Is Royal Caribbean going down hill

[Maya57]

My wife a Diamond Plus and Daughter a Diamond member just came off of the Explorer of the seas. As normal they had a great time and can never say enough about the crew BUT with all that said they really felt that Royal Caribbean has gotten cheap and it shows.

The comments below may seem trifle but after almost 50 cruise with well over 25 on Royal Caribbean we felt it had to be mentioned

 

Most of these items were discussed at dinner by past cruiser. It was even brought up that while RCCL is cutting out items Princess Cruise lines is adding them. It the little things that count and make a cruise memorable

The no chocolate on the pillow at night really cheapen the product. Although we never ate the chocolate it added a little, albeit a little class to the cruise. I would estimate that each piece of chocolate cost 2 or 3 cents at the quantity it is purchased

 

The nickel and diming of charging for some of the fitness classes like Yoga. This cost nothing extra no special equipment yet they charge extra.

The elimination of “Ship Shape” dollars and “vitality tokens” left a void. It’s understandable that the gifts were costly but the incentive to have passenger participate and have fun was priceless. Instead of eliminating these items they should have reduce the cost of the gifts. How about after getting a number of tokens you trade them in for a specialty coffee or an ice cream cone. A lot less costly but still an incentive.

Repeater gifts were another costly item and I can see eliminating them to a point. But a little inexpensive gift like a pen with the RCCL logo would be appreciated and showing appreciation by the cruise line. Once again the elimination will do more harm than good. The gifts could be better and better as passengers move from Gold to Diamond plus but still not have to “break the bank” so to say.

There were numerous other small items that left other past cruiser with concerns as to the course Royal Caribbean is taking . If all the cruise lines were doing this it would be one thing but like mentioned above Princess is going the other way way

[yogimax]

At the same time, Diamond and Diamond Plus members now have a nightly wine and champagne event on all RCCL ships. That's not too shabby!

[mation101]

IMHO

 

I think they never should have done away with any of these perks. They should have adjusted the price of the cruise to absord these costs.

 

I feel the same way about the airlines, they should increase the price of the tickest $15 instead of charging me $15 to check a bag.

 

I have the choice on a ship if I want to spend extra to participate, but I dont really have a choice of bringing luggage when I travel. Pay $15 or just go naked...hmmmm

 

My gym at home does the same thing with its special classes. I pay a monthly fee, either include these classes in that fee or dont offer them.

 

I work in an x-ray lab, if I worked my pricing like above, I could charge $50 for an x-ray, then tell the patient if he wants it developed it will be an additional $10, then if he want to take it with that will be another $10 and if he wants it delivered its $20. Instead I would charge $70 or $80 and tell him the fee includes everything.

 

Okay I feel better.

[bionicman97]

I can agree that there have been some cutbacks that have been disappointing, but in all honesty the cruise I took last month was just as enjoyable as the first cruise I took in 2006.

[Gonzo70]

Royal does seem to have made more cut backs than the other mass market lines, but I think with good reason. With Oasis and Allure about to come online, they have far more new berths to fill than the other lines. They have to keep their prices low to be able to fill most of their berths in the current economic climate. The only way for them to be able to keep the prices down is by making cuts.

 

I think they have done a fairly good job maintaining a good overall product, despite having to make some noticeable cuts. I enjoyed my January cruise on the Jewel. While I missed the chocolates a little bit and think the new coupon books are mostly worthless, these are not the reasons I take a cruise.

[mzk90]

Er....No!

 

;)

[Powriv]

chocolates left on the pillow is adding a little class to the cruise, yet they aren't eaten?

 

You say it would only cost 2 to 3 cents per chocolate, I am no math wiz but you are talking 7 chocolates/person/per ship that is no small change.

 

Boy according to some Carnival is the walmart of the cruising world yet they still give out chocolates on the pillow...hmmm interesting! ;)

 

While my cruise experience pales in comparison to some(3 done already and 3 more coming) as long as the room is clean, the food is edible and they get to where they are supposed to I am fine with the reduction in costs.

 

I would not want it added into the fares. Hiding costs is already rampant especially in the travel sector. Full disclosure of actual costs is always advisable(if RCI listens to me)

[maxs mom]

Well.....I must respectfully disagree.

We have been cruising with Royal Caribbean for 25 years now, and even with some of the recent "cutbacks"....every cruise we take is better than the last.

