Just off 3rd trip the Oasis. Total lack of wow

[Starry Eyes]

So I should get there 20 minutes early to get a seat?

It's easier just to never go on the oasis again.

If you are asking what I think you should do, well, here we go:

Since you have soured on it, I think you should not sail Oasis again.

 

If you sail her or any other ship, I think you should expect the loyalty lounges to be very busy between 5 and 6 pm (again, that is the cocktail hour for early diners). Ideally, I think late diners should plan go to the lounges later; I think if you time it right, you could then snag a seat being vacated by an early diner.

 

Or alternatively if the lounge is full, I think you should go to another venue. I do not think you should hassle the CL waitstaff about seats at their very busiest time. I think somebody with a complaint about DL space should take it up with the concierge or the loyalty ambassador or the hotel manager or corporate; those people are much more likely to impact the issue than the waitstaff.

[cathykb]

Totally agree with Newcruiser80. This is the target market, not the Old Guard. I am D+ and some of the attitude I see from upper tier cruisers is disgusting. Who wants to sail with them, and what business wants them as customers?

[sleepless]

Just off today. Lack of any WOW except for Carmella our stateroom attendant.

Seems like the rumors that royal isn't catering to repeat customers is true.

The concierge lounge now hosts all from diamond up (no specific diamond lounge) At ten minutes after 5 you can't even get a seat. We asked the staff about it they said try upstairs. I told them fine you carry my wheelchair bound mother in law up and down the stairs, and look for a seat

In the past they have always open satellite lounges for the overflow. Not any more.

The food and dining room service was so-so. Not poor just acceptable.

They schedule the farewell show at 8:45 (one show only) so nobody that has late seating can even attend. I'm sure they hope you'll go buy a diner somewhere that night.

I ordered the same drink in 5 different bars and paid 4 different prices. When I inquired about it the bartenders said the other guy made a mistake.

The elevators and guest services were worst than I remembered.

This was our 4th trip on this class, and our last unless they come up with an almost free cruise. And if royal continues their race to the bottom. Our royal days will be over. With the prices royal is getting with their bogoho "sales" you would expect better than ncl or carnival.

 

 

When did the Oasis class start offering a Farewell Show? I have been on both the Oasis and the Allure - there was never a farewell show. Also, in order to see the shows that you want to see, you can pre-book them, thus ensuring a seat. If memory serves me right, there is less scheduled entertainment on the last night, then there is on the other nights.

[waterbug123]

J

Seems like the rumors that royal isn't catering to repeat customers is true....

The concierge lounge now hosts all from diamond up (no specific diamond lounge) At ten minutes after 5 you can't even get a seat....

So get there a little earlier. Not excusing the situation, but you can choose to be sour for the entire week, or you can make the best of it. In this case, making the best of it would simply mean getting there a bit earlier. Of course, that's only if you have some incredible need to get your free drinks in the actual lounge; as someone said, why not just use your coupons to get a drink elsewhere?

They schedule the farewell show at 8:45 (one show only) so nobody that has late seating can even attend. I'm sure they hope you'll go buy a diner somewhere that night.

Or maybe they figured there were so many repeat guests on the ship who have likely seen the farewell show before that they wouldn't feel a dire need to see it again. If the show was that important, then again- take your lemons and make lemonade, by dining at the windjammer than night, or getting room service.

 

This was our 4th trip on this class, and our last unless they come up with an almost free cruise. Bye. I'm sure you'll find that no matter what line you choose, nothing will be perfect.

 

I like to have a "can" of diet coke. Not the cough syrup that they give you out of the tap. We go to the lounge for a few appetizers between lunch at 2 or so and dinner at 8:30. Between 5 and 5:30 the options for food are limited.

 

So pay for a can at another bar. Would it really be the end of the world? Or use one of your drink coupons to purchase a can. Geez. As for missing the snacks in the lounge, why not just pick something up from the Cafe Promenade? They generally have little finger sandwiches available, and frankly they are a lot better, IMHO, than most of the awful frozen appetizers that are warmed and served in the C.L.

[LMaxwell]

When they don't print drink prices, it is the guests fault.

 

When they shut down a new lounge for loyalty members and cram everyone into an impossibly small space, it is the guests fault.

