Hope I'm not inviting flames, but thought this X's review of RCCL was amusing

[luckyprincess]

Hi all! I've been toying with trying some other lines to see what's out there. I know I like RCCL, so I've been doing a search on each board for reviews of RCCL cruises, to see how other people that sail other lines think it compares. I feel like this is the best way to get an idea of what the other line may be like in comparison.

Anyhow, the whole 'RCCL is better than Carnival' (ie: they are trash, or poor, or obnoxious, or less traveled or less sophisticated than us, etc.) thing annoys me to no end because it sounds snobbish and ignorant, and I always comment to the offender.

However, I found this funny on the Celebrity board. This person made a great, mostly objective review of FOS and two of the things he posted made me realize that we are their Carnival:

 

With 4200 people (900 children on our sailing) on Freedom, the passenger demographics were much more diverse than any we’ve encountered on Celebrity. Firstly, there were many more families with children of all ages - most of whom (I’m pleased to say) were quite well behaved. Clearly, RCCL markets to a younger, more family oriented demographic than does Celebrity and that is quite evident. We also noticed a difference in the socio-economic demographic between RCCL and X passengers. Please don’t flame me; I am not passing judgment on the socio-economic group of passengers on RCCL. I am, however, noting that there is, in fact, a very definite difference in passengers which may or may not have been unique to this cruise, the length of the cruise, the time of year, all of the above or none of the above.

If there is a difference between service on RCCL and service on X, I’d have to say service on X is aimed at a somewhat more sophisticated, better traveled passenger and is therefore a bit more refined.

 

So maybe that's why some of the posters on this board make such nasty remarks about Carnival - they are just projecting!!:p I guess even the 'most sophisticated' cruiser on one line will be the lowest common denominator on another, lol.

The whole review is here, by the way: Oh - and we decided actually that Celebrity is a bit too tame or age inapropriate for us...:) but I will keep trying...

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=837492&highlight=freedom+the+seas

[cruisebunnies]

I have sailed on Carnival,RCCL,Holland America and Cunard and I am well travelled .The people I have seen on board all these ships ,regardless of the cruise line fall in to two catagories ,the fun friendlies ,and the dreaded snobboes.It does not seem to matter about age,social standing ,economic status or anything else ,all groups contain friendlies and snobboes IMO.

Give me the friendlies any day,i,ll drink beer with them or Dom Perignon as long as we enjoy ourselves.

[4everafter]

I think everyone picks the spot they want to be, we pick RC because its exactly what we want - they pick X because its what they want - have a great time on your Freedom cruise

[luckyprincess]

I have sailed on Carnival,RCCL,Holland America and Cunard and I am well travelled .The people I have seen on board all these ships ,regardless of the cruise line fall in to two catagories ,the fun friendlies ,and the dreaded snobboes.It does not seem to matter about age,social standing ,economic status or anything else ,all groups contain friendlies and snobboes IMO.

Give me the friendlies any day,i,ll drink beer with them or Dom Perignon as long as we enjoy ourselves.

That's so funny! Now I'll be playing the silent game in my head on the cruise - thinking hmmm.... friendlies or snobboes?! :p

Any I'm the same way - give me some Dom or give me a Corona - I don't care - just give me good company to drink it with!:D

[Norwegianlatvian]

Clearly, RCCL markets to a younger, more family oriented demographic than does Celebrity and that is quite evident. We also noticed a difference in the socio-economic demographic between RCCL and X passengers. Please don’t flame me; I am not passing judgment on the socio-economic group of passengers on RCCL. I am, however, noting that there is, in fact, a very definite difference in passengers which may or may not have been unique to this cruise, the length of the cruise, the time of year, all of the above or none of the above.

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=837492&highlight=freedom+the+seas

 

Exuse me? Are we in the year 2009 or 1950s?

[Happy ks]

Every cruise can be different than the next in some ways. The only time we've cruised on X there were a multitude of children, some of them a bit obnoxious but then they were just being kids. We also had some rather rude, pushy seniors on that cruise. So the above paragraph could also be written about an X cruise.

