"Class Wars" on the ships--Diamond+ folk, Carnival haters, etc

[Happy ks]

We're at Diamond level on RCI now, we did have the advantage of Monarch being only an hour away and would cruise on her 1-3 times per year. Because of discounts offered on other RCI cruises, we were able to book a JS once and another time a JS on a 13 night cruise, the cruise credits added up pretty quickly.

 

We're by no means rich, we did try a Carnival cruise once and found it not to be to our liking. But we also believe that it wouldn't be the large cruise line it is if it didn't appeal to so many others. I'm glad there are choices for all of us and a good fit for different types of personalities.

 

But loyal, not really, RCI has been convenient for us is all. We would not hesitate to cruise other lines as we have before and will continue to do so in the future. I guess you could say we're not "haters" of any cruise line, we just have different preferences. We have friends and aquaintances who cruise Carnival and we just wish them "Bon Voyage!".

 

If we were rich, we'd probably not cruise main stream lines and start cruising smaller, more luxurious lines. Maybe we should buy a lottery ticket :p

[pcur]

We are D+ and DEFINITELY are not wealthy. My DH is a retired mechanic, and I haven't decided yet if I'm a retired IT Project Manager, or if I'm just unemployed!! I think the difference is whether you WANT a job or not! :D

 

Travel is our primary extra expense, so we cruise a lot, but on a limited budget.

 

We also get very irritated with "power couples" who think they are just having a nice conversation, but are really "one-upping" and competing with each other to see who has the most, did the most, etc. One of the reasons we, too, switched to tables for 2 on our cruises.

[silentbob007]

I was once at a large table with a few couples with husbands bragging about what they had ... felt sorry for the wives, who were quiet but overall nice, and ended up ditching out on dinner by heading to the WJ a few nights.

[kkorman]

I am a Diamond member who is knocking on the D+ door with 21 credits. I am in my low 30's and DW and I have no kids.

 

 

I do not hate Carnival. The cruise line just does not appeal to me.

 

These are my thoughts as well... I am all about cruise experiences and I have just had better experiences on Royal and Princess and NCL for that matter. Different people are after different experiences. I am doing a three day in a few months on Carnival. I call it a booze cruise as that is the experience I hope to have.

[acc82]

i agree with the poster that pointed out there is generally no correlation between those who are diamond plus, wealthy, or dislike carnival.

 

we are platinum and far away from diamond plus, but we've done 6 cruises in 5 years of marriage, so with a cruise a year, we are headed toward the diamond route in time. for me, a cruise is MORE ECONOMICAL than other options. we're going to disney world this summer and it's going to cost as much as our cruise. I priced sandals and it was waaaay too high at 3400 for a week. and, we love to cruise. we are middle class DINK's. (double income, no kids) but, we're young (20's) and that means we'll make less than someone in their 40's who has stayed with the same company for say, 15 years. so, we do fine, but are definately not rich -we have a budget.

 

I DO NOT cruise with carnival. Reasons are:

1.) we've never had a bad experience with royal and don't care to try anything else. (not carnival, norwegian, etc....) Only royal.

2. ) carnival's ships aren't as big as the biggest in the royal fleet. we like having more to do on the ship during a sea day.

3. ) carnival doesn't appeal to me like royal does, something as simple as the decor on the ship (which is different) is a factor for me.

[wg6530]

I love cruising. We're established professionals and could easily sail the luxury lines, but we have do desire to do so. We love the big ships. We have enjoyed Royal, Celebrity, NCL, and Princess. HAL was fine, though we only crused them once; didn't seem like a perfect fit (older age, bland food and a smaller ship).

 

We recently took our first Carnival cruise and selected sailed their newest, biggest ship. Having loved other lines, I thought we'd love that cruise, too. Well, it wasn't a bad cruise, but we did not love it. I don't think it was about class but it might have been about style. It was hard to find a quiet spot to relax. Plenty of loud music, loud people, (silly) events, and activity everywhere; no doubt "fun" for many passengers, but not really our style. Carnival spent money on the decor, but not my style. The decor didn't ruin my cruise, but I found it jarring, juvenile and unsettling. No doubt someone else thought it was "fun". Carnival's food/menus/dishes were not special to our tastes, just okay. I know others love their food. We had never seem such a tiny selection of library books on any ship, but there did not seem to be much demand among the passengers.

