Loyal "Royals" cruising on other lines??

[JMG]

I would be interested in knowing how you get better deals on Celebrity. We have been wanting to try them but every time I price for a similar cabin like we get on Royal, size, room features, amenities, OBC, etc., Celebrity is nearly twice as much as Royal.

 

I know we will never reach Pinnacle so we would like to try others, mainly to see other ports Royal does not sail to, but I can't seem to justify the prices!

 

Possibly by comparing Quantum/Anthem to Summit. Newer ship versus an older ship. We booked Summit while on board Quantum (before ship went to China) and Celebrity was clearly a better deal. They had the 1,2,3 Go promotion and for the price we got Beverage package, free internet, on board gratuities and OBC. Royal was cruise fare only.

[actuarian]

My wife and I are Diamond+ and, about 80% of the time, we stick with Royal. However, on occasions when we want something really luxurious, we go for the MSC Yacht Club Experience. To get anything comparable to Yacht Club service on Royal, we would have to spring for a suite that is much larger than we want or need. We could purchase 3-4 cruises in the Yacht Club for the price of a single RCCL cruise in Star Class.

[Sancho_proudfoot]

We're Royal Loyal....skipped over to Celebrity for a Panama Canal transit as RCL didn't do it.

 

Generally, quite content with the RCL offering, and while the end of "new" itineraries is looming there's a few to go.

 

Would happily change lines, though. I've been surprised by some comments from cruisers who have tried RCL after elsewhere; ,"you don't get a free lanyard" ...... doesn't have the welcoming atrium"......

 

If you want the 'same' why change lines?

[mattwright]

After reaching Diamond Plus with Royal Caribbean, I was very happy to jump ship. We've sailed with Norwegian and Princess so far and have Celebrity booked and likely MSC after that. The variety of other ships, lines, and itineraries continues to make the cruise experience more enjoyable for us.

 

Each line - and each ship within each line - has unique pros and cons that will create a different experience, and even just the process of comparing and contrasting those differences can be entertaining in itself. In our experience so far, even if we recognize more cons during the cruise, it's the pros that we actually remember more afterwards that form a lasting impression of the line, ship, and cruise.

[impatientlywaiting]

I haven't cruised a ton, but would consider myself loyal to Royal. However I am open to trying other lines to give me more variety of departure ports (like New Orleans and Boston), and sailing routes (Panama Canal). None of the status perks are worth enough to me to make me choose royal Caribbean over a more enticing or convenient cruise with another line, but I do like the "product" I get with RC and feel it is consistent enough across the ships I've sailed to know that I'll like what I get.

 

If I want to take a cruise, I start with looking at RC, but have looked at other lines if an RC ship isn't available where I want to be. For example I'm sailing NCL in a couple weeks because RC wasn't available, but I also have a future RC cruise booked.

 

 

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You're in luck - Royal is going back to New Orleans and doing the Panama Canal!

[impatientlywaiting]

Anyone who would stay with one cruiseline these days is plain St#$%d.

There is so much other stuff out there.

Do the same cruise over & over because of a few free drinks....

 

Since you don't know anyone's circumstances, or their reasons for staying with one cruise line, your comment is insulting.

[Don Pedro]

Anyone who would stay with one cruiseline these days is plain St#$%d.

There is so much other stuff out there.

Do the same cruise over & over because of a few free drinks....

 

I know several people who are sorry they didn't stick more with one line. Someone who has attained pinnacle status with RCCL or Zennith with Celebrity might say that anyone who doesn't stay with a cruiseline that they like is plain St#$%d.

 

That said, if there is an appealing itinerary not offered by your favorite cruiseline of course jump ship. But loyalty has its benefits.

Edited May 8, 2017 by Don Pedro

[cruiselvr04]

The only ports we can drive to are Galveston and New Orleans. Flying really adds to the cost and is a hassle but we do fly once a year for a cruise. Otherwise we drive...I would have sailed on Princess and tried NCL again IF they had stayed in Houston but they left before we had time to do it. I don't consider Carnival an option ( yes we have tried them about 4 times and no I won't waste my money again.)

