Jump to content

Royal Caribbean should be called Nickel & Dime Caribbean


Recommended Posts

We are headed out on our first cruise with Royal Caribbean and so far I am annoyed with the way they do business.  It's not enough to pay a premium for the cruise, RC also nickel and dimes you for everything.  You want cokes or sodas?  there's a package for that! $$$$ you want internet?  there's a package for that! $$$$  There are other packages as well but the ones I'm referring to in this post are for conveniences that are free of charge on other cruise lines such as Disney.  I am annoyed because in order to keep in contact with other family members on the cruise, there is not a way for us to communicate unless we buy a internet package.  We are traveling on the OASIS and bear in mind that this isn't cheap!  After researching today, we found out that the Quantum level ships offer texting via their phone app without any additional costs.  This service is not available for any of the other ship classes.  I think this is ridiculous and so classless of RC.  I called their 'customer service' line about and the person told me they had never had a complaint about this.  Really?  I don't believe it.    The only way we can communicate with each other (when we are not sitting by each other) is by buying another package for $350.   

This is our first cruise with RC and it will be our last.   I really wish we had gone with Disney again, but we thought we would try something new this time.   I regret that decision!~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While there are many charges (e.g., room service) that I am completely opposed to, most of the charges that you're complaining about are the same charges every major cruise line charges for unless you go ultra-premium, which runs about twice what Royal charges.

Although I do believe Royal's soda package is overpriced compared to some of their competitors, their internet is well priced for the quality, speed, and the fact that it is unlimited.  Other cruise lines charge by the amount of data used and offer a much slower connection.  I do wish Royal had a cheaper, social media package, though.

I used to cruise Disney.  And as of late, they're about 40-50% higher, so I would expect them to include more with that fare.  However, outside of soda, what does Disney include from your list.  They charge for internet and it's less affordable if you look at the amount charged per Mb.  And while the Oasis does not have a "smart app" for communication, you can always use texting which is only a few cents to send and often free depending on your carrier.  I doubt you would run up a $350 texting bill.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, cabradl said:

We are headed out on our first cruise with Royal Caribbean and so far I am annoyed with the way they do business.  It's not enough to pay a premium for the cruise, RC also nickel and dimes you for everything.  You want cokes or sodas?  there's a package for that! $$$$ you want internet?  there's a package for that! $$$$  There are other packages as well but the ones I'm referring to in this post are for conveniences that are free of charge on other cruise lines such as Disney.  I am annoyed because in order to keep in contact with other family members on the cruise, there is not a way for us to communicate unless we buy a internet package.  We are traveling on the OASIS and bear in mind that this isn't cheap!  After researching today, we found out that the Quantum level ships offer texting via their phone app without any additional costs.  This service is not available for any of the other ship classes.  I think this is ridiculous and so classless of RC.  I called their 'customer service' line about and the person told me they had never had a complaint about this.  Really?  I don't believe it.    The only way we can communicate with each other (when we are not sitting by each other) is by buying another package for $350.   

This is our first cruise with RC and it will be our last.   I really wish we had gone with Disney again, but we thought we would try something new this time.   I regret that decision!~

This is like conversations I have with people about all inclusive resorts who think their drinks are free. With RC, if you want it, there's a usually service for that. As opposed to paying for it and get it whether like it or not...'included soda' you're paying for it, it's just not a specific line item on your bill. Six or one half dozen, call it whatever. I hate paying for over inflated fares including things I don't use. 

Internet and such...there were days not that long ago where there was no such thing on a cruise ship...any cruise ship. They only way to keep in touch...ship-to-shore phone at about $8+/minute. New technology and services come out all the time...it's not possible to replace or swap out to the newest and latest thing every six months. On an all metal ship it's a massive and expensive undertaking to design and implement a wireless service. I've been on RC ships that have 'okay' internet service that didn't have any internet service previously...or the internet was accessed via PCs in a specific lounge that always seemed to be full. An interesting concept, however, that texting has become a top line critical item on a vacation...worthy of a Sociology Graduate Thesis.

RC's soda package is a joke. We order 18 cans of soda at the beginning of a cruise for my wife, it costs far less than a "fountain soda" package and is of far better quality.