 

It is not about class. I just felt like I was on someone else's vacation/ship. I'm glad there are ships to suit a variety of styles. Having tried Carnival once, I will tend to favor other lines. But for the right timing, itinerary, and maybe a different ship, I'd still consider going on Carnival.

[MrPete]

All one has to do is watch "KEEPING UP APPEARANCES" to try to figure out why some boast that one line is better than the other, when most that have sailed both know better.

 

Don't you know RCCL serves better milk, sails on better water, and circulates better air?

 

I expect to find MANY Hyacinths on this thread. Some may have interesting titles in their signatures.

[Motorman23]

There is no Diamond Lounge on the Serenade:(

 

correct

[teajak]

Enjoyed your post Mike.

 

I've met diamond + type folks on several cruise lines. Typically they were retired and lived within driving distance of the ports. THey had an inside track on unsold cruises and were able to travel at a moments notice. THey had their cruise luggage packing down to a science. They often got the better cabins not by paying more, but from being "insiders". The cost of their cruise, because they don't require airfare, probably isn't much more than a weekend trip into the city, dining out and seeing a show or a ball game.

 

I laughed when you described your experience in the mdr. There is the whole "big fish in a small pond" thing going on here. IF someone were "wealthy" and "upper class" why the heck are they sailing on Royal Caribbean in the first place?? These are probably the same folks who describe their "station in life" and enjoy having the roped off areas where they can let everyone else know that they are willing to throw down twice as much money for a 7 day cruise than the rest of us!

 

Anyway, my point is that the diamond + people I've met don't always fit into a certain category. But, I have met people you described in your post --

First: I loved the OP post. Your first paragraph is totally us.We are retired,live on our pensions in Florida have some savings but don't use that to cruise.Cruising is what we do, the cruise clothes and needs are in one closet always ready, I watch the internet and find deals. We never cruise unless it is a good deal, sometimes early and sometimes just before sailing.No airfare,never park in the expensive port lots.Ft.Lauderdale it's park n go, Tampa friends take us,Port Canaveral we stay the night before in a hotel with free cruise parking.

 

We are in no way rich,DH is a retired accountant, I am a retired nurse both have college degrees from Michigan State.2 children, 4 grandchildren, and 5 great grandchildren. I am including all of this to show the different demographics.

 

Hate Carnival, several bad experiences,one with a fire, 2 with tween agers everywhere blocking the aisles and stairs, big joke, Not for us.Love Celebrity and RCI.Cruising is the cheapest and best time for us. We can go at ay time, we get a balcony because we love them and always manage to have a good time.

 

One thing more,we enjoy meeting new people at dinner, we have been very lucky with tablemates all of these years. Only one bad experience with blow hards,as I call them.We have met a lot of good people from all walks of life,had one couple refuse our table because we were all too old but we didn't care.LOL

[HB Cruiser]

We are diamond (17 cruises and counting) and are self employed. Our business is a bowling center, working with/for our customers which are mostly middle class, blue collar, hard working Americans. The 51 weeks a year we work, we put in 75-100 hours each week and we feel we deserve what we spend on our one week off a year.

 

Just because someone might say they are in business for themselves, don't think for a minute they feel they are wealthy. Alot of people make it sound as if they have a lot of $$$$$ but really probably do not. We are probably in the middle to lower 40% of Americans in earnings and we own a million dollar establishment (well us and the bank anyway) ;) . No way are we "rich" but alot of locals think we are because of the business. We are just like most people today, if we went without a paycheck for 30 days (and had no income including unemployment) we would be in deep do do.

 

My point is, take much of what you hear at the MDR tables with a grain of salt. Remember one thing, everyone puts their pants on one leg at a time, regardless how much $$$$$$$ is in the bank.

