thomson v royal caribbean

[supergrannyfran]

hi, we have only cruised with Thomson, but my son and daughter inlaw have now decided they would like to try cruising, but have been looking at royal Caribbean, splendour of the seas, has anyone cruised with them before, and can offer any advice, i.e. tipping, , decks, cabins ect... would appreciate any help or advice,

 

also glad to see that Berwyn is on the mend xx:)

[pressy]

We have cruised with RCI before and like all other cruises have enjoyed the experience. We booked Any time dinning, where you pay your tips in advance and a booklet of vouchers in provided in your cabin towards the end of the cruise.

Main grudge was every drink purchased had 15-17.5% added on top in tax, doesn't seem a lot but can add up by the end of the cruise.

Hope you enjoy it, we did. :)

[supergrannyfran]

do you have to pay tips on top of your cruise price, or are they included with the cost of the cruise, like you do with Thompson, if you are on a royal Caribbean cruise x

[CRUISIN LINDA]

hi, we have only cruised with Thomson, but my son and daughter inlaw have now decided they would like to try cruising, but have been looking at royal Caribbean, splendour of the seas, has anyone cruised with them before, and can offer any advice, i.e. tipping, , decks, cabins ect... would appreciate any help or advice,

 

also glad to see that Berwyn is on the mend xx:)

 

Sorry, not been on Splendour, so can't help there :(

 

We cruised on Jewel of the Seas and really enjoyed it, but Independence was another kettle of fish. It was much too big, well obviously we knew that when we booked :rolleyes: but there was just not enough room in the bars and no late show for second sitting guests, so everyone was wandering round looking for seats. I don't think we would go on RCI again, they are very keen to get your money out of you, they are not called pirates of the Caribbean for nothing :D:D

 

I can recommend Princess and Fred Olsen :)

[mark70]

Been on Splendor in 11 and enjoyed the experience. A similar age to the Thomson fleet and a bit bigger I think. Food was slightly better than Thomsons staff good. We had fixed dining which again worked but we shared a table which our teenage girls were not keen on. The biggest plus was the balcony cabin and a 11 night itinerary which included an overnight in Venice

 

Downside mainly is no Drinks plan although we bought a soft drinks package or the girls and a wine package in the restaurant which worked well. Ships tours were more expensive

 

Would we go again - yes for a change

 

Is it worth the additional cost? Probably not!

[Barkeeper]

hi, we have only cruised with Thomson, but my son and daughter inlaw have now decided they would like to try cruising, but have been looking at royal Caribbean, splendour of the seas, has anyone cruised with them before, and can offer any advice, i.e. tipping, , decks, cabins ect... would appreciate any help or advice,

 

also glad to see that Berwyn is on the mend xx:)

 

Our first cruise was on Jewel of the Seas, RCI. We really enjoyed the balcony, West End style shows in a 800 seater and sharing a dining table with the same 5 couples each evening. We became cruise buddies meeting up pre and post dinner for drinks and shows. Excursions a fair price. Hated the compulsory tipping. Americans on Cruise Critics argue this is because crew receive poor wages and work harder to gain tips over daily charges. The 15% surcharge on drinks is a complete rip off. Although I suppose they are upfront and don't just up prices. Better range of drinks than Thomson.

 

Our last cruise this August on Spirit was so different but just as enjoyable. Small ship easier to find way round with no shortage of space. Loungers always available and crew so friendly and eager to help. Food excellent in both buffet and Compass Rose. Having different table mates each evening made conversation very easy. Waiters entertainment good. Shows in the lounge were superb. Limited space and props but more than made up by great talent from the performers. A daily highlight. They also pulled out all the stops when excursions were cancelled due to a massive traffic accident. Extra events onboard were arranged with little notice, including a full length farce. It was especially good that the cruise price included no compulsory tips. I trust this is because Thomson pay their staff a decent wage. We could then reward those who had given us great service with a meaningfull tip.

 

We have cruised 4x. Twice with US lines and twice with UK. Much prefer UK system of no daily service charge regardless of level of attention.