 

OP, you are gaining no traction here. If you didn't like something on your cruise it's not Royal's fault. It's yours for expecting the same services you had in the past. That's not Royal's game anymore. Didn't you know that OP? Silly you.

 

You should have been staking out seats all day and refusing drinks. That's the way to have an enjoyable vacation, not by expecting consistent service standards...

 

I think the cheerleaders got new pom poms this week.

[waterbug123]

I agree. It spoils the overall experience and social aspects :(

 

We must be in the minority. We don't feel the need to sit in a "special" lounge to enjoy an "overall experience and social aspects." We can enjoy a free drink and talk to people anywhere; we don't need the self satisfaction of knowing we get to sit in a "special" lounge. :D

 

The hour from 5 pm to 6 pm is the cocktail hour for all those people on main dining, so it is crowded during that hour. It will be more crowded and frustrating for staff if the late diners show up the lounge at 5:10 acting surprised when seats are taken.

 

If you do not mind the crowd, fine,go join the crowd at 5:10. If you do not want the crowd, it likely will dissipate if you wait until the early diners leave for their 6 pm dinner. .

 

Editing my earlier suggestion to arrive earlier; I forgot that the OP apparently has late seating, so OP- why not wait until 6:00 to visit the lounge? As Starry Eyes said, many people leave at that point to go to early seating dining, so you should find it much easier to get a seat. I mean, surely you don't show up at 5:10 and stay until dinner at 8:30. Do you? So just go a little later. ;)

[Poplin]

These boards, this world of cc always makes me chuckle. [emoji57]

 

Experienced cruisers... Your former glory days of titanic-era elitist cruises are over! Move on to Azamara and save us a gripe-fest! Just because you're diamond plus pinnacle you cruised your whole life and deserve everything for free attitude isn't being satisfied shouldn't mean you should poo poo an incredible ship and staff. After all it's all your freebies, free drinks here, free OBC there, price drop here balcony discount there that creates the need for royal to consistently reevaluate their budget, cut corners and ways to pet the kitties and keep them satisfied.

 

I am the new face of cruising. I am diamond and I could give two poos about it! I still buy the beverage package (no mixed up drink prices there!) and don't plan to use the lounge. I cruise to get away from it all. To enjoy the hard work of hard-working people and not view them as just the help, rather people who are dedicated to ensuring I have a nice vacation. I don't sit around and gripe about different priced drinks or mediocre food. What are you expecting? If something on land can do it better I think we'd all prefer you to stay on land and keep your bad attitude on land as well! Us young cruisers see this behavior on the ship and laugh. We laugh at you and your terrible attitudes and then high five the bar tenders we've made an actual connection with as you leave with your bad attitude.

 

I'm headed on Oasis next week for the second time, fourth time on oasis class and each time seems to get better and better. Can't wait for my incredible mediocre vacation to begin and pray to God that there's no whiners to bring us all down!!! Wah Wah Wah Wah Wah.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Love your post and certainly agree. I am diamond plus (always in a balcony or above) and getting ready to do a B2B on Oasis. Have some things changed, sure, but these changes are not so horrendous as to keep me from enjoying every moment on the high seas. If I don't have to cook, clean up, make my bed etc. - it is a vacation to me. We eat in the MDR every night and have never left hungry. We have cruised on other lines and had a wonderful time but we always head back to RCCL. Too many feel they are owed too much entitlement - not just the "royal loyal" but those in suites too. I try to live with my cup half full not half empty.

[waterbug123]

Suggesting that the OP move over to Celebrity isn't a viable idea. Celebrity ships do not have a concierge lounge, and apparently that is a must-have for the OP.

 

As for the perceived general decline in perks and overall service, I see a lot of similarities between cruise lines and airlines. When the economy tanked and leisure travel fell, many of the players in both industries upped the ante by offering increased loyalty levels and increased loyalty perks, in an attempt to gain/regain loyalty and the revenue that comes with it. They did this to stay afloat, and considering how many big new ships the cruise lines had contracted for (and needed to pay for), it was an absolute necessity to avoid going under.

Now that the economy has done a turnaround, these industries are seeing the downside of their prior efforts... a whole class of people whom they showered with loyalty perks, who now feel more entitled than ever, and expect ever more while spending less. But... with the economic upturn, these industries simultaneously realize that there is a whole slew of people out there who did not previously receive elite status levels but are perhaps willing to pay more for just a little extra. Makes sense that these companies would shift their focus on attracting those folks, rather than the ones who have become a bit full of themselves and their "specialness."