 

While I do believe that some lines will attract a certain type of pax, it's just not feasible to place everyone into the same category. Some people who could easily afford a more luxurious line or are well traveled may prefer a less costly line. Also, you never really know how well traveled a person is just because of the clothing they wear or their age.

 

Every cruise can be a bit different as well. If you cruise in October you will certainly get a different crowd than you will in summer or spring break season, no matter the line.

[luckyprincess]

I think everyone picks the spot they want to be, we pick RC because its exactly what we want - they pick X because its what they want - have a great time on your Freedom cruise

Thanks! I'm really excited and can't get enough of pictures and reviews - January can't come soon enough!:D

[glo1196]

LOL...give me RCCL any day. When I am old and don't want to enjoy fun stuff and good times with people I will start going on X cruises. With fewer things to do, I can gamble, sit in my chair by the pool, and have someone hold my plate as I go through the buffet because I can't hold it up myself. Hey to each his own :) Then I can come on CC and talk about the RCCL people being beneath me :) ;)

 

 

Funny thing I know people who go on X who are just regular Joe Shmoe's. They don't have fancy degrees or corporate jobs. They go to feel spoiled, and really are just like the RCCL people the rest of the year...So, it is just about what you like not the demographics or type of person you are :)

[luckyprincess]

LOL...give me RCCL any day. When I am old and don't want to enjoy fun stuff and good times with people I will start going on X cruises. With fewer things to do, I can gamble, sit in my chair by the pool, and have someone hold my plate as I go through the buffet because I can't hold it up myself. Hey to each his own Then I can come on CC and talk about the RCCL people being beneath me

 

 

Funny thing I know people who go on X who are just regular Joe Shmoe's. They don't have fancy degrees or corporate jobs. They go to feel spoiled, and really are just like the RCCL people the rest of the year...So, it is just about what you like not the demographics or type of person you are :)

That's how I feel, too. I just want to find a cruise that fits in line with the things I enjoy doing. I like being active firstly, so that's the most important for me. I have to say, while searching the threads for reviews from other cruiselines, I totally didn't expect to read about the socio-economic levels on the cruise! Just something I would never look for!:D Although I've seen it done to people that like to sail Carnival, I've never seen it handed back to RCCL before:eek: But I guess that's what I get for venturing from my sheltered RCCL forum!:)

[It'sRC4ME]

Every cruise can be different than the next in some ways. The only time we've cruised on X there were a multitude of children, some of them a bit obnoxious but then they were just being kids. We also had some rather rude, pushy seniors on that cruise. So the above paragraph could also be written about an X cruise.

 

 

That was our experience on the one Celebrity cruise that we took. We expected a somewhat more adult and sophisticated atmosphere than RC (based on the boards here, reviews, etc), but found that there were just as many children on board and nothing for them to do, so they ran wild all over the ship. I did get the impression that the Celebrity pax had a little more money (more designer sunglasses and diaper bags), but it didn't translate into any type of refined atmosphere.

[ChipLondon]

Okay, so I have travelled with both lines, so what does that make me, I will take the sophisticated, better travelled passenger and is therefore a bit more refined from the Celebrity style of passenger, and hang on to the younger and quite well behaved aspect of the Royal passenger, although I will avoid being on the same cruise as the original snob that wrote the review.

[Captain Jake]

Okay, so I have travelled with both lines, so what does that make me, I will take the sophisticated, better travelled passenger and is therefore a bit more refined from the Celebrity style of passenger, and hang on to the younger and quite well behaved aspect of the Royal passenger, although I will avoid being on the same cruise as the original snob that wrote the review.

Great response.The perfect cruise for me is somewhere between X and RCCL.In fact my best cruise to date was an X cruise with 2 islands ,aday at sea,2 islands,a at sea,2 islands ,a day at sea.I can be active as heck on the islands and be pampered at sea.I think the new X ships may have narrowed the gap.I will sail both lines and maybe try more lines in the future.Variety is the spice of life

:cj

[FireIce0010]

I don't have an issue with that persons comments about Royal Caribbean. That is how they see it and that's fine by me. Then again, I don't have a self esteem issue and feel the need to get my knickers in a knot when someone mentions Wal-Mart. ;):D

[The Big Booper]

We were on the =X= Connie repositioning several years ago, from Bayonne to San Juan. There was a table of 6 next to us which we did not pay that much attention to since they were quiet.