 

30 cruises or so with 25 on RCCL. It will stay that way for a while unless some other lines come to gulf.

 

And I will jump lines for any terrific route that we want to do like Panama Canal again or South Pacific.

[ColoradoGurl]

You're in luck - Royal is going back to New Orleans and doing the Panama Canal!

 

 

I recently heard about this, that's very exciting! I will definitely book it once it's available.

 

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

I have been researching NCL for several months after reading a review comparing RC and NCL and being intrigued. The thing I find most enticing about NCL is that their prices seem quite a bit lower than RC, and include free drink packages or free dining packages (although their drink package doesn't seem as good- doesn't offer specialty coffee or bottled water and still costs $100 because you have to pay gratuity on the free package...but it's still cheaper if you're not too picky about those things).

 

You can also choose a guarantee cabin and forgo the packages if they don't interest you, making the price even lower. For people who are sailing RC for the 3 free drinks, I think NCL could draw that loyalty away with the free drink package perk. I haven't sailed them yet to know how the experience will differ, but am testing them out in about 6 weeks.

 

Also, NCL still offers some really good last minute deals, which seem to be gone from RC. For example, there are several last minute 7 night cruises on NCL offered for as low as $399-$499. When I look at comparable sailings on RC the prices are 2x or 3x as high. Of course that probably just means RC is selling better than NCL, but for people who want a good deal, it's an enticing opportunity to jump ship and try something new.

 

 

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[Charles4515]

 

Also, NCL still offers some really good last minute deals, which seem to be gone from RC. For example, there are several last minute 7 night cruises on NCL offered for as low as $399-$499. When I look at comparable sailings on RC the prices are 2x or 3x as high. Of course that probably just means RC is selling better than NCL, but for people who want a good deal, it's an enticing opportunity to jump ship and try something new.

 

 

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My opinion is you get what you pay for with NCL. It is not as good as Royal Caribbean. Unless you book in the Haven. I prefer not to book NCL. But how would I have formed my opinion if I had not booked and sailed on NCL a couple of times? You should try NCL and form your own opinion. We are not all the same. Also booking another line does not mean abandoning Royal. This year I have cruises booked on Princess and Royal.

[lynncarol]

Been diamond status for several years on RC although it took us awhile as we kept switching between RC and Celebrity and unfortunately couldn't combine the two to reach the next level. We sailed with Princess to Alaska as we wanted to see Glacier Bay Nat. Park and really enjoyed it. (Hardly missed the free drinks at all). Have taken River cruises on different lines and a Black Sea adventure on a M/Y vessel with Vantage. My husband and I have decided to focus on land travel and take a break from cruising as the ports are getting so crowded now.

[George C]

RCCL is our favorite line ( just finished 61st cruise yesterday), became diamond about 10 years ago , after becoming diamond we then had several Princess cruises and also several Hal cruises ( love that both lines left from NYC not NJ) , for last 5 cruises we are back with RCCL , have 2 more RCCL booked and 1 Celebrity . We will be diamond plus on next cruise and may or may not stay with RCCL ( would like to try MSC again for suite perks)

[kicker]

Last summer we did a Carnival cruise out of Charleston, SC as a continuation of a Myrtle Beach vacation. It was nice not to have a long drive or a flight (we're in Central NY, 5 hrs from the city, and we've done Cape Liberty a few times). I prefer Royal, but Royal had nothing comparable (our NC daughter joined us). It was a different vibe than Royal, but still enjoyable. Food was decent, entertainment was amateurish but fun, no major problems with a ship full of rednecks (except I guess for the 2 70-somethings having a cane fight in the parking lot pre-cruise, and a streaker the last night :o)..

 

We have Anthem OTS booked for October; a Disney Dream cruise in January for our 8 yr old granddaughter. As a cruise friend once remarked, she'd never been on a cruise she didn't like, and I've had the same experience.

