Now charging for dream works character breakfast?

[luv4cruises]

Just off Freedom (9/7) where the entire family enjoyed the character breakfast,

It would have cost us 60.00 for the experience today. Would we pay for it? No.It was enjoyable, but too expensive for the quality of food, service and entertainment.

Royal's prices are starting to reach the cost of a Disney a Cruise.

 

On a Disney cruise you are receiving a first class product all the way around.

I had always encouraged my family and friends with children to sail on Royal-more cost effective, great experience. It seems like Royal is raising prices, cutting more, adding charges for what used to be included. I also worry that Dynamic Dining is going to turn into guests paying more for quality dining. Wel'll see. I wonder if they will start charging for the ice show etc?

 

Please, Royal slow down with the cuts and additional charges.

[luv4cruises]

I have never been to the character breakfast, but want make sure their is no confusion here....the chocolate breakfast has NO charge, it simply is a part of the regular menu. The 'more chocolaty' items in that section of the MDR menu, are not 'so intensely chocolate' to even be put in that special section of a menu....this chocolate fan was very disappointed.

 

We were notified by RCI that reservations made after 9/1/14 would incur a 10.00

charge/pp. I was relieved because I had made our reservations for the 9/6 breakfast before 9/1.

 

Sure hope RCI will discontinue the charge.

[mulan1123]

I think you may be right. We did the breakfast once with our two grandkids, I was surprised at the number of adults there with no children, especially as we had been put on a wait list and told be there by 0745 to see if there would be room. This is not something I would have done (or do again) without kids, my husband said he would not go again, even if the grandkids begged! They would have to beg me quite a bit to go again!:D

 

I also think it is a way to make a little money!:D

 

Sherri:)

 

Last year on Oasis, a group of us 8 adults did the breakfast and had fun. My mom LOVED King Julien, and my parents friends loved it! We're doing it again in November on Freedom with us adults only. I reserved before the cut off date......

[CruisingTeacher19]

How do you know what characters are there?

[mulan1123]

How do you know what characters are there?

 

The characters change every breakfast.

 

There should be a breakfast with Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots.Another with the characters from Madagascar. Not sure about the third........

 

We had the breakfast with Alex, Gloria and King Julien from Madagascar.

 

It will say in the Daily Compass on your cruise.

[sjb317]

Last year on Oasis, a group of us 8 adults did the breakfast and had fun. My mom LOVED King Julien, and my parents friends loved it! We're doing it again in November on Freedom with us adults only. I reserved before the cut off date......

 

 

I am always amazed at the people who say they had fun, but, hey, to each their own! To be fair, I think we were one of the first few cruises on Freedom to have a character breakfast so it was pretty new to them, but there was not much entertainment factor. Three different characters were brought out, they sang "Hokie Pokie" (and they turned themselves around:D) then went to each table for a photo op. Even Grandkids were not impressed.

 

Sherri:)

[vacation_junkie]

I tried hard to book prior to Sep but their web will not allow it.

Now I can, but the charge is already there. Well, to keep our grandchildren happy.... ....::p

 

We never had a problem booking before the 1st.

Infact, I posted on our roll call about the upcoming charge and a lot of folks with kids took advantage of the complimentary booking right up until the night before. This was for the Allure.

 

If you were having difficulty doing it online all you needed to do was call and they would have booked it for you over the phone complimentary before the 1st.

 

That's what they are there for :)

[vacation_junkie]

I would for Puss in Boots. Hope the chocolate breakfast is free still.

 

This is the Chocolate Breakfast that we are talking about.

[vacation_junkie]

On a Disney cruise you are receiving a first class product all the way around

.

 

Our last Disney Cruise was by far the worst cruise we've had out of the 20+ cruises we've been on! Service , Stateroom condition & Food was far from Magical. And we are carefree guests so its not like I'm being too critical of the cruise. A clean stateroom in good repair, pleasant smile and properly cooked food is all we ask for ;)

[vacation_junkie]

I have never been to the character breakfast, but want make sure their is no confusion here....the chocolate breakfast has NO charge, it simply is a part of the regular menu. The 'more chocolaty' items in that section of the MDR menu, are not 'so intensely chocolate' to even be put in that special section of a menu....this chocolate fan was very disappointed.

 

This is the menu for the Character Breakfast... this breakfast is available elsewhere?

 

[Folk Singer]

Pay that for Penguins as well.

[Folk Singer]

Just off Freedom (9/7) where the entire family enjoyed the character breakfast,

It would have cost us 60.00 for the experience today. Would we pay for it? No.It was enjoyable, but too expensive for the quality of food, service and entertainment.

Royal's prices are starting to reach the cost of a Disney a Cruise.

 

 

Please, Royal slow down with the cuts and additional charges.

 

 

It gets to a point. Agree, RCCL take some time and slow down.

[vacation_junkie]

It gets to a point. Agree, RCCL take some time and slow down.

