Are cruise lines cutting back??

[Astro Flyer]

The OP has been venting her anger about Princess all day long on various threads. It appears that she has an agenda to convince everyone that Princess is terrible. I find such totally negative rants to not be credible & reading her other posts she wasn't happy on other cruises lines either.

 

If someone doesn't agree with her then she feels she's being bashed & attacked. She also feels that her opinions are "legitimate complaints" about things that are very subjective. Opinions are rarely facts but they are to her which makes them useless to me.

 

I think CC is for those who enjoy cruising & want to exchange pros & cons about any cruise. So back to other threads from those who love cruising & want to read objective posts about cruising.

 

Anyone who begins a thread titled "Why I DO NOT LIKE cruising!!" may want to consider another way to enjoy a vacation! :rolleyes:

Edited December 6, 2013 by Astro Flyer

[Krazy Kruizers]

It is true that the cruise lines are cutting back.

We just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago.

There is a late night buffet -- small -- lasts about an hour.

No more dessert extravaganza -- too much food was wasted there.

There are still chocolate on the bed at night -- but they changed. They are now a very, flat, square and tooooo sweet chocolate.

[navybankerteacher]

oh thanks for a honest reply. I thought that might be possible as the shows only lasted 35 minutes. hardly worth walking to.

 

Not only are the shows short, they are so poorly produced that it hurts to sit through them ----- oh, wait, I guess that it is good that they are so short: the pain doesn't last too long. The food is like poison - and the portions are so small --- oh, yeah -- I guess it is better that poisonous food comes in small portions.

 

And the ocean isn't as salty as it used to be.

[SwissDave]

I notice no one directly answers or addresses the complaints I have made. First of all, the food, have you cruised Princess recently?? Second the chairs outside, not being lounge chairs?? The quiet area is quiet for a price?? And lastly, the shows being ONLY 35 minutes. All this ok with everyone for the price we pay?? I would like to see someone address each and every topic I did bring up Especially if you have cruised Princess within the last couple months

 

The food is your opinion. I have sailed on Princess a lot and never found the food to be bad. Sometimes not as good as previous cruises, and sometimes better, but for my tastes perfectly good enough to eat. Shows only being 35 minutes long, well, some are and some aren't. On the Royal Princess cruises where the Beatelmaniacs were playing, the show was at leat 50 minutes, and then they did follow up shows in the Piazza. If the shows are shorter then that's fine by me as it gives more time to enjoy some other other great options available. I usually get bored after sitting in once place for 30 minutes, regardless of how good or bad the entertainment is.

 

Not all Princess ships have full lounger type chairs on promenade deck.

 

I see that your table mates requested a table for 2 after the first night in the MDR. I really do wonder why.

[Gunner22aa]

Let there be no doubt that the cruise lines have cut back over the last 20 years. Cruise prices today are cheaper than they were 20 years ago. At least they cost less of an individuals disposable income then they used to. Costs however have continued to rise. At even 2% inflation per year it means that the cruise line is paying over 50% more in expenses. Something has to give or they go out of business. The industry had two choices. Increase costs in line with inflation or make cuts. Unilaterally they went with the latter and I'm certain will continue to do so until they reach the point where any further cuts will make their product too unattractive for customers and then they will have no choice but to raise prices. The cost of fuel, one of the largest expences to any line has over trippled in the past 20 years. Something just had to give.

[flamomo]

I notice no one directly answers or addresses the complaints I have made. First of all, the food, have you cruised Princess recently?? Second the chairs outside, not being lounge chairs?? The quiet area is quiet for a price?? And lastly, the shows being ONLY 35 minutes. All this ok with everyone for the price we pay?? I would like to see someone address each and every topic I did bring up Especially if you have cruised Princess within the last couple months

 

Well, I can speak about Princess because I did a 12 day cruise on the Pacific Princess in August/September and spent 26 days on the Crown Princess doing a back-2-back in October/November. These cruises were my 23rd, 24th, and 25th cruises, all with Princess.

I had no problem with any of the food on either ship .... found it plentiful, tasty and varied, whether it was in the MDR, the buffet, a specialty restaurant, or the International Cafe.

I enjoyed most of the shows but found a couple of them were mediocre. While I too would prefer a bit longer show, I do understand that part of the reason for shortening them was to allow Princess to offer some of the production shows 3 times in an evening to enable more passengers to get to see them on the larger ships. (IMO, this is a consequence of the increasing size of the newer builds ..... more passengers ...... more shows need to be run miltiple times)

I don't use the Sanctuary, as I can always find a quiet place to sit, read, and enjoy ocean views on any ship, and it's included in my fare!!