[tink218]

My husband and I are diamond on Royal and when we cruised on Celebrity we were automatically Elite. We really enjoyed our Celebrity cruises, and are going back on the Silhouette in February of 2018. We have also cruised on Princess and NCL. Princess was fine, NCL we were in the Haven for 2 cruises and a balcony for 1 cruise. We decided unless we cruised in the Haven NCL is not for us. The Haven has just become way over priced for us now.

 

We will be back on Royal in October, sailing on the Allure. Our first Oasis class ship. We are really looking forward to it.

[Bruin Steve]

I've done 45 cruises (so far) on 8 different cruise lines. We are Diamond on RCCL, Elite Plus on Celebrity, Platinum on Princess, etc.

 

Over the years, we've learned that Celebrity is our first choice...but we go on others for various reasons...

 

It all started with our first cruise on Premier--the forerunner to Disney. Our kids were 3 and 5 and it seemed a likely choice...but, taking a family of four across country was a pricey thing for us in those days. So, when we looked for our next cruise, we wanted something cheap and close to home...and NCL had a ship doing short cruises out of LA in those days...so we tried it. Wasn't thrilled, so, for the next one, we looked for something different...and RCCL also had an old ship doing short cruises in LA in those days...Liked that one better, so went again. But, when we next wanted to move up to a 7 night cruise in the summer, most of the lines sent their west coast ships to Alaska...and Carnival was the only option doing that route--so we went with them. The next year, we felt we had a little more money and could fly to the Caribbean, so we went back to Royal...But, the next time we could budget a cruise, it was back to the Mexican Riviera thing--and the same problem, so back to Carnival.

 

Finally, in 2001, money was getting a bit freer and we wanted to take a long cruise to Europe...but, the schedules and open vacation time (we had to manage between my wife's vacation schedule, my vacation allotment and the kids' school and summer session schedules) forced us to do a 10-night Baltic with Princess. But, the following year, RCCL finally had a ship year round in LA, so back to them. Then we tried a Celebrity cruise to the Med--and absolutely loved it. So, for the next several cruises, we mostly went back and forth between Celebrity and Royal Caribbean, depending on route and schedule. But, we also discovered Oceania--which offered some incredible itineraries--so we figured we'd give them a try as well...

 

Unfortunately, RCCL/Celebrity abandoned us out here on the West Coast for the most part--so, in order to mix in some cheaper cruises from time to time (since we were now cruising more than once a year), we were sort of forced to turn back to Princess. We are actually throwing in our first HAL cruise this summer--because they were the only ones doing the desired itinerary in our time window.

 

So, really, all of our moving around has had very little to do with the loyalty programs. We tend to get good perks everywhere...and RCCL clearly does not have the best perks (aside from the free drinks). Laundry and Internet perks are much better for us on Celebrity and Princess. What it really comes down to, for us, is this: We look first at Celebrity's offerings--and if something works for us there, then, that's it...If not, we'll look to RCCL. If we're looking for a close-by cruise, we pretty much skip straight to Princess. If nothing hits us so far, we look at Oceania, then others...We don't even consider Carnival anymore. And it may take quite an opportunity to get us to return to NCL. We look first at the dates, then the itinerary...then the price, then the ship. We have done some cruises just for a particular brand new ship we want to try, but usually that is second to the itinerary.

 

Though we love getting some of the loyalty perks, we've found that, after many cruises, that all takes care of itself...And, a lot of those perks can be bought anyway. What's a free bad photo worth? Or some internet minutes? Or a free drink? You can just buy all of that and it may still work out to approximately the same budget.