[newbiecruiser09]

IMHO

 

I think they never should have done away with any of these perks. They should have adjusted the price of the cruise to absord these costs.

 

I feel the same way about the airlines, they should increase the price of the tickest $15 instead of charging me $15 to check a bag.

 

I have the choice on a ship if I want to spend extra to participate, but I dont really have a choice of bringing luggage when I travel. Pay $15 or just go naked...hmmmm

 

My gym at home does the same thing with its special classes. I pay a monthly fee, either include these classes in that fee or dont offer them.

 

I work in an x-ray lab, if I worked my pricing like above, I could charge $50 for an x-ray, then tell the patient if he wants it developed it will be an additional $10, then if he want to take it with that will be another $10 and if he wants it delivered its $20. Instead I would charge $70 or $80 and tell him the fee includes everything.

 

Okay I feel better.

 

 

Totally and completely disagree. I am new to cruising so I don't miss any of the perks that folks seem to be so upset about. I can tell you that I would much rather have them charge for the things that some may want and others (like me) may not rather than increase the cost for all. Don't care about chocolates (do love the towel animals though), have MORE than enough promo pens and don't need any more logo items either. As for the luggage & airline issue--They only charge you to "check" luggage. You can still use a carry on--and a personal item like a backpack as well so unless you are one of those folks who have to have 12 pairs of shoes and 19 outfits for a week, you should be fine. (and if you are going on the longer cruises, my guess is $15 ain't gonna break you and you can still get laundry service if you want to use carry on only). I am much happier paying for the things I want and choose to do/get than have the cruise line include all these "extras" into the cost. JMHO

[geojobes]

I can understand the need for some of the little things that they cut. I took a cruise 2 years ago on the Grandeur. I'm taking the same cruise this year, same ship, same ports. I've gotten 3 price drops & an upgrade on this cruise since I booked it. In 2007, the price did nothing but go up. I'm paying much less this time & have quite a bit of OBC. They just dropped the price, again, so I'll either get more OBC or another upgrade. Something has got to give. A Junior suite is cheaper than a high deck inside was in 2007!

[jewopaho]

I can understand the need for some of the little things that they cut. I took a cruise 2 years ago on the Grandeur. I'm taking the same cruise this year, same ship, same ports. I've gotten 3 price drops & an upgrade on this cruise since I booked it. In 2007, the price did nothing but go up. I'm paying much less this time & have quite a bit of OBC. They just dropped the price, again, so I'll either get more OBC or another upgrade. Something has got to give. A Junior suite is cheaper than a high deck inside was in 2007!

 

Herein lies the reason for the minor cutbacks. RCI is now competitive! Until recently, they were consistently the highest-priced mass-market cruise line ... and by a pretty significant margin. Now that fewer people are vacationing, RCI must re-think its business model. Simply put, would you rather pay $1299 and still have the chocolates, or $999 with $100 OBC and sacrifice the logo pen? Those are pretty expensive trinkets! I'm going on two RCI cruises (November and March) simply because the prices and perks are very attractive. I'd probably be on Princess ships if this were not the case (my last five were with them). It's all about filling the ship ... and I'll bring my own chocolates!

[EVALUATOR]

chocolates left on the pillow is adding a little class to the cruise, yet they aren't eaten?

 

You say it would only cost 2 to 3 cents per chocolate, I am no math wiz but you are talking 7 chocolates/person/per ship that is no small change.

 

 

Last year RCI had 26,463,637 passenger cruise days. At $.03 each the chocolate savings would be $793,909.11

 

IMHO

 

 

 

I work in an x-ray lab, if I worked my pricing like above, I could charge $50 for an x-ray, then tell the patient if he wants it developed it will be an additional $10, then if he want to take it with that will be another $10 and if he wants it delivered its $20. Instead I would charge $70 or $80 and tell him the fee includes everything.

 

Okay I feel better.

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest..

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

 

"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.

 

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

 

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.

 

He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever.

 

As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.

 

A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

 

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

 

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$250?" she cried, "$250 just to tell me my duck is dead?"

 

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat scan, it's now $250."

[yogimax]

Last year RCI had 26,463,637 passenger cruise days. At $.03 each the chocolate savings would be $793,909.11

 

 

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest..

 

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

 

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

 

"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.

 

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

 

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.

 

He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever.

 

As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.

 

A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

 

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

 

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$250?" she cried, "$250 just to tell me my duck is dead?"

