Sales Pitches in Allure Main Dining Room

[bala1130]

Just got off the Allure a week ago. I don't know if it was just our table, but we seemed to get hit with a lot more sales pitches during dinner. First night it was the wine package. 2nd night it was the head waiter and our waiter trying to book us into a specialty restaurants. 3rd night it was a $35 bottle of wine for $25. Another night they brought over the RCCL cookbook to try and sell to us. 5th night it was the $25 wine bottle special again. The waiters must be on commission for bookings for the specialty restaurants, because we were asked a number of times. And was always told to book through them.

 

Is this the new RCCL norm, or just on the Oasis class ships? It felt like I was on the street of Nassau and not in the main dining room.

[sdrocks]

Experienced this on the Brillance too and didnot care for it. Will book without their help if I want it. :mad:

[bluecookies]

Got off Explorer a few weeks ago. Was not asked about any of this. Would not be happy if I was!

[Lionesss]

Wow

In our brief (5) cruise history, the only thing pushed just recently are the specialty dining.

Hmmmm...wonder if sales are down.

 

Sea Ya

[samcruiseman]

We were on the October 13 Allure sailing and ate in the dining room six nights. We had absolutely no sales pitches at all by our waiter or headwaiter. Only thing our waiter "pitched" was having breakfast at Johnny Rockets but that is no charge. Pretty strange that our experience was completely opposite from yours. Maybe depends on the waiter.

[evelyn51]

Realizing this is not the Disney board pls forgive me. Our experience in Feb. was a pitch made to our 6 yr old Grandson whom we had taken on a cruise for a Disney souvenir cup or something or other; He of course made his PLEASE Gram appeal.

 

We said politely with a terse voice to the server NO THANK-YOU! I was not impressed.

[bala1130]

We were on the October 13 Allure sailing and ate in the dining room six nights. We had absolutely no sales pitches at all by our waiter or headwaiter. Only thing our waiter "pitched" was having breakfast at Johnny Rockets but that is no charge. Pretty strange that our experience was completely opposite from yours. Maybe depends on the waiter.

 

We did the Oct 20th. Maybe I look like a sucker. The one that got me was the cookbook. We were having diner and the waiter brought over the cookbook and thumbed through it and talked while ate. :confused:

[orville99]

More than 25 cruises with Royal and we've never been pitched anything in the MDR.

[Legalgal]

We were on the 10/6 sailing of Allure and I don't remember any sales pitch at all in the dining room. They came by and offered the wine package, but after 7 cruises, I expect that one. When we boarded, we HOUNDED about the soda package and the speciality dining package. We knew what we wanted and would politely decline, but I did find it very off-putting that it was the first thing we were greeted with upon boarding for our cruise.

[BecciBoo]

Never anything but the after dinner aperitifs with shot glass, and I buy plenty of them;)

[NorbertsNiece]

I guess I accept the fact that upselling will be everywhere and it doesn't bother me... from the waiter on the Pool Deck trying to get me to buy the drink of the day, to the cook book in the MDR, fruit juices for breakfast.... I have no problem declining with a polite, 'No thank you'.

[FLACRUISER99]

More than 25 cruises with Royal and we've never been pitched anything in the MDR.

Yet!

[leaveitallbehind]

There is another thread with a similar theme indicating that there has been some "upsell" in the MDR by the waiters regarding the specialty restaurants. Unless this is a new trend of the recent couple of months I will answer as I did on that thread by saying on five recent cruises on four different RCI ships (Oasis/Explorer/Independence/Grandeur) between 5/12 and 7/13 we have experienced none of that.

[bala1130]

There is another thread with a similar theme indicating that there has been some "upsell" in the MDR by the waiters regarding the specialty restaurants. Unless this is a new trend of the recent couple of months I will answer as I did on that thread by saying on five cruises on four different RCI ships (Oasis/Explorer/Independence/Grandeur) between 5/12 and 7/13 we have experienced none of that.

 

Maybe RCCL is doing a small test of this and are collecting data to see how successful it is before deciding if they should have a large scale roll out or not.

