5 years since my last RCI cruise and wow how the standard has dropped!!!!!

[graphicguy]

Your math is a little off, $1700 in the early 1980s is worth close to $5000 in 2017 dollars. Also, I think that standards have definitely dropped, not maybe. That is not to say that the value of cruising for most of us has not increased over time. Cruising today , imo, is a great value

 

 

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You could be right regarding '80s dollars vs 2017 dollars. I know there is a whole lot more to do on today's cruises than there was on the SS Norway when I sailed her. And, the entertainment is much better today, also.

 

The rest? Differences in dress norms is just a reflection of today's standards compared to 35 years ago. I've never gone hungry on any cruise I've ever taken, then or now. And, many times I've had exceptional meals, in the '80s as well as now.

 

Service? No one has ever been rude to me. No one has ever ignored or belittled my requests, and I've been nearly always greeted with smiles, now as well as back then.

 

Given the value quotient and the expanded amount of activities, the variety of food available, the entertainment, I like today's cruises better.

[bUU]

I've never gone hungry on any cruise I've ever taken, then or now.

Gotta say, whenever I hear that comment it actually *reduces* my confidence in the quality of the for offered.

 

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[The Fun Researcher]

I've been on 5 RCI cruises in the past 5 years and the only noticeable negative changes for me are the skyrocketing drink prices, and the "less formal" formal nights. Myself, I still like a proper formal night, but my opinion seems to be growing less and less popular.

 

Dan

[COMBOY]

The decline has more to do to the fact that cruising has evolved. Where Princess, RCI, NCL back in the 70's & 80's were smaller lines that catered to more premium market and thus they could charge a higher per Diem. As these lines built larger ships with more bells and whistles to attract the masses they took on more debt and then had to discount to fill berths; nickle and diming you once they got you on board. As the per diem went down so did the on board experience. Gone are midnight buffet, chocolates on pillows, and gourmet dining. Anything they might be wasted = expense. That craved fruit probably got thrown away and that equaled waste equals less profit. Now enter in the upscale lines like Crystal, Oceania, Regent, Cunard who still offer those luxury, but at a much higher price. You can still get the premium cruise experience but just on a different line. Most of the new cruisers to RCI don't know the "old" RCI and are perfectly happy with the product. The product isn't bad; it's just not like it once was back in the olden days. The ship's are just as beautiful if not more so; but with a much more scaled down experience. Also to note that ships within the fleet can vary in experience based on the management and crew for that ship. So, don't always judge the entire fleet on one ship and/or voyage.

[drrich2]

I'm happy with Royal's present product, and since we started cruising on '06, I at least got to see a midnight buffet, ice sculptures and fruit carved into various shapes. Neat the once, but I don't need all that on every cruise.

 

This thread, and others like it, might benefit from the answer to a question. Let's say as others have discussed that the original RCL cruises of, oh, say, the early 80's had better MDR and buffet food, enforced dress codes and midnight buffets, carved fruit & ice sculptures. And whatever other 'trappings' some find desirable. At a cost maybe 2-3x's what current RCL cruise costs? Without rock climbing walls, flow riders or ice skating rinks.

 

If a cruiser from the early 80's spent the last 30+ years in a coma, woke up last year, is now 60 years old but healthy, and he wants to go back to cruising like it was back then.

 

What cruise line does he select?

 

Richard.

 

P.S.: I know he could do a specialty restaurant package to upscale the food, but let's assume he likes a good MDR experience, likely with fixed mealtimes with the same table mates. And wouldn't like a luxury line that's casual all the time.

[deliver42]

I agree that the WOW factor is greater now than it was in 1995, when I started cruising. I don't think the food is any worse, despite some other's opinions on that matter. There's just less of it in the MDR. Everything was more formal back in the day, and I still dress on formal nights. My choice. The entertainment, especially on the big ships is far superior to the older days, as well as things to do at no extra charge. The old ships had a 2'X4' pool, and not much else, other than sitting around that puddle or on the promenade.