We know several people who cruise Disney...we don't see the attraction to pay that much...for a bunch of things we won't use. To each their own, and it's good to see what else is out there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have sailed both Disney and Royal, balcony rooms on both, and even after paying for the extras on Royal (beverage packages and internet package), the Royal cruise was just just about half the price of the Disney cruise.  I haven't researched a Disney cruise in a while, and maybe my memory is foggy, but other than soda I don't remember anything else being included in the fare on the Disney cruise.  It is all personal opinion, but we are Royal converts now because we feel it is a much better value for us, plus we feel Royal offers more for adults.  Disney is great for kids, don't get me wrong, but their cruises are very heavily geared towards kids, and at some point on the vacation, the wife and I like to enjoy adult stuff.  Royal offers a great mix for adults and kids at a better price.  Again, purely personal opinion.       

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, cabradl said:

We are headed out on our first cruise with Royal Caribbean and so far I am annoyed with the way they do business.  It's not enough to pay a premium for the cruise, RC also nickel and dimes you for everything.  You want cokes or sodas?  there's a package for that! $$$$ you want internet?  there's a package for that! $$$$  There are other packages as well but the ones I'm referring to in this post are for conveniences that are free of charge on other cruise lines such as Disney.  I am annoyed because in order to keep in contact with other family members on the cruise, there is not a way for us to communicate unless we buy a internet package.  We are traveling on the OASIS and bear in mind that this isn't cheap!  After researching today, we found out that the Quantum level ships offer texting via their phone app without any additional costs.  This service is not available for any of the other ship classes.  I think this is ridiculous and so classless of RC.  I called their 'customer service' line about and the person told me they had never had a complaint about this.  Really?  I don't believe it.    The only way we can communicate with each other (when we are not sitting by each other) is by buying another package for $350.   

This is our first cruise with RC and it will be our last.   I really wish we had gone with Disney again, but we thought we would try something new this time.   I regret that decision!~

Yes there are upgrade charges for the things you mentioned.  Still RCCL is cheaper than Disney.  There is no comparison between the ships or itineraries of the two cruise lines.  I know a lot of people really like all the Disney characters walking about.  It's a huge turn off for me.  For the life of me, I don't understand why anyone would want to vacation with 1000 or more of someone else's kids.  My own kids (19, 16, 10) would choose RCCL over Disney for these reasons, although I think my 10 year old would enjoy lobbing spitballs at Mickey and company.

It's not to say RCCL is perfect, because it is not.  But, they have great ships with amazing layouts, lots of choice in itinerary and ship style, really good menus in the MDR, and generally good service all over the ship.

Everyone has an opinion, and if you go back to Disney, it will mean more opportunity on RCCL for us.

One more thing regarding communicating with family.  There are less expensive ways to do it.  Through my carrier, texting is not expensive to or from the ship or ports.  Phone cards can be purchased in most ports (not expensive).  The price for the internet on board isn't cheap, but it's not a budget killer.  The problem is the quality of the service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for sharing your feedback.  There is no doubt that there are a lot of ways to spend more money onboard.  Drink packages, internet, excursions, etc.  However, I see that as a positive because if these things were "included", the bottom line is you would be paying for it.  No mass market cruise line, including Disney, includes alcoholic drinks, internet, etc in their cruise fare.  The cruise lines that do include it, charge a ton for it.

41 minutes ago, JBC said:

I have sailed both Disney and Royal, balcony rooms on both, and even after paying for the extras on Royal (beverage packages and internet package), the Royal cruise was just just about half the price of the Disney cruise.     

@JBC hits the nail on the head.  Go ahead and buy it all, because I'm willing to bet it will still be hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars cheaper than trying to do it all on DCL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, cabradl said:

This is our first cruise with RC and it will be our last.   I really wish we had gone with Disney again, but we thought we would try something new this time.   I regret that decision!~

RCCL is far from perfect but if you know how the system works there is value and savings to be had.  Booking early, cruise fare promotions, kid sale free, price reductions etc. Then there are drink and dining package specials i.e. Sip and stream, or BOGO specialty dinning and excursion sales, etc.  A vacation can be tailored to each family's budget and needs. You can pay up front or you can pay as you go but no matter which cruise line you choose, you will pay. Each class of ship in the RCCL fleet is different, some have better technology than the others or more amenities.  Proper due dilligence would alleviate any misconceptions or inadaquancies in one class compared to another.