[Zigggypup]

It's not just in the MDR. Try getting into the Windjammer without running through the gauntlet of tables set-up trying to sell you stuff. Besides the wine sales, we had water packages, dinner packages and camera sales. Gimme a break, people just want to go eat.

Adam

Ziggypup@aol.com

[Aeriedk]

I last cruised back in May on the Jewel and had no problems. I wonder if this will be a problem when I sail on the Indy in late November.

[cruzinlady1947]

Happened to us on the Grandeur last week. It wasn't at the evening meal, but at breakfast or lunch. Was trying to sell the specialty restaurants. We did end up booking at a reduced price, but only because the friends we were with were booked, so we booked to be with them. We usually don't book them, except for our BOGO the first night of the cruise for D+. I think the specialty restaurants are hurting. Never saw many people in them during the cruise.

 

Gwen :)

[setsail]

I would suggest if its a problem put it on the comment card at the end of the cruise.

[CruiseMore1]

Never anything but the after dinner aperitifs with shot glass, and I buy plenty of them;)

 

Me too!!! We have quite a collection of the souvenir shot glasses, in several different styles!:cool:

[steveru621]

Our last cruise I think it was mentioned once in 12 days.

 

Everyone has a different tolerance for what and where they will get a sales pitch. It happens the ENTIRE cruise, some are just more subtle. It's just background noise that's part of the cruise.

 

Most people have their own pet peeves. Mine, how can you fill out a survey if they have taken away all of the pens? LOL

[davrap222]

We were on the October 13 Allure sailing and ate in the dining room six nights. We had absolutely no sales pitches at all by our waiter or headwaiter. Only thing our waiter "pitched" was having breakfast at Johnny Rockets but that is no charge. Pretty strange that our experience was completely opposite from yours. Maybe depends on the waiter.

 

Ditto- We were on the 10/13 sailing and where never pitched... I found the MDR service and food excellent almost every night...

[papaflamingo]

We were on Oasis and were only pitched the cookbook at the MDR. Our waiter was great and we just told her no thanks. But in all this complaining, remember that the price of the cruise compared to say 1998 when we first cruised is very low. The ship runs on oil ($100 per barrel) and has a huge staff. The ship cost $1.5 billion to build. Maintenance must be very expensive. They are trying to keep profitable. You can find a cruise line that is "all inclusive" (Seabourn comes to mind), but instead of $500 per person for an inside cabin you'll pay $3500 for a window suite. You can buy a lot of alcohol and specialty dining for $3000 per person per week.

So, I understand their need to upsell stuff. If you don't want to buy, don't. But they've got to make money, or none of us will be cruising.

[Ourusualbeach]

We were on Oasis and were only pitched the cookbook at the MDR. Our waiter was great and we just told her no thanks. But in all this complaining, remember that the price of the cruise compared to say 1998 when we first cruised is very low. The ship runs on oil ($100 per barrel) and has a huge staff. The ship cost $1.5 billion to build. Maintenance must be very expensive. They are trying to keep profitable. You can find a cruise line that is "all inclusive" (Seabourn comes to mind), but instead of $500 per person for an inside cabin you'll pay $3500 for a window suite. You can buy a lot of alcohol and specialty dining for $3000 per person per week.

So, I understand their need to upsell stuff. If you don't want to buy, don't. But they've got to make money, or none of us will be cruising.

 

That point about the cost of cruising in 1998 brought back memories of our honeymoon on the Monarch in 1998. A 7 day cruise in a JS (glorified balcony) was over $5000 and not near the entertainment options. I think very few of us would be cruising as much as we are if they were still charging those prices.

[hamgela]

Did anyone purchase the stuff they were offering? My thought is, if someone bought the wine package the staff figured since they were successful with the first attempt, maybe they would be successful with a second attempt at selling something else?

 

Just a thought...

[BecciBoo]

the price of the cruise compared to say 1998 when we first cruised is very low.

 

They are trying to keep profitable. . But they've got to make money, or none of us will be cruising.

I quite agree. 2004 for us and still a value. You just can't compare a land vacation to it which would be double. Although we gripe occasionally on CC because we're so jaded now, we have all got to appreciate the low cost of vacationing cruise style:D

One can always say "not interested" and "please don't mention sales again please":D