cruisinmom1

Thanks so much for the great posting! Would it be possible to get pictures of the MDR menus? We're also on the 4 night in October. Trying to decide which night we want to book Chops. Enjoy your cruise!!

I'll start off by saying I'm not an employee of Royal Caribbean, don't have any relatives who work for Royal Caribbean or anything like that. I just wanted to start this thread to get a feel for what others think of the food quality on Royal Caribbean.

 

I've been cruising for 10 years - predominantly with Royal Caribbean but have also tried some other cruise lines as well. Over the last couple of years it seems to me that the food quality in the main dining room (not the specialty restaurants) - variety, quality of food itself - has decreased on Royal Caribbean.

 

People who I've talked to onboard seem to feel the same way - new cruisers, cruisers who have cruised other cruise lines and loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers.

 

Do others find this as well? How does the quality of food compare to say Princess these days? Be interested to hear people's thoughts on this.

I agree- Food in the MDR and Windjammer are not as good- the quality is somewhat fair-poor. However; the speciality restaurants are very good!

As I D+ with Royal, I'm starting to see the quality of the food and service declining. I'm so ready to move on to another line and being that MSC is matching loyality, I'm now ready. Anyone tried MSC and can compare it to Royal? I'd be so grateful for any help to make a decision of which ships to try from Miami.

Thanks in advance

I'd be upset too! I don't care if it's a year away stated by another poster to "chill". You probably got a good price and maybe airfare too? I'd write to the corporate office and maybe try to get some perk. They spend millions on advertising and then "screw" the dedicated travelers. I can go on and on, when we had our wedding on the Allure and they told me that "things were out of their control" with certain issues. They really don't care!

I find it ironic that they can treat a first time customer in a suite so much better than a D+ whose been dedicated for years. Time to move on to another line!

I seriously doubt that the RCCL card is about to end... If it did it would be an open window for all travel reward card to do what ever they want with rewards and no consequences.

I might see a change of Bank hosting the card, an BA is doing some strange things now days to max profits. I just got a message that I may see some fees on there services, I said what to my self, I have been with BA forever, and if they start charging me for services "HI HO it will be off to another bank I go. Pain in the but, but some times necessary into days world.

Me too! These fees are a pain in the butt! I've been with BOA forever, and now they are charging fees for everything!! Let me know what bank you change to, so I can move too!!

Does Allure or Oasis do a Afternoon tea?

We will go to the Prominade Cafe' and get a cookie and a cup of coffee- but, nothing like Holland or Carnival where they have music and little pastries.

I recall, it's only bins of sweets. Yes, very expensive when you go by the ounce of sweet tarts, etc.

We were on deck 8 and Dazzles is only opened at night. Sometimes, you'll see a wedding or private event during the day.

Be sure and book all your shows ahead of time, especially the comedy show which books up, because space is limited.

Go see the art auction and say hello to our friends Edart and Lickolein!

ENJOY our favorite ship- we just got married on her in February!! :)

We separate the unit and pack it in 2 suitcases, so they don't find it!

If you pack right, usually no wrinkles, anyway! I buy Chico's "travelers" and they pack great. Also, I put my blouses on one end of my pants and fold the leg over, like a burrito (lol). Use bubble or tissue wrap to fill in gaps of the suitcase! All else fails-they can steam on the ship.

We have a JS. Yes I know usually no perks. So I doubt we can have dinner in Coastal kitchen. But will D+ get us in there

D+ can come for dinner only. If you also have a GS or better, then breakfast too. We found it real noisy, if you go too early for dinner. We enjoyed the dinner menu and if you go for formal night, yes lobster is on the menu. The salted caramel pudding for dessert is yummy!! Do book as soon as you get on the ship for formal night. On the Oasis, we also enjoyed the dinner at the Solarium Bistro- the veal is really good and the dessert buffet of lots of berries is the best!

Enjoy~

Two quick questions...

I keep reading about discounts for chops once you on board...I have made a reservation and paid for our dinner there already...should I cancel now and wait till we are on board to book hopefully with a discount? Can I still cancel for a refund once we sail on September 13th

I see all about the spa on the rcl site but see nothing about a salon...love to have my hair washed and dried mid trip! A treat....is this available?

Thanks

There sure is a salon- book when you first get on to get the time and day you want.

Be sure to book your shows ahead! They do book up!

Try Gioviann's Table and the Solarium Bistro for good food- if you book 3 you get a 30% discount but be sure to alert them when you check out of each restaurant- they give it back as cruise credits to use while on the ship.