 

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat scan, it's now $250."

 

Excellent! Best post of the day. I will be sure to use it in the future.

[Broch]

Regarding the changes, when I went Platinum a few years ago I got a £70 voucher to use because I had turned platinum. At that time I booked a cruise with a balcony cabin and got the Balcony discount and my voucher discount that I got for staying loyal to Royal. This year I turned Diamond and I got a voucher again for being loyal and reaching Diamond status, but when I went to book a balcony cabin I was told I could not use the voucher and get the balcony discount, it was one or the other so obviously you are going to take the balcony discount. I was told I could only use the voucher if I took a lower category cabin. I asked what am I meant to do with the voucher and I was told to keep it and use it later. It expires next year so I told them that I was sending it back to them. I would rather they did not give me a voucher and I would have been quite happy to only receive the balcony discount. But to get it and then not be able to use it, is an insult. I do not know if it is the sane in the US. Anyway I have not booked a cruise yet.

[mickym]

I, too, am just fine with no chocolates. On cruises my stomach is always so full that even though they look good I could never bring myself to eat them. I don't need pens or gifts but I DO LOVE these new prices we are paying for a cruise. The ten day cruise we are taking in Jan. with a nice outside room is costing us less then our seven day inside did last year. At these prices I can buy myself a nice box of chocolate bars to eat when I get home and am actually hungry. I vote with those saying keep the perks and give me the great prices.

[wraithe]

IMHO, the answer to the OP's question is an emphatic no!

[bionicman97]

last year rci had 26,463,637 passenger cruise days. At $.03 each the chocolate savings would be $793,909.11

 

 

a woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest..

after a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "i'm sorry, your duck, cuddles, has passed away."

the distressed woman wailed, "are you sure?"

 

"yes, i am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.

 

"how can you be so sure?" she protested. "i mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

 

the vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.

 

He returned a few minutes later with a black labrador retriever.

 

As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.

 

A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

 

The vet looked at the woman and said, "i'm sorry, but as i said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

 

the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$250?" she cried, "$250 just to tell me my duck is dead?"

 

the vet shrugged, "i'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the lab report and the cat scan, it's now $250."

 

:):d:)

[mation101]

I would not want it added into the fares. Hiding costs is already rampant especially in the travel sector. Full disclosure of actual costs is always advisable

 

 

The things mentioned were already part of the fare, then were taken away. If RCI had just raised the fares to compensate for the cost of the chocolates and C&A gifts I dont think as many people would be up in arms.

[NordicPrince]

<P>

<FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3> ...</FONT></FONT><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>they really felt that Royal Caribbean has gotten cheap ...</FONT></FONT></P>

<P> </P>

<P><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3> </FONT></FONT></P></FONT></FONT>

<P><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3>... no chocolate on the pillow at night  </FONT></FONT></P>

<P><FONT size=3>... </FONT><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3>charging for some of the fitness classes like Yoga. </FONT></FONT> </P>

<P><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3>... elimination of “Ship Shape” dollars and “vitality tokens” </FONT></FONT> </P>

<P><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3>... (no)Repeater gifts  </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri></FONT></FONT></FONT></P>

<P><FONT face=Calibri><FONT size=3><FONT face=Calibri>...Princess is going the other way </FONT></FONT></FONT>

</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Ok first you have to collect your fee from Princess for posting on the RCI</P>

<P>message board all these petty complaints.</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Second I am not what they call "Loyal to Royal" or Platinum or Diamond</P>

<P>or any such thing.</P>

<P> </P>

<P>However I am realistic and objective:</P>

<P> </P>

<P> Let's do some comparisons and math for RCCL trips: </P>

<P> </P>

<P>1990 - New York to Bermuda, 7 days , oceanview cabin </P>

<P> </P>

<P>- takes 3.5 combined days of cruising because ship does max 18 knots</P>

<P>   </P>

<P>-  ship is prone to pitching and rolling due to size </P>

<P> </P>

<P>-   chocolates, Shipshape dollars, no fee for Yoga (hate Yoga but you need to pay for a qualified instructor), repeater gifts (whatever)</P>

<P>   (OK it's nice but not everyone needs or uses them)</P>

<P>   </P>

<P>- souvenir printing of name and  hometown of all passengers on cruise plus crew names ( must have item ?)</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- limited snacks between served meals </P>

