Convince me to try RCI

[big al]

I agree with many who post that you have to decide which line to cruise. With many people having a favorite line (loyalist), you will only get their biased opinion. Personally, I don't understand fully understand brand loyalty for all cruises. I'm loyal to my God, my Country, and my family. A cruise line is a business, not my friend.

 

I have been saying this for YEARS here on CC, and some people blast me...I always ask: do you dine at the same restaurant ALL THE TIME? Do you stay at the same hotel chain ALL THE TIME ( I have preferences like Marriott & Sheraton due to perqs, but I will stay at Holiday Inn, Hilton, etc..) ? How can you experience what other cruise lines offer if you ONLY cruise RCI, or Princess, or HAL?? I am Diamond on RCI, Red on Carnival, Bronze on NCL, etc...I am leaving on the Disney Dream this Sun for 4 nights ( Disney ships, service, food & shows are AMAZING!!)...I'm puzzled at people who cruise their first time on CCL, or RCI, or whatever line, love it, then never cruise another cruise line....For example,IMHO I can tell you the Chocolate Melting Cake on Carnival blows away anything Royal has, and the escargots in Le Bistro on NCL, as well as the fruit fondue ( a dessert with a carved bottom of a pineapple with lots of different fruit inside which you dip in a warm chocolate fondue..WOW!!) are both to die for...HAL had crepes they cooked near the Explorer's Lounge that were delightful...also I think both Castaway Cay ( Disney) and Half- Moon Cay ( HAL) are by far the nicest private islands, and I have been to all of them numerous times on my soon to be 29 cruises...as I always say- variety is the spice of life...don't be afraid to try another cruise line- we have cruised ALL but Costa of the mainstream lines, and man are they different...we never had a bad cruise, just different...IMO....

 

Big Al

[DevonianCruiser]

I have been saying this for YEARS here on CC, and some people blast me...I always ask: do you dine at the same restaurant ALL THE TIME? Do you stay at the same hotel chain ALL THE TIME ( I have preferences like Marriott & Sheraton due to perqs, but I will stay at Holiday Inn, Hilton, etc..) ? How can you experience what other cruise lines offer if you ONLY cruise RCI, or Princess, or HAL?? I am Diamond on RCI, Red on Carnival, Bronze on NCL, etc...I am leaving on the Disney Dream this Sun for 4 nights ( Disney ships, service, food & shows are AMAZING!!)...I'm puzzled at people who cruise their first time on CCL, or RCI, or whatever line, love it, then never cruise another cruise line....For example,IMHO I can tell you the Chocolate Melting Cake on Carnival blows away anything Royal has, and the escargots in Le Bistro on NCL, as well as the fruit fondue ( a dessert with a carved bottom of a pineapple with lots of different fruit inside which you dip in a warm chocolate fondue..WOW!!) are both to die for...HAL had crepes they cooked near the Explorer's Lounge that were delightful...also I think both Castaway Cay ( Disney) and Half- Moon Cay ( HAL) are by far the nicest private islands, and I have been to all of them numerous times on my soon to be 29 cruises...as I always say- variety is the spice of life...don't be afraid to try another cruise line- we have cruised ALL but Costa of the mainstream lines, and man are they different...we never had a bad cruise, just different...IMO....

 

Big Al

 

Very true Big Al.

 

I love trying different ships, as well as different cruise lines, as well as different itineraries. I look for the best deal that suits me every time. It is nearly always different.

 

I've tried most of the cruise lines, there are some I would favour going back over others, but there are a lot of things to consider each time.

 

What you see is . . . What you know . . . so give different things a go :D

[big al]

Very true Big Al.

 

I love trying different ships, as well as different cruise lines, as well as different itineraries. I look for the best deal that suits me every time. It is nearly always different.

 

I've tried most of the cruise lines, there are some I would favour going back over others, but there are a lot of things to consider each time.

 

What you see is . . . What you know . . . so give different things a go :D

 

Exactly..well said..I have favorites, but now we consider ports, price, deals, etc..different strokes for different folks ( courtesy of Sly Stone).....BTW, is that Devon,England?