Not sure I understand about "lounge chairs" .... are you referring to chairs on the Promenade deck (which not all Princess ships have .... depends on the ship's design)? By the pool? On your balcony?

[spookwife]

we just cruised princess. hated the food. very bland. no flavor, no sugar in desserts?? we heard several people say they are ALL cutting back? no more chocolate midnight buffets?? no more chocolates on bed on Holland? is all this true??

 

WRT to the midnight buffets and chocolates yes. it was a waste and I for one don't miss 'em. there are also little cutbacks in other areas, such as non suites getting an all in one gel in the shower as opposed to individual bottles of shampoo and shower gel( although on Royal at least if you ask it will usually be provided)

 

as for no sugar in desserts.. umm every line provides one or two SF or NSA options.. and Frankly I preferred them to some of the other ones available.

 

MDR food has always been subjective. I loathed Disney. I went to bed hungry more than once. yet in Carnival and Royal I have always found something that was anywhere from very good to excellent.

[spookwife]

Our final attempt will be Celebrity and we do expect a lot from them. Hope they are great. We are looking forward to it.

 

perhaps you are expecting too much? from whoever you are sailing with? it's great to have standards. but be realistic at the same time.

[CaroleSS]

Just a few quick questions for Hula Hips....

 

What are you looking for in a cruise/vacation? Cruising is a very economical way to see some nice ports, but each line seems to cater to a different 'clientele'. Maybe you haven't picked the cruise line/type that is more in line with your expectations. (as my Mother says, part of being smart is knowing what you're dumb at!)

 

There are a lot of really smart people on CC. If you could tell us what you are looking for in a vacation maybe we can help you pick something that you will enjoy. Can you tell us what you did on the last vacation that you really enjoyed?

[Aquahound]

we just cruised princess. hated the food. very bland. no flavor, no sugar in desserts?? we heard several people say they are ALL cutting back? no more chocolate midnight buffets?? no more chocolates on bed on Holland? is all this true??

 

Since you addressed this thread as all cruise lines, my answer is no. I think some people equate change to cutbacks. I see it differently. I'll use RCI as an example.

 

It is true they no longer do pillow chocolates or midnight gala buffets, so people can say those are cutbacks, but those losses were replaced by 90 minute Tony Award winning Broadway shows, more live music and unique amenities not found on any other cruise line...like ice skating, zip lines, Aqua Theater, Flowrider, etc, etc, etc.

 

NCL has cut many of those small touches as well, but look at the waterparks they have on their ships now, along with great entertainment on their newer ships....Blue Man Group, for example.

 

I haven't cruised all lines, but I suspect the same could be said for many of them.

[Gunner22aa]

Very comparable to Princess Hula Hips. If you are expecting them to be head and shoulders above what you have experienced on Princees then best stay home because you have allready set yourself up for a huge disappointment. I've cruised both and the differences are miniscule at best. If you want head and shoulders above anything start with Cunard in a Queens Grill class cabin or perhaps one of the luxury lines like Silverseas

Edited December 6, 2013 by Gunner22aa

[Sipsey]

I think I went to the midnight buffet on my first cruise. We had to wait a long time to get in, then it was like going to an art exhibition as they wouldn't let you touch the food until after everyone had seen it. So, that would have meant waiting some more. Since we weren't hungry anyway (since it was time to go to bed and we had eaten plenty at dinner), we didn't stay. I haven't been to one since. If the cruise lines want to cut costs, that is a great place to do it without impacting the cruising experience as far as I'm concerned.

 

I am distressed, however, to hear that the quality of shows is going down. That is one of my favorite things on cruises.

[MermaidWatcher]

I am distressed, however, to hear that the quality of shows is going down. That is one of my favorite things on cruises.

 

I consider food and entertainment opinion to be 100% subjective. As an example, when we cruised on the Oasis, the main show was the Broadway production Hairspray. We read gushing reviews everywhere and talked to people who had seen it, and could not praise it enough. My wife and I both thought it was the worst thing we had ever attempted to watch, and left after 20 minutes.

[mr green]

we just cruised princess. hated the food. very bland. no flavor, no sugar in desserts?? we heard several people say they are ALL cutting back? no more chocolate midnight buffets?? no more chocolates on bed on Holland? is all this true??