<P> </P>

<P>- souvenir ship photo frame (cardboard) (whoa!)</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- don't forget shuffleboard and skeetshooting (my favorite pasttimes -NOT)</P>

<P> </P>

<P> </P>

<P>- one floor theater and one floor dining room ( only 2 seatings )</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Cost $1800 p/p</P>

<P> </P>

<P>This was my first cruise.</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Now zoom forward 19 years (don't forget inflation !)</P>

<P> </P>

<P> 2009 - New York to Bermuda, 5 days, ocean view cabin </P>

<P> </P>

<P> - the ship is faster, takes only 2.25 days of cruising, ship does 24 knots</P>

<P> </P>

<P> -  ship is stable in heavy seas crossing the Gulf Stream </P>

<P> </P>

<P>- don't get stuff I can live without ( chocolates, Shipshape dollars, souvenir printout)</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- I get all I can eat from all the new and different food stations night and day  which were not there in 1990</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- I get better spa, larger pool, modern fitness center, gigantic Viking Crown lounge, unbelievably large theaters and dining areas.</P>

<P>good shows and entertainment  My Time Dining if you want it.</P>

<P>        </P>

<P>Cost: $1000 p/p</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Can I make this any clearer?</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Summary: 2/3 of cost for larger better room  with more food</P>

<P>options and a much smoother ride</P>

<P> </P>

<P>How can you in any sense of the word call this a cheapened product?</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- a different product yes</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- a better product for most yes</P>

<P> </P>

<P>- a cheapened product no way.</P>

<P> </P>

<P>Sign me up now, I am THERE. </P>

<P> </P>

<P>Sorry you will miss it. Say hello to the Love Boat.</P>

<P> </P>

[Debde]

*****$%^ is that post above??

[bionicman97]

*****$%^ is that post above??

 

That's messed up html.

 

The <p> is the open and close of the paragraph.

 

The &nbsp is a nonbreaking space.

[Debde]

That's messed up html.

thanks

but-how and why the heck does that happen??

[bionicman97]

thanks

but-how and why the heck does that happen??

 

Not to get too tech-y but it looks like some interaction problem between the html and the php. I only tinker with websites. Not real sure why it happened. It's more common on self-hosted wordpress sites where people can enter a post in code view instead of html view. But I've noticed it happens quite a bit with the emoticons too. :) or : - )

 

The underlying code for a page may have something <p> This is a paragraph. </p> <p>This is a second paragraph</p>.

 

Your browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc) turns it into:

 

This is a paragraph.

 

This is a second paragraph.

[Darkwolfe]

Last year RCI had 26,463,637 passenger cruise days. At $.03 each the chocolate savings would be $793,909.11

 

 

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest..

 

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm sorry, your duck, Cuddles, has passed away."

 

The distressed woman wailed, "Are you sure?"

 

"Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead," replied the vet.

 

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

 

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.

 

He returned a few minutes later with a black Labrador Retriever.

 

As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.

 

A few minutes later he returned with a cat. The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

 

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck."

 

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$250?" she cried, "$250 just to tell me my duck is dead?"

 

The vet shrugged, "I'm sorry. If you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat scan, it's now $250."

 

Warning, your joke has been appropriated for use in email chains!

[cruznbuddies]

This is an interesting thread. While I do not think the airlines ought to charge for bag #1 - most of us need something to wear when we travel -and the result of this 'charge for luggage' policy is simply that everyone tries to cram as much as they can in their carryon to avoid paying the extra baggage fees causing so much extra luggage in the main cabin, no one is happy.

 

Then, on the other side of that argument, I don't drink alcohol, and if I go on an excursion that is all inclusive I know some of the charge for the excursion is going towards offsetting the cost of the drinks. Why should I be asked to pay for something I do not partake of? This is how I feel about all inclusive cruises. A little charge for extra things is better - in my opinion, than having these costs lumped in with the total fare for things I don't want and won't use.

 

When it means losing quality in the dining room, however, so the cruise line can funnel you over to the for-fee steak restaurants, I don't think that is all right either. But, as long as the majority goes along with it, that's the way it'll stay. So I'm wishy-washy on this issue. Sometimes, yes, sometimes no. I won't miss the pens, coupon books, etc., (the pillow chocolates are a different story :D ) but don't want to be nickeled and dimed either. All that to say, we've never had a bad cruise and don't expect that we ever will. It's all in your attitude.