This is a real dilemma for us. Do we try another cruise line or do we continue to be exclusive to Royal Caribbean? It's no secret we love Royal Caribbean. It's the only line we've sailed on for the last 17 years. We've got a lot invested in Royal Caribbean at this point, finally making it to Diamond Level of the Crown & Anchor Society. Still, there is always that temptation to try another line. This may be the time to do it as getting to the next Crown & Anchor level, Diamond Plus, will most likely take several years.
What draws me to other lines is the same thing that drew me to Royal Caribbean in the first place, the ships. Royal Caribbean has been at the forefront of innovative ship design since the line's inception. I absolutely love the Voyager, Freedom, and Oasis Class ships and I desperately want to try a Quantum ship (come on RCCL, get one down here to Florida already!). That being said, there are some other interesting ships in development without the Crown & Anchor on the stack.
Currently, the most intriguing line is MSC. They seem to have come out of nowhere and are making a play to go against the big boys of the industry. They have several new builds in progress or in the planning stages, some of which sound amazing. The first of those will be the MSC Seaside which looks very cool. MSC also has a current offer to match whatever level you are on another line's loyalty program. I've already taken advantage of that while it was available. You can sign up for that loyalty match even if you are not currently booked on MSC. Even if I never go, it's worth the 5 minutes it took to sign up, just in case. I have family that has gone on MSC before and they have had good things to say.
MSC Seaside video:
Another option is NCL. They have some interesting ships and features that are tempting. They also offer some very nice incentives such as free specialty dining and free drink packages on some sailings.
Finally, there is Celebrity. I've been on Celebrity in the past, the last time was 1998, but never on any of their more modern ships. The plus is that they are part of Royal Caribbean so they match your loyalty status level. The downside is that their programs are still separate even though they are technically the same company. So points you earn on one line do not add to your total on the other. Celebrity has some existing ships that interest me, the Solstice Class of ships in particular, and they have plans for a newer class, the Edge Class, that will incorporate some very unique and innovative features into it's design.
Celebrity Edge Video:
I'm not entirely sure what we will do. We will continue to sail on Royal Caribbean no matter what happens, as it is still our favorite cruise line, but there are always other fish in the sea. The competition is heating up in the cruise industry, and that is a good thing.
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