No premium cruise lines

[voyager70]

If Celebrity is really a step above Royal Caribbean, even though its prices are frequently lower, why are so many people willing to pay more for a Royal Caribbean Cruise, when it is suppose to be an inferior product?

 

Great question, Sky Sweet.

[Drew B]

If Celebrity is really a step above Royal Caribbean, even though its prices are frequently lower, why are so many people willing to pay more for a Royal Caribbean Cruise, when it is suppose to be an inferior product?

 

RCCL may have minuses (service, food...) but it also potentially has pluses (variety of itineraries, nightlife...) depending on what somebody prefers. That's why blanket statements about which line is "better" tend to be somewhat useless.

[C 2 C]

C 2 C. But your preference for X is because of the specifics mentioned; not simply because somebody decided that it was a "premium" line...

 

I agree that labels have a tendency to muddy the waters,

 

What's in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet; ...

[CrystalWater]

If Celebrity is really a step above Royal Caribbean, even though its prices are frequently lower, why are so many people willing to pay more for a Royal Caribbean Cruise, when it is suppose to be an inferior product?

 

Because they want an action cruise over a classy cruise, that's why. I'd take X over RCCL any day of the week because I like the better food and a little more quiet and not crazy kids and rock climbing walls. A lot of people like RCCL for the action and/or they have kids, so the answer is obvious to your question.

[lovesublime]

We booked Carnival Spirit for our upcoming second Alaskan cruise instead of Millie. It was a toss up between the two. As I previously noted here, Carnival was more expensive than X for our stateroom category. That would be a balcony on a higher deck (we booked back in Sept.). We decided on Spirit because of the good things we've read about the food and service on Carnival. And also we didn't want to have to worry about Millie's 'pesky pod problems'-especially in Alaska where glacier viewing is critical.

 

Having said that, we very much looking forward to sailing with X on our next cruise. We love the new (non) smoking policy and can't wait to cruise on a ship that isn't contaminated with poisionous air ;)

[voyager70]

Because they want an action cruise over a classy cruise, that's why. I'd take X over RCCL any day of the week because I like the better food and a little more quiet and not crazy kids and rock climbing walls. A lot of people like RCCL for the action and/or they have kids, so the answer is obvious to your question.

 

Classy over action. Gotja. Sorry we have no kids, graduate degrees, plenty of disposable income, & love RCCL (like X but prefer RCCL).

[voyager70]

Because they want an action cruise over a classy cruise, that's why. I'd take X over RCCL any day of the week because I like the better food and a little more quiet and not crazy kids and rock climbing walls. A lot of people like RCCL for the action and/or they have kids, so the answer is obvious to your question.

 

Classy over action. Gotja. Sorry we have no kids, graduate degrees, plenty of disposable income, & love RCCL (like X but prefer RCCL).

[98Charlie]

[Quote:

Originally Posted by AFuncruiser

In my opinion Carnival’s cabin, beds and linen, table service and food are just as good as Holland American and Celebrity].

 

 

Hmm, seems a recent Carnival passenger felt differently:

 

 

[Quote:

Originally Posted by diggitydog

Carnival will be the last cruise line we will ever again consider, the food was sub McDonalds too!]

Please choose someone other than diggitydog to quote as an authoritatve source in this matter. When I last checked he had 7 posts since joining 2 days ago and his greatest thrill was punching out a pickpocket.

 

Carnival (nor any other line) is the be-all, end-all of mainstream cruising. But, we have found their food to be as good as or better than any other line we have cruised. Bedding and cabin size have been great. Service overall (dining, stewards, room service, bar service, etc.) has been equal to others as well.

 

As far as HAL and =X= no longer being "premium" lines, the cruise agencies will tell you that they are premium. However, the concept of any of the mass market lines being "premium" is subjective. IMHO, while you may consider them the best of their class, that class is the mass market and not the premium market.

 

Just my 2¢,

 

Charlie

[Costest]

 

Some people would rather not have their trays carried by a waiter (buffet). I like this added touch.

 

quote]

 

If you are refering to Celebrity we never had anyone offer to carry our tray and we cou;d not find anyone ever (in the buffet) to get us any drinks either.