[Pesseh0729]

Love your post and certainly agree. I am diamond plus (always in a balcony or above) and getting ready to do a B2B on Oasis. Have some things changed, sure, but these changes are not so horrendous as to keep me from enjoying every moment on the high seas. If I don't have to cook, clean up, make my bed etc. - it is a vacation to me. We eat in the MDR every night and have never left hungry. We have cruised on other lines and had a wonderful time but we always head back to RCCL. Too many feel they are owed too much entitlement - not just the "royal loyal" but those in suites too. I try to live with my cup half full not half empty.

 

 

I agree with you both! I don't have to clean, cook or make my own drinks its a vacation to me. Like the previous poster said to get away from it all. Someone will always have a complaint about something. To me, it's the closest thing to perfection that's available so I'll continue to cruise Royal only! August cruise can't get here fast enough

[jollyman67]

Hi. Your comments are spot on. What is the purpose of becoming a Diamond + member on this class of ship? Once you reach diamond, you get the same benefits as D+. Whoever devised this new policy best hope that the company haven't shot themselves in the foot. Favouring suite guests (yes they pay a lot of money for the stateroom, but offer no guarantee of ever repeating or remaining 'loyal' to the company) to the detriment of proven loyal customers is a very risky and potentially harmful strategy.

We were on the Allure this time last year, and as D+ members, had our own concierge lounge. This year that same small lounge was for D, D+ and Pinnacle. Last year D had Blaze nightclub. Nothing this year. Last year we were offered lunch with wine. This year nothing. Last year we had reserved areas at all the shows. This year nothing.

All of this flies in the face of the Senior crew who at every opportunity hammered home how important and valued our repeat custom was to the company. A strange juxtaposition indeed.

The worst thing you can do to annoy any customer is to offer something which you then later take away. It devalues the worth and esteem of the customer, and an unhappy customer is more likely to take his custom elsewhere.

There is no reason why RCI cannot run the two loyalty programmes in conjunction. What you do not do is throw the baby out with the bathwater, which is what RCI are embarking on with this current suite guest preference policy.

I am scheduled to go on another 3 future cruises this year with RCI on the Rhapsody, the Splendour, and the Serenade and I will watch with interest to see how this policy develops before committing to any other cruises with them.

[Lionesss]

When we sail in peak "crowded" vacation time in the summer, and we wanted to go to the CL to get a drink, we would arrive about 5 to 10 min early find a seat and wait to be asked what we wanted....usually served by 5:10.

 

Then some people opt to arrive about 5:20 and are upset they cannot find a seat in a small venue. Look disgusted and get very upset.

 

Yes some of the lounges are small.

Yes some people save chairs for over 15 -20 min. taking a spot from someone.

 

But, some people just arrive late and expect a seat waiting for them.

 

We usually go back to our cabin about 5:45, before we go to early dinner.

 

Now that all the dining times are in chaos who knows what we will do this summer.

 

 

Hope it works out

 

Safe journey

[LMaxwell]

Haven't read anything here where OP sounded entitled or demanding of special treatment. Rather, read decline of service. Can someone point out where OP was acting demanding? If you have spent enough money to earn a perk, are you NOT entitled to it? People need to stop using the word entitled as a pejorative term.

 

Rah rah siss boom bah

[connes1]

I thought I heard diamond plus can use the suite lounge during evening cocktail hours (5-8:30). Is that true?

[Paulxyz2004]

When they don't print drink prices, it is the guests fault. I don´t think anybody said it´s the guests fault, but I didn´t even see this being a complaint in the OP.

 

When they shut down a new lounge for loyalty members and cram everyone into an impossibly small space, it is the guests fault. Part of it´s the guests fault. Besides during Muster Drill RCI is cramming nobody into any space. RCI provides a space to visit on a first come first serve Basis and it´s guests at best who cram themselves into anywhere.

 

OP, you are gaining no traction here. If you didn't like something on your cruise it's not Royal's fault. It's yours for expecting the same services you had in the past. That's not Royal's game anymore. Didn't you know that OP? Silly you.

