Star of the Seas

[SUgwoz]

50 minutes ago, Tatka said:

 

It is a different product with different features.

It is like comparing Disney to X.

It appears that is what Royal is trying to combine.  Ultimately, the Icon class is geared towards families.  However, Royal still offers more to adults/older kids than what Disney does.  

 

Features like on board activities, attractions, entertainment, quick food options is the primary focus.

Edited December 5, 2023 by SUgwoz

[Tatka]

Just now, SUgwoz said:

It appears that is what Royal is trying to combine.  Ultimately, the Icon class is geared towards families.  However, Royal still offers more to adults/older kids than what does Disney does.  

 

Features like on board activities, attractions, entertainment, quick food options is the primary focus.

Exactly.

There is no point to compare it to Celebrity. Celebrity is a great line, but it offers different experience which may cost less due to less demands from smaller target group.

 

We sail without kids so we are happy to be on any RCI ships, but Icon class is not a priority at all for us.

 

Priority is 5 full length 7 (sometimes 6, last year 5) - 12 (rarely 14 days) cruises spread out through a year. If Icon class comes to home port near us and won't cost arm and leg we will sail. Otherwise we are happy with other choices.

[Robo1098]

1 hour ago, schooner_Drinker said:

 

Nancy 

I’m guessing all the regulars and loyalist will be sailing. Vision and Radiance class in the future 🥰

 

 

I like Royal and a fan of their ships for the most part but I think being loyal to a corporation that is only out for the immediate dollar at the expense of service and long term loyalty is out of the question. I will sail on smaller ships if I want to but not because they decide to price me out of the nocer ships. 

[SUgwoz]

36 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

Agreed

But there will come a time where the hand is forced due to the silly prices 

(That is if cost is an issue) For some it isn’t 😎 

 

Just a comparison between old and new

Prices are accurate as I have the first on HOLD and the latter sailed recently for that price 

for 2 PAX

$15.5k for 7 nights in a JS on STAR 

($1107 per person per night)

 

$2.5k for 7 nights in a JS on Grandeur 

($180 per person per night )

 

Neither have speciality dining or drinks package (ignore status for the purpose of free drink coupons)

let’s say a low level newbie 

 

Both basically providing Bed & Board and some entertainment and a slice of free pizza

(More $$$ will need to be spent on both  the wifi and excursions etc)

 

Do you go big for one cruise or take 6 for same price 

or spend $1100 per night on an ultra luxury line 

 

1 week double points 14 

6 weeks double points 84 points and now you are Diamond  💎 

 

Nancy 🍹

This is kind of like comparing a 15 year old vehicle vs. latest model, technically both cars do the exact same thing.  With a twist of comparing one type of vehicle vs. a different one. 

 

If a Vision/Voyager class has all the features one would utilize, then outside of the Icon class being new I am not sure why someone would be interested.

 

Icon class like Oasis class will always have inflated prices compared to smaller classes because there is a larger amount of activities/food options.  Now if said activities are of no value, than the ship will never be of value. 

 

The biggest issue is Royal is all in with these classes of ships, in terms of making the cruise line cater to a younger crowd and families. Which there is a market for.  Eventually it will push people that want a more upscale adult cruise experience to other lines.

Edited December 5, 2023 by SUgwoz

[Tatka]

1 hour ago, Robo1098 said:

I like Royal and a fan of their ships for the most part but I think being loyal to a corporation that is only out for the immediate dollar at the expense of service and long term loyalty is out of the question. I will sail on smaller ships if I want to but not because they decide to price me out of the nocer ships. 

 

Well, they are business which during pandemic (up to the end of 2022) kept loosing and lost about 22 billion dollars. They MUST be after immediate money to stay profitable.

 

There are other ships of RCI which are not as expensive.

 

I am not loyal to Royal (check my signature). We sailed with 8 lines for 17 years. We did get to D and then D+ in a process and we cruise more now. And we do it with Royal not even for perks, but for variety and proximity. If this was not a case we would sail with any other company. Royal was not even our line of choice previously. We only had 5 cruises with them up until 2016.