 

I've always had assistance in the buffet and I'm early 50's and perfectly able - I've even had waiters go the extra mile walking the entire loop looking for DH who suddenly disappeard.

[tbelian]

Please choose someone other than diggitydog to quote as an authoritatve source in this matter. When I last checked he had 7 posts since joining 2 days ago

 

I'm sure many will say 'what has number of posts got to do with validty of an opinion'. I've seen that stance touted here on the Celebrity threads many times. That usually comes along with 'they may have lurked for a long time before posting and it's unfair to judge them simply based on number of posts'

 

My position is, on any given day, on any cruise line board, within a 'top 15' thread bracket, you will undoubtedly see someone who was unyhappy with their cruise. HAL, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity et al. All lines have their detractors, and fans. The key is not to take what you read here as gospel, but only opinion.

[Sky Sweet]

RCCL may have minuses (service, food...) but it also potentially has pluses (variety of itineraries, nightlife...) depending on what somebody prefers. That's why blanket statements about which line is "better" tend to be somewhat useless.

 

 

Hi Drew B :)

 

I agree with you. In my opinion, Celebrity has three areas where they excel which are their specialty restaurants, aqua spa cafe, and favorable crew to passenger ratio. On the other hand there are other cruise lines that do some things better than Celebrity.

 

While the wait staff in Celebrity's buffet may bring your tray to a table, HAL went a step further. HAL's wait staff didn't always carry our tray but as soon as we sat down, they would remove everything from our trays and take our tray away. That really made a difference in the feeling of that table when five of us sat together. Then they would come back to our table periodically to see if anyone needed anything else, and bring us beverages, refill our coffee cups, etc.

[jeffreytg]

I'm sure many will say 'what has number of posts got to do with validty of an opinion'. I've seen that stance touted here on the Celebrity threads many times. That usually comes along with 'they may have lurked for a long time before posting and it's unfair to judge them simply based on number of posts'

 

My position is, on any given day, on any cruise line board, within a 'top 15' thread bracket, you will undoubtedly see someone who was unyhappy with their cruise. HAL, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity et al. All lines have their detractors, and fans. The key is not to take what you read here as gospel, but only opinion.

 

Wow, charlie: so at what number of posts does a person's subjective opinion start carrying weight? Is it 200? If so, then what happens to the previous posts- say number 150- once I hit 200 does 150 now carry weight. Is post 199 weightless but number 200 pertinent? This is only my 103rd post- so please disregard the question.

[Sky Sweet]

Because they want an action cruise over a classy cruise, that's why. I'd take X over RCCL any day of the week because I like the better food and a little more quiet and not crazy kids and rock climbing walls. A lot of people like RCCL for the action and/or they have kids, so the answer is obvious to your question.

 

Hi Crystal Water :)

 

Why do you consider Celebrity to be more "classy" than RCCL?

 

Celebrity may have less children than RCCL , but that doesn't mean it has a classier demographic. In fact, I know many well educated professionals, who can afford to sail on any cruise line, that prefer RCCL to Celebrity.

 

I also don't consider classy and enjoying an active lifestyle to be mutually exclusive categories. In fact, one of the most upscale hotels in Washington DC prides itself in being the only resort type of hotel,with outdoor activities, in that city.

[jt1120]

As they say, the world is full of em'

 

Among other things

 

[standing ovation]

 

I though the exact same thing, especially after the "bitchin" comment. One cruiseline you will NEVER see me on is Carnival. Too many reports from too many fellow cruisers who have similar cruising tastes to ours tell me they are not for us. We booked Solstice on the very first day, are planning another quick Century weekend in early '09, and probably the Med some time next year. =X= of course.

[Drew B]

Because they want an action cruise over a classy cruise, that's why. I'd take X over RCCL any day of the week because I like the better food and a little more quiet and not crazy kids and rock climbing walls. A lot of people like RCCL for the action and/or they have kids, so the answer is obvious to your question.