[DevonianCruiser]

Exactly..well said..I have favorites, but now we consider ports, price, deals, etc..different strokes for different folks ( courtesy of Sly Stone).....BTW, is that Devon,England?

 

Yes that's correct. I'm in North Devon, about 40 miles up from Plymouth :)

[voyager89]

Geez why is some people so mean? If you cant say anything nice...

 

Even I have not sailed any other line but Rc I am sure I would convince someone eager to try RC, or even a new cruiser, to start off with them. Specially doing the Oasis. Having the biggest cruise ship ever is something that no other line can take pride off. There is just so much to see, do, eat, so many places to be at, you just can beat that. I am pretty much a new cruiser, but having sailed on Oasis I think I can do any other ship. If you try RCI with any other ship, you MIGHT not feel any difference, and maybe you will want to stick to Princess. But trying them out with Oasis, Im pretty sure will make you stay.

[ORANGEinINDY]

In the spitit of National Lampoon...

Cruise on Royal, or we'll kill this dog

Convinced yet?:eek:

[big al]

Yes that's correct. I'm in North Devon, about 40 miles up from Plymouth :)

 

Beautiful area..I go to the UK alot because I'm friends with Status Quo..I will be seeing them in Brighton & O2 in London in December..I have been coming over every year since '93...guess you could say I'm "Rocking All Over The UK', lol......one of my best friend's father lives in Devon- her Mum ( yes, I know how to spell MOM...) lives in Bromley, near London, where she grew up as well...soon I will be sipping a pint in a cozy pub eating my fish & chips , or my steak pie....cheers...

 

Alan

[FOXTROT]

RCCL & Princess are more alike than not. There are minor differences but not that much. IMHO:rolleyes:

[big al]

Geez why is some people so mean? If you cant say anything nice...

 

Even I have not sailed any other line but Rc I am sure I would convince someone eager to try RC, or even a new cruiser, to start off with them. Specially doing the Oasis. Having the biggest cruise ship ever is something that no other line can take pride off. There is just so much to see, do, eat, so many places to be at, you just can beat that. I am pretty much a new cruiser, but having sailed on Oasis I think I can do any other ship. If you try RCI with any other ship, you MIGHT not feel any difference, and maybe you will want to stick to Princess. But trying them out with Oasis, Im pretty sure will make you stay.

 

You are missing the point...I was just on the Allure in Feb. and going on Oasis next Oct. for my wife's b'day...if you only cruise one line you'll NEVER experience the OTHER wonders of cruising..example: remember the FIRST time you went out to dinner? Let's say you liked the meal & the place... Did you go again & again to the same restaurant the next 100 nights, or did you TRY another restaurant?? I would guess you ate some place DIFFERENT, right? I see you are from Mexico City..my wife is from Peru..if I went to visit you in Mexico City and you gave us some places to eat, you wouldn't expect me to eat at the same restaurant every night, would you?? That would be silly...I would want to sample all the different kinds of dining venues, not just one...that's what people are saying..so yes, now that you sailed Oasis, you started at the biggest ships in the world...many people BTW didn't like the Oasis/ Allure because they felt it was "too" big, too many $$ restaurants..another said they don't need malls, lines, rides & parks on a cruise ship...I LOVED Oasis, AND Allure & Freedom & Liberty Of The Seas....my wife would tell you ( in Spanish, no doubt!) that she has loved all the cruise lines we've sailed, especially Princess & Disney, even though we are Diamond on Royal...I urge you to discover all the different cruise lines, even if you think RCI is the best- don't worry, you can always come back...they're not going away!!

 

Big Al

[big al]

RCCL & Princess are more alike than not. There are minor differences but not that much. IMHO:rolleyes:

 

Agreed..I found main differences are in the ships themselves, and maybe entertainment I think RCI has the edge...but food & service we found very similar....unlike Carnival & HAL, which are MILES APART... or Disney & Celebrity, also waaayyy apart....

[Blk_Amish]

Geez why is some people so mean? If you cant say anything nice...