[Another_Critic]

5 hours ago, Florida Fan said:

I asked my husband if he wanted to book Star (we have a 1st-day cabin on Icon), and he said, for that much money, he'd prefer a trans-Atlantic, including the airfare and a week in Barcelona. Sounds good to me.😁

That is what I'm doing in the spring.  14-night Oasis TA + 5 night post cruise rental car and apartment outside Barcelona.  🙂

 

And the total cost for two* is less than the cheapest double occup. inside cabin for Star.

 

* We booked two OV balconies solo

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Another_Critic

[FamilyCruiserUK]

So Royal wants to aggressively barge into the Disney/Florida family market by placing Star out of PC i believe. So had a look today.....🤣🤣🤣🤣 I can get two weeks in florida, including flights from the UK during school holidays, food and park tickets for less than than 1 week including flights on Star.....

 

Looks a nice ship but i will pass for a few years, too expensive, rubbish same old itinerary. 

Although i am looking forward to the reviews from those who are going and hope they enjoy themselves, but as of yet not for us. 👍

[BecciBoo]

52 minutes ago, SUgwoz said:

Eventually it will push people that want a more upscale adult cruise experience to other lines.

It's pushing us to camping and road trips

[Morecruisesplz]

13 hours ago, Slidell_Cruiser said:

Available, for booking, act fast…here’s a Grand Suite Offering for the initial 7 night sail…

On it! 😃 

[jptoz]

You guys are dealing with chump change. I scored a sweet 62k discount today. The C&A discount really came in handy today. 

[BecciBoo]

I think people are booking her thinking these numbers are a mistake and will be corrected once the cruising starts....they just can't be right!  I know plenty who booked last year at even better pricing who weren't able to book hardly any cabins for just 2 people.  On any other ship you can book 2 into cabins for 3 or more, why not this ship.  Never received a decent answer about this from corporate and I did ask my contacts there....????  And @jptoz I know you were kidding but those numbers are not chump change to us, we are not in that catagory.

[acuprulez]

For the trip my family has booked we found pricing for star class to be relatively similar to icon.  Excited to see if/how they improve the icon design for v2. Still annoying that it's 2 years away!

[iscruisingdunzo]

Lol on these prices. Just booked 9 days for 4. $1600 OTD. 

[Ourusualbeach]

On 12/5/2023 at 10:37 AM, colesc15 said:

Crazy how high the prices are day 1 compared to Icon when Icon was the new class. Hard pass until prices come down. 

When Icon was first released the cruise industry was still emerging from Covid.  Ships were still sailing at 50% to 75% capacity.  Compared to all the other prices for ships at the time Icon was a big premium and people thought those prices were insane.  Fast forward a year and it is a completely different market.

[iscruisingdunzo]

19 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

On what ship going where and what type of cabin 

and are you comparing this to STAR prices 😉

 

That’s $44 per person per day 

is it on carnival or a casino offer 
 

Nancy 

Jewel of the Seas. 

No special offers of any kind. (outside of the daily scheming RCI practices)

Edited December 6, 2023 by iscruisingdunzo

[SUgwoz]

17 hours ago, schooner_Drinker said:

How about we don’t compare 😎

 

And just say STAR is expensive and all other Royal ships are rubbish and move along 

 

That would be a great discussion 🤣

 

Nancy 

 

BTW what’s your answer 

1 week at $15.5k

or

6 weeks at $15.5k

Just so I can gauge the audience 🤪

 

Star of the Seas is expensive, and in many cases absurdly so.  Mostly because its a brand new ship and Royal has seen that there is a segment of the population willing to pay a premium.  The price will eventually go down, but could take a decade to where it might be deemed of value for some.

 

Older class of ship doesn't mean rubbish, but in terms of the targeted demographic by the Icon class it is less attractive.  Just like Icon class is less attractive to demographic that wants a smaller ship, better itinerary, and more adult oriented.

