If you are considering a first time cruise with RCI, buyer beware. RCI said they could get us a great airline ticket from Seattle to Quebec City. What we got was three segments starting out in the morning and arriving at Quebec City at midnight. We contacted Air Canada and spent the extra money to change the flight schedule to two segments and we arrived in Quebec City at 7:30pm.

This was a re-positioning cruise from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale. There were over 700 Diamond Plus and Pinnacle travelers so there were portions of the ship closed off for private parties exclusively for these travelers. Looking for a cruise with interesting lectures, forget it. There were none. Looking for a cruise where the cruise director gives presentations about the ports of call and answers questions, forget it. The best they could do was a review on the TV in the cabin. Looking for a library where you could check out a book, forget it. The best they could do was a 'book nook' adjacent to a bar. On another cruise line, wash and fold laundry was a flat fee. On RCI, it was $30 per bag.

Royal Caribbean International isn't going to fill its pipeline of Diamond Plus travelers unless it starts paying more attention to first time clients.