When booking a cruise vacation, there are so many mainstream and luxury cruise lines to choose from. The possibilities can feel endless when trying to find the perfect itinerary.
Every cruise line has its own unique flair, which can appeal to certain travelers more than others. Therefore, choosing a cruise line that aligns with your travel style, preferences and budget is one of the most important decisions you will make while planning your vacation.
Some travelers exclusively cruise with the same company time and time again. Having consistent, positive experiences makes it easy to continue spending your money with the same cruise line.
Cruise lines also reward loyal guests with points, discounts and onboard benefits. The more you cruise, the more lucrative these perks can become. But variety is the spice of life, right?
For nearly 20 years, I almost exclusively cruised with Royal Caribbean. I started cruising at just three years old, and my family continued sailing with the cruise line throughout my childhood.
The innovative ships and affordable cruise fares were exactly what my family needed. Once we reached a higher loyalty status, continuing to cruise with Royal Caribbean made even more sense.
Even as I went to college, started my career and got married, I continued booking Royal Caribbean cruises. The experience was comfortable, familiar and affordable.
All in all, I took around 20 cruises with Royal Caribbean over two decades. However, I eventually realized that my loyalty was starting to guide my travel decisions more than my actual preferences.
Within one year, I branched out by sailing with Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line. While I thought distance might make the heart grow fonder, these experiences opened my eyes to a world of cruising beyond Royal Caribbean.
This does not mean I will stop cruising with Royal Caribbean. Instead, I am no longer hesitant to book another cruise line when the itinerary, price or onboard experience is a better fit.
Here are 7 signs that it might be time for you to branch out from your favorite cruise line too.
1. Your favorite cruise line does not visit the destinations you want to see
One of the biggest reasons I started booking other cruise lines was the opportunity to experience more unique itineraries.
If you are someone who cruises primarily for the destinations, it does not make sense to limit yourself to one cruise line. Cruise line loyalty should never become a barrier to visiting bucket-list places.
After taking around 20 cruises with Royal Caribbean, I had already sailed on most of the itineraries that interested me. I had cruised throughout the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Alaska.
Although Royal Caribbean offers plenty of exciting itineraries, the cruise line did not regularly visit some of the more exotic destinations on my travel list. I became increasingly interested in cruising to new places, such as Africa and South America. Other cruise lines offered more port-intensive itineraries to these destinations.
For example, I took an incredible 12-night cruise on Norwegian Dawn to Mauritius, Madagascar, and South Africa. I had never seen Royal Caribbean offer an itinerary like this, but the sailing was a bucket-list experience for me.
If I wanted to visit these off-the-beaten-path destinations, I needed to step outside my cruising comfort zone.
When spending your time and money on a cruise vacation, the itinerary should align with your travel preferences. If another cruise line offers the exact itinerary you want, loyalty should not stop you from booking it.
2. Your preferred cruise line no longer matches your travel style
Your travel style will naturally change throughout your life. When I was growing up, Royal Caribbean was the perfect cruise line for my family. The ships offered activities and entertainment for everyone, including children, parents and grandparents.
Family-focused cruise ships are filled with waterslides, surf simulators, miniature golf courses, zip lines and obstacle courses. Some newer ships even have rollercoasters and go-karts! These attractions are wonderful for families, but they are no longer major selling points for me.
As someone without children, I started to prefer a more adult-focused onboard experience. Instead of waterslides and rollercoasters, I wanted relaxing lounges, sophisticated bars and quiet spaces where I could decompress.
This was one of the reasons I decided to try Celebrity Cruises. My first Celebrity cruise was onboard Celebrity Beyond, and I fell in love with the adult-focused experience. The ship was stunning, with more bars and lounges than I could have imagined.
Many of the spaces cultivated a relaxing and serene atmosphere. One of my favorite spots was the Sunset Bar on the top deck, which featured beautiful Moroccan-style décor.
Another favorite was the Magic Carpet, a cantilevered venue overlooking the side of the ship. I spent time there enjoying the ocean views with a delicious vanilla mojito.
Celebrity Cruises still welcomes children, but its ships are generally designed around a more upscale and refined experience. That atmosphere aligned better with my current travel style.
Of course, your preferences might change in the opposite direction. Someone who previously cruised as a couple might start looking for more family-friendly ships after having children. The best cruise line for you ten years ago might not be the best option today.
3. Your travel budget has changed
Your travel budget will likely be one of the most important factors when choosing a cruise. For many years, Royal Caribbean’s affordable fares were the perfect fit for my budget. This was especially true because my loyalty benefits helped me save even more money onboard.
Being able to stretch my vacation budget as far as possible was my top priority. However, my budget changed as my husband and I became more established in our careers. We had more flexibility to consider cruises that we could not afford earlier in our lives.
This allowed us to look beyond the cheapest cruise fare and consider the overall experience. We could spend more for a unique itinerary, upscale cruise line or balcony cabin if we felt the added cost was worthwhile.
A changing budget does not necessarily mean you need to start booking more expensive cruises. You might also discover that another cruise line provides better value for the type of vacation you want. For instance, an older vessel on another cruise line might offer the same itinerary for significantly less money.