 

Tim

[36kruzes]

I've taken a lot of cruises and am not wealthy by anyone's standards, just worked many years and took a cruise or two a year for awhile. It's cheaper overall than land travel. Had as much fun on Carnival as on any other line and cannot tolerate pretentiousness anywhere.

 

If I were you I would ignore the one-upsmanship games some people play -- most of the folks I've known in life who really had 'money' didn't show it -- you would never know. That's class.

 

Never be made to be uncomfortable by the many phonies you will encounter along the way -- especially when traveling. Fancy clothes and jewels and jabbering about buying people cars is a crock -- chances are those people are one paycheck away from bankruptcy. I've seen it over and over again -- don't be fooled.

 

Just get yourself out of situations where you have to listen to such drivel, and have fun on your vacations, wherever they may take you.

 

 

 

 

 

In another thread on whether to tip porters at Port Canaveral (even though signs explicitly state it's not necessary), I realized something. People from all walks of life cruise RCI ships; perhaps more than a few upper-class folk (whether from old or new money).

 

One person cited as justification for tipping the porters that he or she tipped well all around--e.g. tipped a guy who mowed his or her lawn for 3 summers a brand new car (what's the least expensive new car one can get these days--~USD 15K?). That's some tip. Must be great to be blessed that well (whether starting on third base or otherwise) to tip that generously. We should all be so fortunate.

 

Anyway... I'm an IT professional. I have a Masters degree. And I don't look, dress, or speak like a bubba. I consider myself educated and middle class--haven't gotten that PhD yet, but considered it.

 

Are all the debates about RCI vs. Carnival coming predominantly from upper-class Diamond and Diamond+ members? Are most diamond and diamond+ members wealthy? Wealthy is a loaded term, because everyone has a different idea of what wealthy is. However, I think it's safe to say if a person regularly stays at the Four Seasons chain of hotels pre-cruise and tips lawn mowers a new car, then they're wealthy enough to qualify by my definition of wealthy.

 

Here's the question: Are most diamond and diamond+ cruisers from the upper echelon of net worth, or is it that they've been cruising for many decades?

 

Every now and then, you hear folks who've cruised both lines state that there's very little difference between these two mass market lines. With the exception of decor, I suspect they're probably right (looking forward to trying one of the newer Carnival ships). In other words, their concerns (formality, having the "correct" decor, etc) are not mine.

 

I once sat at a table in the MDR with two "power couples." They'd obviously done well in life and were happily chattering about their many conquests. I couldn't have felt more uncomfortable. Ever since then, I now request a table for two in the MDR. It's wonderful for those who've inherited great sums or built great empires. But I'd rather not spend my cruise vacation in the company of such folk--not if they intend to flaunt it (some of the most wealthy folks are the least conspicuous about it).

 

Anyway, one tenet I live by is "consider the source" when soliciting info from others. Everyone has a unique perspective shaped by their station in life, their experiences, etc. And some groups of people have similar opinions based on similar life experiences.

 

I wonder if it's mostly rich folk who hate Carnival. To be fair, I should be posting this on the Carnival board. Obviously, people here love RCI or they wouldn't be posting (unless they're RCI-hating trolls who delight in nothing else but stirring the pot). I have nothing against people with trust funds and those who've achieved great things monetarily in life. But again, I want to "consider the source" when collecting opinions to put things in their proper context, e.g. are Carnival-haters self-selecting folk to who choice of decor puts their knickers in a terrible twist? "Vegas style abomination" seems to come up quite often in critiques of Carnival. As a cruiser who's mostly interested in what's on offer in various ports, I just have to laugh--and that's my bias. I'm not so concerned about the ship's decor. More about the itinerary.

 

Mike

[mikeerdas]

Thanks for all the replies. I've learned a lot.

[BND]

What really gets to me is people who say "Carnival isn't for them" or something similar, and they've never even been on a Carnival cruise. At least speak from experience, not heresay.