 

IMO if you 'hated the food on Princess' you should give up cruising on the main cruise lines. While it is true that the food is not up to the standard that it was when we first cruised, H--- even the food on NCL was great! If there was nothing on the menu that you liked, did you ever consider that you pallet could be at fault?

Last time I looked HAL had chocolate on the beds, but WHO really needs a

midnight buffet if the food is soooo bad?

My advice, go to a high priced cruise line, or, cook for yourself while on board. My wife is a great cook, but she enjoys cruising so that she does not have to do it.

 

john

[kcwingwalker]

The cruise lines are aware that low fares bring in the passengers and fill the ships to capacity. To keep fares low it's necessary to cut back on some of the frills. Now IMO some lines have cut back too much.

[Blk_Amish]

I notice no one directly answers or addresses the complaints I have made. First of all, the food, have you cruised Princess recently?? Second the chairs outside, not being lounge chairs?? The quiet area is quiet for a price?? And lastly, the shows being ONLY 35 minutes. All this ok with everyone for the price we pay?? I would like to see someone address each and every topic I did bring up Especially if you have cruised Princess within the last couple months

 

The answer is yes because I feel for the price, I am getting more than I pay for. We are booked on the Royal Princess for $600 per person for the week, plus tax, fees and tips . We originally planned Couples resort for $1500 per person for the same week. I can live with the fact if that steak is not the best cut from the cow. Last year we went to the Grand Hyatt Regency in Kauai and a quick stop at the bar was $50 for 2 small mai tais and 2 beers. We spent a lot of time eating plate lunch and subway. Next year for a different experience, we might return to Couples or Hawaii.

 

My hope for cruising Princess is a few good to great meals, good music in the disco (wishful thinking), and drinks I can taste the alcohol in. For $600+, I have enough funds left for hopes to do Alaska if the insane rates from this summer are back.

 

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Edited December 6, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[AKman2495]

I have only recently started cruising. It seems to me that if cruise lines have cut back, I rely have a hard time imagining what it was like "back in the good old days". As it is, there is a lot of food to eat aboard. There are plenty of nice places to sit quietly and read -on the Caribbean Princess last month there were 3200 passengers and yet, we could always find a quiet spot.

 

As for food, too, I notices that Princess serves normal sized portions. For many people, a "normal"portion is tiny-and yet...in our super sized world, that is what we should be eating. You can always order more, if you like.

 

As for the taste, they do probably use less salt because it is not only cheaper but healthier-same goes with the sugar.

 

I know the OP has an ax to grind, but here is my 2 cents.

[LindaM]

yes perhaps it isn't for us but we were not going to try one or two and say we hate cruising so we decided to try every line and then make our final decision on how to travel in the future. This way we can say we certainly gave it a fair shake and take it from there. Our final attempt will be Celebrity and we do expect a lot from them. Hope they are great. We are looking forward to it.

 

I am quite sure you will be disappointed. Celebrity is not any more premium than HAL or Princess. We were very disappointed with our second and last cruise with them. They have cut back considerably.

 

If you want to have an experience like when we began cruising 35 years ago, you need to go to the luxury or luxury lite lines.

[Strictly Ballroom]

I don't think anyone does a midnight buffet anymore. Too much waste.

 

If you thought the desserts were bad on Princess, skip HAL. On my one HAL cruise, we actually wrote on the comment card to send the pastry chef back to school. Chocolate cakes only identifiable as such by the label, definitely not by the taste.

 

Unfortunately, the mass market lines have to cook for so many people, that unfortunately, things will be a bit bland.

 

 

Interesting, when I was on the Oosterdam back in September giving HAL a try I thought the pastry on that particular ship was quite good, but the actual food left a lot to be desired. When the best thing other than desert is the pizza in the buffet. . . there's a lot left to be desired :D :D

 

That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the cruise itself, just felt a bit let down by the food.

Edited December 6, 2013 by Strictly Ballroom

[navybankerteacher]

I am quite sure you will be disappointed. Celebrity is not any more premium than HAL or Princess. We were very disappointed with our second and last cruise with them. They have cut back considerably.

 

If you want to have an experience like when we began cruising 35 years ago, you need to go to the luxury or luxury lite lines.

 

 

I cannot help wondering where all you discriminating gourmets eat when you are not on cruise ships. It certainly can't be Olive Garden, Pondeosa, Golden Corral, Bob Evans, etc., etc.,etc. I suspect many of you wannbe Craig Claibornes actually patronize McDonalds, Kentucky Fried, and Burger King -- but like to come across as having refined taste.