Enjoy!!

We just got off yesterday- Our cabin was on the 8th deck and the halls were very warm due to the heat from opening the door in Central Park- the floor by the elevators was always wet from the humidity. In addition, being that we were near Dazzles night club- we could hear running in the halls late at night.

Specialty dining- 150- not bad, but the tuna was way overcooked and tough-my hubby got the beef and liked it. Dessert was ok-not as good as before.

Solarium Bistro- Great for dinner- the veal is excellent and so was the pumpkin soup

Gioviann's Table- food always good

Chops- didn't go this time, liked the old menu better- the quality is not the same.

My time dining- long lines even with reservations! Day 1, 2 and 7 not the best menu. Second formal night- (day 5) Lobster tail and Prime rib-great

Book your shows ahead! CATS- many left after the first half-so we came back the next day to see the second half, 2 1/2 hours with a 15 min intermission was too long- costumes and voices were great. Come fly with me was great, Aqua show- great, Comedy show-fair, Headliner- Tony Tillman- fair, Frozen in Time- pretty good (slow in the start and got better-Hans Christian Anderson theme) Enjoy!!

Our cruise sails in three weeks. We debated for a long time about whether to purchase an inside room or an oceanview. In the end we decided on the oceanview.

 

Prices have now dropped to the point where an inside is actually $200 cheaper than what we paid for our oceanview.

 

If we were to downgrade to an inside cabin would we be able to receive the difference in OBC?

 

I've read about folks upgrading for "free" in this circumstance but never downgrading.

Look online and see what it would now cost for an ocean view balcony- they will allow you to pay for an upgrade easily after final payment, but no rebates!

We were able to pay just a little more for a Jr. Suite on the Liberty a few years ago after final payment when the price dropped. It made me feel less ripped-off!

Hi! My family and I will be on the Oasis starting July 11. Can't wait! I have a couple questions if someone can help me:

1. My children are 8 and 10. If they wanted to be in the same group in the Adventure Club, is this allowed? I would probably prefer the 8 year old join his sister in the older group.

2. Does the Ultimate Beverage package include drinks from Starbucks? What doesn't it include?

Thank you!

I do believe that they will be in the same group- look online for the Adventure Ocean it has the age groups. I do recall that my boys were at the age of just missing the same age group, but with good behavior, my younger one was moved to the older group (he was 3 months away from the age)

We did not get the beverage package, being D+ we get 3 free (mixed drinks, beer and wine list) each night-we figured you have to drink at least 5-6 drinks a day to break even. Look online and you will see the breakdown of what each package does include. Be sure to prebook all your shows, especially the comedy club books up fast! Have fun! (we just got off the ship yesterday!)

Just off Oasis and we had lunch at Sabor. It is a la carte pricing. Lunch for 2 was about $16. Service was very slow, food was good but not amazing.

We just came off the Oasis too- Sabor was pretty good for lunch, but same as at home Mexican- the do have a $20 pp deal that includes a guac tableside, appetizer, small plate and a box of sweets. We decided to only share a guac tableside (plenty for 2), quesadilia, and a taco- came to about $20

The best part was the TV which had a documentary about Dominic Wilkins-made us feel at home (Georgia).

We have just started to get that 'excited' feeling... dining is open, trips are booked - getting into cruise mode...

 

Enter Royal Caribbean!

 

Just had a 'revised' invoice - we booked this trip on-board 13 months ago and there was an offer for OBC and free drinks package - sounds too good to be true - thats because it is!

 

We were Diamond when we booked and were told that as we would be Diamond Plus when we take this trip we would be entitled to an improved discount if we told RC before the sail date - WRONG - they won't honour this.

 

When we booked we requested late dining (as is in our cruise preferences) - RC put us on MTD - we requested it changed (13 months ago) - they have now informed us we will have to go on a waiting list!

 

Finally we have now been told that by 'taking advantage of the offer' we forfeit our loyalty discount! Are they taking the p**s?

 

We have waited for this cruise as our first cruise as D+ for ages and were so excited - RC seem hell bent on annoying loyal customers in favour of attracting new customers - surely they should look after us?

 

Our original invoice states our discount - signed 13 months ago!

RC offers state that offers are not combinable BUT we have signed an agreement showing our discount and showing the offer. I own my own business - if I suddenly sent people 'revised' invoices upping the price I would go out of business!