[Aquahound]

What really gets to me is people who say "Carnival isn't for them" or something similar, and they've never even been on a Carnival cruise. At least speak from experience, not heresay.

 

Your post might make sense if someone like me were to badmouth Carnival, or any other cruise line I have not travelled for that matter.

 

But there is a big difference between badmouthing and saying something does not appeal to oneself. You do not need to "experience" something to know whether or not it appeals to you.

[negc]

You will still be able to get free drinks in the "Diamond Lounge" according to what I have read about it.

 

Only Freedom Class and Oasis class ships have Diamond Lounges. Serenade of the Seas, which is the ship that the poster was talking about, does not have a Diamond Lounge, only a CL, and on and after September 1, 2009, access to the CL will be restricted to suite guests and Diamond Plus members. Diamonds will have free champagne and wine and discounted drinks in a specified lounge from approximately 5:30 to 8:30 pm each evening.

[pcur]

[quote name='BND']What really gets to me is people who say "Carnival isn't for them" or something similar, and they've never even been on a Carnival cruise. At least speak from experience, not heresay.[/QUOTE]

Problem is, I don't want to spend the money to find out if I'm right or wrong in my opinion, so I'll just pass on Carnival based on what I've read extensively from other RCCL cruisers who have gone.

Two deal killers (as mentioned by wg6530 above) is the garish decor and the noise level. I am really sensitive to my surroundings. They don't have to be fancy, but colors affect me a lot. We prefer not to be around the loud "fun" activities, and even quietly leave the dining room when the singing waiters parade starts on our RCCL cruises.

[Chuggiebug]

We have cruised RCCL and Carnival about equally and would be hard pressed to choose a favorite. (10 or more on each). In our opinions they each have different strengths.

Bottom line everyone is entitled to their own preferences but hopefully they will not judge another line without trying it.

[3redheads]

In my former career, I was in banking.

I can tell you that from my observations the people who come from "old" money NEVER brag. Most don't wear flashy jewelry, drive fancy cars or dress to impress.

"New" money people are the exact opposite. They want people to know they've made it in life.

It all comes down to the balance sheets and income statements. I'm happy for anyone who has had great success and rewards in their lives. I just don't need to be told about it in an effort to make them appear superior. I am quite happy with the life I live :D

Having said that, I wouldn't mind winning the lottery so I could cruise ALL the time!:rolleyes:

[aqhacruiser]

[quote name='3redheads']In my former career, I was in banking.

I can tell you that from my observations the people who come from "old" money NEVER brag. Most don't wear flashy jewelry, drive fancy cars or dress to impress.

"New" money people are the exact opposite. They want people to know they've made it in life.

It all comes down to the balance sheets and income statements. I'm happy for anyone who has had great success and rewards in their lives. I just don't need to be told about it in an effort to make them appear superior. I am quite happy with the life I live

Having said that, I wouldn't mind winning the lottery so I could cruise ALL the time![/quote]

You hit the nail right on the head there! You would never know old money because they could care less what anyone thinks. We have been stuck with people over the years at tables that brag about their status on RCCL or various ships. That's one of the reasons we avoid the DR for dinner. Not interested in people trying to impress us. We are D plus, the points just added up, that's all it is but we do not talk about it on the ships. Who cares about that stuff on a cruise? We just want to have a good time on vacation! :) We do not care what someones status is, what officers they know, how much money they spend, and basically how special they think they are, blah blah, it's incrediably boring to hear people play "I can top that"

As for Carnie, people forget Carnie owns Cunard:D Speaking of which I am sailing the QM2 in Nov. BECAUSE it was such a great deal this year and less then RCCL and I think it will be fun as we are sailing with several friends:D

It's funny how important status is to some people, because on my last cruise in May, I was telling some RCCL D plus people that I know from the Ex. ( not CC people) that I would probably be booking the QM2 for our next cruise this winter. They were horrified! They asked me how could I do that??, they told me I would be a nobody on QM2 and that I wouldn't get a CL or any perks I have now because I'd be a newbie at bottom of ladder and that they could NEVER do that!:eek: I told them I didn't care about the perks, we just wanted to try something different and that I wouldn't mind being a " newbie" at bottom of ladder as we cruise to have a good time and that does NOT require status! lol :D
Sometimes I think some people take this whole cruiseline status thing waaaay too seriously. If I win the lottery.......... I'm buying my OWN ship! :D

