Royal cutbacks.....just my opinion

[SamFritz]

If I saw that those cutbacks were keeping prices down that would be one thing, but it seems to me like they are increasing fares quite a bit.

 

I feel that I am paying more and getting less. Going on a cruise is still nice, but if Royal wants to keep me coming back they need to figure out how to make me feel special again.

 

I think their corner cutting will result in fewer return customers.

 

 

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[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

I would rather pay a little more and have enough staff to take care of me Royally. Specifically, room stewards having less rooms and an assistant, along with enough wait staff for the MDR and to clean tables, get drinks, etc. in the windjammer. I also liked having pool towels in my room and towel bins at the entrance when reboarding along with ice water and cool wash rags. I would also like better no fee food options.

 

I don't understand the service cut backs since, it seems to me, the passengers/guests are paying the majority, if not all, of the room attendant and wait staff compensation. I am tired of feeling like it is a constant money grab. The lines know the break even cost and hard sell the amenities to make their profit. For most of us that only cruise, at most, once a year it is still an expensive vacation when you factor in airfare, hotels, pet sitting, taxis, excursions, tips, etc. so I would rather pay another $100 or so per person and be wowed.

 

I don't care about chocolates but the staff and food cutbacks have tarnished cruising for us. The ships are better now, but the experience overall is not. Royal Caribbean used to feel like Nordstrom and now it feels like Kohls.

 

Totally agree. It's not about the "cheap gifts" - it's about the overall experience. I love cruising, but the experience for me has gone down hill. The service is just not what it used to be, and it's quite noticeable. There are still great crew/staff members, but they are fewer and far between, IMO. I can't tell you how many times we've asked for little things they used to always have (and we are not hard to please or difficult) and have been told "We don't have that" or "we can't get that" or "you'll have to go _______ to get it." It just feels different now.

 

However I still love it :)

Edited January 11, 2015 by LuckiStac13*Majesty*

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

If I saw that those cutbacks were keeping prices down that would be one thing, but it seems to me like they are increasing fares quite a bit.

 

I feel that I am paying more and getting less. Going on a cruise is still nice, but if Royal wants to keep me coming back they need to figure out how to make me feel special again.

 

I think their corner cutting will result in fewer return customers.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Great point. We have been paying more too, and feeling like we're getting less. Nothing stays the same, so I expect some things to go away and change. However you can't take everything away! Food quality is different, most all of the "little things" have gone, etc.

[The Viking]

The complaints I see here are petty in my view. Did enjoy most of the items they have cut back.

 

Now, we have to pray they do cut cut back on maintenance behind the scenes. Thinking of navigation, engines etc.

[Snick500]

We have been Cruising about 15 years and are at the Emerald level. We took all longer cruises, and when they changed to this new system, we lost ground. Oh, well. What is not, oh well, is not being able to find hors d'oeuvres anywhere on the ship unless you are Diamond and up. I will pay for them, but none are to be had. Our first cruise we got free chocolate covered strawberries in the champagne bar, deck party, midnight buffet, free nightly hors d'oeuvres in different lounges, and drinks of the day. Now there is none of that. I can accept change and cutbacks, but it is too much. The meals in the MDR used to be like those in the specialty restaurant...every night. Now I can't BUY a drink in the Viking Lounge before dinner, because it is reserved for upper tiers....say what? This is a signature part of the ship. I miss the library a lot too. It was so relaxing there. Most of all, I feel sorry for the new cruiser who will probably never experience any of the wows that we did when we started cruising. I don't know how cruise lines will retain future loyalists, because the wow is gone, especially for the lower tiers. Why wouldn't they try all the lines looking for something better? We started loyal, but as things got taken away, roped off, and just eliminated, we skip-hopped around the various lines.