On the other hand, you might find that spending more on a premium cruise line is worthwhile when the fare includes more of the amenities you value. Above all else, loyalty should not stop you from comparing prices, as your favorite cruise line might not provide the best value for every itinerary.
4. Another cruise line offers a better overall vacation package
The advertised cruise fare is only one part of the total vacation cost. Unless you can drive to the departure port, you will probably need to purchase airfare. You might also pay for a hotel, airport transfers, internet, drinks and shore excursions. These additional expenses can quickly add thousands of dollars to your vacation.
Some cruise lines offer promotions that bundle airfare or other perks with the cruise fare. Although the terms of these promotions vary, the total package can occasionally provide an excellent deal. For example, I took a 10-night British Isles cruise on Norwegian Star that included roundtrip airfare to London and the total cost was only around $1,500 per person.
This price also included a shore excursion credit and internet minutes. Considering a 10-night European cruise could easily cost $1,500 without airfare, this was a fantastic deal that I could not turn down.
The bundled price also made the vacation easier to budget. Instead of pricing the cruise and airfare separately, I could see a more realistic estimate of the total cost.
Of course, bundled airfare is not always the cheapest or most convenient option. You should compare the flight schedule, baggage allowance and cancellation policies before booking.
However, if another cruise line offers a better overall package, loyalty should not prevent you from considering it.
5. Loyalty benefits are the only reason you keep returning
Giving up valuable loyalty benefits can be one of the hardest parts of trying another cruise line. For instance, my husband and I receive five complimentary drinks each day when cruising with Royal Caribbean. This is similar to receiving a free drink package and has saved us thousands of dollars over the years.
We also receive discounts on internet, specialty dining and balcony cabins. As you can imagine, leaving these benefits behind made me hesitant to try another cruise line.
Eventually, I realized that loyalty benefits should enhance a vacation, not determine every vacation I take. I was not going to reach Royal Caribbean’s highest loyalty tier in the foreseeable future. Why should I limit my itinerary options simply to continue earning points?
Even better, you might not need to leave all your benefits behind.
For instance, Royal Caribbean Diamond Plus members can receive Celebrity Elite Plus status. Benefits vary between the three programs, and certain perks are excluded, but this can make it much easier to try a sister cruise line.
Before booking a new cruise line, research whether a status-match program is available. You might receive valuable benefits without having sailed with the company before.
Regardless, do not let a few free drinks or discounted internet stop you from booking a cruise that better matches your travel goals.
6. Another departure port would save you time and money
Convenience is another important factor when choosing a cruise line. Living in the Florida Panhandle, it takes me at least six hours to drive to Port Canaveral. If I want to cruise from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, I typically book a flight because the drive is close to ten hours.
Although Florida is the holy grail for cruising, I live about as far from the state’s major cruise ports as possible! At one point, I discovered that Carnival Cruise Line offered sailings from Mobile, Alabama. The port was only around 90 minutes from my home.
I had not seriously considered sailing with Carnival in recent years, but I could not resist the convenience of such a short drive for a weekend getaway. I didn’t need to purchase airfare or spend the night in a hotel before the cruise. This saved me both time and money!
The ship was older and the itinerary was nothing special, but the ease of traveling to the port made the sailing worthwhile.
Before this experience, I rarely considered cruises from a port unless Royal Caribbean sailed there. Now, I am open to booking other cruise lines when the departure port is more convenient.
A cruise fare might be slightly more expensive, but you could still save money by eliminating airfare, hotels and airport transfers.
7. Cruising has started to feel repetitive
At the end of the day, cruising should still feel exciting. After sailing with Royal Caribbean around seven times in one year, some aspects of the experience started to feel monotonous.
More specifically, the main dining room served many of the same menus regardless of which ship or itinerary I was sailing. Having the same menu on the first, second and third nights became repetitive.
Some of the entertainment was similar across the fleet too. The familiar experience that once felt comfortable started to feel slightly watered down. Someone who cruises once every few years might never notice this kind of repetition; however, frequent cruisers will quickly recognize the same menus, activities and entertainment.
Sailing with a different cruise line can make cruising feel new again. There is a special excitement that comes with experiencing a cruise line for the first time, as you can try new restaurants, entertainment, lounges and onboard activities.
As someone who cruises primarily for the destinations, I am mostly concerned with having a comfortable place to sleep, rest and eat while exploring new ports of call. Trying another cruise line does not need to be intimidating. In fact, stepping outside my comfort zone helped remind me why I loved cruising in the first place.
Cruise loyalty still has value, but variety does too
Cruise line loyalty can be extremely valuable. Consistent service, familiar ships and generous benefits provide plenty of reasons to continue booking with the same company. I still enjoy cruising with Royal Caribbean, and I have no plans to abandon the cruise line entirely. However, being loyal does not mean you need to be exclusive.
Trying Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line opened my eyes to new itineraries and onboard experiences. I found more adult-focused spaces, convenient departure ports and vacation packages that provided excellent value.
Most importantly, I stopped allowing loyalty to limit where and how I traveled.
If your preferred cruise line still offers the itinerary, experience and price you want, there is nothing wrong with continuing to book it. However, if your travel style has changed or cruising has started to feel repetitive, it might be time to branch out. After all, variety really is the spice of life!