 

There has been a barf-inducing amount of BS posted on this thread.

[donnatello]

I guess they HAVE TO (cut back). Some lines are offering cruises for about $35 pp per diem. We paid within $50 the same amount we paid for a cruise 30 years ago for the same cabin category, same # of days. What else has stayed the same price for the past 30 years!?!?!?!?!? The lines just don't want to raise the base fare, so they have give less and charge for more onboard options. I just read on the Carnival board (don't know if it's true), but......they are getting ready to offer new menus and when they are introduced, there will be NO LINENS in the MDR at anymore! It cuts operating costs, but kind of makes it like having dinner at Appleby's, Chili's, or Red Lobster. Comparing the price of our cruise 30 yrs go and going to the web site comparing $$$ amounts for a specific year to now, to get what "it used to be" 30 yrs ago, for what we paid, that cruise in 2013 $$$$$ would be about $3200......would you pay $3200 pp MINIMUM RATE for a 12 day cruise? Most people would probably say "no".....so, ya'..... they have to cut their costs to still offer a 12 day cruise for the same price it was 30 yrs ago.

[Blk_Amish]

The cruise lines are aware that low fares bring in the passengers and fill the ships to capacity. To keep fares low it's necessary to cut back on some of the frills. Now IMO some lines have cut back too much.

 

I agree with this and sometimes the cutback or change happens in a relatively short period of time. My first 3 cruises on Carnival were fantastic family vacation with good food and amazing bedding. My last was OK with a few meals I could prepare much better in my kitchen. These cruises were taken within 6 years. On Carnival Magic the decor was warm and welcoming so a nice change. The fare was in line with what I paid on Princess. Princess recently had a free cruise promotion.

 

On Carnival the disco rocked like no other, so I was still happy. I shall return for my 50th but might smuggle a good cut of steak in my bussom. OK, maybe try the specialty restaurant:p

 

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Edited December 6, 2013 by Blk_Amish

[Langley Cruisers]

The OP has been venting her anger about Princess all day long on various threads. It appears that she has an agenda to convince everyone that Princess is terrible. I find such totally negative rants to not be credible & reading her other posts she wasn't happy on other cruises lines either.... If someone doesn't agree with her then she feels she's being bashed & attacked. She also feels that her opinions are "legitimate complaints" about things that are very subjective.

 

Agreed. I said the same thing back on page 1 but people keep adding to the thread and feeding her anger... oh well....

.

[peety3]

I notice no one directly answers or addresses the complaints I have made. First of all, the food, have you cruised Princess recently?? Second the chairs outside, not being lounge chairs?? The quiet area is quiet for a price?? And lastly, the shows being ONLY 35 minutes. All this ok with everyone for the price we pay?? I would like to see someone address each and every topic I did bring up Especially if you have cruised Princess within the last couple months

We did two Princess Alaska cruises and I felt the food was as good though the service in the MDR may have dipped a bit. The chairs seemed reasonable both times. The quiet area was for-fee both times we went, so that certainly didn't get any worse. We were too busy with everything else to attend any of the evening productions.

 

Honestly, I'm more than comfortable with the price we pay. You're getting a week's worth of hotel accommodations, a week's worth of >3 meals a day, and I consider the whole trip as a hotel that moves us to the next city while we sleep. On an Alaska cruise, the view out the hotel window is a whole lot better than seeing lots of 18-wheelers rolling down the highway.

[LindaM]

I cannot help wondering where all you discriminating gourmets eat when you are not on cruise ships. It certainly can't be Olive Garden, Pondeosa, Golden Corral, Bob Evans, etc., etc.,etc. I suspect many of you wannbe Craig Claibornes actually patronize McDonalds, Kentucky Fried, and Burger King -- but like to come across as having refined taste.

 

There has been a barf-inducing amount of BS posted on this thread.

 

Huh???? Having a bad day???? I agreed cruiselines have cut back, in the past 35 years. You might want to reread my post and pay attention to the meaning. I never said the food was terrible, nor did I make reference to it!! We don't get escargot often, as we once did. Actually, even the luxury lines have cut back!!

 

BTW, I can say with all honesty I do NOT eat fast food, except when taking a driving trip and that is all that is available. Do you really believe Ponderosa, Golden Corral, Bob Evans cater to refined tastes??? I think you shot yourself in the foot, IMHO!