Brand loyalty

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I have only sailed Royal and don't really see a need to change at this point.  With that said I have an interest in some other line's ships and I'd be curious about how they do things.  Not entirely sure I could handle "wasting" the time and money if it didn't compare to what I know I'll get with Royal.  Curious how many people are loyal to one brand  compared to who just is content to cruise and will mix up lines.  

[Temeculaguy]

I can't pick between the two survey choices, I prefer Royal amongst the big ship major lines but for reasons unique to me. I'm intrigued by viking ocean cruises for Europe and plan to go on some European river cruises where there are a variety of lines to choose from, but it is a different vibe and experience so it's not an apples to apples comparison. Also frequency is an issue, If were only going on 1-3 cruises a year, I'll stick to Royal but if we are going on 6+ as retirees which starts in 12-18 months for us I'm going to add some variety. I think royal has the suite program nailed, Carnival has limited suite perks and cabins, NCL's Haven goes into Viking prices and is overly segregated, same with MSC yacht club, if your traveling people not in those areas they are cut off from you. Princess suites are barely Royal's Jr suites in size on many ships and the bigger suites jump exponentially in price, plus I'm not sure the kids or 20 somethings will be happy. Royals beverage package allows for drinks above the limit and you just pay the difference, some other lines make you pay the full price if you go over. I really like the 40% off bottles with royal, I like to keep a bottle of red in the room for a nightcap. MDR menu for room service in suites is also something we like as we dine in the room once or twice on a 7 day cruise if we overdid it at the pool and took too late of a nap. Some other lines advertise free drinks and specialty dining but then when you toggle between taking the "free" offers or not, the price changes dramatically. Viking ocean and all river cruises lack casinos and I like casinos, so I can't see myself being a regular on the luxury lines but more of a dabbler.

 

The main reason I think we will be loyal to royal is the lifetime loyalty levels and the variety of ships and appeal to our family and friends. Once you hit a certain level like diamond or diamond plus, you keep it, unlike airlines and hotels who reset annually. We can take our adult children, grandchildren or go with friends with different budgets and all can be happy. I just think Royal has the edge in serving groups that have different budgets or multi generational groups. The creature comforts or luxury for those desiring things they are willing to pay for, the value for those seeking it, the thrills for youngsters and everything else in between.

[GatorCruiser]

I have sailed others but have settled on Royal for the time being. Once we hit diamond we mat try celebrity

[barbeyg]

We are loyal to a brand, because of the benefits.  We will be D+ this year, and will also now consider Celebrity.  We sailed Carnival years ago and it just wasn't our cup of tea.    Everyone has different preferences.

[HeWhoWaits]

4 hours ago, Temeculaguy said:

I can't pick between the two survey choices, I prefer Royal

^^^^This^^^^

Royal in general but look to others for specific itineraries that Royal may not offer.

[LovetoCruise87]

We love Royal. Tried NCL once and will not do it again. We did not like where they have their casino positioned, smoke smell from it fills the entire center of the ship. 

[TravisMA81]

I have only been on two cruises and one secluded for next January.  Not only have they all been With Royal, they have been on Oasis, Symphony, and Harmony next.  As a solo guy, I should try NCL or maybe Carnival at least once.  I also want to try a smaller ship to see how that is.  I love the Oasis class because everything is spread out and the ship doesn't feel crowed.  People seam to really like Navigator and Mariner.  I wold really like to try one of them if the itinerary is right.

[LovetoCruise87]

9 minutes ago, TravisMA81 said:

I have only been on two cruises and one secluded for next January.  Not only have they all been With Royal, they have been on Oasis, Symphony, and Harmony next.  As a solo guy, I should try NCL or maybe Carnival at least once.  I also want to try a smaller ship to see how that is.  I love the Oasis class because everything is spread out and the ship doesn't feel crowed.  People seam to really like Navigator and Mariner.  I wold really like to try one of them if the itinerary is right.

Mariner is a great ship. 

[jticarruthers]

Used to be very loyal to Royal, had a couple of experiences that changed that opinion.

Tried several other lines and in general I think they are more similar than they are different.

Still end up on Royal on most of my cruises so i certainly am not anti-Royal but i no longer go exclusively to their website when i think vacation time.

In general i look at the combination of ship features, destination and price now rather than "what does Royal have going when i have time off".

