Thinking about Jumping Ship

[Drew's Wife]

Sherri - Nice to see you - I hope that you enjoy RCI as much as we do, although we have never been on Brilliance.

 

Tomorrow a poster named Trainman-2 will be on the ship and he will be doing his usual live from ... You would also get a lot of information from him. Jan

 

PS - We have been on the Radiance twice and it remains one of our favorites!

 

 

 

Hi There, So nice to hear from you! Thanks for the information. I will be sure and look for the live review...There is another one that I am already following....Stay warm up there!

[Drew's Wife]

Jan, Since you have sailed with RCCL before...Do you think that Drew and I will look out of place if we dress for dinner each evening? It's just part of cruising for us and with "dumbing down" the MDR at Carnival we just decided that it was time to make a change....

[pe4all]

We have our first RCCL cruise next week on Freedom. We have switched lines recently - more just to see what was out there, as we are super easy-going and it takes a lot to get us upset! Every line has had cut-backs. We hear this when we chat with other cruisers while other ships are in port with us. After 3 cruises in a row on Disney my kids wanted a change. After 16 in a row on CCL (experiencing pretty much every class of ship they have, and every show and port) we decided to change and try NCL. We enjoyed that experience, and booked another NCL cruise for August. We are expecting great things on the Freedom next week. We are not foodies, but are looking forward to a change in menus, shows, activities, and even excursions. We splurged on a suite (at Christmas, no less!) and are looking forward to experiencing the Concierge Lounge each day. I am especially excited to try two new ports for us - Labadee and Falmouth. (have been to Jamaica around 6 times - but never to Falmouth) If we enjoy Royal, and I have no doubts we will - we are open to booking another for next Christmas. Variety is the spice of life - and as we get older we realize that loyalty can be split between many lines!

[LEtue]

Ref the loss of table clothes on CCL, the only way I can see that is a cheapening of the dining experience. They can use any euphemism they want to explain it, but the bottom line is, it's cheap.

 

Wow, I agree and can't imagine eating in the main dining room without table clothes!

 

OP, you will love the Brilliance! I was debating between the Valor and the Summit for 2015 and so glad I didn't book the Valor :)

[Clarea]

Jan' date=' Since you have sailed with RCCL before...Do you think that Drew and I will look out of place if we dress for dinner each evening? It's just part of cruising for us and with "dumbing down" the MDR at Carnival we just decided that it was time to make a change....[/quote']

You won't be out of place at all.

[matj2000]

There are many people that spread their cruising on different lines and then there is a contingent of people that are 100% loyal to Royal, have never cruised on Carnival and rip Carnival to shreds on this board. It's one thing to be upset with a cruise line because of cutbacks that matter to you and make a switch, it's another to belittle something when you have not had first hand knowledge cruising on that particular line.

 

 

This is very well said..

Too many people cruising with "RC colored blinders" on.

[meatloafsfan]

I don't think so....my understanding is that escargot has been cut from the new menus!

 

Escargot is still on one of the Carnival menus. And perhaps, because it's served 1 night, they will actually serve it (instead of substituting like Royal did - listed in on the menu every night but never had it).

[Ocean Boy]

Op, good choice. You're going to love the Brilliance. RCI's Radiance Class ships are gorgeous. Other than the beautiful ship, not decorated in purples, golds and pinks, you'll love all the live entertainment.

 

Ref the loss of table clothes on CCL, the only way I can see that is a cheapening of the dining experience. They can use any euphemism they want to explain it, but the bottom line is, it's cheap.

 

My view on table cloths is at least they go through the laundry. I tend to prefer that over a table top that gets wiped down with a dirty sponge being wrung out in a dirty bucket of water.

[delacruz]

Jan' date=' Since you have sailed with RCCL before...Do you think that Drew and I will look out of place if we dress for dinner each evening? It's just part of cruising for us and with "dumbing down" the MDR at Carnival we just decided that it was time to make a change....[/quote']

 

Sherrie, I often 'lurk' on the fashion boards, and am very familiar with your beautiful gowns and Drew's always 'spiffy' in a suit, tux or military uniform. You will not feel out of place on a Royal Caribbean cruise! Yes, like most mainstream cruiselines, there will be those who choose to not participate, but plenty still do.

 

And yes, many of the cruiselines, including RCCL, have had cutbacks over the years that have somewhat taken away from the experiences of the past. For myself, I'm FAR from being ready to jump ship from RCCL- each class of ship has such a WOW factor in its own right (not ONLY the megaships are amazing), and I think you'll enjoy many years of exploring them all.