[Paulette3028]

We have been Cruising about 15 years and are at the Emerald level. We took all longer cruises, and when they changed to this new system, we lost ground. Oh, well. What is not, oh well, is not being able to find hors d'oeuvres anywhere on the ship unless you are Diamond and up. I will pay for them, but none are to be had. Our first cruise we got free chocolate covered strawberries in the champagne bar, deck party, midnight buffet, free nightly hors d'oeuvres in different lounges, and drinks of the day. Now there is none of that. I can accept change and cutbacks, but it is too much. The meals in the MDR used to be like those in the specialty restaurant...every night. Now I can't BUY a drink in the Viking Lounge before dinner, because it is reserved for upper tiers....say what? This is a signature part of the ship. I miss the library a lot too. It was so relaxing there. Most of all, I feel sorry for the new cruiser who will probably never experience any of the wows that we did when we started cruising. I don't know how cruise lines will retain future loyalists, because the wow is gone, especially for the lower tiers. Why wouldn't they try all the lines looking for something better? We started loyal, but as things got taken away, roped off, and just eliminated, we skip-hopped around the various lines.

 

Sorry to hear your experiences. Here is our history -- we have been cruising for 10 years; you can see our cruise history in my signature....we have never cruised in suites only balconies or OV (on Majesty), and we are Diamond. Do I miss some of the things that have been done away with....only a little -- the chocolate mints (I get my fill of chocolate in other ways, it was a nice); a few less 'towel animals' -- not a big issue (2 or 3 in the course of a week, is just fine); excessive food at a midnight buffet (not something to miss, when these larger ships have plenty of food all over the Promenade); I do feel that they have reduced staff size and it could impact someone's service -- so far to date, it has minimally affected my cabin service or dining room service. I attribute the fact we have not seen a decline in cabin service and dining room service to the fact that we are extremely nice to the staff and go out of our way that first day to tell them about us and our needs "UP FRONT" and viola -- they are met with a smile. The week is continues uphill from there.

 

New cruises won't miss, what they don't know was there -- in the past years. You started cruising several years before we did....and perhaps enjoyed some of the overindulgence. The ONLY time I missed having the midnight buffet, was this past Thanksgiving cruise on her Majesty. This ship truly doesn't have much of the WOW factor her sister ships has. She is going to be retired in April 2016, her time has come to move to Pullmantr. That Midnight Buffet was her WOW factor. But alas we had a terrific cruise non the less. Because cruising is FUN, FUN and more FUN do to great crews and staff that make it so.

[Clarea]

We have been Cruising about 15 years and are at the Emerald level. We took all longer cruises, and when they changed to this new system, we lost ground. Oh, well. What is not, oh well, is not being able to find hors d'oeuvres anywhere on the ship unless you are Diamond and up. I will pay for them, but none are to be had. Our first cruise we got free chocolate covered strawberries in the champagne bar, deck party, midnight buffet, free nightly hors d'oeuvres in different lounges, and drinks of the day. Now there is none of that. I can accept change and cutbacks, but it is too much. The meals in the MDR used to be like those in the specialty restaurant...every night. Now I can't BUY a drink in the Viking Lounge before dinner, because it is reserved for upper tiers....say what? This is a signature part of the ship. I miss the library a lot too. It was so relaxing there. Most of all, I feel sorry for the new cruiser who will probably never experience any of the wows that we did when we started cruising. I don't know how cruise lines will retain future loyalists, because the wow is gone, especially for the lower tiers. Why wouldn't they try all the lines looking for something better? We started loyal, but as things got taken away, roped off, and just eliminated, we skip-hopped around the various lines.

How did you lose ground? Did you move behind other C&A members, or did some C&A members move higher than you?

[yolanda1]

Most of the cutbacks don't bother us too much. Some are very minor, and didn't matter at all. Others less so, and we miss them. We sail with different cruise lines and have never bought into the "Loyalty" idea, because it can trap people into settling for less than they want. How many people return from a cruise and complain about everything, but feel they have to continue to give their custom to the same company again and again because they feel they are climbing a ladder of loyalty benefits?

 

As others have said, in real terms the cost of cruising has fallen greatly. With RCI, and another couple of mass market mid range lines, we find that if we want the WOW, and all the little extras that we appreciate, we really do have to go for a Suite these days. If that stops being worth it to us, we will completely jump ship :)

 

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[Snick500]

How did you lose ground? Did you move behind other C&A members, or did some C&A members move higher than you?

 

We took all longer cruises. 9-12 day cruises. When those days were transferred to the new system, we lost the days of the longer cruises. We got 2 bonus pts. But overall, would have made out the same if all our cruises had been shorter. We ALWAYS, have a great time when cruising, and always tip extremely well to the hard working crew.