No one should have to regret a vacation, but then again one should be informed and do their homework before booking and shelling out their hard eaned money. I wish you luck with Disney.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm brand new here and just started listening to the podcast. (Thanks for the recent episode for new cruisers and congrats on your 200th episode!!) I have a similar concern as the original poster. I've been on two DCL cruises and adored them. No doubt the best family vacations we've ever had. We are booked for our first Royal cruise (March 2018 Anthem of the Seas) and I'm doing as much research as I can to set our expectations. The fare was a great bargain, but I haven't decided yet if we'll take any of the specialty dining or beverage packages. Cost of them aside (which is kind of a turn off, but I understand not charging everyone for it) I'm not sure if we need them. On the Disney ships we didn't use the specialty dining (there's just one) because we rotated through 3 very different, excellent restaurants which were included. We also didn't need to reserve anything other than excursions so I'm not sure how much I want to book ahead of time on Anthem. The reason I loved DCL so much is it was very relaxing. I'm the type of person who makes spreadsheets when we go to Disney World (which is fairly often since we are Vacation Club owners.) But when we cruise our pace slows. I don't know if I want to bring the Super Planner Laurie out for this trip. Will our experience be lessened if we don't go to specialty restaurants? Also is the entertainment appropriate for young teenagers? 

This became longer winded than I intended.

Thanks for any advice you can give to set my anxiety at rest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel when it comes to cruises, like any big ticket item you are going to purchase, you have to do your homework. Disney offers a lot, but then they charge a lot. From what I've read, they offer a great product, but it comes at a cost. A lot of the cost is for the name, Disney. I'm not knocking Disney. I have been to both Disneyland and Disney World, and for what they do, nobody does it better. Just stating my opinion. RC lets you pick and choose what you want and don't want. Some people call this "nickel and diming." Sometimes when things are "included" you feel obligated to use things, just because they are included. To put it in perspective. How many of these "included" things would you have paid for? If you think you are not paying for things that are "included" you are fooling yourself. Nobody in business makes money by giving things away for free.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, LaurieB said:

I'm brand new here and just started listening to the podcast. (Thanks for the recent episode for new cruisers and congrats on your 200th episode!!) I have a similar concern as the original poster. I've been on two DCL cruises and adored them. No doubt the best family vacations we've ever had. We are booked for our first Royal cruise (March 2018 Anthem of the Seas) and I'm doing as much research as I can to set our expectations. The fare was a great bargain, but I haven't decided yet if we'll take any of the specialty dining or beverage packages. Cost of them aside (which is kind of a turn off, but I understand not charging everyone for it) I'm not sure if we need them. On the Disney ships we didn't use the specialty dining (there's just one) because we rotated through 3 very different, excellent restaurants which were included. We also didn't need to reserve anything other than excursions so I'm not sure how much I want to book ahead of time on Anthem. The reason I loved DCL so much is it was very relaxing. I'm the type of person who makes spreadsheets when we go to Disney World (which is fairly often since we are Vacation Club owners.) But when we cruise our pace slows. I don't know if I want to bring the Super Planner Laurie out for this trip. Will our experience be lessened if we don't go to specialty restaurants? Also is the entertainment appropriate for young teenagers? 

This became longer winded than I intended.

Thanks for any advice you can give to set my anxiety at rest.

I cruised Disney four times, mainly because they were cheaper prior to 2013 when the third berth cost was added.  However, once my son hit a certain age (6, I think) the pricing became significantly higher as the third berth wasn't as discounted any longer.

There's actually not that much preplanning/reserving that you need to do.  The biggest differences for me were the fact that soda wasn't included, the food wasn't quite as good in the main dining room or up on deck (subjective, but still good on Royal), and the fact that the kid's club has more limited hours.  Even so, Royal has proven to be a very good value with a lot of activities onboard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's funny, you used the term, "nickel & dimeing", I used the term "ala-carteing" --- As someone who grew up on the Disney product, as Fmanke said, there's nobody that does it better in terms of providing a memorable vacation for the entire family .....

What I personally like about the way that RCL does it, is the fact that you're not forced to buy something, hidden cost or otherwise, that you may not use...... plus, now that I'm 54, I don't need something that's geared so much towards kids, AND, I do enjoy a casino.  Perhaps that's an additional factor as to why Disney Cruises cost so much more, they have to make up for lost revenue.

I love the fact that I can start with a lower base rate for the cruise, and all of us in the family can pick and choose the "add-ons" in order to create a more personalized, perfect vacation.

Just my opinion, Disney does what they do really well, and so does Royal Caribbean, you just have to do your homework, and decide on what works best for you and your family.

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, coneyraven said:

It's funny, you used the term, "nickel & dimeing", I used the term "ala-carteing" --- As someone who grew up on the Disney product, as Fmanke said, there's nobody that does it better in terms of providing a memorable vacation for the entire family .....

