Would you be willing to pay more for a better cruising experience??

[Basman]

I hear a lot of people with complaints about their cruises, some valid and some petty IMHO. I think a lot of what we have lost stems from the cruise lines having to put a $ figure on as many services and going more and more to a fee for consumption business plan. I too find myself looking for the cheapest cruises, but was wondering if that might be the wrong thing to do.

 

If it were offered, would you be willing to pay more for a cruise with "Elevated Standards". Somethings you pay for now would be included ie sodas, no fee at Johnny Rockets and little things like that. In addition the food would be a better quality and the menu's would be improved for these cruises likewise the selection in the Windjammer would be better too. To keep the number of kids down, no 3rd or 4th person discounts for these cruises. No large group charters either. And maybe even the ships not being filled by reducing the overall occupancy.

 

Because I cruise so infrequently, I'd be willing to pay more, say $150 - $200 per person for a 7 day cruise to have a better cruising experience.

[marci22]

I don't think paying that amount extra will add up to any significant increase in cruising satisfaction.

 

I might pay extra per day for a designated chair that is immune from chair-hogging though, maybe 5 bucks a day.

[jdh]

I haven't found any of our cruises to be lacking anything. We are retired and live on a budget and cruising RCCL is our entertainment, so if prices go up much we won't be able to enjoy these cruises. There is nothing better than boarding that ship and knowing you are getting ready to embark on the most relaxing vacation ever. Even the worst cruise would be a good cruise!

[globalnomads]

I think there are cruise lines other than Royal Caribbean which include these "perks" in the cost.... and there's the rub! We, too, look at the price per person before the fact and lament the loss of service, food and ambiance after the fact.:o

 

We're looking at more "up-scale" cruises for the future ones... if this next one to the Mediterranean doesn't make the grade. Yes, they cost more up front. But I'm thinking there may be a world of difference in the total experience. Perhaps that will return us to the wonderful cruise experiences we had in the 80's and 90's.

[nimbex1970]

well, if I wanted those items, I'd pay for them either upfront or after with your theory. So yes then I'd pay for them. I don't know if I'd want to pay more for someone to drink fountain soda, when I don't drink it myself??

 

In general, when booking RCCL, I pay more for the large ship over all experience, more than the CCL large ships. When booking RCCL, I already feel I pay more for my expectation...

[MercedMike]

Pay more? Sure, lots of people do. It is called Crystal Cruise, and the Yachts of Seabourne.

 

All the perks are included, even drinks aboard, champagne and upgraded shore excursions.

 

Cost a pretty penny indeed.

[Happy ks]

I doubt that $150-200 more will do it :) , divide that amount by 7 days and you're only talking $21 -28 more per person/per day, not enough for your plan. People are paying far more now for suites than they are for lowest level inside cabins and all are getting the same food and service.

 

We would love to cruise Oceania, but for now cannot afford it. After the kids are gone and out of college perhaps.

 

For our Med cruise next year, even with discounts from Oceania, the price was more for an inside cabin on a 10 day cruise than our current reservation for a balcony cabin on a 13 day RCI cruise. Oceania is the next step up after you go higher than mass market ships.

 

So, to increase the amount of service, include soft drinks and improve the food, you have to not only increase the cruise fare a lot more, but also reduce the size of the ship. There is no way to prepare gourmet food and impeccable service for thousands at a time.

[JLC@SD]

Because I cruise so infrequently, I'd be willing to pay more, say $150 - $200 per person for a 7 day cruise to have a better cruising experience.

 

........I would rather be nickeled and dimed..........that way, I can choose how to spend my money.........:)

[Cuizer2]

If it were offered, would you be willing to pay more for a cruise with "Elevated Standards". Somethings you pay for now would be included ie sodas, no fee at Johnny Rockets and little things like that. In addition the food would be a better quality and the menu's would be improved for these cruises likewise the selection in the Windjammer would be better too. To keep the number of kids down, no 3rd or 4th person discounts for these cruises. No large group charters either. And maybe even the ships not being filled by reducing the overall occupancy.

 

Define "better"

 

I have been on seven cruises. I have never had a problem with the kids. Sometimes the kids add to the experience. I don't agree that less kids makes a better cruise. Some people do believe that less kids makes a better experience. Define better.

 

No fee at Johnny Rockets. Then the lines are long and nobody has a chance to go because it is so busy. Define better.

 

The quality of the food is not the only thing that matters. The ability of the cook also matters. Nobody can prepare 500 steaks in 30 minutes and have each one tasting like it came from a high priced steakhouse. And no high priced steakhouse can make good steaks if it has too cook 500 steaks in 30 minutes. So, improving the food quality requires that you limit the number of passengers that are going to order the food at any given time. This means no set dining schedule.

