.  Fully paid -- we'll see how long it takes to see the refund.  Carnival cancelled on Apr 14, if I recall correctly.

 

Last trip for 2020 is a 10 night ABC cruise on Celebrity Edge in November booked last year.  That's still booked, though I've done nothing but put down my deposit and use up my OBC for booze, internet and shore excursions.  Magic 8-ball hasn't a clue whether or not this one will actually sail, or if I'm willing to sail on it if it does.  Short of having a vaccination or effective treatment for COVID-19, I'm still noodling the risks.  I'm not particularly high-risk, but meh...

 

Considering trying Silversea or Cunard in 2021.  Booked a bunch of Royal cruises for 2022 when they were released in Dec 2019 and had crazy good pricing.

 

I just want to say that my favorite part of this entire post was my newfound education on the word “noodling”. I will use it often going forward. Thank you. 🙃

[Jimbo]

We have cruised on Disney, Carnival, Princess,  Holland America,  Celebrity, but mostly Royal Caribbean.

 

We currently only have 2 cruises booked...........1st cruise is  September on Adventure of the Seas from Bayonne, NJ (Canada/New England) which I pretty much know isn't going to sail. 2nd cruise is September 2021 on Sapphire Princess Alaska........

 

I need help though, since even the September 2021 cruise, the ship carries lots of passengers, and with this Covid 19, the  cruise experience might be alot different then what it was..........so I would like to find a back up Alaska Cruise with a much smaller ship that carries say from 200-500 passengers for just a different kind of experience, even one with a more  unique itineray.

 

What are the names of the ships that do Alaska itinearies that carry under 500 passengers?

Edited May 2, 2020 by Jimbo

[Tom47]

We have cruised only once on RCI.  We have 2 more RCI cruises booked.  We have been on 8 Celebrity, 4 Azamara and 2 Hurtiigruten.  I recommend Hurtiigruten for Antarctica and Norway,  Azamara for smaller ports- including Europe, Sea of Cortez and Caribbean.

Celebrity Galapagos was wonderful - our 45th anniversary celebration.  We did Panama canal on Celebrity.

[lenquixote66]

20 hours ago, Megtheblackbelt said:

If you weren’t booking “loyal to royal” - is there a cruise line (or experience!) that has piqued your interest? If so - which/what/why? What would convince you to book with another cruise line?

 

I just booked - today - my first MSC cruise because I found such a deal on a Yacht Club deluxe suite that the cost of this (all-inclusive with drinks, wifi, etc.) is actually lower than booking a standard OV balcony on a similar itinerary with RC. I recently re-located from the US to Barcelona, Spain, so I’m in a period of “well, might as well try it out!”. 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

What about you?

We have cruised on 6 different lines,although we primarily cruise on Royal.We like Celebrity and HAL.

[scanman18]

I’ve been on 4 cruises in the last 2yrs, all of them on Royal and I love Royal! But I am trying NCL in January(hopefully) because I will be traveling alone for the first time and staying in a studio cabin. I’ve heard the NCL caters to solo travelers in ways that other cruise lines don’t so I’m excited to experience that!


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[island lady]

Already booked.  

 

Viking 15 day Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise next year.  😉 

[MADflyer]

5 hours ago, later said:

I am satisfied with Royal but would like to do the Norwegian coast line all the way North which means Hurtigruten I guess.

 

Maybe Viking Sea cruses.

If you want to just go to Honningsvag for a North Cape sailing you can do that with Holland American, Princess, MSC, Hapag Lloyd (Europa2 is bilingual) and Seabourn allong with Viking Ocean. 

[MADflyer]

6 hours ago, LXA350 said:

 expedition cruise on Hapag Lloyd Cruises would be something.

 

Hapag Lloyd is actually half owned since February of this year by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. through their joint venture with TUI.

 

Unless you speak German, you just need to make sure you book a bilingual sailing.