What I personally like about the way that RCL does it, is the fact that you're not forced to buy something, hidden cost or otherwise, that you may not use...... plus, now that I'm 54, I don't need something that's geared so much towards kids, AND, I do enjoy a casino.  Perhaps that's an additional factor as to why Disney Cruises cost so much more, they have to make up for lost revenue.

I love the fact that I can start with a lower base rate for the cruise, and all of us in the family can pick and choose the "add-ons" in order to create a more personalized, perfect vacation.

Just my opinion, Disney does what they do really well, and so does Royal Caribbean, you just have to do your homework, and decide on what works best for you and your family.

Mark

I believe, as Mark said, RC lets you choose to spend what you want to spend. Spend $800 or $8,000. Get exactly as much as you want, or as little. It's all up to you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

47 minutes ago, LaurieB said:

I'm brand new here and just started listening to the podcast. (Thanks for the recent episode for new cruisers and congrats on your 200th episode!!) I have a similar concern as the original poster. I've been on two DCL cruises and adored them. No doubt the best family vacations we've ever had. We are booked for our first Royal cruise (March 2018 Anthem of the Seas) and I'm doing as much research as I can to set our expectations. The fare was a great bargain, but I haven't decided yet if we'll take any of the specialty dining or beverage packages. Cost of them aside (which is kind of a turn off, but I understand not charging everyone for it) I'm not sure if we need them. On the Disney ships we didn't use the specialty dining (there's just one) because we rotated through 3 very different, excellent restaurants which were included. We also didn't need to reserve anything other than excursions so I'm not sure how much I want to book ahead of time on Anthem. The reason I loved DCL so much is it was very relaxing. I'm the type of person who makes spreadsheets when we go to Disney World (which is fairly often since we are Vacation Club owners.) But when we cruise our pace slows. I don't know if I want to bring the Super Planner Laurie out for this trip. Will our experience be lessened if we don't go to specialty restaurants? Also is the entertainment appropriate for young teenagers? 

This became longer winded than I intended.

Thanks for any advice you can give to set my anxiety at rest.

Absolutely not!!  IMO, the MDR food is fantastic, and if I get something I don't care for, I can just get something to replace it.

 

Laurie - leave your alter ego at home and just relax.  As soon as I step onboard, I can literally feel the stress leave my body and mind.

You and your family will have a great time!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, LaurieB said:

Will our experience be lessened if we don't go to specialty restaurants? Also is the entertainment appropriate for young teenagers? 

Absolutely not. Just like on DCL, the specialty restaurants on RC augment the fabulous complimentary dining.

Nearly all the former DCL folks that try RC remark something along the lines of, "the food was WAY better on RC than on DCL".  You can very easily enjoy just complimentary food on your RC cruise have a a satisfying experience. I love the main dining room, and the Windjammer buffet offers a very wide assortment of choices. 

Generally, I recommend trying a specialty restaurant or two to spice things up a bit.  It's not absolutely necessary, but I think it helps.  Think of it like going to Disney World and sprinkling in a table service restaurant among a trip filled mostly with counter service restaurants.  It's just a nice way to make a night or two extra special.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with Floski on the MDR.  Before going on my first RC cruise, I had read mixed opinions on the MDR, and having already sailed Disney, with their great food, I was sort of mentally prepared for a let down.  Well, I was not let down.  I thought the MDR was great, both the standard items and the items that changed each night.  Throw in all the specialty dining options, plus the Windjammer that you can go to whenever you want, and I would argue the food and dining options are better on RC.  On Disney, you are assigned a specific restaurant each night, one of which is their buffett and depending on the length of your cruise, they will repeat.  They are all great, but outside of that, the specialty options are only one or two places.  Again, not to bash Disney, but considering the thousands more that the overall trip costs, I will stick with Royal.  Like someone else said, it is more a la carting rather than nickel and diming.         

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, cabradl said:

We are headed out on our first cruise with Royal Caribbean and so far I am annoyed with the way they do business.  It's not enough to pay a premium for the cruise, RC also nickel and dimes you for everything.  You want cokes or sodas?  there's a package for that! $$$$ you want internet?  there's a package for that! $$$$  There are other packages as well but the ones I'm referring to in this post are for conveniences that are free of charge on other cruise lines such as Disney.  I am annoyed because in order to keep in contact with other family members on the cruise, there is not a way for us to communicate unless we buy a internet package.  We are traveling on the OASIS and bear in mind that this isn't cheap!  After researching today, we found out that the Quantum level ships offer texting via their phone app without any additional costs.  This service is not available for any of the other ship classes.  I think this is ridiculous and so classless of RC.  I called their 'customer service' line about and the person told me they had never had a complaint about this.  Really?  I don't believe it.    The only way we can communicate with each other (when we are not sitting by each other) is by buying another package for $350.   