 

You should have been staking out seats all day and refusing drinks. That's the way to have an enjoyable vacation, not by expecting consistent service standards...

 

I think the cheerleaders got new pom poms this week.

 

 

The world changes and RCI changes. It´s pretty unreasonable to expect everything stays the same forever. And yes having unreasonable expectations is your fault.

 

If you dislike a Change it´s your choice how you will deal with it. Walking away and taking your Business elsewhere is one Option, but if you do so you should do it with grace and not whiney.

[Ocean Boy]

It is also possible to disagree with someone with grace instead of being condescending which is getting to be fairly common around here.

[maggieq]

I thought I heard diamond plus can use the suite lounge during evening cocktail hours (5-8:30). Is that true?

 

No, they cannot. Diamond plus cruisers have access to the diamond lounge.

[LMaxwell]

OP complained about drink prices (the prices being variable at different bars). This would have been to avoid had RCI published the drink prices. Instead, RCI made a conscious decision to remove drink prices and play games with guests. That is contempt for the guest.

 

And while all venues are basically first come, first server, RCI made a lot of noise about opening up a new DL and providing more options, space, and venues for loyalty guests and then just as quickly closing the new venue down and pushing all loyalty guests into a smaller venue than was cumulatively offered prior to dry dock. Yes, one can make use of the vouchers at other bars, but to do so they forgo other services provided in the loyalty lounges.

 

And whenever someone here has a criticism of changes in how RCI operates they are belittled, berated, told they are the ones who are wrong, and taunted by others. Many years ago this site got a bad rep for having paid RCI shills on here to defend them. I'm not sure that has ever been remedied. By some of the responses on here I would say it has not.

 

Isn't RCI all about providing a "Wow" experience? When they don't provide that, shouldn't they know so that they have the opportunity to course correct? Shouldn't other brand enthusiasts know in order to set their expectations correctly? Why should OP be shouted down about it?

[rt1092]

It's ignorant remarks like you made to the crew regarding the wheelchair issue that would turn anyone off......:rolleyes:

 

I guess if a blind person with a white cane were to bump into you, You would tell them to "watch where they are going" ?

[jollyman67]

It is also possible to disagree with someone with grace instead of being condescending which is getting to be fairly common around here.

Agree totally. Difference of opinion makes horse racing pay, and every person's opinion is as valid as the other's.

[setsail]

I thought I heard diamond plus can use the suite lounge during evening cocktail hours (5-8:30). Is that true?

 

Yes it is, if they are in a full suite

[LMaxwell]

Yes it is, if they are in a full suite

The suite lounge is for full suite guests regardless of loyalty level. D plus not in a GS or better are not allowed. Basically there is one loyalty lounge and one suite lounge.

[rt1092]

In regards to the different drink Prices. I´m not sure why you expect them to be the same. They probably should be the same if the same drink is ordered in the same bar again. But is there some written or unwritten rule that the same drink has to be the same Price all over the ship?

 

I certainly can see them charging different Prices in different venues. I wouldn´t expect to pay the same Price in different bars on land either, not even i.e. different bars in the same Hotel.

I wouldn't expect it on land either. But on the ship the costs/overhead are the same all over.

If you went into a bar and on one end of the the price for the same drink was $3 more than the other end. You would be perfectly happy with it. Or if one bartender charged more than another at the same bar.

 

Go ahead and shake your Pom Poms.

[Ocean Boy]

 

Isn't RCI all about providing a "Wow" experience? When they don't provide that, shouldn't they know so that they have the opportunity to course correct? Shouldn't other brand enthusiasts know in order to set their expectations correctly? Why should OP be shouted down about it?

 

As some have said, as long as they don't have to cook, clean, or make their own bed it's all good. So I guess RCI is still providing that WOW experience for plenty of people.

 

I've never been one who has subscribed to the viewpoint that a bad day at sea is better than a good day at work. But then I happen to like my job.:)

[setsail]

The suite lounge is for full suite guests regardless of loyalty level. D plus not in a GS or better are not allowed. Basically there is one loyalty lounge and one suite lounge.

 

Doesn't change my post at all:rolleyes:

[LMaxwell]

Doesn't change my post at all:rolleyes:

All I did was fully explain the situation that you failed to do. [emoji568]