[George C]

I have cruised at least once a year since 1977, not all things are bad, no balconies in 70's 1st one I sailed with was early 90's , back then cost me about a months pay for a inside room, my social security check now allows me to have a suite. Food and service is down, need to eat in specialty and have a suite to cruise in comfort, but I am still cruising once or twice a year, still the best bang for the buck, you will see similar cuts and problems on all the other major lines

[glittergal1]

Grandeur was our first RCI cruise back in 2011, it had a WOW factor for us. Ice sculptures, fruit carvings, great entertainment. So good we booked Explorer for the following year. She gave an even greater WOW.

 

We've been on several more RCI ships since from the smallest to the largest and yes, the little extras have disappeared. It is possible the elimination of the fruit carvings is due to staff cutbacks and certainly not a 'wastage' issue. Staff cutbacks seem to be more evident with each cruise.

 

We did miss the midnight buffets when they stopped. The last midnight buffet I can remember was on Splendour February 2016. It was dramatically scaled down from previous buffets, but to be fair, as someone mentioned earlier, they can be a bit of a waste as not much food was being consumed.

 

We have been on several Caribbean cruises and one short cruise, which are indeed more casual, but I do not recall seeing anyone in shorts and flip flops in the MDR.

 

We are on Rhapsody in October. I certainly hope the 'shorts and flip flops' you mention in the MDR was during lunch and not dinner? And swimwear worn in the Schooner Bar? Really?

For us there are no issues at all with smart casual, I'm all for it, even when the evening is suggested formal, but shorts and flip flops for evening dinner in the MDR is pushing it a bit. If I wanted to be that casual I'd have booked easyCruise.

 

 

No the shorts and flip flops were in the main dining room during evening dinner and on formal night too !!! and yes 2 ladies sat at the bar of the schooner bar in their bikini's at 7pm at night,

[juju2454]

For the last 5 years ive enjoyed a certain standard of cruising from other cruise lines, I guess I expected the same standard from RCI and when I realised how much it had changed in the 5 years since I had last sailed with them , yes I was disappointed . For me having a meal in a nice restaurant where there is a dress code but its not enforced does effect my over all experience especially formal night , If people want to wear shorts and flip flops they should choose the buffet.

Many a folk are obviously still happy with RCI but for me I think they no longer fit my criteria for a holiday.

I too love to dress up I enjoy it and yes I see what you are saying, We did NCL in January. Ship was breakaway. she is lovely, but the freestyle was not to our liking or we just weren't used to it. Casual was swimsuits all day long, some getting upset that they couldn't come into the eating area( buffet) for ice cream in nothing but their suit and not shoes. Others wearing clothes that looked like they came in from mowing the lawn and cleaning the the garage. It was startling to say the least.

But I will still dress up, I like to and if others don't well cie la vie!! I am hoping that being a holiday cruise (xmas and N Year) maybe people will dress differently, they did last year from what I saw on you tube.

[Newby58]

I've been on 5 RCI cruises in the past 5 years and the only noticeable negative changes for me are the skyrocketing drink prices, and the "less formal" formal nights. Myself, I still like a proper formal night, but my opinion seems to be growing less and less popular.

 

Dan

 

Not by me

 

 

 

 

 

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[deliver42]

Not by me either.

[hollygtn]

February 2014 was our first cruise that there was no ice sculpture and no fruit carvings. Our prior cruise was February 2013 so the change was somewhere in that period. I was very disappointed and thought it was specific to that ship. That first view of the fruit carvings in the Windjammer was my WOW moment when boarding. I was told by one of the chefs that the elimination of the carvings was due to staff cutbacks and there aren't enough hands in the kitchen now - he also said that it is not a food issue because almost all of the fruit was able to be used or consumed in some way.

 

 

 

There were fruit carvings one day in the windjammer last week that wowed my 11 year old.

 

 

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[The Fun Researcher]

Not by me

 

 

 

 

 

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Agreed, for me there's just something special being on a beautiful cruise ship seeing everyone dressed up and looking nice. For some reason formal nights also give me a feeling of togetherness, that we're all sharing this wonderful experience together.

 

Dan

 

 

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[glittergal1]

Agreed, for me there's just something special being on a beautiful cruise ship seeing everyone dressed up and looking nice. For some reason formal nights also give me a feeling of togetherness, that we're all sharing this wonderful experience together.