This is our first cruise with RC and it will be our last.   I really wish we had gone with Disney again, but we thought we would try something new this time.   I regret that decision!~

Speaking as a first-time cruiser who hasn't even taken his first cruise yet (so feel free to take this with as many grains of salt as you want), I have to say that I find your statement that you're "paying a premium" for the RCI cruise to be really perplexing. I priced out Disney and RCI cruises, and Royal was always significantly less expensive for trips of the same length and cabin type, with the same (or often greater) number of port stops. That's not "paying a premium" by any stretch in my book; that's saving a lot of money for the other parts of the cruise that matter to me and my family that we consider not optional (mainly shore excursions).

We originally looked at both Oasis and Harmony, and Disney was consistently 1.5 - 2 times the cost for the same level ocean view or balcony cabin. We ultimately went with an itinerary on Freedom that we felt was better, which cost even less.

Everything else in terms of the packages offered is 100% optional. If you don't drink soda, no need to pay for a package. If you drink soda but don't plan to have more than 1 or 2 a day, you can pay for them individually instead of buying the package and still come out ahead compared to Disney's price. And if you drink 3 cans of Coke with breakfast, a couple of Mountain Dews at lunch to charge up, and then 2 more Cokes at dinner with Cherry Coke at dessert every day; well then the package is your best friend in the whole world!

Same goes for the alcohol packages, the internet packages, etc. @coneyraven summed it up best -- it's "a la carting" your trip.

 

I really debated including this next part, but in the end I felt like I had to call out the fallacy of your "paying a premium" statement.

 

  • 7-night RCI cruise on Allure of the Seas (priced just now, with a "60% off second guest" promotion currently in effect)
    • Four ports, no private destinations
    • Leaving April 1, 2018
    • 2 D1 deluxe ocean view with large balcony cabins (equivalent class)
    • $4,174.10 (incl port fees and taxes)
       
  • 8-night RCI cruise on Freedom of the Seas (the cruise I actually booked, price reflects all adjustments since booking for better promotions)
    • Four ports, including private destination Labadee
    • Leaving March 31, 2018
    • 2 D1 deluxe ocean view with large balcony cabins (equivalent class)
    • Includes $200 onboard credit as part of the last applied promotion
       
    • $4,894.92 (incl port fees and taxes)
       
  • 7-night Disney cruise from Port Canaveral on Disney Fantasy (priced just now on the disneycruises.com site)
    • Four ports, including private destination Castaway Cay
    • Leaving March 31, 2018
    • 2 verandah cabins
       
    • $10,611.36 (incl port fees and taxes)

 

But RCI is making me "pay a premium"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, LaurieB said:

I'm the type of person who makes spreadsheets when we go to Disney World (which is fairly often since we are Vacation Club owners.) But when we cruise our pace slows. I don't know if I want to bring the Super Planner Laurie out for this trip. Will our experience be lessened if we don't go to specialty restaurants? Also is the entertainment appropriate for young teenagers? 

Laurie, you and i would get along great (says Jane wearing her mickey earrings and bracelet).  Im an uber planner who loves disney and just came back from an 8 day spring break trip to the world.   I would kill to do a disney cruise, but there is no way to afford it like i can royal.  I went on my first cruise 2 years ago on royal and have loved it!  The mdr and windjammer have great food in my opinion,  but you will find that food is subjective.  We have really enjoyed trying the specialty restaurants, but you can totally survive without them.   I haven't been on the big ships (freedom is the largest I've been on) and my understanding is that they definitely need more planning for dining and shows.  However,  my guess is you can relax just like on any other ship and they have a ton for the kids.  My 14 year old has yet to be bored, even on the smaller ships,  and she absolutely loved the teen center.   The kids area are amazing on the royal ships.    I can't do any comparing to disney since i haven't been lucky enough to go on them,  but if you have any specific questions ask away here....lots of us have had amazing experiences on royal and can advise away!   Have a great trip!   Jane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest toodle68

I like the term  "ala-carteing"  .. you can get on a 3 day cruise for under $300 and get off the ship having an amazing time and not paid a cent more. You can't beat that for price compared to a hotel, travel and food.  I like that I can upgrade if I want. I can order a drink, do shore excursions.. but I don't have to do any of it.. and I would hate for that price to be $500 and include soda and internet etc.