[stevendom57]

My first cruise was on Mariner. I really like the Royal Promenade and the way it opens up the center of the ship. I have cruised once on the Norwegian Joy and really missed that feature.

[Matt]

@twangster looking at his MSC top status and then this poll

[teddy]

We've decided to stay with Royal Caribbean.  I don't think we will find a better value for our money at the cabin level we cruise.

Our first cruise ever was on Mariner in Jan 2019.  We enjoyed it so much that we booked another at Next Cruise for Jan 2020.  Then we got home and booked another because a year was a long time to go without cruising.....then we added to the Jan 2020 one by making it a back to back......and....well....now we're basically out of control.

At this point, we'll be Diamond in a little less than a year, so that influences our decision to stay with Royal Caribbean too.

[Fairlynew]

I am a newly minted diamond on RC and really enjoy it.  I do want to try Celebrity at some point, although I enjoy watching other peoples children have fun on the RC ships.  My own kids are grown, and it is delightful to see children that I have no responsibility for having a great time.  

We have also sailed Disney when the kids were young.  The kids loved it, the adults were bored.  At that time, I still had my own kids to worry about and did not take as much pleasure in watching other kids.  We also sailed Princess, which we liked, but the entertainment in general is better on RC.

Most recently, we sailed MSC in the Yacht Club, which was an awesome experience.  We found the entertainment somewhat lacking, but enjoyed the YC and the private deck.  

I currently have an upcoming sailing on Allure and another YC sailing in Europe this summer.  We would have gone with Royal in Europe, but could not make the dates and desired itineraries match.

[Ampurp85]

I am loyal to Royal, as they offer the best when it comes down the line. Sure, some lines have certain aspect that are better. Like NCL is great if you want a laid-back atmosphere and lots of port intense itineraries. CCL is great if you like crowds, peoplewatching and general chaos. It really comes down to your expectations. If I was doing Europe, I might have to do MSC or something, but I will mostly stick to RCG.

[Kathleen]

We have mainly sailed RCG. We did sail NCL once in 2008 when the freestyle sailing was brand new and unique to NCL. We enjoyed it but preferred Royal and at the time, so did our teenagers. Since then we have only sailed RCG. We are Diamond and just booked 2 cruises with Celebrity also. We felt comfortable with the many comments of the people on this blog who have had wonderful sailings on Celebrity also. We also continue to sail RCG as well. 

[tonyfsu21]

They all have pros & cons.

Carnival:

pros: Guys burger joint! The casino on newer ships has more table games. Food is as good or better then the remaining “big 3 brands”. Overall value is good.

cons: party crowd (if you are not into that). Aging fleet. Suite program is horrific. Not enough speciality dining choices across the fleet but they are getting better. Private island is subpar. 

NCL:

pros: Haven! Casino program is as good or better then RC and the customer service picks up the phone! Many dining choices. Innovative activities and features on newer ships. 
 

Cons: slightly older crowd. The pick 3 free promotion is a joke because the taxes and fees cost nearly as much as the packages! Private island is blah. Overall value is ok.

 

Royal Caribbean:

pros: best suite program of the big 3. Lots of speciality dining to choose from. Oasis class and deck 17 lofts! Loyalty program is great. Best in the business for cruise innovation. Coco Cay & Labadee on their own level in the industry. 
 

cons: absolute worst customer service on planet earth let alone the industry. Casino program is in need of some management synergy. 
 

Overall we choose RC 90% of the time based on Oasis class and deck 17 alone. All 3 have their strengths & weaknesses though. 

[Bill S]

I've only been on 3 ocean cruises.  Princess to Alaska a few years back (Princess was not good), NCL, and most recently RC.  We are doing another RC in a few days, and we have one on NCL booked late in the summer.  I'm not a fan of NCL, but it's with a big group.  I hate Pepsi, and their pricing just seems shady.  I HATE the Haven part, when you are traveling with a group. Some in, some not in. If I were cruising alone, I might think differently.

Royal Caribbean:  I'm a huge Southwest Airlines fan.  Have been for over 40 years.  RC is the SWA of the cruise industry. Reasonably priced, but most importantly, make sure everyone has fun, no matter what it is you want from the cruise. Sure hope next week's is good...

P.S.  I'm NOT a cruising fan. I do this for my wife.  I would much prefer smaller ships, and we are looking forward to a Viking river cruise.  I hate crowds.