 

 

That logic doesn't necessarily track. Just because on has kids doesn't mean that he/she would want to be on a line with more kids. Travelling on Mercury with a 4 year old, I learned that there is NOTHING BETTER than having your kid (in this case, my niece) be one of about one or two dozen kids. She was able to really get to know and get close to the other kids as well as the staff of the "Fun Factory". There was not a mad competition over the toys and the facilities, and anything she wanted to do or play with was available to her. Moreover, pretty much every single crew member we encountered made her feel like a princess because they so enjoyed seeing a kid. I can't imagine that a kid would be made to feel so special on a cruise with hundreds (let alone one with over a thousand) kids...

[98Charlie]

[quote name='tbelian']I'm sure many will say [I]'what has number of posts got to do with validty of an opinion'[/I]. I've seen that stance touted here on the Celebrity threads many times. That usually comes along with [I]'they may have lurked for a long time before posting and it's unfair to judge them simply based on number of posts'[/I]

My position is, on any given day, on any cruise line board, within a 'top 15' thread bracket, you will undoubtedly see someone who was unyhappy with their cruise. HAL, Princess, Carnival, Celebrity et al. All lines have their detractors, and fans. The key is not to take what you read here as gospel, but only opinion.[/QUOTE]
No, number of posts has no bearing. But, the one you selected has literally nothing good to say. When I had last seen any posts by "diggitydog" he had 7 posts of which 5 were [U]very[/U] negative and 2 that were neutral. That's 70% of the posts. If his post count were 1000 and 700 were similar to the "sub-McDonalds" would you have use him as a source? If you quote someone who has shown some balance in their thought it, IMHO, holds more weight. I don't think that pointing out that the source may be unreliable should be a problem.

As you suggest, [COLOR="Red"]The key is not to take what you read here as gospel, but only opinion.[/COLOR]

Charlie

[voyager70]

[quote name='Sky Sweet']Hi Crystal Water :)

Why do you consider Celebrity to be more "classy" than RCCL?

Celebrity may have less children than RCCL , but that doesn't mean it has a classier demographic. In fact, I know many well educated professionals, who can afford to sail on any cruise line, that prefer RCCL to Celebrity.

I also don't consider classy and enjoying an active lifestyle to be mutually exclusive categories. In fact, one of the most upscale hotels in Washington DC prides itself in being the only resort type of hotel,with outdoor activities, in that city.[/quote]


I totally agree, but they don't like to hear that, Sky ;)

[vator90]

Is "X" above RCL? Who knows and who cares. If you get the "bang for the buck" your looking for then go have a ball. Cruiseline classifications can only be used as guidelines to point you in a direction. Those of us who haven't reached our "golden years" shouldn't be made to feel like we're trespassing when we board an 'X" ship with our kids. Maybe we want to try a different cruiseline. Maybe we want to unwind for a few days without feeling hurried. So why not put your best foot forward as commited "X" cruisers and convince us as to why you feel they offer a superior product instead of trying to drive us away? And remeber, we who are still working are highly sought after since we have replinishable, expendable income.

[Sky Sweet]

[quote name='vator90']Is "X" above RCL? Who knows and who cares. If you get the "bang for the buck" your looking for then go have a ball. Cruiseline classifications can only be used as guidelines to point you in a direction. Those of us who haven't reached our "golden years" shouldn't be made to feel like we're trespassing when we board an 'X" ship with our kids. Maybe we want to try a different cruiseline. Maybe we want to unwind for a few days without feeling hurried. So why not put your best foot forward as commited "X" cruisers and convince us as to why you feel they offer a superior product instead of trying to drive us away? And remeber, we who are still working are highly sought after since we have replinishable, expendable income.[/quote]

Hi vator90 :)

Your comment about Celebrity Cruisers who make people with children feel like tresspassers hit home for me, but in a different way.

My husband and I became grandparents last year and took a three generation cruise in November with our daughter, son in law, and grandchild.

It was the first time in a number of years that we sailed on a different cruise line than Celebrity, and one factor in that decision was all the posts on this board from people who feel that children don't belong on a Celebrity Ship.

That experience was so wonderful that we plan to take another three generation cruise in August on a different cruise line.

In the process, my husband and I also discovered that other cruise lines were better than we expected them to be and will sail them more often even when we are crusing by ourselves.

I also have a lot of friends who are in a similar situation that shopped around for other cruise lines when they started to cruise with their grandchildren.