 

Basically by being in the loyalty scheme and booking on-board we are now being penalised over £300 - ridiculous - I could have gone on Vision cruises and booked this and got a cheaper price and the same offer!

 

We have stuck up for and stuck with Royal and I do honestly think the standards are dropping, Dynamic Dining (on quantum) was a farce, all inclusive drinks are turning RC into glorified booze cruises and they expect us to pay more for it!

 

We have two more cruises booked with RC and due to this latest mess this WILL be our last - we will be cancelling the other two - I do not wish to give my custom to deceitful, money pinchers. So we will have a fantastic time on Oasis as it will be our last time cruising with a company with such appaling standards and customer service.

 

Rant over!

Not much difference between D and D+ anymore!

Hello everyone. I decided to start my review now. There is not a lot of information out there for cruise weddings and especially for RCCL weddings. I thought by posting my experiences it could help people in the process and maybe others can chime in and help. It is long so I will post a little at a time.

 

Cruise review

My wedding on board the Allure May 12, 2013

This review is from the stand point of a bride AKA me. Once I get thru the planning phase and the actual wedding, it will be a general Allure review. But for anyone looking to have a celebration on Allure I hope this will help. I found it very hard to find the answers I was looking for as a bride.

I have sailed RCCL a few times and my fiance has never cruised before. But he loves the water and was all for a cruise. YEA, my dream come true. My favorite person in the world and my favorite way to travel.

My journey begins on July 24, 2012 when my boyfriend proposed to me. We already had a cruise planned in Sept for vacation. We decided this would make the perfect location for our wedding. In order to allow family members to cruise with us, we moved our cruise to the summer so kids would not have to miss school.

The first thing I did was call Royal to schedule our wedding. I was told someone would have to call me back and it could take a few weeks. A few days passed and I was very nervous. What if I did not get my date? How many people are booking that they are this busy they can not call back? I REALLY want this ship and this day….And I like to book my cruise a year in advance so I get the room I want. I am very particular about my room!!! I called them back. I was very nice and said that I really needed to book our wedding because we had people who wanted to book their cruises. They actually put me thru to someone. The problem was I could barley understand their accent. But I got thru the conversation and they emailed me everything so I could reread. Except now I had more questions….Well, that night I received a call. This person did not known I had already spoken to someone. So my guess is, if I had not called, I would have had a call that night any ways. I got my questions answered. We signed and faxed the contract and the next day received an email confirmation.

Buyer Beware- see my OP March 2015- Carnival does a much better job!! RCCL should be ashamed of how they rip you off!! Loyalty has no meaning with RCCCL!!

Please see my post!! Buyer beware- they can rip you off and then say "I"m Sorry!!"the fastest way to blow 10K- the casino would probably take longer and maybe a better return of money!

RCCL learn from Carnival!! I had a friend get married on Carnival and RCCL should be ashamed of themselves!!

To the OP I am so sorry your day was ruined. It's a terrible thing when you have great expectations and the outcome falls flat. I too started to use RCL to have a vow renewal while cruising. I contacted the Wedding service and the customer service along with costs and offerings gave me pause. After reading more on Cruise critic we decided to forget it.... Just too many bad experiences. We ended up reaching out to a wedding coordinator and photographer on ST. Maarten and renewing on a beautiful beach while in port. We had the canopy and sheers on the beach, wedding flowers, champagne, etc. Also received both video and over 350 professional pictures that we viewed ( and received on a flash drive) before leaving the port. The photographer also provided a signed release so that we wouldn't have any problems getting prints produced when we got home. The quality was too notch!! All of this was way less than the ship costs with so much more. We still keep in touch with our st Maarten wedding coordinator and consider her a life long friend.

I want to thank you all so much for your support!! I wish that Michael Bayley felt as awful as you all did! I'm very disappointed in RCCL and it shows that loyalty means nothing!! I just wanted to spread the word to all future brides!!

Anyone considering a wedding on the ship? I have a review and would be glad to share it with you!

We planned way ahead to get married on the Allure

The planning was hard because we had to make plans for all our guests and as the number of cabins increased, the group planning got harder.

You cannot have a "group" unless you have 8 cabins booked through RCCL or the same TA! They tell you that after the fact. Imagine trying to get your dining and activities for 16 people through the planning desk? Doesn't work-

They can only handle 10 at a time and then they screw up the linking of tables, etc.

The wedding....

We were scheduled for 12:30 and had to get everyone to the pier at 10:30-

the check-in was busy with suite guests and we were all over the place because it depends on what deck you are on.