I like that crazy people purchase 6 soda packages for their whole family for 7 days and nearly drown their kids in massive amount of sugar.. or that adults buy the drinks packages and drink themselves to near coma state..  all the above keeps the cost of the cruise down for me :)   If you want to save money, and be healthier, drink water from the machine in WJ, it's free.

We purchase 1 internet device when the price falls below $11 / day (it always does over the year you are waiting). If not for needing a channel open for the adult kids back home, we would turn off the devices off.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, toodle68 said:

I like the term  "ala-carteing"  .. you can get on a 3 day cruise for under $300 and get off the ship having an amazing time and not paid a cent more.

I feel like that needs one of those asterisks followed at the bottom of the page by a nice paragraph of small-type legalese...

 

$300 price reflects purchase of inside studio stateroom with optimal promotional package applied. Price does not include port fees or taxes, which let's be honest will be more than the room price on this ultra-cheap room. Price does not include land or air transportation to / from port, parking fees, or other travel costs. Price does not include mandatory gratuities of $18.69 per day, or obligatory tipping to porters even if all you brought was a backpack with a single change of clothes and a toothbrush in it. And let's be honest, you're having at least 3 labadoozies; we know it, you know it, stop trying to pretend it won't happen.

 

 

:10_wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the OP of this thread wanted to get the board veterans riled up, he/she did it.

It's funny, we all have "beefs" with RCCL, but when a Newbie comes on and trashes the cruise line without all the facts, we get defensive.

As it should be, I guess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMHO, RC is still the best bang for the buck. We've been on Disney (our honeymoon back in 2004 and absolutely enjoyed it), but to me it's not worth the significant premium (50%-100% more) especially for smaller, older ships with very limited itineraries (and no casinos - LOL!). We've never felt "short-changed" or disappointed on a RC cruise even after cruising with Disney (that first ever cruise tends to set the bar and it was set high for us with Disney).  

We're currently booked on Allure for April 2018 (7-night Western Caribbean)... I modeled the closest cruise itinerary with Disney in a balcony (verandah as Disney calls it) cabin and it came to double the RC rate at $4,700! We're paying just over $2,300 for the two of us and we have $100 OBC (Deck 12, mid-ship, oceanview balcony cabin). Disney needs to expand their fleet and hopefully start to lower their rates... bottom line, with such limited capacity and the Disney brand, they don't need to...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, RCVoyager said:

If the OP of this thread wanted to get the board veterans riled up, he/she did it.

It's funny, we all have "beefs" with RCCL, but when a Newbie comes on and trashes the cruise line without all the facts, we get defensive.

As it should be, I guess.

I have plenty of beefs with Royal, but the chains on the original post were blatantly wrong. I was taking exception with the claims rather that defending Royal, at least I thought. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, RCVoyager said:

If the OP of this thread wanted to get the board veterans riled up, he/she did it.

It's funny, we all have "beefs" with RCCL, but when a Newbie comes on and trashes the cruise line without all the facts, we get defensive.

As it should be, I guess.

I'm pretty sure this same phenomenon happens on Cruise Critic as well... only a lot nastier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, klaconqueso said:

I'm pretty sure this same phenomenon happens on Cruise Critic as well... only a lot nastier.

So true. I'm headed off to a Princess cruise to the British Isles this month, so I've been looking at the Princess boards there. Nearly every day, I'm revolted by the sheer nastiness of some of the posts. And rather than answer a newbies question like we do here, the scold the person and suggest that if they had done a search of the forums he or she would have found an answer to the question. 

If you want to have fun and troll a little, just bring up the topic of tipping or formal dress. For most, anything less than a dark suit is equivalent to dining in the nude. I guess I'll be disappointing my fellow Princess cruisers on formal night. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, DocLC said:

So true. I'm headed off to a Princess cruise to the British Isles this month, so I've been looking at the Princess boards there. Nearly every day, I'm revolted by the sheer nastiness of some of the posts. And rather than answer a newbies question like we do here, the scold the person and suggest that if they had done a search of the forums he or she would have found an answer to the question. 

If you want to have fun and troll a little, just bring up the topic of tipping or formal dress. For most, anything less than a dark suit is equivalent to dining in the nude. I guess I'll be disappointing my fellow Princess cruisers on formal night. ;)

Don't forget your shorts! :4_joy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Upon further review...

