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Room Service Charge??


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Cruise fares are the cheapest they've ever been because they're making premium services a la carte. I don't use room service so I don't want my cruise fare to include room service.

 

If every activity on board were a la carte, you could probably get on the boat for a couple hundred in a JS. Problem is, this would make the cruise experience less valuable since you're less likely to see a show/event if you have to pay up for it vs having it included in the fare. However, maybe RC would get the hint that nobody wants to see Cats on Oasis OTS if they implemented this :)

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A cup of tea and a plate of cookies in the cabin was a real afternoon treat. I couldn’t believe it was free. Probably not worth $7 though .

 

The morning wait for tea was a bit much though. I do hope they have kettles in the cabins for sailings out of Southampton or I will be down to one cup of tea per day (in the cabin) maybe a bit faster?

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Please, please, DO NOT put your trays and used dishes in the halls after having room service.

 

Simply call rooms service or your steward to have them collected from your room.

 

Wheelchairs, scooters and others can easily run into them, or for that matter anyone else just walking down a hallway.

 

On one cruise we came back to out stateroom after breakfast and on several occasions had messy trays, overflowing with plates, and napkins placed near our stateroom door.:mad:

 

bosco

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A cup of tea and a plate of cookies in the cabin was a real afternoon treat. I couldn’t believe it was free. Probably not worth $7 though ��.

 

The morning wait for tea was a bit much though. I do hope they have kettles in the cabins for sailings out of Southampton or I will be down to one cup of tea per day (in the cabin) maybe a bit faster?

Yes.

 

Out of Southampton, yes.

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Thanks! Good to know. I don't love the added service fee BUT I also think it prevents people from ordering a ton of stuff from room service and then not eating it. I have seen room service people knocking on doors with no answer or trays in the hallways full of half-eaten food. Having worked in shelters and food banks, it pains me to see so much food get wasted.

 

There are 4 of us on this cruise, so if we order a full breakfast that's only a few dollars per person for the convenience.

I expect that the charge will reduce the number of small orders; but it will probably also tend to cause passengers to overreact to the charge and use the charge to justify over-ordering additional food when they are not sure exactly how much they expect to eat. So it could well increase the amount of food wasted.

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I expect that the charge will reduce the number of small orders; but it will probably also tend to cause passengers to overreact to the charge and use the charge to justify over-ordering additional food when they are not sure exactly how much they expect to eat. So it could well increase the amount of food wasted.

 

 

 

It has been in effect for almost a year now. I'm sure that they have all of the stats they need.

 

 

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Just book a GS or above. Then it’s free.

 

Well, it's supposed to be free. We had a GS on the Independence and my friend who ordered room service was charged. :mad:

It was late on the last night of the cruise, and we were worn out so we didn't bother trying to have it removed. It was also a charter cruise and we got no perks for being in a suite, so it was probably just another slap in the face.

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I think it is a staffing issue. They can't keep adding staff just because of the physical limitations of the ship to house and support staff. By charging a fee, which is basically a nuisance fee, they reduce the number of people using room service. If the demand continues to exceed the capability to provide, they will raise the fee again until the staff available matches the demand.

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Cruise fares are the cheapest they've ever been because they're making premium services a la carte. I don't use room service so I don't want my cruise fare to include room service.

 

If every activity on board were a la carte, you could probably get on the boat for a couple hundred in a JS. Problem is, this would make the cruise experience less valuable since you're less likely to see a show/event if you have to pay up for it vs having it included in the fare. However, maybe RC would get the hint that nobody wants to see Cats on Oasis OTS if they implemented this :)

 

But by the same token, I am a solo cruiser, why should my Cruise Fare pay for all of the Programs for Kids..See how this Argument turns in to a Slipery Slope..

 

Mike

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I think it is a staffing issue. They can't keep adding staff just because of the physical limitations of the ship to house and support staff. By charging a fee, which is basically a nuisance fee, they reduce the number of people using room service. If the demand continues to exceed the capability to provide, they will raise the fee again until the staff available matches the demand.

I am afraid that you have it backwards.

 

They had no need to add staff in order to provide room service. They have always provided room service.

 

In fact, they are REDUCING staff to save money.

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with those who have said that the fee is just another revenue stream for Royal Caribbean. There is nothing profound or philosophical or environmental about it.

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Well, it's supposed to be free. We had a GS on the Independence and my friend who ordered room service was charged. :mad:

 

It was late on the last night of the cruise, and we were worn out so we didn't bother trying to have it removed. It was also a charter cruise and we got no perks for being in a suite, so it was probably just another slap in the face.

