Cost Cutting Gone To Far

[cruisevv]

1. Fried Egg Station instead of omelet station in the Windjammer for breakfast. No wait for the Fried Egg? I wonder why? Yes people have to wait for the omelet station. Find ways to make it faster or add more egg cooks. Don't take away the best part of the windjammer breakfast.

This makes me sad. I don't even like omelets but my entire family loves that option and gladly wait an extra 10-15 minutes in line to get theirs. It's quite clear they're popular. I would hate to see this happen on every ship. On Independence, they still had the omelets as of two days ago.

2. Chicken necks and backs on the windjammer buffet, can we have some legs and thighs please. I grabbed an unspecific part off the lunch buffet one day. After determining it was not a part I wanted or tasted like anything I wanted, discarded it. Went back the next and was digging for a leg, thigh, wing or normal part. there were NONE! Necks for everyone. I don't remember the specific name for this dish but it was some type of rotisserie chicken.

I did see the chicken neck phenomenon on Independence and was disgusted. This time it was fried rather than rotisserie chicken. That isn't cool Royal.

3. No sugar free cookies anywhere on board the entire weekend.

I had the opposite problem. There were sugar free cookies EVERYWHERE on Independence. I would have killed for a 'normal' cookie and what's more I want the non-dry/burnt cookies as well. The Independence cookies were all flat and stiff like boards. Maybe that's a sugar-free issue?

4. No Late night nachos with chili in the Park Cafe. (Only pizza and hot dogs)

N/A

Edited December 16, 2015 by cruisevv

[cruisevv]

For me, on my most recent cruises, I have noticed their chicken dishes tend to be chicken meat and bones in sauce with herbs and spices. To be honest, I love these dishes because they contain more of the chicken that I actually like.

 

Their Indian dishes specifically are always amazing. I had a Chicken Tikka Masala that was dream worthy the other week, but these chicken necks were not in a dish or sauce or sauteed with anything. They stood alone and looked quite unappealing because of that.

[MisterFidgetpants]

So when someone asks you what cruise line is best.....do you tell them "Gee, I used to cruise on Royal but now I cruise on ____________, but for you, I suggest RCI/Royal" ? I know I am confused as to why you would suggest a cruise line you seem to no longer be cruising on, very much?

 

I would say 75% of my cruises have been with Royal. In no particular order I've also been onboard Princess, Celebrity, NCL, and Carnival, and today booked my first MSC to Bermuda from Florida (find that itinerary again! dare ya!).

 

I think Royal Caribbean is very consistent. You know the ships will be clean. You can expect good service. The crowd of other cruisers tends to be a nice cross section of people and usually not TOO rowdy or unkempt. Live entertainment is plentiful. I don't think their food is so great, especially after branching out, it just isn't as good as competing lines. And lately I think the prices are getting a bit stiff compared to the competition.

 

I have been on every class of RCI ship except for Quantum class. I would be VERY particular about who I would suggest a Sovereign Class, Vision Class, or Radiance class ship to. Someone who has cruised before and says they like small to mid sized ships without a billion things to do. For those that want fun and excitement and to be wowed, Voyager Class and Up. Those are easier to recommend and not feel like you maybe gave someone bad advice.

 

But I gotta say, when you start trying out other lines you discover a LOT of little things between all the lines that you wished Royal did as well, or did at all.

 

I'm not anti-Royal Caribbean. Not at all. Big fan. But the competition is really hot right now and Royal Caribbean can't coast on inflated prices, fake sales, and, for me, lackluster food.

[MisterFidgetpants]

He said he liked Oasis and that is what he would reccomend

 

You can suggest that ship to a total newbie or a cruise veteran and never have to second guess yourself if you gave someone good advice or not. There's nothing like Oasis-class.

[bigboffs]

My DH family's was in the poultry business and he is very familiar with chicken parts. Recently on the Navigator, he identified chicken backs in several offerings. He was amazed that RCCL would do this. It was clear to him that chickens were chopped up indiscriminately like someone just whacked at it.

[John&LaLa]

My DH family's was in the poultry business and he is very familiar with chicken parts. Recently on the Navigator, he identified chicken backs in several offerings. He was amazed that RCCL would do this. It was clear to him that chickens were chopped up indiscriminately like someone just whacked at it.

 

Better than whacking at the customers ;)

[JuliaNicker]

My DH family's was in the poultry business and he is very familiar with chicken parts. Recently on the Navigator, he identified chicken backs in several offerings. He was amazed that RCCL would do this. It was clear to him that chickens were chopped up indiscriminately like someone just whacked at it.

 

So, if a menu says Chicken, it could be any body part of a chicken.

Not a breast or a leg , but "Any" body part ??

 

Burger joint, not on a cruise line such as Royal.

 

This is disappointing.

[Cuizer2]

So when someone asks you what cruise line is best.....do you tell them "Gee, I used to cruise on Royal but now I cruise on ____________, but for you, I suggest RCI/Royal" ? I know I am confused as to why you would suggest a cruise line you seem to no longer be cruising on, very much?

 

When making a recommendation to someone, you base it on your knowledge of them. Rich people looking for the height in luxury, I would recommend Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal or Regent, even though I haven't sailed any of them. Have a bunch of kids and can't afford to fly, I would recommend Carnival if the only choice was one of the six Vision class ships. Took my then nine year old nephew on the Freedom of the Seas when the ship was about one year old. He missed the waterslides from the Carnival Pride three years earlier (though he did enjoy ice skating for the first time and spent a lot of time in the H2O Zone).