 

Unfortunately they are following suit with other lines.

Disney Charges for theirs

Norwegian charges for their Nickelodeon Pajama Jam as well. Norwegians is interesting because people stroll down in the PJ's. Oh the sights you see ;) With theirs an 8x10 photo is included.

Edited October 2, 2014 by vacation_junkie

[snorkelman]

What's next? $20 charge for using the zip line? $10 for mini golf? $7 for ping pong and shuffle board? Flowrider $50?

 

This is a sad development IMO.

[luv4cruises]

What's next? $20 charge for using the zip line? $10 for mini golf? $7 for ping pong and shuffle board? Flowrider $50?

 

This is a sad development IMO.

 

You are exactly right. We have already seen cuts and added charges. I fear there are more to come. What once made cruising a carefree , great value for the money may be slipping away.

[LMaxwell]

It's basically standard MDR breakfast, maybe one or two little changes, with the same characters that are out and about around the ship for free anyways. Went when it was free. It was worth free. Obvious money grab by Royal. There certainly isn't $10 worth of better food.

[dancinman66]

I think it is still great value for money as I pay less than used to 20 years ago and realistically get more plus the dollar is worth less now than it was relative to earnings

So I count my blessings and enjoy the cruises

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[agentcorona]

Someone posted about this at the very end of August. I remember quickly going to make my reservations on August 30th. Sure enough, come September the activity charged $10 per adult.

[LMaxwell]

I think it is still great value for money as I pay less than used to 20 years ago and realistically get more plus the dollar is worth less now than it was relative to earnings

So I count my blessings and enjoy the cruises

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

It's the regular free MDR breakfast with the characters that go around the ship for free. RCI offered it for years for free. Now they charge. Seems like a poor value now to me. We went last year 8 adults, 4 kids; 2 of which were over 6 years old. That would have been $100 for the standard MDR breakfast and to have a guy in a suit dance around the table for a moment. That's not value.

[mulan1123]

I am always amazed at the people who say they had fun, but, hey, to each their own! To be fair, I think we were one of the first few cruises on Freedom to have a character breakfast so it was pretty new to them, but there was not much entertainment factor. Three different characters were brought out, they sang "Hokie Pokie" (and they turned themselves around:D) then went to each table for a photo op. Even Grandkids were not impressed.

 

Sherri:)

 

At least these characters danced. At Disney, the characters just walked to each table and maybe do a little interaction with the guest. And that's pretty much it....

[cruisegirl1]

It is so sad that RCCL decided to charge for the breakfast. So many families travel with parents/grandparents/older siblings, etc., even if the young kids are free, the breakfast can be $20,40,60 80 or more! :eek:

 

Perhaps if they limited reservations to once per cruise, everyone who wanted to attend, could. I read so many posts about folks making ( free) reservations for every day it was offered, and then once on board, were going to decide when to attend.

 

M

[anandaindonesia]

... ...Perhaps if they limited reservations to once per cruise, everyone who wanted to attend, could. ... ....

 

M

 

Agree 100%!

 

 

 

 

Sent using Tapatalk. Sorry for typho.

[luv4cruises]

They don't. Everyone gets assigned a character breakfast in their dinning rotation. Disney also has what is called rotational dinning where you rotate among the various dinning rooms and your wait staff rotate with you. Meaning you will always have the same wait staff just in different dinning rooms.

 

Royal seems to be slowly taking away the most appealing aspect of cruising- a care-free vacation with the option to be spontaneous.

On the Oasis class ships you already have to pre-reserve your entertainment- forcing you to keep a schedule or possibly miss out, now all passengers will have to reserve dining. The beauty of cruising for me is having a care-free vacation.

 

They are implementing Dynamic Dining fleet wide without even evaluating it on the Quantum. Who rolls out such a costly product without evaluating it prior to implementation?

 

The construction cost of structurally changing all the ships, demolishing the most beautiful MDR at sea, building new restaurants and new galleys is bound to show up in their continued trend of making cuts and adding costs to what was once a beautiful care-free vacation.

Edited October 4, 2014 by luv4cruises

[cruisincarrie]

I've done the free character breakfasts before and while my kids found it fun to take pictures with the characters, the service and food were well below what we expect from RCCL. I would not want to pay $10 per person for what we have experienced. It's just not that impressive.

 

I used to love cruising because my costs were fixed and I knew what to expect. I am getting tired of all the add on charges. It needs to stop.

[ronandannette]

For our November 8 Liberty sailing, availability for pre-booking this event on-line was conveniently not available prior to September 1. Works very nicely since though. :rolleyes:

 

This is pretty distasteful; if it's an issue of trying to keep people "honest" with their reservations, perhaps a flat $10.00/reservation fee would have done the trick. Otherwise it can't be construed as anything but a new revenue centre and as such should be offering SOMETHING of more value in line with the cost.