 

Even I have not sailed any other line but Rc I am sure I would convince someone eager to try RC, or even a new cruiser, to start off with them. Specially doing the Oasis. Having the biggest cruise ship ever is something that no other line can take pride off. There is just so much to see, do, eat, so many places to be at, you just can beat that. I am pretty much a new cruiser, but having sailed on Oasis I think I can do any other ship. If you try RCI with any other ship, you MIGHT not feel any difference, and maybe you will want to stick to Princess. But trying them out with Oasis, Im pretty sure will make you stay.

 

You will find many people spend so much time focsuing about the bad about the line they don't like or defending the reputation of the one they like, they miss what truly specail about their choice. I have sailed RCL 8x, Princess 2x, Carnival 4x. So why try RCL?

 

First, to see ships that are designed with over the top imagination. They incorpoarte some of your neat land features on deck. Crew- RCL recruits primarily in the Caribbean. You will find the staff more than cordial but friendly. This could be a result of the island vibe in the air. For these reasons RCL is always my first choice for crusing but I never limit myself. OMGOSH, Quest show, gotta ssee it at least once, so I like the entertainment. RCL, stands out and leads the industry in design, so worth experiencing at least ONCE. I would not pay twice as much for RCL than Carnival but for a few hundred dollars, definately. I love the design!

Edited October 29, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[DevonianCruiser]

Beautiful area..I go to the UK alot because I'm friends with Status Quo..I will be seeing them in Brighton & O2 in London in December..I have been coming over every year since '93...guess you could say I'm "Rocking All Over The UK', lol......one of my best friend's father lives in Devon- her Mum ( yes, I know how to spell MOM...) lives in Bromley, near London, where she grew up as well...soon I will be sipping a pint in a cozy pub eating my fish & chips , or my steak pie....cheers...

 

Alan

 

Yes it's truly beautiful, especially the coastline. It's a very busy tourist destination, but without doubt if we had better weather it would be one of the most popular places in the world. That's pretty cool you know Status Quo - they were once on Coronation a Street and very funny. They always seem like nice girls.

No greater pastime than relaxing in a pub with an ale and a meal :cool:

 

P.S? It's mum - always :)

[Blk_Amish]

Agreed..I found main differences are in the ships themselves, and maybe entertainment I think RCI has the edge...but food & service we found very similar....unlike Carnival & HAL, which are MILES APART... or Disney & Celebrity, also waaayyy apart....

 

Lol, except for design of ship, I found more similarities than difference RCl and Carnival. RCl gave me some of the elegance of Princess and the fun of Carnival but not at a price I can always afford. I see the difference more in blocks not miles. I recently sailed Carnival Magic, prior to that mariner of the sea and prior Princess. I did not care for the food on Princess. Most dishes in the mdr were bland and saucy. The food on RCl, overall good. Carnival had some great ones but others so-so. I am an above average cook and started cruising when every meal on a ship was something to phone home about.

 

Basically, last three cruises on different lines. Mainstream lines are what they are, more overall similarities than differences. They exploit cheap labor and cook for way too many people. Food prepare for you and your 2000 closest friends!

 

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Edited November 1, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[shaunap999]

I have done over 30 cruises with Royal and am sick to the back teeth with their menus, and now just booked NCL for Feb because I speak to so many people who in Royal have travelled NCL... the reason a lot of people stay loyal to Riyal is their rewards programme is second to none and no one else comes close to matching it. That's said I am excited to try the Escape, but then I follow it with Royals Harmony...

 

 

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[tiessa]

I've only been on RCI and Princess so I can't compare any others. RCI cruises are much more organized! They go off with much fewer glitches than Princess. I found the ships and the entertainment to be about the same. I prefer the food, both quality and variety, to Princess. I also have found RCI's staff to be a lot better. The service with the cabin was equal but away from the cabin, RCI has service beat by a mile! I see RCI as a superior line overall. Try it. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

 

 

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[DevonianCruiser]

RC and NCL are both great cruise lines, quite different and like everything they have good and bad points, but overall they I'm very happy on either.

 

Only comment on NCL I would say is I never think the main dining is that good. They gear you up for the speciality restaurants so may be worth getting a package if you can.

[squadron]

Why do we have to convince you? if you think it's not for you, just skip it. After all it's your money.

 

Do some research on the website about the particular ship you may go on - same for ports. If you have to be convinced by a stranger you won't have a good time. Make up your own mind.