Then ahead of time you have to get the drivers license and names of your non=sailing guests to the Royal Romance Dept a month ahead.

They dropped my first guest from the manifest and it took 1 1/2 hours for her to clear customs- she's from the USA!!

Secondly, the ship cleared late and we were like cattle pushed onto the ship to push thru the early boarders to get to guest services to re unite with our coordinator

She then told us where to go-non-cruisers direct to the chapel and cruisers can go to their cabins (such as me the bride, etc) to get ready. I was supposed to have an hour, well 5 minutes!!

The photographer came to the cabin to take some quick photos and to tell me that we have to rush to the photo opts in order to get our 2 hours complete that we paid extra for and one hour was already up!

The violinist that we paid extra for and needed the music a few weeks ahead, played the same music for the groom, maid of honor and now the bride. I specially gave him 3 pieces of music -one for each!!

Immediately after our wedding, they tore down our ($1,100) wedding canape'

(chuppah) to get the next wedding in. We asked and had this in our contract to take pictures in the chapel after with all our family. No problem per Royal Romance! (HAHA) They told us there would be another wedding, but not in our area, nor would it interfere with ours!

Next, when we entered the Pinnacle Lounge for the reception-The window washers were there in the back drop of the lounge- So, our cake and ice sculpture had window washers in the background~

The CD player for our first dance-it was in the next wedding's chapel! So, we had to run with the photographer to get our pictures around the ship-

We rushed! We had to run around the guests that are now all over the ship!

Then we returned to find out that our non-sailing guests were already escorted off the ship (told they could stay until 2:30. but took them off at 2)

We didn't get any family photos, nor got to enjoy our meals that we paid for!

In addition- the photos were not sharp, but grainy, shadows and bad colors-we looked at them on the monitor and the photographer said that he would color correct them and put them on a CD!

We should of downloaded them on the ship once again, but they still looked bad when we got home. The professional photo lab told us that the camera and angles resulted in poor quality. Even if we looked at them again on the ship, it would of been too late- wedding was over!!

The strawberries,etc we never got, because we didn't have time to eat-We addressed all this ahead of time and we were told that the photos around the ship are taken after our reception! (not!)

Buyer beware!! The package prices grow at the end, the flowers, etc.

Wow- RCCL how you let us down!!

We are considering dinner at the Solarium Bistro on the Oasis- Is it a buffet at night as well? Anyone have any current reviews on the dinner?

i booked my first rcl cruise this year after having been a lot of times to ncl. Whenever i needed sth on my reservation or needed to have an answer on a question i emailed them sometimes never got an answer sometimes it took them 2 weeks for a reply.On the other hand whenever i sent an email to ncl about my reservation etc i always had an answer the same day!!I am really thinking maybe cancelling the rcl reservation..their customer service is really slow i hope its not like that on the ship..I really wanted to try rcl but now i wonder if i need to cancel and book another cruise with ncl since i dont feel comfortable with all that hassle.its like they dont even care if you want to cruise with them or not...

I echo you well!! I'm a D+ and had lots of issues with RCCL customer service-

NCL was so much more efficient. RCCL's problem is that there are too many "cooks in the kitchen" - RCCL is slow and then to tell you that they will get back with you and never do!! I'm ready to move on at this point. I will soon post more details of our experience!!

Try a mudslide- I get everyone in the house wanting one after they see mine!

Yummy~~;)

Lanyard (on the ship) or the waterproof case (if we were going in the water/beach). We're Diamond and regardless of the comments from those that wouldn't think of wearing a lanyard, it's convenient and we love it always being handy and our hands free. Wouldn't want to depend on having to ask someone to carry it for me or to scrounge through any sort of bag. I don't use a lanyard on formal night. I put it in my evening bag, but that's the only exception.

I'm with you! I'm diamond plus and always use a lanyard- I pack them in our carry-on and we put them on prior to getting on the ship. So easy to show when we get in port as well. We we go to dinner, I take a little evening bag and carry it with camera, etc.

Who knew there was such a debate about lanyards! lol! Even my presumably "cool" 21 yr old son uses a lanyard :-D If you're wearing clothes, you can't see it if you pop it under your shirt- and at the pool, just stick it in you pool bag. For me, when I wear evening wear I stick it in a clutch. A lot of women's clothes don't HAVE pockets after all. Let's face it, cruises in general have a smidge of delightful tackiness already- turning ones nose up at lanyards isn't going to change that. ;-)

Same here!! :)