 

The Radiance (sister to the Brilliance) got us hooked on cruising - it's elegant, comfortable and in touch with the sea - all at the same time!

[F27TW]

We love the smaller ships and five day cruises as they are perfect for us.. We are thinking about the Brilliance of The Seas and would love to know as much information as possible. Photos of the ship and canins and any cabins that would be very quiet on the ship. Thank you for any help. I know CC folks are always so nice and helpful and hope that I can find out plenty of information that will encourage to book the cruise. Thank you again.

 

What ??!! :eek::p

[Drew's Wife]

Sherrie, I often 'lurk' on the fashion boards, and am very familiar with your beautiful gowns and Drew's always 'spiffy' in a suit, tux or military uniform. You will not feel out of place on a Royal Caribbean cruise! Yes, like most mainstream cruiselines, there will be those who choose to not participate, but plenty still do.

 

And yes, many of the cruiselines, including RCCL, have had cutbacks over the years that have somewhat taken away from the experiences of the past. For myself, I'm FAR from being ready to jump ship from RCCL- each class of ship has such a WOW factor in its own right (not ONLY the megaships are amazing), and I think you'll enjoy many years of exploring them all.

 

The Radiance (sister to the Brilliance) got us hooked on cruising - it's elegant, comfortable and in touch with the sea - all at the same time!

 

Thank you so much...I appreciate this so much...and I'll be sure and let Drew know that he is "spiffy"....I think he is too!:) I also appreciate that everyone has been so kind with their replies....I know that to some this would be a very silly reason to stop cruising with a particular line, but to us it is just the last thing we ever thought we would see. Thank you again.

[Sailor_Sally]

I have sailed both lines many times . You will like RCL . It is a little more formal than CCL but still fairly casual. Apparently a lot of people are upset about the tablecloths so they are rethinking their decision.

[Drew's Wife]

I see that there is a poll on JH Facebook page about this very thing. I didn't think this was going to go over very well. Hope they haven't thrown out all their tablecloths just yet!:)

[Cshgrand]

Sherrie, I often 'lurk' on the fashion boards, and am very familiar with your beautiful gowns and Drew's always 'spiffy' in a suit, tux or military uniform. You will not feel out of place on a Royal Caribbean cruise! Yes, like most mainstream cruiselines, there will be those who choose to not participate, but plenty still do.

 

^^ pretty much what I was going to say. You always look very elegant in the outfits you post.

 

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[Jan_In_Maine]

Sherrie, I often 'lurk' on the fashion boards, and am very familiar with your beautiful gowns and Drew's always 'spiffy' in a suit, tux or military uniform. You will not feel out of place on a Royal Caribbean cruise! Yes, like most mainstream cruiselines, there will be those who choose to not participate, but plenty still do.

 

And yes, many of the cruiselines, including RCCL, have had cutbacks over the years that have somewhat taken away from the experiences of the past. For myself, I'm FAR from being ready to jump ship from RCCL- each class of ship has such a WOW factor in its own right (not ONLY the megaships are amazing), and I think you'll enjoy many years of exploring them all.

 

The Radiance (sister to the Brilliance) got us hooked on cruising - it's elegant, comfortable and in touch with the sea - all at the same time!

 

I too don't think I could say it better - Sherrie - I don't believe that you will feel out of place at all. I look forward to hearing about your cruise when you get back.

 

PS - It is cold here and we have about a foot of snow today .. I'd love to be in Florida right now!! Jan

[Drew's Wife]

I too don't think I could say it better - Sherrie - I don't believe that you will feel out of place at all. I look forward to hearing about your cruise when you get back.

 

PS - It is cold here and we have about a foot of snow today .. I'd love to be in Florida right now!! Jan

 

Well stay warm....we went to a Christmas Pagent today and I was so hot getting ready that I had to have Drew turn the air down some more!!!

[Cruising89143]

I don't think so....my understanding is that escargot has been cut from the new menus! So far I have heard nothing bad about the "Brilliance of The Seas"' date=' so we are really looking forward to a bit of a change.

 

Should Carnival decide to bring back some of the the we miss....we would be first in line to sail with them again.[/quote']

 

Well from reading this thread it seems as though it has gone from bad to worse with their new dining. This is nothing more than more cost cuts. I just wonder how long it will be before Carnival alienates the remainder of their loyal cruisers.

