Different statuses and the benefits???

[want2go2]

Hi All...

 

I am very new to CC and have never been on a cruise so I have come here to do my research to help me figure out the where, when, and what CL.

 

I am so confused (althought I admit it doesnt take much)....So there are lots of different ships and certain ships go to certain places, right? Is there a place that has all of that info listed. If so can you please direct me it?? Also, on CCL they have different "classes" of ships. Does every CL have different classes? Is it just a difference in size? age of the ship? How would you know what "class" you want/need?

 

And then I read about the diamond status today and was wondering what the perks are that come with the status. How to achieve that? How may days/cruises? Where can I go to read about that? Guess I need to get my first cruise booked and under my belt so I can start working on it.

 

I will apologize in advance for my first post and hope I dont get too many snarky replies .

 

Thanks

--Michele

[reallyitsmema]

Welcome to Cruise Critic. A lot of the basic information you are looking for can be found in this thread which is a FAQ thread compiled by the posters here.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1195482

 

There are different classes of ships. Sovereign class being the smallest and oldest class to Oasis class being the newest and largest.

 

After you sail your first cruise, you can join the Crown and Anchor society. Benefits increase as you sail more. There is a list of those benefits in the linked thread.

[cruisenfever]

Hi All...

 

I am very new to CC and have never been on a cruise so I have come here to do my research to help me figure out the where, when, and what CL.

 

I am so confused (althought I admit it doesnt take much)....So there are lots of different ships and certain ships go to certain places, right? Is there a place that has all of that info listed. If so can you please direct me it?? Also, on CCL they have different "classes" of ships. Does every CL have different classes? Is it just a difference in size? age of the ship? How would you know what "class" you want/need?

 

And then I read about the diamond status today and was wondering what the perks are that come with the status. How to achieve that? How may days/cruises? Where can I go to read about that? Guess I need to get my first cruise booked and under my belt so I can start working on it.

 

I will apologize in advance for my first post and hope I dont get too many snarky replies .

 

Thanks

--Michele

Hi Michele and welcome to Cruise Critic. We will try to guide you along and give you the information you are looking for.

 

Here is a link to Crown & Anchor which is RCI's loyalty program http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cas/benefitsLoggedout.do It will explain the different tier levels within Crown & Anchor and how many points are needed for each level. You get 1 cruise point for every night you cruise and those points will double if you are booked in a Junior Suite cabin or above.

 

Here is the link to RCI's website http://www.royalcaribbean.com/mycruises/performLogoff.do?cS=MHDR Here you can explore the different classes (sizes) of ships, deck plans, itineraries, etc.

 

The link posted in the previous post is also full of great information.

[Cigar King]

You might find this helpful...I share it with our friends who are first time cruisers.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Essential-Little-Cruise-Book-4th/dp/0762748869/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323182533&sr=1-2

[Sequim88]

Does every CL have different classes?

 

In genereal yes. Each line tends to have groups of similar ships in a "class". Mainly because the cost to design a ship is so large and the cost of ships after the first one in a class presumably goes down a bit as the builder has experience they like to maximize the use of that design. Usually a class is named for the first ship in that class. Before the first ship is named RCI lumps them under a "project" name. Thus you may see references to Project Sunshine. This is not Sunshine Class but will at some point in the future be a class named after the first ship in the project.

 

Of the RCI classes there are a couple notable distinctions that are not obvious from the RCI site. The following are generalities.

 

• Sovreign and Vision classes are older amd smaller. Vision class though can be very approachable for first time cruisers because size is not so overwhelming.
  
• Radiance class is the middle of the road class size wise for RCI. One distinctive feature that some people love is the multi-story glass wall with outward facing glass elevators. Also outdoor seating from the aft part of Windjammer Cafe (buffet).
  
• Voyager class is larger and the first with inside Promenade - think shopping mall on ship - and inward facing window staterooms. Much larger than Radiance class. Also has indoor ice rink/studio. Note there are two flavors of Voyager class - Navigator and Mariner are newer, look a little different and have extra specialty restaurant.
  
• Freedom class is like Voyager class but a little larger. Adds Flowrider surfing.
  
• Oasis class is huge and in addition to a Promenade has two inward facing areas that are open to the sky. Central Park and Boardwalk. Plus a ton of other features the older classes don't have.
  

[want2go2]

Thank you all sooo much for taking a couple minutes to help a newbie :-) I am checking out the links and they are very helpful.

 

--Michele

[Big_G]

Sounds like you need to talk to a travel agent. Just don't feel obligated to sign up right away. Take the information and their recommendations and do some research on the cruiseline's websites. You can always go back to that TA later if you choose. If you've never cruised before, this site is a great place to get expert information but you might need to speak with a TA to get the basics.

[Marysunshine]

In my opinion, and it's just that for the flamers, the class of ship and benefits of Crown and Anchor club are not that important. For a first time cruiser, what you want to know is: what ports of call are you going to? Insurance is important! and most of all

Cruising is a fabulous vacation. It includes hotel, restaurants, entertainment and the ability to see many places without the pain of packing and unpacking. There is tons to do, and yet, if you choose to do nothing, you can do that in wonderful ambiance.

Class of ship becomes important only when you take kids into consideration, what activities you might want, what type of crowd would you prefer: lots of kids, no kids, etc. and such.

You will fall in love with cruising and before you know it, YOU will be the expert helping others on these boards.

I went on my first cruise 34 years ago knowing nothing about it, and did just fine.