[ANALYSI] Royal Caribbean

I’ve been on the Royal Caribbean once in the Caribbean. It was my first time on a cruise ship and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I heard a lot about people not wanting to go on a cruise for so many different reasons. Whether it is boring to be on a boat, too expensive for too little value, sea sick, etc.

First of all, it was not boring on the boat and we were able to visit various islands. The price was fair depending on when you travel. I managed to booked a cruise once for $550, all inclusive for 7 days, which comes out to less than $100 a day. That is pretty good value to me. I am the type of person who gets sea sick, so the first day on the boat I will feel dizzy, but I do get used to it. What usually happens is that I need to rebalance myself when I get back on land.

If you plan on going on more than one cruise with Royal Caribbean, then be sure to sign up for its loyalty program called: “Crown & Anchor“.

Today, I will focus on Royal Caribbean’s foothold in Canada. When I research for a cruise, I generally look at 3 main factors: destination, size of the ship and year it was build.

The destination is always important. The size is important to me because the bigger the ship, the more amenities they have, making the ship more fun. The year it was built is important to me because I generally prefer newer ships to see what is the latest technology out there.

There are two departing ports from Canada, as listed below:

Quebec City

Legend of the Seas

• Destination: New England and Eastern Canada
• Maiden voyage: May 16, 1995
• Capacity: 2,076 passengers

Serenade of the Seas

• Destination: New England and Eastern Canada
• Maiden voyage: August 1, 2003
• Capacity: 2,490 passengers

Vancouver

Jewel of the Seas

• Destination: Pacific Coastal Cruise
• Maiden voyage: May 8, 2004
• Capacity: 2,501 passengers

Radiance of the Seas

• Destinations: Hawaii Cruise; Northbound Alaska & Hubbard Glacier
• Maiden voyage: April 7, 2001
• Capacity: 2,501 passengers

Rhapsody of the Seas

• Destination: Alaska
• Maiden voyage: May 19, 1997
• Capacity: 2,435 passengers

Based on what is available out there, Royal Caribbean is using a relatively old fleet in Canada. I hope to see some new ships departing from Quebec City or Vancouver soon.