 

This is not just one person complaining but several.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1956362

[Ocean Boy]

Well from reading this thread it seems as though it has gone from bad to worse with their new dining. This is nothing more than more cost cuts. I just wonder how long it will be before Carnival alienates the remainder of their loyal cruisers.

 

This is not just one person complaining but several.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1956362

 

Hopefully, a long time. Too many people jumping ship is not good for the supply/demand and pricing pressures for the rest of us. I am already paying more for my next cruise on Allure than I have ever paid for a cruise in the past.

 

Today is the final payment date. If a fire sale appears within the next few days this will be the last cruise that I ever book before it is in the final payment phase.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Ocean Boy

[Rogueperson]

So pretty much, this is another Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean thread. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. I just came off the Independence of the Seas, and that's a magnificent ship.

 

It is only my second on Royal Caribbean with 4 Carnival's under my belt. I have my third Royal Caribbean booked for new years eve next year as my ticker shows. However, I will still go back to Carnival in a heart beat. My first Royal Caribbean cruise on the Jewel of the Sea underwhelmed me. Other than their innovation, I had found their service and quality to be very superficial. I'm happy to report that it was only that ship at that time. The Independence raised the bar on Royal Caribbean back to where it is in competition with other cruises again.

 

Royal Caribbean. Their ships are more subtle and elegant, but I found their energy level of the passengers lower than Carnival. I would call the decor "safe". There were a lot of older people on my 8 night cruise. Shoot, several retired people from my meet and greet group coined this the "old fogies" cruise. The food is a hair better, but for the most part, its the same. I found service on Carnival consistently better than Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean had some very high notes, but it is also accompanied by some low notes as well.

 

Carnival, on the other hand is in your face with their decor. You either love it or hate it. I think at my age, early 40s, Carnival is a better fit for me. Carnival has a more diverse crowd probably because their marketing targets the "average joe", as opposed to Royal Caribbean seems to market to a higher clientele. Carnival does tend to be more "safe" when it comes to innovation. They stick with the mains. Food, bars, lounges and pool activities where Royal Caribbean pushes the innovation envelope to new heights. I mean, an ice skating rink?!?!?!

 

So bottom line, for me, they're in the running. I will cruise with any of the main brands. Princess, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, NCL. The ones i'm slower on, Celebrity, Holland America, Azamara, I will wait a little bit, as they tend to have an older crowd onboard and I'm not at that point yet. Nothing wrong with them, but i'm not exactly their target clientele. I think if you stick with the line that caters to your demographics, be it Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival or whatever, you will not be disappointed. If you jump brands, you still won't be disappointed, but you may have to adjust your attitude a little. Its always good to see what other brands have to offer. I have not been disappointed yet.

[Ocean Boy]

 

 

Carnival does tend to be more "safe" when it comes to innovation. They stick with the mains. Food, bars, lounges and pool activities where Royal Caribbean pushes the innovation envelope to new heights. I mean, an ice skating rink?!?!?!

 

 

If you think RCI pushes the innovation envelope after sailing of Independence try a cruise on either Oasis or Allure. The Aqua Theater is awesome.

[jo24]

My mum has cruised Radiance Class ships in the past and enjoyed them very much. However, since then, she has moved to Freedom Class - still not the largest ship but so many more options.

 

I guess it is down to what suits you. Start at Brilliance and go from there :) You may find you want bigger and can try that next time or maybe start with one of the smaller ships - maybe a Vision Class - and go from there :)

 

I started with Allure and now, of course, there is nothing bigger so I am going smaller and I think I may find it a shock to the system!

 

Jo :)

[Rogueperson]

If you think RCI pushes the innovation envelope after sailing of Independence try a cruise on either Oasis or Allure. The Aqua Theater is awesome.

 

That's my point exactly. The Independence is about as old as the Oasis, yet they've already jumped again in innovation.

 

A part of me thinks they depend too much on innovation and possibly their service suffers slightly. Still, its a good selling point.

[SNJCruisers]

I started with Allure and now, of course, there is nothing bigger so I am going smaller and I think I may find it a shock to the system!

 

Jo :)

But on a positive note, it's less shock to your wallet.

[jo24]

But on a positive note, it's less shock to your wallet.

 

Very very true! Well, a 2 week TA on Indy is much more reasonable at least and will be nice to experience a different class of ship :)