 

At evening dinner on the day the ship stopped at St. Martin, we overheard them all discussing their lunch they had at McDonalds on the island. The overall reaction - that was the first good meal they had since getting on the ship :eek::eek::eek:.

 

I guess they did not fit into the stereotype of the Celebrity cruiser we are plied with.:D

[cruznjan]

I've cruised on RC and X. I've found fun people and snobs on both lines. As a matter of fact, some of the snobs later turned out to be fun people. First impressions often mislead us. Between the the two lines, RC is more laid back, but I enjoy X's more refined atmosphere and I'm not a fancy person. I've been on X cruises where there have been lots of children (most of them were in the children's program) and young people, and they all seemed to be having a good time. It depends on the time of the year and the itinerary.

[mommabean]

Having just gotten off of Freedom recently, I will say that my husband and I both noticed a completely different group of people on this ship than on any other RCI ship we've been on. We both noticed immediately. It wasn't the more mature crowd of the 2 week cruises we've been on. It wasn't the party (although well-behaved) crowd of the weekend cruises.

 

It was very mixed for us. There was a broad range of demographics. We don't think we will cruise on a ship this size again anytime soon. Not because of the people - it's just bigger than we want and has more family oriented options than we need.

 

I won't say much about what we thought....only that we've never seen so many motorized scooters in our lives on a ship. I'm not sure we've seen any on board before. And these we not in use by old, frail people. It was shocking to us really.

 

The only thing I'll really miss about FOS - Sorrento's.

 

That being said, we'd like to try Celebrity sometime even though we are happy with RCI.

 

Oh...and had this been our first cruise, we'd have had a different perspective on RCI. And I haven't had a bad Carnival cruise yet either - it's just the old ships are what they are.

[alicam]

We were on the =X= Connie repositioning several years ago, from Bayonne to San Juan. There was a table of 6 next to us which we did not pay that much attention to since they were quiet.

 

At evening dinner on the day the ship stopped at St. Martin, we overheard them all discussing their lunch they had at McDonalds on the island. The overall reaction - that was the first good meal they had since getting on the ship :eek::eek::eek:.

 

I guess they did not fit into the stereotype of the Celebrity cruiser we are plied with.:D

 

guess it was their "comfort" food....some people are afraid to look outside the envelope and enjoy something different

[ccletzgo]

X and RCCL are really more alike, then they are different. When on RCCL we miss a few things we like on X. When on X, there are a few things we miss about RCCL, but honestly, they are more alike then different.

 

X has showers that you can actually fit in, elbows and all. ;) X's smoking policy is very attractive to me. RCCL has the concierge lounge, (although being a D is not what it used to be :() X's suite perks are by far better then RCCL's. RCCL has a more active night life. RCCL's meet and mingle's have had more variety of goodies and drinks then X's.

 

Don't know why, but we have had Captain Table invites twice on X, and never on RCCL.

 

I loved the old $100 unlimited "cyber Cabin" on RCCL, but that is gone now.:(:(

 

X has a liquor package you can purchase for in cabin consumption. You can bring 2 bottles of wine on board.

 

RCCL's liquor policy is ridiculous. RCCL has far more itinerary choices..

[wolfganghowell]

I think some of you are misinterpreting the review. The person was quick to say it was an observation, not an indictment. We have sailed X and RCI exclusively and after 14 cruises, I can say that it's a fairly accurate statement. Celebrity does appear more sophisticated, I did feel that the passengers had more disposable income. It may be a false appearance since the line itself markets itself as more "refined". I have also noticed more couples and less families with children.