 

You want better quality with less kids? Book a cruise on Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn or any of the other high end lines. Then you will find that it is not an additional $150 or $200 per person for a week. It is more like double. A one week cruise on Crystal at the beginning of December in the Caribbean is $1845 per person for an ocean view and $3120 per person for a balcony. On RCI that same cruise will run $1149 for the ocean view and $1338 for a balcony on the Liberty of the Seas. That is an additional $700 per person for the ocean view and an additional $2000 per person for the balcony. Is that "better"?

 

Or perhaps the correct question is, is the experience on Crystal that much better? Some people believe it is. Those are the ones who book cruises on Crystal. If you want to join this group, then book your next cruise on Crystal and then you can decide if the extra amount spent makes the cruise better.

[cruisePRN]

I'm kinda tired of the mass market lines and the nickel and diming. Although I have two cruises booked with RCL I also have two new cruises booked for Cystal and Azamara. If i find them to be superior which all my information states crystal should be i may be spoiled!

So the answer to your poll is yes, I'm willing to spend quite a bit more for a better experience.

[Travelitis]

You want better quality food, then go to the alternative restaurants and pay the $25 pp. I like the choice of where to spend my money. I wouldn't be drinking the sodas and would still carry my own, because I don't like their selection. If you want haute cuisine, a mainstream cruiseline is not the right place to get it.

[isujim]

I like it the way it is...........it's called choices........

 

although RC has had an across the board increase from 10 to 37% depending on itinerary since their new cruises were released.........I've researched my past itineraries and in some cases RC is up over $1,000pp. Fuel charges aside........I believe they have increased prices already........we just keep booking cruises.....:D and they know it LOL!

[Mines]

I'm kinda tired of the mass market lines and the nickel and diming. Although I have two cruises booked with RCL I also have two new cruises booked for Cystal and Azamara. If i find them to be superior which all my information states crystal should be i may be spoiled!

So the answer to your poll is yes, I'm willing to spend quite a bit more for a better experience.

 

It is a question of value for money. But it is also necessary to define "money". Money should be defined not in absolute $$, but in terms of the percentage of your available funds. If you have to borrow to have your holiday (which implies having to pay interest and forgoing other pleasures) the cost is high whatever it is, so any budget cruise is better than nothing. If you have millions stashed away in the bank doing nothing, spending a few thousand on a Crystal cruise would represent "value for money" because you get the better conditions for very little downside financially.

 

It is good that we have the choices. I think that RCL should keep prices at a medium to low level with charges for extras like drinks and speciality restaurants.

 

There are some things that they could do to improve more the quality of the cruise that I would be willing to pay for. I love ice cream, for example, but on most European cruises we only have the possibility of the "free" soft scoop. If they had Ben & Jerrys this would be fantastic. Also the soda cards, for me, could be a bit more expensive to include cans as well as the fountain stuff.

[GMoney]

I would happily pay more for better satellite tv programming, especially sports...

[dfishner]

I doubt that $150-200 more will do it :) , divide that amount by 7 days and you're only talking $21 -28 more per person/per day, not enough for your plan. People are paying far more now for suites than they are for lowest level inside cabins and all are getting the same food and service.

 

We would love to cruise Oceania, but for now cannot afford it. After the kids are gone and out of college perhaps.

 

For our Med cruise next year, even with discounts from Oceania, the price was more for an inside cabin on a 10 day cruise than our current reservation for a balcony cabin on a 13 day RCI cruise. Oceania is the next step up after you go higher than mass market ships.

 

So, to increase the amount of service, include soft drinks and improve the food, you have to not only increase the cruise fare a lot more, but also reduce the size of the ship. There is no way to prepare gourmet food and impeccable service for thousands at a time.

I could not agree more just look at the prices they charge and that is the difference. When you are producing food for anything over 500 people it is mass production and it is difficult to get the quality you are talking about. for us we always like the speciality restaurants on RCL and find that a real bargain and the food is better because they produce it for smaller numbers. I like RCL the way it is, I find the food fair to good and the services good to excellent at a reasonable price. I can decide for myself if I want the add ons or not. For us it would not be worth the extra $2000 that I see posted on the higher grade cruise websites for that.

[teajak]

I haven't found any of our cruises to be lacking anything. We are retired and live on a budget and cruising RCCL is our entertainment, so if prices go up much we won't be able to enjoy these cruises. There is nothing better than boarding that ship and knowing you are getting ready to embark on the most relaxing vacation ever. Even the worst cruise would be a good cruise!