 

Dan

 

 

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yes this is how ive felt on previous cruises , and why I was so disappointed to see so many shorts and flip flops during formal night dinner,:( it took the special shine away

[BillOh]

Wait... is this the same on all RCL ships? If you don't have a RCL excursion you have to get a timed ticket to get off the ship at port? My family will be on the Allure for the first time. Is this standard?

 

 

I have never seen this one any ship, but I know by reliable count it happens. It only happens on tender ports and Allure has none.

[icsys]

yes this is how ive felt on previous cruises , and why I was so disappointed to see so many shorts and flip flops during formal night dinner,:( it took the special shine away

Did you express this disappointment on the post cruise survey?

Will have to be a bit more attentive to my surroundings during the evenings and the MDR on our Rhapsody cruise.

Can't say that I have noticed, but shorts, flip flops and bikinis would certainly stand out

 

I'm surprised there is not more backlash... people wearing their robes around the pool get lots of grief on CC and I would consider that acceptable during the day.

Edited July 19, 2017 by icsys

[latserrof]

Agreed, for me there's just something special being on a beautiful cruise ship seeing everyone dressed up and looking nice. For some reason formal nights also give me a feeling of togetherness, that we're all sharing this wonderful experience together.

 

Dan

 

 

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I've never been a fan of dressing up, the only time I did it (reluctantly) was when we cruised. Over the years I grew to accept it as a part of cruising. A couple months ago I was on an NCL cruise, late seating, the MDR was never more than 1/4 full, with all diners concentrated in one corner. Typical attire was shorts, flip-flops, sports jerseys. The atmosphere was more like closing-time at Denny's than anything "special." I realized then that I missed the dressing-up, for the exactly reasons you stated. And also because I had enjoyed seeing how well my fellow passengers "cleaned up" after I had seen them throughout the day in their less-attractive play-wear.

[icsys]

I've never been a fan of dressing up, the only time I did it (reluctantly) was when we cruised. Over the years I grew to accept it as a part of cruising. A couple months ago I was on an NCL cruise, late seating, the MDR was never more than 1/4 full, with all diners concentrated in one corner. Typical attire was shorts, flip-flops, sports jerseys. The atmosphere was more like closing-time at Denny's than anything "special." I realized then that I missed the dressing-up, for the exactly reasons you stated. And also because I had enjoyed seeing how well my fellow passengers "cleaned up" after I had seen them throughout the day in their less-attractive play-wear.

We have never been on an NCL cruise.

Unfortunately, the more I read about them the less I want to.

 

Don't get me wrong, I've never been a fan of 'dressing up' either, but also grown to accept it. However a suit shirt and tie is my limit.

[George C]

I would love RCCL to enforce there suggested dress codes. also would love to hit the lottery doubt either will happen

[ggo85]

Having cruised for 30 years (eeks!), things definitely have changed. Cruising, IMHO, is much like airline travel. Years ago, it was a special event to get on a plane (and this is in the days AFTER white gloves and hats!). Now, it's a commodity. The prices and service reflect that. Those who want a more premium experience pay for it via first class/business class fares.

 

Cruising is now largely a commodity, especially on the "mainstream" lines such as RCL and NCL. 30 years ago, I paid $1200 for an inside cabin for one week. In today's dollars, that would be $2700. Today, you can get some week-long cruises for $500. At that price, do you really expect the MDR food to taste like Morton's or the entertainment to be Broadway caliber? They can't do it and turn a profit.

 

Those who want a more "luxurious" experience have two choices. Pay for a suite and/or specialty restaurants on RCL (doesn't solve the entertainment issue, of course). Or choose a "luxury line," such as Crystal, Regent, Silversea etc. where the service, food and entertainment is typically first rate -- and you pay for it right up front.

 

The above said, issues like tendering disasters (and we experienced a horrific one on RCL in Israel a few years back) shouldn't happen. The problem is that the ships are getting bigger and the tenders are still the same size. When you do the math (150 on a tender; 3500-6000 on a ship), it ain't pretty. And if the seas are rough, it gets even worse. So if you're on a huge ship and if you're not on a ship's tour, manage your expectations in terms of tendering and time in port.

 

Must say that, as someone who has cruised RCL a lot over the past 10 years, our experiences have varied. Some cruises have been first rate and some very disappointing. But we keep coming back b/c the positive has typically greatly outweighed the negative.

