Was RCCL your first cruise?

[spammie]

My very first cruise was a 4-night Bahama cruise on RCCL Sovereign of The Seas and I fell in love with cruising. Celebrity is my favorite cruise line but I love cruising with RCCL also.

[Langley Cruisers]

Yes, back in '93 we sailed the old Viking Serenade, just a 4 night to Mexico. Our travel agent arranged it and since it was our first, we didn't know what to expect and enjoyed it very much. Have chosen RCI most of the subsequent times as you can see from my sig, but went with Princess and HAL once each.

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[tahoemc]

All six of our cruises have been RC, so the OP's theory probably plays out for us up to this point. Our first cruise was in 2001 on Viking Serenade to Baja. We have been happy with their product, but given our limited options out west, will probably have to consider other cruise lines closer to home. Our work also prevents us from cruising more often, but hopefully we will be able to expand our travels when we retire in a couple of years.

[cruiserhal]

Our first was in 1987 on RCCL Song of America. 35 cruises later, the line with the most number of cruises is still Royal because in the begining that is what we sailed on. Now we look at X first then river cruises and Holland America. The next ocean cruise will be on the Summit in Sept 2012 followed by an Avalon river cruise next April. After that, I think we will be looking at returning to Holland America.

[BillOh]

We have theory that people tend to stick with the first cruiseline they experience.

 

I'm guessing somewhere from many to most probably do. For us, a travel agent and friend picked RC and Voyager. Loved it and about then we learned about Freedom, so both caused us to stick with Royal. Before Freedom came around (I booked 600 days ahead) we found a great deal on Majesty so that set us on the loyalty track. Now that I'm on that track, I'll probably stick to it until I get to diamond by which time I may have hit all the currently RC ship classes and intinerary. Then I may try Celebrity. Will I try another? It depends. I almost went on Carnival when my brother in law wanted to arrange a family cruise. At that time he was the highest loyalty level on Carnival and I probably wouldn't have fought that hard against it. Unforunately he died in the early stages of the planning for that.

[BillOh]

 

Respectfully, I think you are wrong with your reasoning concerning the west coast cruises..........

 

Gina

 

It would be interesting to see stats, I love stats ;) While you bring up a good point with west coast cruises, I suspect the OP is more right than wrong. OP, can you go back and put a poll in this thread? Anyway, there is no 100% right or wrong. I'm sure some number of people have terrible first cruises and then, perhaps after some time, try another line. My sister and her husband hated HAL (around the mid 90s I think) but loved RC and Navigator when they went with us.

[hannibal54]

My first cruise was with the Navy. My first pleasure cruise was on Royal.

[time4u2go]

Our first was with Carnival. We've also done Disney, NCL, and Royal. Enjoyed them all, and wouldn't hesitate to cruise on each again. We enjoy the variety.

[mo&fran]

My DW and I had a good laugh last night. With Monarch leaving RC, there have been a lot of posts from cruisers whose first cruise was on that ship.

What is funny is that our first cruise was on Monarch, but not Monarch of the seas, but Crown Monarch , part of Crown Cruise Lines, about 1991 or 1992, that sailed out of West Palm Beach.

In the late 90's , we did Alaska on a Princess ship.

About 2003, I wanted to go to the Panama Canal, so DW found a Celebrity ship that did that, Horizon. Then I wanted to do a TA , so the next 4 years we cruised Celebrity, and got to Elite status (long cruise, Sky Suite).

Then we did a TA on NOS , and have been hooked on RC ever since.

[Newtoncruise]

Yep. 4out of 4

 

We were pointed in the right direction to start with.........getting curious about P&O though.......or Cunard.

 

Maybe when the kids leave home.........on the 12th of Never! They love royal caribbean. So do we!

[Daghis]

We started with Celebrity before sailing on a Royal Caribbean ship. That one was the Viking Serenade and it wasn't a good example of what a Royal Caribbean cruise could be like. After that, we sailed Princess and Carnival, before trying the Liberty of the Seas and then falling in love with Royal Caribbean. We've been "loyal to Royal" ever since.

[kyriecat]

My first cruise was on Royal Caribbean and I took several more with them after that. Then I wanted an itinerary that RC didn't offer so I tried Celebrity. I went back to RC for a while then they cancelled two of my cruises so I tried HAL because I needed another cruise with the same dates that RC cancelled. Now I'm booking cruises based on itinerary and a price that I like. If RC has it, then I'll book with them. If not, I'm willing to try another cruiseline.

[Kesstral]

My first and only cruise has been with Royal, and hubby has sailed twice with them (although he claims being dragged on catalina island/baja mexico cruise by his parents at 17 doesn't count because he was bored).

