To Royal Caribbean Or Not To Royal Caribbean... That Is The Question

[TheAvidCruiser]

Hey Everyone,

 

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

Glyn

[novicetraveller]

Hey Everyone,

 

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

Glyn

 

I went on my first cruise with a friend of mine who was celebrating his 40th birthday. Since then, cruising has been the only type of holiday I would consider.

 

Regarding too much going on.... quite possibly. You won't be expected to do them all on one cruise. You chose what you want to do from a wide range of options that are presented... most importantly.... at your own pace. If you miss a few things, then you have an excuse to go back on that cruise and do the things you have missed. It's a trap :eek:. Only kidding. It's pretty much a holiday on a ship.... with the opportunity to explore ports if you want.

 

If you want to spend all day on a lounger topping up your tan, you can do that. If you want to go to a premium restaurant and eat there rather than the main dining room or even the Windjammer, you can do that too.

 

If you want to get off the ship and explore the port, you can do that.... or you don't have to.

 

You can do as little or as much as you want on a cruise, irrespective on what cruise line you go with.

[TheAvidCruiser]

Thanks novicetraveller,

I really appreciate the response. I think that it is definitely a cruise line to try out just when is the next part :)

Glyn

[MicCanberra]

for a first cruise, the line doesn't matter.

Pick the itinerary you want and when the timing and price are satisfactory, book it. If the itinerary doesn't matter, then just worry about the second two.

[Clarea]

Hey Everyone,

 

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

Glyn

Give it a try once, no one knows better than you what you will enjoy.

Edited January 29, 2016 by clarea

[jticarruthers]

Worth a try, I have been happy with RCI but starting to lose my loyalty to the brand.

 

Still think its a great vacation option, but the proposition is no longer the "clear best" to me, certainly still one I prefer though :)

[novicetraveller]

Thanks novicetraveller,

I really appreciate the response. I think that it is definitely a cruise line to try out just when is the next part :)

Glyn

 

No problem. :). It can seem overwhelming. All I can say is go with an open mind. Don't read any ship reviews before going on the cruise, as you may find one or two (or even more) that may put you off. It is better to judge a ship by your experiences and not by others.

 

By saying that, please do let us know how your first cruise goes. :)

[LuCruise]

Beautiful classy ships with lots of options and top notch entertainment. But you can do as much or as little as you'd like to do. There are also lots of ships wtihin Royal so you'd need to look and see what suits you. If you want more of a cruise experience with relaxing and water, maybe one of the smaller ships would be good for you. If youw want the best entertainment with different neighbourhoods, then you could try Oasis class (or Quantum without the neighbourhoods).

 

I've only been on Royal and Disney so can't compare the food. But you'll get different opinions on those. But there are certainly tons of options (complimentary and extra charge)

Edited January 29, 2016 by LuCruise

[kontraxed]

I have cruised on Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and also once on Princess. Each has their individual strengths. Based on reputation as a booze cruise (perhaps no longer valid) I won't cruise on Carnival. I live near Houston, Texas so we are fortunate to have two cruise ports right nearby. I like Royal Caribbean and they sail out of Houston so they are pretty much who I sail with. I don't know that I have ever seen an entire ship from one end to the other because I'm too busy relaxing, eating pretty good food and watching pretty good entertainment. I wish RCCL would expand their itineraries out of Houston but they have enough to keep me coming back. You've just got to do your own reviews and figure out what's best for you. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've never been on a bad cruise with any line!

[George C]

RCCL is my favorite line, I have cruised Hal, Costa, MSC, NCL, Carnival , Princess and Celebrity , along with some lines that no longer sail, but I do think RCCL is best overall line, great entertainment, Ice shows are amazing, might cruise other lines but always go back to RCCL

[KiwiGal117]

I think it depends on your stage in life as well. Disney is supposed to be fabulous if you have kids. We almost booked a Disney Med cruise for this summer, but went with Harmony instead as our son is now 12, and I figured that as much as he would like Disney, the bells and whistles on Harmony would be more impressive for all of us. If my husband and I were cruising without our son, I'd love to try Celebrity. It seems a bit more upscale and more adult oriented. If I win the lottery one day, Crystal is on the bucket list! Because you are in the UK, you do have plenty of choices close by, or a short flight away.

[Aquahound]

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

It's easy to think there is so much going on because when you think Royal Caribbean nowadays, you think of Quantum, Oasis, Freedom or Voyager Class ships. There's another side to RCI though....Radiance, Vision and Sovereign Class ships. These ships aren't chock full of physical activities and most of the entertainment and activities are basically cruise ship standard.

 

That said, the new ships have a wow factor I have not experienced on any other line. The entertainment is the best at sea and while there is a lot going on, there's nothing saying you have to partake.

[Midwestgal]

No one should have to convince you to try it, either do or don't . Only you will know if you liked it as everyone likes something different .

[LisaAtlCruiser]

While there are activities you can join if you choose - you really don't need to. The ships are big (even the small ones) so there are always places to go just to read and relax. I love cruising as you really can do as much or little as you want. And I tend toward the "little" side.

[MommaBear55]

I keep thinking I should branch out and cheat on Royal Caribbean to see if others are better. We have done Celebrity twice and found them to be a snooze, although we did enjoy the live music and good. Princess was over the top in decoration and formality for us.