 

We have learned to have different expectations for each line and to adjust our "mindset" accordingly. For example, I know I won't go hungry on RCI but I definitely know I will be eating fabulously on X. Inversely, I know I will enjoy a more active party vibe (Caribbean band, more "fun" nightlife options on RCI).

 

I'm pleased that the two lines are branded differently - it gives great options for any type of cruiser.

[klingoncruiser]

34 cruises on RCL and 14 or Celebrity. I find both cruise lines to my liking. I like RCL ships better, and their soups and chilled soups are wonderful.

 

Celebrity is a cut above on service, and their food is way above everyone else. (Don't bother, Food is subjective) Their buffet is beyond belief.

 

I have sailed Carnivore 5 times now and would sail them if I like the itinerary. Don't like the food all that well, but service is nice and rooms can be quite large on some of the ships.

 

Go out and try other line, ya never know what you will find. All have strong and weak points. Princess is my weakest line due to food and layout of their ships. I would still sail with them if they have a run I like though.

[Let'sGo!]

I read this post with interest because we've decided after this next cruise we WANT to try another line... we just don't know which one yet.

 

I kind of think there are a lot of factors that go into the make-up of the cruise. We've been on totally low-key cruises and totally party cruises -- both with RCCL.

 

Its not that we have complaints about RCCL, but we really don't have any real reason to reach that Diamond status anymore so we've decided to see what else is out there.

[sea-cruise]

When we were in our early 30's we cruised HAL a few times and thought it was SO much fun. Next we cruised 4 different =X= ships, and again, really enjoyed them, and over the years, we've cruised many different lines from Regency & Home Lines to Princess, Carnival, & NCL. Enjoyed those too. I guess we're weird that way.

Well, the past few years we've been sailing Royal Caribbean, and guess what? We're old and STILL having fun.

Someone should have told us we were in the wrong age groups during the last 30 years of cruising. ;)

[Scotchick]

My husband and I sailed with Celebrity this year and I don't think the old saying "Celebrity has the best food" still holds up. We sailed with them a few years ago and there was a big difference in the quality of the food, but not this trip. I thought they were severely "cutting back" this year. In saying all that, we had a "ball". We were with three other couples and we just had a scream. I think it is about people and not so much about the "line" anymore. I have only been on a very short coastal cruise with RCCL and this year I am looking at a much longer cruise on the Med with them. This is because of the itinerary, which is usually the motivating factor for me.

[Papa T]

It's hard to generalize too much. X has more a better staff ratio per passenger and . . . they don't announce bingo, but . . . . so much depends on the specific ship and the itinerary. Freedom class and Radiance class ships will appeal to a different demographic (what no flowrider?). I personally don't care for the layout of the smaller X ships but have enjoyed the Millennium class ships. A 14 day SA around the horn when school is in session will attract a different group than a 7 day sailing in the Caribbean during spring break on the same ship. X tends to have longer itineraries and fewer activities for children. As far as the quality of the food - pick a ship, cruise on it once a year for 5 years and I'll bet you may see variations in quality and service. I currently have 2 X and 2 RCCL cruises booked - the pluses of both brands far outweigh the negatives. I am reminded of how lucky we are to be having this conversation - there are no bad choices.

[MISSYLOU]

"This person made a great, mostly objective review of FOS and two of the things he posted made me realize that we are their Carnival"

 

I have been thinking this myself just because of the topics posted on this board. (ie, can I wear shorts in the dining room, how do i smuggle booze on board, etc) It has been quite some time since we have been on either line and I must say that our observations about X and RCI are similiar to what others have stated: X more sophisticated, better food. RCI more relaxed, food not as special.

 

I think when you see how many 3 and 4 day cruises Royal now has it shows they are trying to appeal to a younger group. Young working couples with children who maybe cant afford a longer cruise or can't be away from work for a full week but can get away for 3 and 4 day cruises. So the demographics change. Older, retired cruisers prefer longer cruises and a more relaxing environment. Seems Royal is trying to appeal to all ages but may be missing the mark for the older generation with all of the bells and whistles on the newer mega ships. I don't envision doing the flowrider but my grandkids would love it.