You couldn't have described us any better. Living in Florida we can either buy early to save, just got a 7 day on the Mariner balcony hump cabin for $757.00 each total, for 9/2008, or wait and pick up a last minute deal. Love it, in answer to the OP question no and $150.00-$200.00 is not realistic. Leave it alone, as others have said go on the upscale lines if you want more, don't mess with ours. Happy cruising.

[Catnip]

 

We're looking at more "up-scale" cruises for the future ones... if this next one to the Mediterranean doesn't make the grade. Yes, they cost more up front. But I'm thinking there may be a world of difference in the total experience. Perhaps that will return us to the wonderful cruise experiences we had in the 80's and 90's.

 

Wouldn't that be nice? ;) Cruising on RCCL (& Princess, too) has really changed since the 80's.........I remember when you didn't have to pay extra for your evening meal if you wanted good food, the main dining room had great food and wonderful service! The attitude of the crew was happier & more relaxed & there wasn't all the "extra charges" that there is now.

[Catnip]

If it were offered, would you be willing to pay more for a cruise with "Elevated Standards".

To keep the number of kids down, no 3rd or 4th person discounts for these cruises. No large group charters either.

 

 

Yes, I would!!!!!!! :)

[phoenix1181]

You're asking to pay a few additional dollars for RCCL to go back to what they were BEFORE they decided to become a mass market line targeting families? It's not going to happen.

If you're not happy with what you're getting from them, you need to change lines. They're not going to change their [successful] business plan. Had they wanted to go that route, they would have stayed what they were instead of investing millions in the Voyager, Freedom, and [soon] Genesis class ships. There's no way they're going to fill ships that size with adults only.

[cb at sea]

Wouldn't that be nice? ;) Cruising on RCCL (& Princess, too) has really changed since the 80's.........I remember when you didn't have to pay extra for your evening meal if you wanted good food, the main dining room had great food and wonderful service! The attitude of the crew was happier & more relaxed & there wasn't all the "extra charges" that there is now.

 

This is true!!! You used to get IN THE DINING ROOM, what you pay extra for in Chops and Portofino. That's the sort of thing I miss. They've "dumbed down" the food to save money, and because there are so many new cruisers who don't know the difference from what is today and what USED to be!

[shipshape sam]

I agree. Dumbed down is a good description.

 

I have promoted RCL/cruising to so many people over the years and I am not sure about future recommendations.

 

I love to cruise, but the price increases along with service cuts is making the cruise experience of less value than some land trips.:(

 

I hope RCL remembers the loyal passengers who helped build the company/industry demand.

[pinkrosesdeb]

I agree with the "choices" statement. We still have a very fair price for a nice vacation and we get to pick what is important to us. If we don't like the menu in the dining room, we go to Chops but we don't have to pay a lot more for the overall cruise. If we want or need to save money, we find something in the dining room or go to the WJ. For all those who want to compare what we got with past cruises, I think it would be fair to look at how the price of the cruise today compares to the price we paid yrs. ago. I know at one time we thought it was very expensive to cruise but we got great food. Now, we find cruise prices to be very reasonable when compared to land vacations but food isn't as good as it was. Still, we cruise because it is the best value out there. There are just trade-offs. JMHO

[Catnip]

This is true!!! You used to get IN THE DINING ROOM, what you pay extra for in Chops and Portofino. That's the sort of thing I miss. They've "dumbed down" the food to save money, and because there are so many new cruisers who don't know the difference from what is today and what USED to be!

 

That's EXACTLY correct!!!!!!!!

[Catnip]

You're asking to pay a few additional dollars for RCCL to go back to what they were BEFORE they decided to become a mass market line targeting families? It's not going to happen.

 

If you're not happy with what you're getting from them, you need to change lines. They're not going to change their [successful] business plan. Had they wanted to go that route, they would have stayed what they were instead of investing millions in the Voyager, Freedom, and [soon] Genesis class ships. There's no way they're going to fill ships that size with adults only.

 

I know there's no way they will really do it, but the OP asked for people's thoughts & opinions and that is mine.

No, RCCL has become nothing more than an average, Mass-Market line catering to families and children. That's evidently where the money is..........and to (some of) us that remember RCCL being "the Cadillac of cruise lines" back in the early-mid 80's, it's a let-down.

[cs]

I disagree that you can't have good food when you're cooking for the masses. I've never been on RCCL so I can't comment on the food, but I thought the food in the dining room on CCL was great.

 

Maybe the problem is the recipe? Time for new chefs? Good food can be done banquet style - it just depends on who's preparing it.