 

Maybe everyone will get burned out by Icon and Utopia, and Star of the Seas will be in bargain bin next year.

 

 

[iscruisingdunzo]

4 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

Cabin type and date please 

cause at $44 per person per day 

I’m all over that cheapy and will book it 

 

now I’m going to guess 

inside GTY , but for 4 must be 2 cabins 

 

thanks for this wonderful price 

look forward to your response so we can book it

 

Nancy 

Just pulled up the actual receipt

Jewel 

12/24

Interior Gty

2 kids/2 adults - 1 cabin

Total Charge - $1676.60

So 9 days/4 people costed less than 1 person on the Icon/Star for 7. 

Now that I have determined cruising is no longer a premium experience, value cruises would be the only reason for my family and I to cruise. Being a Diamond member also provides some free drinks which enhances the experience. I don't think  I will book another cruise for over $3k and a family of 4 ever again. If all prices reach that point, then we will no longer be cruising. 

Edited December 6, 2023 by iscruisingdunzo

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, iscruisingdunzo said:

Jewel of the Seas. 

No special offers of any kind.

Thought those days were officially over.  Good hunting.  The last time we got one that good was our 10 day Legend from San Diego to Hawaii- $62.90 per day for 2 people inside and 4 islands around Hawaii to boot!  We thought we'd struck it rich! One of our favorite cruises to date too!  No gty either, I got to pick the cabin.  It was a screwy little itin.  Our bags were loaded onto Vision in San Diego and we were then bused down to Ensenada to satisfy that law...the bus was a hoot, rain leaked through the ceiling and the Mexican officials collected our passports in a cardboard box and then couldn't speak English well enough to call our names to return them so one of us had to do it...LOL!  But I like adventure, I thought it was entertaining!  Met some great folks who are cruise buds now.

Edited December 6, 2023 by BecciBoo

[Morecruisesplz]

36 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

Thank you 🙏🏻 

 

As I thought it would be a GTY, something we never risk and on a major holiday sailing also 

 

Royal have a habit lately of over selling and it’s the GTY folk who get the boot

 

9 nights with 4 people in an inside, that would be a hard push 

Not our idea of a relaxing vacation, but it works for some 

 

Enjoy your cruise 

 

Nancy 

You are obviously used to a much different experience.  Good for you, but minimizing another's choice doesn't seem fair. Cabins for 4 with pullman beds are offered for a reason. Some people would never put their children in a separate cabin. Different strokes...

[Another_Critic]

42 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

Thank you 🙏🏻 

 

As I thought it would be a GTY, something we never risk and on a major holiday sailing

It's 12/2024, not 12/24.  It appears to be 12/7/2024.  

[vjmatty]

28 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

Some people would never put their children in a separate cabin. Different strokes...

Were there no connecting insides available?

[iscruisingdunzo]

37 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

You are obviously used to a much different experience.  Good for you, but minimizing another's choice doesn't seem fair. Cabins for 4 with pullman beds are offered for a reason. Some people would never put their children in a separate cabin. Different strokes...

Lol. Two children under 10 with their own cabin...the ship might not make it back to home port lol. 

[Morecruisesplz]

27 minutes ago, iscruisingdunzo said:

Lol. Two children under 10 with their own cabin...the ship might not make it back to home port lol. 

Yes, lol!

[Morecruisesplz]

37 minutes ago, schooner_Drinker said:

That was not my intention to minimalize the great deal they got 

Nothing more, please don’t try and twist something out of nothing

 

As you say different strokes

everyone cruises differently I get that 

 

I couldn’t live in one bedroom house with 3 others 

 

Nancy

"Your experience might differ."

[cruiselvr04]

Some people always want the latest and greatest and that’s fine.  
 

We will wait until the the newness wears off and see if the prices come down.  If you only do one cruise a year I can maybe see it for a family.  Even then for the average family this ship may be a stretch. 
 

We’d rather do many weeks at sea than one.