Anyone Else Leaving or Considering Leaving RCL Over Prices?

[Another_Critic]

4 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

...I still remember when gas was .24 a gallon and a loaf of bread cost .35!  That's life.

And you got paid $2.15/hour.

[PhillyFan33579]

58 minutes ago, onthewater51 said:

Hey BeccoBoo....Looks like we will be on that cruise with you.  We just booked Ascent for Jan 12, 2026 .  It will be our first with Celebrity, and while it's still owned by RCI group, it was a very reasonable price for a new ship.

 

 After almost 30 years we've started looking at other lines as well, though I doubt RCI cares.  We probably don't fall in their preferred demographic anymore.  My wife and I are both late 60's, don't drink or gamble and spend almost nothing on board.  We just like being at sea and spending our time together even after 41 years . 

I think you will love Celebrity. While I still cruise mainly on RCI, I usually do a few cruises on Celebrity every year. Celebrity is a step up (not a huge step) from RCI in my opinion. I also like that it is focused on adults. We did a 9 day cruise on Constellation in January with only 12 kids on the cruise. Atmosphere is a lot different than RCI. 

[onthewater51]

27 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I think you will love Celebrity. While I still cruise mainly on RCI, I usually do a few cruises on Celebrity every year. Celebrity is a step up (not a huge step) from RCI in my opinion. I also like that it is focused on adults. We did a 9 day cruise on Constellation in January with only 12 kids on the cruise. Atmosphere is a lot different than RCI. 

Good to hear this...thank you.  After I booked it my wife started watching Celebrity travel vids on YouTube and she said lets find one for 2025 :)....I said no problem 🙂

[DonnaK]

On 3/1/2024 at 4:07 PM, The Sunset Glow said:

And this is not just because of the cost. Royal's pricing has gone way up but the food quality and service has been cut big time. The value for dollars is no longer there for us so we are moving on. This is not to say that we'll never be back - it would just have to be a better value than what they currently offer.

This is exactly how we feel.  We are almost to D+, but instead of working towards that goal, our last few cruises have been on MSC Yacht Club and  Celebrity (Ascent).  They were less expensive than a standard OV balcony on a similar Royal Caribbean cruise, and the service and MDR food were so much better.  We have 4 future cruises booked, but only one is on Royal, Symphony of the Seas (because I had a FCC to use up).  Until the menus and service on RCI significantly improve and the prices become competitive with the other cruise lines, we get a better value for our money elsewhere.

Edited March 3 by DonnaK

[ReneeFLL]

On 2/29/2024 at 6:41 PM, JoieNsk said:

…So I feel like we were getting very good value with Royal - for our needs - so far. We will see, as we didn't sail with them after Covid yet. Out first Royal post-Covid cruise is going to be this June. And the price we got is much better comparing similar itineraries with other cruise lines. (Though I did book as soon as the dates were out).

I think you’ll be in for a shock.

 

Edited March 3 by ReneeFLL

[ReneeFLL]

On 2/29/2024 at 7:37 PM, steveru621 said:

 

+ $300 Voom, Pinnacle lunch, free photos.  Just about $2,000 for a 7-day cruise.

What type of cabin is that and is it with some special offer?

[ReneeFLL]

On 2/29/2024 at 7:41 PM, Hoopster95 said:

…I am now focusing mostly on bucket list locales or one of a kind itineraries (ie. I'm on Jewel in May for her final Arctic Circle & Norway cruise with an incredible itinerary likely never again to be repeated). 

In May or August? We’re on the Arctic Circle cruise on her in August and then the TA.

[Another_Critic]

13 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

What type of cabin is that and is it with some special offer?

Any RCI cabin as a Pinnacle member.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

On 2/29/2024 at 5:45 PM, crazyfrazee said:

Anyone else looking at other cruiselines until the prices come back down with Royal?

yes. Their prices have gone nuts. This year we are trying Carnival and Celebrity for the first time BECAUSE of RCI's prices.

[JoieNsk]

1 hour ago, ReneeFLL said:

I think you’ll be in for a shock.

 

Maybe.

 

But like I mentioned before - we booked for itinerary.  The ports are great, we really are looking forward to visit them. The cabin we booked is nice enough, we sailed in this type of cabin on this type of ship before - again in Europe.  It's Jewel of the Seas, which is supposed to go to dry dock in April. So at least it is going to be fresh. I hope we will be fine.

 

I am not expecting much, as Royal never was a luxury cruise line (at least on the older ships we sailed before). I hope the food in the buffet is going to be good enough - as what we usually do for dinner at European port intensive itineraries. 

 

So as a hotel taking us from place to place - I hope Royal will still do a decent job.

 

 

Edited March 3 by JoieNsk

[PhillyFan33579]

9 minutes ago, JoieNsk said:

I am not expecting much, as Royal never was a luxury cruise line (at least on the older ships we sailed before).

You will likely have a good cruise with that attitude. I have never viewed RCI as a luxury line, but I still enjoy the ship experience RCI provides, which is why I still cruise with them on a monthly basis. I don’t understand all the complaints I constantly read about RCi on this site. The only thing I do agree with is cruise prices have definitely increased. But that is due to people paying ridiculous prices to cruise on RCI. RCI could not increase prices if people didn’t pay the higher fares. 

[amby6063]

Yep! We have 2 cruises with Royal booked in the next 10 months but just booked a spring 2025 trip with Princess instead. 
 

7 day Mexican riviera balcony for 4 pax on navigator was $7200 + gratuity + drink package + wifi. 
 