 

If you've only cruised one cruise line out of some sense of "loyalty" or out of a desire to build points to your status, my advice is to not worry about that. Instead choose your cruises for the cruise itself. Try different lines. In the end, you may find there's a cruise line or two you like better. All cruise lines do a whole lot of the same stuff. But there are subtle differences. One of the most important ones (to me) is how crowded the ships are. It makes a big difference in how easy it is to get a seat at the show or in a lounge or at other venues...and in the quality of the service. But, depending on the itinerary, or, especially, if I am taking kids with me, there may be different things I look for... Thankfully, there are so many choices...

[Paulxyz2004]

Loyal Royals can´t cruise on other lines, as they wouldn´t be loyal anymore once they sail elsewhere;p

[bay guy]

We're D+ on RCI and enjoy the line's ships. Wish they'd find some different itineraries for the Oasis class ships.

I've always wanted to do a world cruise and we're doing that next year with HAL. The main reason we're cruising with them is price and itinerary. When I looked at Azamara and others, the price was 2-3 times higher and we would have to take a long flight to start the cruise versus flying a couple of hours to FLL.

It will be interesting to compare HAL service and food etc to RCI's. It will also be interesting to see how we do on a ship (Amsterdam) which is about half the size of the Oasis class ships.

If RCI had done a world cruise with a good itinerary and reasonable price, we'd be booked on one of its ships but that sure wasn't the case.

[pcur]

We are Diamond on Royal and have enjoyed all of our cruises. I was wondering how many of you that are loyal to Royal actually book with another cruise line. Do you choose the other because of the ports or price that is offered or do you just cruise with Royal because of the status that you have with them?? Just wondering:)

 

Thanks and have a nice day.

 

I always look at RCCL when booking a cruise, but we have found since 2013 the itineraries to be better on Princess and HAL. We will book Celebrity when the itinerary/price is better than RCCL, getting the same benefits with them. I recently sailed on NCL in Europe with a friend, and was ECSTATIC over the price, itinerary, and quality of the cruise. The bonus perks of shore excursion discounts and specialty restaurants were much appreciated, too.

 

All said and done, I would stick with RCCL if they just had more variety in their itineraries, and the pricing was better.

 

However, we are currently booked on b2b Enchantment cruises, followed by a HAL cruise. The dates dovetailed perfectly.

[SJS]

Every time I sail on another cruise line I spend the whole time saying "this is better on Royal Caribbean"!

 

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[WeLuvVacation]

Sailed more times on Royal than any other ship. But that is only due to port location (Bayonne) We have also sailed on NCL & Carnival out of NY. Prefer the Bayonne location as it is less stressful than the Manhattan piers, especially when there is more than one ship in port.

[Oak Hill Cruisers]

Although RCI is our favorite line, we have sailed on Carnival, NCL, MSC & Cunard. With all the nights we spent on lines other than RCI and with our upcoming 34-day freighter cruise (Rickmers Seoul) and 113-day world cruise on HAL, we would be hitting Pinnacle if we had stayed 'Loyal to Royal'.

We really miss the diamond & concierge lounges when not aboard RCI.

[Charles4515]

By the way "Loyal Royals" Royal can change their Loyalty program at any time. They have changed the benefits and the number of cruises needed to progress in the past. Your loyalty to them does not mean they will be loyal to you.

[LMaxwell]

Last 5 years or so have branched out to other lines more and more. No single line gets more than 50% of my business. Desire to reach new (to us) ports, see different entertainment, experience different ships, timing, pricing, etc. Royals perks are nice, but as mentioned MSC matches them (which is also nice), but even without the perks I manage to have a great time no matter what the funnel looks like.

[caseythegr]

We are Diamond on Royal and have enjoyed all of our cruises. I was wondering how many of you that are loyal to Royal actually book with another cruise line. Do you choose the other because of the ports or price that is offered or do you just cruise with Royal because of the status that you have with them??

 

We sailed Celebrity last month, mainly because of the itinerary and price and they matched our diamond status to their elite status. We have also done NCL and Carnival, and would do NCL again if the price was right. But for now I will stick with RCL until we get diamond + status. With the exception of the cruise I have booked on the Edge for 2019.

Laurie