It is no secret that I really like cruising on Royal Caribbean, however there are some things I want my favourite cruise line would borrow from the competitors.
Total, I believe Royal Caribbean is one of the best cruise line on the market for its strategy to mainstream cruising. Suffice to say, I’ve no points with persevering with to cruise with Royal Caribbean. However like every firm, there’s at all times room for enchancment.
Through the years, the cruise business as a complete tends to observe tendencies and it isn’t 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 strategy.
An incredible instance of that is the change from a conventional 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 nicely.
Alongside these strains, I am unable to assist generally however see what different strains are doing and want Royal Caribbean would not less than take a few of these concepts or approaches into their ships.
For the report, 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.
Whereas the grass might not essentially be greener on the opposite facet 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used to be watching a video from Emma Cruises of the NCL Sky, which was launched in 1996, and was impressed this 25+ yr outdated ship has as many new venues because it does.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 truthful, Royal Caribbean’s Royal Amplified program added some fantastic new venues to current ships, however this system bypassed the Imaginative and prescient and Radiance Class cruise ships. NCL Sky is a ship even older than the Imaginative and prescient Class ships.
I used to be impressed after I noticed NCL added a sushi bar, pub, mojito bar, Starbucks, and some new lounges to a ship as outdated as NCL Sky.
After all, this refurbishment occurred pre-2020 when the cruise business was flush with money. Occasions are very completely different now, however ultimately cruise strains will get well financially and be able to refurbish older ships once more. Once they do, I would like to see extra love for the older vessels.
Carnival: Number of free (and good) eating places
When Royal Caribbean launched El Loco Contemporary 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 so much from cruise followers that if there’s one factor Carnival Cruise Line does nicely, it is their complimentary meals choices.
BlueIguana Cantina, Man’s Burger Joint, Carnival Deli and Large Hen are all nice examples of complimentary eating venues that provide 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 happen to wished a fast chew to eat with out paying additional on Royal Caribbean, you in all probability needed to go the Windjammer. Newer ships may need had El Loco Contemporary or Boardwalk Canine Home, however these are few and much between and lack the number of meals Carnival has.
Whereas it is early, I believe Royal Caribbean goes to maneuver extra on this path with Icon of the Seas when it launches. Nonetheless, the remainder of the fleet may 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 sport.
Disney: Cut up loos
Since Disney Cruise Line launched, their strategy to providing households extra space and choices in cabins has been a giant deal.
I consider Royal Caribbean has taken discover of the household cruise market greater than some other line of their strategy to providing equally compelling choices for youths (and their dad and mom) onboard, however the cruise cabins may nonetheless profit from one thing Disney does nicely.
In brief, I just like the break up bathtub idea that is available in normal cabins.
With a break up bathtub, there’s two loos. One has a bathe with a bathtub (uncommon on cruise ships) and a sink; the opposite has a bathroom and sink.
Having a break up rest room is tremendous useful for households, in addition to virtually anybody sharing a cabin with one other particular person. Whereas I believe two loos helps households out so much, 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 yr, it should have extra household cabins than earlier than. Icon can have 82% of rooms with a excessive occupancy of three or extra friends, which is greater than double the Oasis Class ships.
Learn extra: Information to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites
Movie star: Embrace gratuities in cruise fare
It is time we cease pretending gratuities for the crew members are some sort of a separate price that is not inherently a part of the general cruise value.
Royal Caribbean nonetheless prices an automated gratuity that you just 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 Movie star Cruises did the suitable factor by simply incorporating gratuities into the cruise fare and taking the paradox of suggestions out of the equation.
In 2020, Movie star Cruises rolled out the “All the time Included” plan, which suggests cruise fares now embrace robotically Wi-Fi, drinks and gratuity.
The cruise line says they made this modification in an effort to keep away from “complicated promotions, sophisticated add-ons and limited-time presents.”
Apart from cruises from Australia, Royal Caribbean would not embrace gratuities in its fare. That is doubtless as a result of it helps market the value of the cruise as being decrease.
Whereas I do not assume Royal Caribbean wants to incorporate as a lot it its cruise fare as Movie star 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 one way or the other non-compulsory is antiquated.
Princess: Alaska cruise itinerary selection
I’ve liked each single Alaska cruise I’ve ever taken, and I would like to see Royal Caribbean supply extra choices.
Whereas Royal Caribbean has added extra cruise ships to Alaska in recent times, the market chief in Alaska cruises is arguably Princess Cruises.
In 2023, Princess can have six ships crusing to Alaska that function 14 distinctive itineraries, together with stops at Glacier Bay Nationwide Park.
An incredible instance is on the Majestic Princess, which presents 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 presents 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 assume there’s extra alternative right here than what we have seen to this point. Alaska has a lot to supply, and it appears to promote so nicely that investing extra within the area looks as if a no brainer.
MSC: Late-night visits to its personal island
They are saying turnabout is truthful 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 actually borrow different cruise line concepts, so if there’s one factor MSC does nicely it is their late-night visits to Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve.
Identical to Excellent Day at CocoCay, MSC has a personal 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 permit in a single day visits (though generally the ship will keep docked in a single day), however they do permit friends to remain on the island till round midnight.
By staying late into the night, it opens up a lot extra time to get pleasure from arguably among the finest options of any Royal Caribbean cruise: personal island visits.
When MSC presents 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 nicely.
This looks as if a straightforward win for Royal Caribbean to supply extra out of their highly-rated personal island, particularly in the summertime months when the solar would not set till a lot later.