7 day mexican riviera same week on Discovery Princess was $4500 for 4 in a mini suite with the plus package included and fully refundable deposits. I love Royal, but navigator is not worth double the cost of the competition. 

[iuki]

No.  But we’re doing less cruises than in the past.  We just cancelled a B2B on Wonder OTS this May.  We have a B2B in October, 12 days was supposed to be to the Holy Land followed by a TA for 14 days.  If our daughter and great grandson weren’t going, I would have canceled the first leg since the Holy Land itinerary was changed due to understandable reasons.

[ReneeFLL]

8 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Any RCI cabin as a Pinnacle member.

I’m Pinnacle and I don’t get any Royal cabin for 2000.00. There must be more to it.

[ReneeFLL]

We are starting to look elsewhere. Royals prices have gone crazy and others are now looking better and better even with our Pinnacle perks. Right now we’re on our first Virgin cruise. So far so good. Next we plan on booking MSC. As others talk about how much they like Princess we will be looking at those also.

[steveru621]

52 minutes ago, ReneeFLL said:

I’m Pinnacle and I don’t get any Royal cabin for 2000.00. There must be more to it.

That's the Pinnacle benefits, not the price of a cabin.

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

The only thing I do agree with is cruise prices have definitely increased. But that is due to people paying ridiculous prices to cruise on RCI. RCI could not increase prices if people didn’t pay the higher fares. 

We are finally in agreement as at least you admit that RCI's pricing is ridiculous. I am one who won't be paying them. I also am in agreement with you that I find the on board experience still to be what I am looking for and still very good. Though many of the complaints seem to involve the MDR and I have not been in there in years so I can't comment on it.

[lovesthebeach2]

2 hours ago, iuki said:

No.  But we’re doing less cruises than in the past.  We just cancelled a B2B on Wonder OTS this May.  We have a B2B in October, 12 days was supposed to be to the Holy Land followed by a TA for 14 days.  If our daughter and great grandson weren’t going, I would have canceled the first leg since the Holy Land itinerary was changed due to understandable reasons.

Last year we did the B2B Holy Land / TA on Odyssey.  Our cruise was 1 week away when Royal had no choice but to change the itinerary. Some were very upset, but we were ok with the changes. We didn’t get to see Jerusalem or Galilee, but we ended up loving it. 

[BecciBoo]

11 hours ago, onthewater51 said:

Hey BecciBoo....Looks like we will be on that cruise with you.

Awwwww ours is Jan 2nd - 12th the week before.  Would've loved meeting you.  I'll keep her in ship shape for you!

[BecciBoo]

11 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I think you will love Celebrity

We do, we've sailed Solstice 2 times, Eclipse and Reflection already.  But up till now it was a little steep, not any more! LOL

Edited March 3 by BecciBoo

[BecciBoo]

I was looking at MSC last night, can get an Oceanview porthole on Seascape for around $1500.  Beautiful ship.  That is what we were used to paying for a balcony on most RCCL, but it's better than the mid $2000s lately.

[BecciBoo]

All the reviews on Jubilee are coming back very good.  EECC on youtube reports they think the food is the best on any line.  That's saying something.

[Hoopster95]

10 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

In May or August? We’re on the Arctic Circle cruise on her in August and then the TA.

 

I'm May 30.... I have a great itinerary coming up:

Voyager May 16-27 Barcelona - Athens, 2 days in Athens, 1 day in Amsterdam, then board Jewel for this Arctic Circle sailing. 😃

[ILCTCRUISER]

D, D+, and P perks.  Does anyone really believe that these perks are “free?”  They’re marketed as complimentary, but in the end everyone is paying for them including those who don’t receive them.  I’m not suggesting that those “free” perks account for all of the recently observed price hikes.   There is debt that needs to be serviced.  Inflation’s impact on food costs.  And so on.   A lot of things have led to higher fares, more expensive drink packages, bump up for specialty dining, etc.   Can there be any doubt that the number crunchers know to the dollar the cost (not price) of all of the D and above drinks served on every ship, every cruise, every day?  Add in the increased number of upper tier cruisers and it does add up.  It all comes down to Revenue - Expenses = Profit/Loss and the goal of RCL and any business is to maximize Profit. So someone is paying the piper since I’m quite sure there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

 

We currently have three RCLs booked and these bookings were made quite time ago.  25Oct24  12N TA on Adventure that was booked Jan2023.  Balcony:  $1517.00 incl tax/fees. It was slightly more but cruise went from 13N to 12N and RCL prorated.  This not a GTY.  Then Jan2025 B2B  on Brilliance out of MSY.  JS on both.  $2500 avg incl taxes and fees. I balked a bit at $2500 and even then thought pricing had gone up. For years I always considered approx $200-225 a night a good fare for a balcony and approx $350 a night a good fare for a JS.

 

Surprisingly, for 2023, we did not cruise RCL.  Well, DW did a 7N on Symphony with her sister.  We did a Panama Canal in Feb2023 and then B2B Alaska in Sep2023 cruises on NCL.  In June2023, we took a Canada/Bermuda cruise on Regent and then a SA Lima to Buenos Aries this past Dec, also on Regent.

 

Being D+ with perks didn’t even enter the discussion.

 

Friends have cruised Atlas and enjoyed it.  Currently looking at a May Atlas Caribbean with mostly new ports to visit. Waiting on feedback for Explora (MSC’s upscale).

Edited March 3 by ILCTCRUISER

[smokeybandit]

7 minutes ago, ILCTCRUISER said:

 Does anyone really believe that these perks are “free?”

No, they're earned.

Loyalty perks are pennies on the dollar for why prices are going up.