[Ma Bell]

[B][COLOR=teal]We take our grandchildren on Celebrity in fact we have a huge family group on Infinity in June. The children's programs are great for the kids, in fact we almost have to beg them to come out once in a while to be with the adults. [/COLOR][/B]

[Coco Creek]

[quote name='Sky Sweet']If Celebrity is really a step above Royal Caribbean, even though its prices are frequently lower, why are so many people willing to pay more for a Royal Caribbean Cruise, when it is suppose to be an inferior product?[/quote]

Sky Sweet, the market determines through its pricing mechanism what has value and what is less desired. Royal Caribbean obviously has proved desirable for many cruise customers.

The most shallow part of this conversation is the debate about what is a premium cruise line. Who cares? If you like a particular cruise, if it meets the needs of you and your traveling companion(s), then it is the line for you. Everything else does not matter.

[Ma Bell]

[quote name='Coco Creek']Sky Sweet, the market determines through its pricing mechanism what has value and what is less desired. Royal Caribbean obviously has proved desirable for many cruise customers.

The most shallow part of this conversation is the debate about what is a premium cruise line. Who cares? If you like a particular cruise, if it meets the needs of you and your traveling companion(s), then it is the line for you. Everything else does not matter.[/quote]

[B][COLOR=teal]Well said. I never quite understand why the defensive attitudes about cruiselines. It's simple to check out which cruiselines have the kind of ammenities one likes and to choose which will suit your preferences. It's great that we have choices and I would hate to see all of them the same.[/COLOR][/B]

[flag fan]

[quote name='Leejnd4']When using terms such as "premium" to define cruise lines, it's helpful to recognize that the industry itself has its own system of categorization. "Premium" is definitely the category in which Celebrity falls. "Luxury" is used to define Regent, Silversea, Seabourne, & Crystal. "Premium" includes Celebrity, Oceania, Azamara. "Mainstream" (also sometimes referred to as "mass market") includes RCI and Carnival. "Budget" includes NCL, MSC, and Costa.

Not everyone agrees with which lines fall within which categories, but that's generally the industry perspective.[/quote]

I would not put NCL in the "budget" category; I think it is viewed in the industry as on a par with Carnival and RCI. (Which may also be true of Costa, but I am less sure there.)

Otherwise, I agree with these categories. Of course they don't mean much because a "mainstream" line may be better than a "luxury" line, depending on what you are looking for. A Cadillac sedan may be better than a Chevy sedan, but not better than a Chevy station wagon if you need to haul around a lot of stuff. (I know I'm dating myself with references to station wagons and Cadillac/Chevy comparisons.:o ) If you want a ship with a lot of activities and family programs, RCI is better than Crystal. If you want to dine anytime and wear what you want, you'll get a better product going with NCI rather than Cunard. The fact that one costs less than the other doesn't mean you're not getting a better product for your purposes. Of course the higher cost does mean you will get some better things, like better food (if cost spent on ingredients can translate to better food) and a better staff to passenger ratio, so Celebrity is better than RCI if you care about those things, which is why it is properly classified (I think) as a "premium" line.

[Sky Sweet]

[quote name='Coco Creek']Sky Sweet, the market determines through its pricing mechanism what has value and what is less desired. Royal Caribbean obviously has proved desirable for many cruise customers.

The most shallow part of this conversation is the debate about what is a premium cruise line. Who cares? If you like a particular cruise, if it meets the needs of you and your traveling companion(s), then it is the line for you. Everything else does not matter.[/quote]

Hi Coco Creek :)

I agree with you completely, and the point of my question was to illustrate how ludicrous the term "premium" is when applied to a mass market cruise line.

In addition, I feel the same way about the terms classy, more refined, more upscale, and more sophisticated when used in the same context.

[meow!]

From a TA website which cannot be named on this board (and I shouldn't quote it in detail not to infringe on other's copyright without acknowledgement), I found there is a "cluster" of cruise lines (Carnival, Norwegian etc.) at about $95 per diem on average (actual booking price of all cabins), another "cluster" (including Celebrity and HAL) at around $120 per diem. Then there is Oceania at $200+ per diem, and the Seabourn/Silversea/RSSC trio at a shade over $400 per diem. So perhaps these numbers may help those who want to look at it from the price point of view!