 

 

 

Charters can do anything they want. I believe Royal takes some advantage to make more $$$

 

This charter, was it Brilliance in December? HSR?

 

 

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Well, it's supposed to be free. We had a GS on the Independence and my friend who ordered room service was charged. :mad:

It was late on the last night of the cruise, and we were worn out so we didn't bother trying to have it removed. It was also a charter cruise and we got no perks for being in a suite, so it was probably just another slap in the face.

 

You said it, you got no perks for being in a suite. Free room service is a perk.

 

It is not RCIs fault that the chartering party did not include normal suite perks.

 

When you sale on a fully chartered ship, you are not actually an RCI customer, you are a customer of the group doing the charter. RCI only supplies what the charter calls for.

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I am afraid that you have it backwards.

 

They had no need to add staff in order to provide room service. They have always provided room service.

 

In fact, they are REDUCING staff to save money.

 

Unfortunately, I have to agree with those who have said that the fee is just another revenue stream for Royal Caribbean. There is nothing profound or philosophical or environmental about it.

 

And such revenue streams reduce the cruise fare. Are you against that?

 

And I think that this is more to limit small orders and make room service more responsive. Not an attempt to make any real money.

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The fee originated with late night orders, delivered and no one answers the door....often times due to excessive intake of alcohol and falling asleep. The other reasons was the amount of waste. Next cruise, check the trays and the amount of food not consumed. It is a convenience, and the cash tip you provide goes directly to the staff member who delivers it. So, you may hate RCI for charging but please do not STIFF THE STAFF that delivers it.

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The fee originated with late night orders, delivered and no one answers the door....often times due to excessive intake of alcohol and falling asleep. The other reasons was the amount of waste. Next cruise, check the trays and the amount of food not consumed. It is a convenience, and the cash tip you provide goes directly to the staff member who delivers it. So, you may hate RCI for charging but please do not STIFF THE STAFF that delivers it.

 

Are you seriously saying everyone should tip on top of the fee and service charge? When a company adds a service charge, my moral obligation to add a tip goes away.

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Are you seriously saying everyone should tip on top of the fee and service charge? When a company adds a service charge, my moral obligation to add a tip goes away.

 

 

 

Absolutely they should be tipped. Do you tip for Room Service at a hotel? Room Service food at every hotel I have stayed has an up charge to the food and tip on top of that.

 

 

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Absolutely they should be tipped. Do you tip for Room Service at a hotel? Room Service food at every hotel I have stayed has an up charge to the food and tip on top of that

 

 

Tip is automatically added at most hotels, just like Royal does now. You can add all you want, but for me, once they decide what my tip is, then that is what they get.

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Absolutely they should be tipped. Do you tip for Room Service at a hotel? Room Service food at every hotel I have stayed has an up charge to the food and tip on top of that

 

 

 

 

 

Tip is automatically added at most hotels, just like Royal does now. You can add all you want, but for me, once they decide what my tip is, then that is what they get.

 

 

 

Does anyone know if the room service charge is going to the person who is performing the service or if it’s going to the cruise line? Or perhaps a combination of both? This would determine whether I add a tip to the service fee. If it’s going directly to the person bringing the food, they are already being taken care of. If however they do not share in any part of the service charge, it would seem to me that they would still be just as entitled to a tip as anyone else performing a similar service.

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Absolutely they should be tipped. Do you tip for Room Service at a hotel? Room Service food at every hotel I have stayed has an up charge to the food and tip on top of that.

 

 

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Actually I’m a very good tipper but I don’t tip for hotel room service when there is a service charge. That is the tip.

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Actually I’m a very good tipper but I don’t tip for hotel room service when there is a service charge. That is the tip.

 

Agreed. Just like when a restaurant chooses to impose a mandatory tip on large parties. Their choice. I understand why they do it. But once they decide what my tip is, I feel no need to add to it UNLESS the service was outstanding.

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Please provide some evidence of reduced cruise fares.

 

It is really no different than any other fee. In the end, either they charge the people using the service, or it gets rolled into the price of the cruise for all to pay (whether they use the service or not). While the cost per person is way less than the amount that somebody that uses room service allot, it is still more than others (like myself) that have never and may never order room service. Even if I wanted to order, the cost would not deter me either way.

 

In the end, I feel if it were never free, nobody would even care, and realize that added fees piss people off. If it is that big of a deal, then people will stop booking with RCI, and go to some other line (or vacation option) that offers what they want. This would also lower fares if enough did, but at this point, it does not seem to be happening.

 

The goal of any for profit company is to make money, and every decision they make is to make money, either directly (adding fees, increasing costs), or indirectly (lower costs and fees to get more sales).

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