[Beanie01]

[quote name='aqhacruiser']
If I win the lottery.......... I'm buying my OWN ship! :D[/quote]

[SIZE=3]Funny, I just said the same exact thing to someone at work last week![/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]I do want to comment, and agree with a couple of posters here, that many people who talk a lot and wear the designer labels don't necessarily [I]have[/I] money. Many of them just [I]owe[/I] a lot of money. I worked with a girl in her mid-20's sometime back. She married someone in his mid-20's. Her mother brought her up to be very materialistic. Her entire world was built around what labels people wore. When her and her husband, who was her boyfriend at the time, went away for weekends, she would boast about how much the hotel cost, where they ate, and that despite having 2 decent cars of their own, rented to drive something different. Then at some point, she would mention that they need to stop using their credit cards because they really need to pay them off.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Point being made - they lived the high life with expensive hotels and clothes, all through credit cards. Her salary was low-20's, he was a stock broker, with only about 3 years experience under his belt after college. They both liked to pretend they were multi-millionaires! [/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3]Sometimes, it's all just an image![/SIZE]

[Debde]

[quote name='aqhacruiser']It's funny how important status is to some people, because on my last cruise in May, I was telling some RCCL D plus people that I know from the Ex. ( not CC people) that I would probably be booking the QM2 for our next cruise this winter. They were horrified! They asked me how could I do that??, they told me I would be a nobody on QM2 and that I wouldn't get a CL or any perks I have now because I'd be a newbie at bottom of ladder and that they could NEVER do that!:eek: I told them I didn't care about the perks, we just wanted to try something different and that I wouldn't mind being a " newbie" at bottom of ladder as we cruise to have a good time and that does NOT require status! lol :D
Sometimes I think some people take this whole cruiseline status thing waaaay too seriously. If I win the lottery.......... I'm buying my OWN ship! :D[/quote]

Agreed
Having CL access does not make you a 'somebody'.
People that actually have 'status' in life could care less about a free drink or care to be cramed into a room that possibly can hold 20 people comfortable that has 100+ at times trying to claw their way into that room!!! ;)

[Aquahound]

[quote name='aqhacruiser']
It's funny how important status is to some people, because on my last cruise in May, I was telling some RCCL D plus people that I know from the Ex. ( not CC people) that I would probably be booking the QM2 for our next cruise this winter. They were horrified! They asked me how could I do that??, they told me I would be a nobody on QM2 and that I wouldn't get a CL or any perks I have now because I'd be a newbie at bottom of ladder and that they could NEVER do that!:eek: [/quote]

You make a good point here. I tried Celebrity for the first time a couple months ago. Although there were reciprocal perks, they were pretty much non-existent. The coupons I did receive were horrible and I did not use a single one.

Ok, to the point....even without a CL and perks, that cruise was one of my favorites of all time.

But then again, I am Diamond because I cruise RCI so much. I do not cruise RCI because I am Diamond. There's a difference.

[H2OH!]

[quote name='J & G']Money, class, and IQ all have one thing in common......if you have to tell people you have it, then you don't have enough of it! ;)[/quote]

I could not agree more!!!

[H2OH!]

[quote name='aqhacruiser']If I win the lottery.......... I'm buying my OWN ship! :D[/quote]


I agree with you...here is a link to the World Cruise Ship! This is awesome!

[U][COLOR=Blue]www.aboardtheworld.com[/COLOR][/U]

[HMSDingy]

Some people don't even realize they are bragging. We met a couple on a recent cruise who kept on stating that they had flown first class and always booked a suite. There was never a mention if the airfare was at a discount or the suite was a special price. I would admit a cheapy airfare and a price drop. Nothing wrong with saving money.:D