It’s no secret that I like cruising on Royal Caribbean, however there are some things I want my favourite cruise line would borrow from the competitors.
Overall, I believe Royal Caribbean is one of the best cruise line on the market for its method to mainstream cruising. Suffice to say, I’ve no points with persevering with to cruise with Royal Caribbean. But like all firm, there’s at all times room for enchancment.
Over the years, the cruise business as a complete tends to observe tendencies and it is not unusual for one line to introduce a change or new idea and for different strains to take discover of it and incorporate it into their method.
An amazing instance of that is the change from a standard muster drill to eMuster drill that occurred in 2021. This was a change Royal Caribbean was among the many first to introduce, and different strains shortly adopted it as properly.
Along these strains, I can not assist typically however see what different strains are doing and want Royal Caribbean would no less than take a few of these concepts or approaches into their ships.
For the document, this would not be the primary time Royal Caribbean took inspiration from one other cruise line. A basic instance is the digital balcony, which was copied from Disney Cruise Line’s digital porthole.
While the grass might not essentially be greener on the opposite aspect of the cruise line fence, these are just a few concepts I like that I would not thoughts seeing Royal Caribbean add to their ships.
NCL: Add new venues to older ships
I used to be watching a video from Emma Cruises of the NCL Sky, which was launched in 1996, and was impressed this 25+ 12 months previous ship has as many new venues because it does.
When Norwegian refurbished the ship in 2019, they added 8 new venues (together with up to date public areas and refreshed cabins).
To be honest, Royal Caribbean’s Royal Amplified program added some great new venues to current ships, however this system bypassed the Vision and Radiance Class cruise ships. NCL Sky is a ship even older than the Vision Class ships.
I used to be impressed once I noticed NCL added a sushi bar, pub, mojito bar, Starbucks, and some new lounges to a ship as previous as NCL Sky.
Of course, this refurbishment occurred pre-2020 when the cruise business was flush with money. Times are very completely different now, however ultimately cruise strains will recuperate financially and be ready to refurbish older ships once more. When they do, I’d like to see extra love for the older vessels.
Carnival: Variety of free (and good) eating places
When Royal Caribbean launched El Loco Fresh to its ships as a complimentary restaurant on the pool deck, it was a revelation in having fast entry to good and free meals. I want we might get extra of those form of venues.
I hear loads from cruise followers that if there’s one factor Carnival Cruise Line does properly, it is their complimentary meals choices.
BlueIguana Cantina, Guy’s Burger Joint, Carnival Deli and Big Chicken are all nice examples of complimentary eating venues that supply some actually good meals.
What makes these eating places stand out isn’t just that they are complimentary, however they’re fairly darn good too.
If you wished a fast chunk to eat with out paying further on Royal Caribbean, you most likely needed to go the Windjammer. Newer ships may need had El Loco Fresh or Boardwalk Dog House, however these are few and much between and lack the number of meals Carnival has.
While it is early, I believe Royal Caribbean goes to maneuver extra on this route with Icon of the Seas when it launches. However, the remainder of the fleet might use these form of choices too.
Piggybacking on the primary level on this article about including new venues to older ships, let’s additionally get extra nice complimentary eating added to current ships to maintain up with Carnival’s meals recreation.
Disney: Split bogs
Since Disney Cruise Line launched, their method to providing households more room and choices in cabins has been an enormous deal.
I imagine Royal Caribbean has taken discover of the household cruise market greater than some other line of their method to providing equally compelling choices for youths (and their dad and mom) onboard, however the cruise cabins might nonetheless profit from one thing Disney does properly.
In quick, I just like the break up tub idea that is available in commonplace cabins.
With a break up tub, there’s two bogs. One has a bathe with a bathtub (uncommon on cruise ships) and a sink; the opposite has a rest room and sink.
Having a break up toilet is tremendous useful for households, in addition to virtually anybody sharing a cabin with one other particular person. While I believe two bogs helps households out loads, this idea can profit nearly anybody.
Unrelated, however Disney’s model of shampoo, conditioner, and cleaning soap odor nice too!
When Icon of the Seas launches subsequent 12 months, it can have extra household cabins than earlier than. Icon may have 82% of rooms with a excessive occupancy of three or extra company, which is greater than double the Oasis Class ships.
Read extra: Guide to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites
Celebrity: Include gratuities in cruise fare
It’s time we cease pretending gratuities for the crew members are some form of a separate price that is not inherently a part of the general cruise value.
Royal Caribbean nonetheless costs an automated gratuity that you simply both pre-pay or get charged every day of the cruise. So a method or one other, you are going to pay it.
I believe Celebrity Cruises did the fitting factor by simply incorporating gratuities into the cruise fare and taking the paradox of suggestions out of the equation.
In 2020, Celebrity Cruises rolled out the “Always Included” plan, which implies cruise fares now embody mechanically Wi-Fi, drinks and gratuity.
The cruise line says they made this transformation in an effort to keep away from “complicated promotions, sophisticated add-ons and limited-time gives.”
Other than cruises from Australia, Royal Caribbean would not embody gratuities in its fare. This is probably going as a result of it helps market the value of the cruise as being decrease.
While I do not suppose Royal Caribbean wants to incorporate as a lot it its cruise fare as Celebrity does, gratuities ought to completely be a part of the bottom cruise fare.
Not solely do the crew members deserve it, however the notion that tipping on a cruise is by some means optionally available is antiquated.
Princess: Alaska cruise itinerary selection
I’ve cherished each single Alaska cruise I’ve ever taken, and I’d like to see Royal Caribbean supply extra choices.
While Royal Caribbean has added extra cruise ships to Alaska lately, the market chief in Alaska cruises is arguably Princess Cruises.
In 2023, Princess may have six ships crusing to Alaska that function 14 distinctive itineraries, together with stops at Glacier Bay National Park.
An amazing instance is on the Majestic Princess, which gives a cruise tour the place you go to 4 nationwide parks: Glacier Bay, Denali, the Kenai Fjords and America’s largest nationwide park, Wrangell-St. Elias. The 15-night journey combines a seven-night cruise from Vancouver to Whittier, Alaska, with one other week on land, ending in Fairbanks.
Princess additionally gives Alaska cruises from San Francisco, an embarkation port Royal Caribbean would not serve.
I believe Royal Caribbean has a compelling Alaska program, however I additionally suppose there’s extra alternative right here than what we have seen up to now. Alaska has a lot to supply, and it appears to promote so properly that investing extra within the area looks like a no brainer.
MSC: Late-night visits to its non-public island
They say turnabout is honest play, so I believe it is time for Royal Caribbean to take a web page out of MSC’s play e-book.
MSC has been recognized to definitely borrow different cruise line concepts, so if there’s one factor MSC does properly it is their late-night visits to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Just like Perfect Day at CocoCay, MSC has a non-public island in The Bahamas. Whereas Royal Caribbean ships will keep till the late afternoon at greatest, MSC’s ships supply night actions.
MSC’s ships do not enable in a single day visits (though typically the ship will keep docked in a single day), however they do enable company to remain on the island till round midnight.
By staying late into the night, it opens up a lot extra time to take pleasure in arguably among the finest options of any Royal Caribbean cruise: non-public island visits.
When MSC gives a late night time keep, passengers can go to a celebration that has DJ, bonfire, and dancing. Bars on this a part of the island keep open late, as properly.
This looks like a simple win for Royal Caribbean to supply extra out of their highly-rated non-public island, particularly in the summertime months when the solar would not set till a lot later.