[glittergal1]

Did you express this disappointment on the post cruise survey?

Will have to be a bit more attentive to my surroundings during the evenings and the MDR on our Rhapsody cruise.

Can't say that I have noticed, but shorts, flip flops and bikinis would certainly stand out

 

I'm surprised there is not more backlash... people wearing their robes around the pool get lots of grief on CC and I would consider that acceptable during the day.

 

Yes I did express my disappointment on the cruise survey, not just for the lack of dress code enforcement but for many other reasons too . Im not normally a complainer and I love cruising, this cruise had been booked over a year in advance , I was so excited and we were celebrating my partners 50th birthday while on board I dont have over zealous expectations Ive cruised many times before and I can honestly say this was the worst cruise experience to date .

Where are you sailing on Rhapsody?

[MCManders99]

We just cruised on Allure this past April, last cruise before that was Freedom in December 2009. Have I noticed a major decline? Not in my eyes. To me, MDR was similar service, similar food. We didn't get towel animals in 2009 but this cruise ( we had kids for this one) we got them almost every night. For me it seemed because of my high functioning autistic son, we were catered too more and had a better time than 2009. If you like certain things and they do away with it, yeah it may be disappointing but take it as you will and enjoy cruising. Because of how Royal treated my son , we are going back and looking forward to it.

 

 

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[icsys]

Yes I did express my disappointment on the cruise survey, not just for the lack of dress code enforcement but for many other reasons too . Im not normally a complainer and I love cruising, this cruise had been booked over a year in advance , I was so excited and we were celebrating my partners 50th birthday while on board I dont have over zealous expectations Ive cruised many times before and I can honestly say this was the worst cruise experience to date .

Where are you sailing on Rhapsody?

Greek Isles.

I would say don't write Royal off because of this one cruise.

You may have already made your mind up but perhaps give them another chance on a different class.

[Cuizer2]

Anyway what incensed me the most that was when our ticket number was called to go to the tender NO ONE EVEN ASKED TO SEE THE BLOODY TICKET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so waste of time going to get one.

 

sorry for ranting

the saving grace for this cruise experience were our wonderful main dining room staff , a credit to RCI

 

So Im wondering have the standards dropped so low on all RCI or were we just unlucky? its totally put me off booking RCI in the future

 

Sorry, I had to laugh about not having to show the ticket. This is not limited to Royal Caribbean. Seems to happen on all the cruise lines and it gets to me too.

 

 

As to your question about standards dropping. I've been cruising with Royal Caribbean since 2004. I've been on thirteen cruises with Royal Caribbean (and eighteen cruises with other lines) and it appears that since most of the cruising public is price driven, rather than offer the same quality at a greater price, the cruise lines have cut back so that they can offer the same cruise for the same price they charged ten years ago.

 

 

So yes, standards on all but the luxury lines have dropped to keep prices low.

[cruzinlisa]

February 2014 was our first cruise that there was no ice sculpture and no fruit carvings. Our prior cruise was February 2013 so the change was somewhere in that period. I was very disappointed and thought it was specific to that ship. That first view of the fruit carvings in the Windjammer was my WOW moment when boarding. I was told by one of the chefs that the elimination of the carvings was due to staff cutbacks and there aren't enough hands in the kitchen now - he also said that it is not a food issue because almost all of the fruit was able to be used or consumed in some way.

 

I wish they would bring back fruit carvings or ice sculptures to some degree. Maybe not as much the grand gala buffets on 10 years ago, but on a smaller scale. It is the WOW factor. A lot of what has been lost is the WOW. Cruising is a good value, service is great, food is very (or at least pretty) good. But its less over the top than before. The little extras like fruit/ice carvings, chocolates on the pillow, towel animals, etc don't make or break my cruise. I doubt that many people would say that they do, but they are what puts cruising a few steps up from other vacations. IMO, cruising is still more luxurious than most of the vacations I would take (except maybe at the nicest resorts), but just a couple of little things would give it the extra touch. Its not enough of a big deal that I will stop cruising, but its a little less of a non-brainer to me.

 

That said, there are still lines (or classes within lines) that get you the extra amenities. Of course, you pay a lot more for those.