 

I would make a recommendation based on what I think they would like, not on what I like. I've been on the Allure. I see no reason to go on it again unless I've got a bunch of kids with me. I have nothing against the Allure, but it is restricted to certain islands (that I have visited many times). You will not see the Allure at Coco Key even though it is much better than Labadee (IMO). You will not see the Allure in Grand Cayman (one of my favorite ports). You will not see the Allure in Dominica. You will not see the Allure in Belize.

 

However, just because I am not an Allure fan does not mean I would not recommend it to Kate and her eight children (six of whom are the same age).

[JuliaNicker]

Better than whacking at the customers ;)

 

Oh dear.

I did read that incorrectly.

[F27TW]

Maybe they'll start throwing in some beeks and feet and call it a cultural immersion meal.......

 

I was gonna say .... Chicken Necks and Backs?? What were you on? The Fred Sanford and Aunt Esther Theme Cruise ?! :D

 

(Heck wit da Honey Stung Chicken ... now we got beaks and feet!)

Edited December 17, 2015 by F27TW

[SamFritz]

That is the dilemma - people want exceptional quality and an exceptional price at the same time. Something has to give.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crew is actually the source of these animations. They get on the microphone and work the crowd up to cheer for something in part due to social pressure.

 

 

 

Your bottom line is correct. RCCL isn't forcing anyone to book a cruise. If you don't like their value proposition, try something else.

 

 

You say something's gotta give, but why? If they could make me feel like a king at a great price five years ago, when fuel prices were double, why won't they do it now? They must be keeping a larger portion of my fare to run their company, and giving me less. A Royal Caribbean cruise is not what it was five or seven years ago. Even adjusted for inflation, prices are up and service is down.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[F27TW]

I'm all about finding this cruise with chicken backs! Chicken backs are one of the premium places to source gelatin from to make amazing soups and broths -- if you use fake bullion cubes, you're missing out.

 

Indian cuisine (the real stuff, not the Americanized version) will throw chicken backs into the broth to render out all that tasty and healthy gelatin. It becomes a savory marvel.

 

I'd fully support a cruise line or restaurant in tossing a few backs into a recipe in order to get that gelatin that almost all modern cooking misses out on.

 

Yum!

 

GELATIN ??! Theres plenty of gelatin in all the nasty desserts RC serves ! ... eat a piece of "key lime pie" or one of those hot pink colored jiggly squares ... you'll see !

Edited December 17, 2015 by F27TW

[davekathy]

GELATIN ??! Theres plenty of gelatin in all the nasty desserts RC serves ! ... eat a piece of "key lime pie" or one of those hot pink colored jiggly squares ... you'll see !

 

Hold on. Chicken parts is one thing but lets not slam good old fatting deserts.

[F27TW]

And those are pretty much the only ones I consume, other than the KLP which probably has some in there!

 

I'm a gelatin freak, although I'm also a "hair farmer" so it helps.

 

ok I gotta ask ... whats a "hair farmer" ??! :D

[Cabansail]

Mmmm ..... Chicken feet .... Must get some again.

[davekathy]

Actually the gelatin desserts aren't fattening at all! In my past 20 cruises I have lost on average 1 pound each cruise.

 

Although I purposefully book low deck staterooms and 100% take the stairs.

 

I reply was an attempt at being a wise ass. I guess in my own mind it sounded that way. Swing and a miss! Nothing but good old fattening desserts for me and two each evening.

[CookieDiva]

Oh dear.

 

I did read that incorrectly.

 

 

Maybe so. But perhaps what you thought that you read could be true too! [emoji14][emoji8][emoji16]

[John&LaLa]

Maybe so. But perhaps what you thought that you read could be true too! [emoji14][emoji8][emoji16]

 

I was just thinking they could take out their aggression on a chicken. ;)

[Cabansail]

Is KLP those light green square things, sort of like a cheesecake? If it is i could not see what the fuss was about. They did make an acceptable Bread & Butter Pudding though.

[John&LaLa]

Is KLP those light green square things, sort of like a cheesecake? If it is i could not see what the fuss was about. They did make an acceptable Bread & Butter Pudding though.

 

Can't get a proper KLP out of Australia

[Cabansail]

Can't get a proper KLP out of Australia

 

????

 

Did you mean "out of America"?

 

I know that the takeover is fairly advanced but we do still have some differences.

[riclop]

Quality is going down everywhere and prices are going higher.

[CookieDiva]

I was just thinking they could take out their aggression on a chicken. ;)

 

 

Uh huh. Yep. A chicken.

And I'll just stop right there. [emoji239]

[Morecruisesplz]

I guess anything is possible, but I find it hard to believe they were serving chicken NECKS at Windjammer.:D

 

Sorry but the post is accurate. We were on the Enchantment for Thanksgiving and our experience matched the OP's. I would add that there was never ham served for breakfast. Pork was the substitute, but that was also the meat at the slicing station nearly every day except boarding day (when beef was served). We checked the MDR menu daily and never went once. Nothing sounded interesting -- no prime rib or beef like on most cruises.

 

Our cabin attendant was great but the shower curtain stunk to high heaven. How can they not smell it? Smelled like dirty, sour mop water.

 

We also completed our survey and no response.

 

We're D+ so have been at this for a while, but this cruise was a disappointment. Hoping our b2b's in January on the Adventure will be better.

[bigjsl]

Just had a one hour wait in Johnny Rockets. It's clear from the 2pm time stamp on the bill and the doubling up of every item that they lost our order. By the time we finally got our food and ate it we were frozen and didn't stay for dessert. Others had similar experiences at the same time. The manager waived half the surcharge but it was a dud experience and would have left a first time cruiser thinking they would never bother with RC for another cruise.