We (wife and I) didn't think enough about the points that the great folks here said...that RC is a lot cheaper than Disney...someone said that it's best to think of it as a la carte rather than the 'nickel and dimeing'.

It's better to only purchase what you need.

Great advice from all...and great reminders! We wanted something 'cheaper' than Disney and we got that...however, we lost track of the 'pay for only what you want' aspect.

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

Again, great advice from all, and thanks for the re-adjustment to our thinking...we were miffed about the communication options and that resulted in some sweeping generalizations which were not expressed well.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, cabradl said:

Upon further review...

We (wife and I) didn't think enough about the points that the great folks here said...that RC is a lot cheaper than Disney...someone said that it's best to think of it as a la carte rather than the 'nickel and dimeing'.

It's better to only purchase what you need.

Great advice from all...and great reminders! We wanted something 'cheaper' than Disney and we got that...however, we lost track of the 'pay for only what you want' aspect.

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

Again, great advice from all, and thanks for the re-adjustment to our thinking...we were miffed about the communication options and that resulted in some sweeping generalizations which were not expressed well.

 

 

 

Just hope you have a great cruise!  I get caught up in the add ons, and then i remember that its vacation and still cheaper than my last disney park trip!  Im still dying to do disney cruise line,   but until they drop,  i will just be doing the parks!  Enjoy royal,  try not to compare and let us know how it goes!  Jane

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, cabradl said:

 

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

Again, great advice from all, and thanks for the re-adjustment to our thinking...we were miffed about the communication options and that resulted in some sweeping generalizations which were not expressed well.

 

 

 

Thus is a shared gripe with many of us as many cruise lines have this functionality now and there's no reason why Royal shouldn't have placed this on all of their ships with the roll out of Voom (their internet service). Even Princess has this functionality and with the introduction of Ocean Medallion and MSC's equivalent, Royal is going to be at the bottom of the pack even though they were the first to introduce it. 

Thanks for replying back to your post and considering all of our comments. 

Don't forget to try the zip line, carousel, Flow Rider, and/or rock climbing wall. My favorite on the ship, though, is Central Park. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, cabradl said:

Upon further review...

We (wife and I) didn't think enough about the points that the great folks here said...that RC is a lot cheaper than Disney...someone said that it's best to think of it as a la carte rather than the 'nickel and dimeing'.

It's better to only purchase what you need.

Great advice from all...and great reminders! We wanted something 'cheaper' than Disney and we got that...however, we lost track of the 'pay for only what you want' aspect.

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

Again, great advice from all, and thanks for the re-adjustment to our thinking...we were miffed about the communication options and that resulted in some sweeping generalizations which were not expressed well.

 

 

 

I for one appreciate your review, and I bet many others here do too.

In a weird way, this board is not unlike a family with RCCL being the parents.  We have our squabbles.  We get mad at our parents.  But... when an outsider talks bad about one of us, we circle the wagons.

RCCL isn't perfect, but it does a lot of things very well.  I hope you enjoy your trip.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, cabradl said:

Upon further review...

We (wife and I) didn't think enough about the points that the great folks here said...that RC is a lot cheaper than Disney...someone said that it's best to think of it as a la carte rather than the 'nickel and dimeing'.

It's better to only purchase what you need.

Great advice from all...and great reminders! We wanted something 'cheaper' than Disney and we got that...however, we lost track of the 'pay for only what you want' aspect.

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

Again, great advice from all, and thanks for the re-adjustment to our thinking...we were miffed about the communication options and that resulted in some sweeping generalizations which were not expressed well.

 

 

 

Your post makes me very happy.  Welcome to the RC Blog family.  We are all here for each other, new & seasoned cruisers alike.  We all support one another in answering any and all questions & concerns, no matter how complex or mundane, to the best of our abilities. 

Mark

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, cabradl said:

Upon further review...

We (wife and I) didn't think enough about the points that the great folks here said...that RC is a lot cheaper than Disney...someone said that it's best to think of it as a la carte rather than the 'nickel and dimeing'.

It's better to only purchase what you need.

Great advice from all...and great reminders! We wanted something 'cheaper' than Disney and we got that...however, we lost track of the 'pay for only what you want' aspect.

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

Again, great advice from all, and thanks for the re-adjustment to our thinking...we were miffed about the communication options and that resulted in some sweeping generalizations which were not expressed well.