 

However, I am really happy with Royal Caribbean. We have sailed from Vision class to Anthem class. Each class is slightly different, but we always have the cruise we want, whether it be relaxing or super active. We are not organized activity people, but there is lots to do for those who want it. We really like the live musicians. We have really enjoyed 90% of the shows and 90% of our meals. That really exceeds our expectations. I love the way the staff treats the passengers (well, except for Quantum, but that was still a new ship with new staff.) We are still really looking forward to our Anthem cruise. I think RCI designs their ships to minimize crowding. There is really nothing we don't like. Try it and judge for yourself!

[Aquahound]

However, I am really happy with Royal Caribbean. We have sailed from Vision class to Anthem class.

 

That's a great thing RCI has going for themselves. They have 6 ship classes that are very different from one another (I say 6 because Voyager and Freedom are so similar). Other cruise lines have only a few different ship classes or keep expanding on the same old design, which creates sameness across their whole fleet. That's boring.

[lakelorain]

Spend some time with a travel agent who does a lot of cruise business. He/she will ask you questions about what you like to do and where you want to go. She/he will give you suggestions regarding cruise lines and specific ships that fit you. There is no obligation or charge for this.

Edited January 29, 2016 by lakelorain

[cb at sea]

There is no law that says you must do ANYTHING at all on your cruise! Sit in a lounger all day, every day, if you want!

[Lanzalady]

Hey Everyone,

 

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

Glyn

I can understand where you are coming from Glyn. Comparing Royal Caribbean to say - P & O, you would think that the experience would be totally different as the ships are completely different. But as other posters have said, on an RCI cruise, you can do as much or as little as you want and there is plenty of space to be in with the crowd or totally alone. We also worried that it might all be too much for us as we are not party people and tend to keep to ourselves but we loved the choices available. We did RCI in 2014 and then tried a P & O cruise last year and this year we are back with RCI. There are generally a lot fewer Brits on RCI cruises - even those travelling to the European destinations but we thoroughly enjoyed cruising the Mediterranean and watching the world go by from our balcony cabin. Worth a try anyway!

[jagsfan]

I don't know what you enjoyed on your other cruises, so it would be hard to judge what you would like on Royal.

Expect beautiful ships, very good entertainment, especially on Oasis class ships, lots of fellow passengers, but good crowd control. Late night events for night owls, but not party hardy noisy all night people keeping you awake.

Plenty of free and fee based places to eat.

I look at itinerary, then price. There are lower and higher priced cruise lines, so ho where your priorities take you.

[COMBOY]

Hey Everyone,

 

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

Glyn

 

As a young kid I used to love to watch the TV series Love Boat. I beg my parents to take me on one of those ships, but to no avail. They thought I was crazy. My parents were pretty middleclass and cruises to them were for the rich and beautiful. Well, finally I wore them down and my mom (Dad didn't want to go) took me on my first cruise for my senior high school graduation gift. My mother book us on Royal Caribbean MS Song of Norway out of Miami in 1980. Travel agent told her that RCI was the best cruise line and it sure was. I was so excited. Anyway...I thought I died and gone to heaven once I boarded the ship. The food, entertainment, ship, service was simply incredible. I was hooked. We came back and told my dad about what a wonderful time we had and we were going again the following year and taking him. We did and he loved it! As far as your question is there "too much going on?" - huh?? A cruise is as much or as little as you want. If you just want to just lie about the pool or stay in your cabin you can do that for a whole week; but I doubt your would want to. Maybe book one of RCI's smaller ships like Serenade or Brilliance as the Oasis or Allure is pretty big if you are worried about being overwhelmed. But whatever you decide don't wait for sometime in the future. There is nothing better than the present. I've been on over 30+ cruises since 1980 and plan many more in the future. RCI has always been my favorite line; but I've on all the major lines. I would rate RCI #1, Celebrity #2 and Princess #3. Don't care much for either Carnival or NCL.

[Thoie]

I went solo on my first cruise aged 34 with RCI and haven't looked back since.

 

On my first cruise I don't think I went to any of the entertainment, and mainly hung around reading, swimming and generally lounging when not in port.

 

As time has gone on I try more and more things each cruise. I discovered CC somewhere around my 4th cruise and have made some great friends along the way.

 

Unless you want the ship to be the destination (which I did with the Allure last year), I think finding an itinerary you like at a price you're happy with is the best plan.

 

My only experience of P&O was being docked beside them thus year, where they were having an extremely loud Rule Brittania party, complete with Union Jack everything (miniature flags, clothing, you name it). It really put me off them, but I'm hoping that's not a 24/7 thing :)

 

Fred Olsen also seem ridiculously English to me, but maybe that's their appeal.

[Thetrail]

Hey Everyone,

 

I don't know if anyone else has the same thoughts as me but I am always contemplating whether taking a Royal Caribbean cruise. I mean they look fantastic and have tons going on but then I just think - is this too much going on? It's on my bucket list but keeps slipping further and further down with all other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it. Can anyone convince me or give me reasons to why I should take one.

 

Glyn

So you say that "all the other cruise lines and itineraries surpassing it"......First of all says who? And second how would you know?.....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[LuCruise]

No one should have to convince you to try it, either do or don't . Only you will know if you liked it as everyone likes something different .

Is that Julie McCoy? [emoji12]

 

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

[jmf123]

Is that Julie McCoy? [emoji12]

 

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

 

Hehe, I was going to tell Midwestgal that she looks so familiar! :D