 

I'm looking to book our next cruise with Royal and maybe the next after that, but itinerary and price will be important. For example I want to go back to Alaska to Glacier Bay and Royal doesn't got there as well as a pacific coast cruise to LA (hubby's family is there and we are in Vancouver so two-birds/one stone) which they don't service.

[skandls]

First cruise was on the QE2, first class. All downhill after that. ;)

 

Me too. Reality shock - next cruise was on Carnival (not a good experience). Then Royal Caribbean - really enjoyed the old Song of Norway.

[molly361]

Our first cruise was on the Britanis, I don't even know what line that is/was. Next was Royal Majesty which was not RCL, maybe the Imperial Line but not sure about that either.

 

After that it was a couple of Cunard ships. I had a friend that worked for Cunard when they had their office in NYC. All we had to pay was port and taxes. That was nice!!! Also was a very long time ago!!!!

[cruiseguy1016]

Our Fire Department planned a cruise as part of our 75th anniversary celebration in 2001. DW and I had never been on one before and wanted to try it. We had no input in the planning or itinerary. The cruise was booked on the Enchantment so that's how we connected with RCI. We have stayed with RCI since then and have not tried any other line. People ask us why we don't try something else and our answer is because we like what RCI has to offer. They have a great loyalty program. We have never found anything that we don't like about RCI. As long as they continue to offer itineraries that appeal to us at a reasonable price, we probably won't change. Other lines may offer things that are better than RCI i.e. food, on board experience etc. but we have no complaints with RCI so why change?

[StlGal]

First cruise was with Disney (did not take any kids). Still the best cruise ever - food, service, etc. After that one Carnival (not so good), and then the rest have been RCCL. Like the product that RCCL has to offer and they have a good C&A program that keeps us coming back.

[OKC Cruisers]

Carnival for our first two, then on to RC. Tried one Celebrity because of the itinerary. For now, we like Royal as our primary line, but we would go with another if the price/itinerary were what we wanted.

[mchcruiser1000]

Yes, first two were with Royal. This past summer we tried Carnival (Royal doesn't sail out of Galveston in the summer) and by day 2 DW was saying she prefered Royal. Not long after DD agreed, so on to Allure next summer. Not sure for our Alaska cruise for the summer following, but probably stick with Royal.

[smoosh21]

We have theory that people tend to stick with the first cruiseline they experience. We took our first cruise in 1996 and it was with RCCL. Since then we have taken 27 of our 43 cruises with RCCL. We think that RCCL is literally making people miss the boat when they have no ship deployed year round on the West Coast when it could be the first cruise that someone experiences and then they would be very loyal to RCCL. We think that RCCL us trading short term profits in Europe for long term market share in the US and giving that first cruise experience to Carnival, Princess and HAL. What are your opinions?

 

Nope Carnival first. Didn't like it

A few years later tried HAL, and loved it. Royal was actually 4th cruise line, but lately we have traveled either Royal or Celebrity. I am about to earn Diamond on Royal, and figure I can make Diamond Plus in 3 more years (especially if I do a TA each year). Once I am Diamond Plus, I will probably spend more time on Celebrity than I do now.

[2thesea]

My 1st cruise was on the Sun Princess in 1985 :) It was an amazing cruise! I then went on to on RCCL, Carnival and Disney. Cruising continues to be my only form of a real vacation. All wonderful experiences!

[pdlove2cruise]

My first cruise was on RCI and I have stuck with them ever since (as you can see by my signature)!

[loubetti]

My first cruise was with Costa on the Riviera in 1985 (no complaints), next was with Home Lines on the MV Atlantic in 1987, and third was with Cunard on QE2 in 1992. After that it was a bunch on Cunard, Celebrity, Regal, et al (see below my signature). I have yet to go on RCI, but would like to try the Oasis / Allure, as I am Diamond on RCI based on my Celebrity status!

 

I guess as being an American of Italian descent, my TA made a good choice suggesting Costa for my first cruise! It was interesting, as the Costa Riviera used to be the former Guglielmo Marconi for Lloyd Triestino. Marconi, of course, invented the "wireless", and I was a radio DJ at the time and then lived on a street named after him! Good work, Shirley!

[mare73]

Our first (and so far, only) cruise was last November on a 4-night with Disney.

 

In two weeks we'll be embarking on Enchantment (Bermuda-Boston-Newport) for an 8-night and last month I went ahead and booked an 8-night for October 2013 on Grandeur (New England/Canada).

 

The ease of a port close to home (Baltimore) was enticing but we're also excited about cruising to places we haven't been before.

[lrn2cruise]

No......My 1st cruise was with NCL out of Houston in 1998 called the Texerbbean and the ship was Norwegian Sea and I call it "The Ghetto Ship". It could have been my last if it was not for the internet and me seeing the RCCL website of The Freedom of the Seas around 2004 or so. My goal was to get on FOS and I did. Next I want to go on Oasis/Allure