 

 

 

Believe me, we air gripes here quite a bit! You should have SEEN when Royal announced that room service would no longer be complimentary, or when shorts would be allowed (briefly) in the MDR for all but formal night.

For myself, I never have a problem hearing an opposing viewpoint, but I do ask that it have some evidence I can look at and review to back it up. I was a scientist before making a career change 25 years ago, and those habits run deep. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎6‎/‎2‎/‎2017 at 9:19 PM, cabradl said:

Our main gripe with RC was not having a good way for family members to easily (and free) communicate with each other like it is on the Quantum class or Disney.

 

You don't state if you're traveling with children or other adults.  However, I will say we sailed on Explorer last year with my dad, his wife and my MIL and her best friend.  Our cabins were all on the same deck but not near each other.  I must say ... traveling with them was somewhat like traveling with children.  We would all meet for breakfast each morning outside the Windjammer at a specified time.  After breakfast, we would coordinate our next check-in location & time.  If it was a shore excursion day, we would meet at the elevator lobby on our deck.  If was a sea day, we might not check back in at all, but we constantly ran into them all over the ship.  Also, each stateroom has a telephone & it's free to call between rooms & you can leave messages.

I think we sometimes forget that we had to do these sorts of things in the age before cell phones and technology.  It doesn't have to be a negative experience.  It just takes some preplanning and coordination on everyone's part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/2/2017 at 4:46 PM, RCVoyager said:

If the OP of this thread wanted to get the board veterans riled up, he/she did it.

It's funny, we all have "beefs" with RCCL, but when a Newbie comes on and trashes the cruise line without all the facts, we get defensive.

As it should be, I guess.

No kidding!  My opinion is take the cruise first, voice your opinion second.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey there!

I won't beat a dead horse, but I too choose to view Royal Caribbean as a la carte pricing vs nickel and dimeing.  I'm so glad you've decided to keep an open mind. 

I am a Disney girl through and through.  Like DVC members, married at Disney with 150 people there, parents will buy into Golden Oak at some point type of people.  We have cruised Disney 9 times, including 12 night Northern European cruises.  I actually started looking into RC because of Matt's old Disney podcast haha.  

Our first ship on RC was also Oasis of the Seas.  I'll be honest.  I was expecting it to be like going to Six Flags after being a Disney fan your whole life.  I was so surprised.  Disney is a great cruise line, but in my opinion, it doesn't lead the industry like their resorts do.  They have truly started to price themselves way too high as well.  There are a few things that Disney does better than RC in cruising, but not many.  On the flip side, I think there are things Royal Caribbean does better.  

I think you'll be blown away by Oasis.  It's a different experience than a Disney ship, but not better or worse.  Just different.  Keep an open mind- you won't have to force yourself to keep it for very long.  You won't have Cast Members calling your name out and clapping for you as you board, but you'll look left and right on the Royal Promenade and your jaw will drop.  

A little advice- there's a ton to see and do and know that you won't do it all.  You've probably given the same advice to people at Walt Disney World.  Prebook shows on your cruise planner- you don't have to necessarily stick to that plan, but at least you have them.  You can get into shows without pre-booking, but you'll get better seats by doing it.  That doesn't cost you any extra.  Look at the old cruise compasses on this site (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass) to get a feel for your itinerary.  If you like rotational dining on Disney and enjoy getting to know the wait staff, stick with classic dining.  With My Time Dining, there's a chance that you'll get a different wait staff.  Specialty dining is worth trying- especially 150 Central Park since it is unique to Oasis Class Ships.  Try the cucumber martini- you won't regret it! 

I may have missed it- how old are your kids?  If they're at all adventurous, they are going to love Oasis!  There's a zip line, two surf simulators, two rock climbing walls with multiple courses, mini golf, a ginormous splash pad area, carousel, ice skating rink, and more.  They won't get bored.  The aquatheater is unlike any venue you'll find at sea.  The diving shows are incredible.  

Hope that helps you get a little more excited for your upcoming cruise.  If you're anything like us, you'll find out that you would rather take 2 RC cruises than 1 Disney cruise.  Let me know if I can be of any more help!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really enjoyed this thread. I have a colleague who is a Disney fanatic and loves their cruises, personally I lived near Disney for years, watched the fireworks from my patio every night and had the Annual Pass, etc, etc.

Now I'm older I would pay serious money to never cruise DISNEY, but appreciate those that love it. I'm like many others, I prefer not to pay for stuff I don't want and love RCCL, you will enjoy Oasis, it's a great ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...