Prepare to be....DISAPPOINTED!!

[Yoitsbbg]

Wow,

I guess other acceptable songs would be "F*%& the Police and Lyrics with "Lets Kill the Cops" by famous Rap Groups back at the Flowrider as well??

 

Unreal,

Mike

 

Yup. Not exactly sure the age of the "audience" here, but I guess I put myself as a Gen Xer, white collar professional.

 

YO

Edited March 6, 2018 by Yoitsbbg

[Yoitsbbg]

This is the post of the thread... If you want to compare the experience of yesteryear to today, compare apples to apples. If you were to spend the equivalent in today's dollars ($3800+ in today's dollars for an inside as it was stated), you could certainly demand those standards be met and exceeded. Today, that would entail you booking a very expensive suite including all possible upgrades (specialty dining, drink packages, internet so you could have entertained us with your "complaints" in real time, and a "Genie" to kiss your &@$%). *edited to meet the new FlowRider standards*

 

Otherwise, you paid much less than half of what it used to cost to cruise, and likely got every bit of 95% of that 1970's experience... And additionally you were on a nearly $1 Billion dollar ship full of free entertainment and amenities they couldn't have dreamed of back then.

 

There are cruise lines for you to sail that could potentially meet those expectations you like to speak of... but I don't think NCL, Royal, or Carnival (what a joke even mentioning that one as a step up) are the ones you should be checking out. Perhaps you want caviar on a tuna fish budget?

 

Next time (if there is one), address any issues you have while onboard. If your complaint isn't remedied to your liking (my guess is that wouldn't be possible), address it with corporate. You can even do as you said you did and write a nasty review if you so desire... But when you create a post like this one for the simple and singular purpose to stir up DRAMA and seek attention, prepare for the responses you have gotten and will likely continue to get.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of us will continue to thoroughly enjoy ourselves while onboard, for the exceptional and reasonable price that cruising today really and truly is. Ciao.

 

- Sent from my Samsung Note 8

 

Drama? lol Perhaps you'd like to re-read your post. I'm quite surprised at the Drama and responses of my original post. I guess the masses have a lower standard, which is fine. I'm not arguing with anyone. You have your opinion, I have mine.

 

I did what I did for an FYI/Buyer beware. If you don't care....have at it, go. I'm not stopping you.

 

SMDH.

 

YO

[Keith1010]

Sorry the cruise did not work for you.

Keith

[Rigby the Dog]

And back then, some people got bend all out of shape when Jim Morrison & The Doors mentioned the word Higher in their song.

A woman was expecting and not pregnant and The Rolling Stones had to sing "Let's Spend Some Time Together" on the Ed Sullivan Show.

 

I must admit, if they were playing God Bless America at the Flow Rider then I would probably be upset too.

 

Of course then I would just avoid the Flow Rider when such an offensive song was played.

[Nashna]

Yo...You did not have a stellar cruise. That is what’s important to you. Anyone else’s opinions don’t matter. We are sailing on Allure with our family next year. Hopefully, all will go well. If it does not, I will politely demand that RCCL fix it. In the last three years I have sailed on Princess, Celebrity and Seabourn. Of those three, Princess was the only cruise line that exceeded my expectations. I strongly suggest you try one of the upgraded mini suites with its own specialty dining area on one of the new Princess shops. The service and food were fantastic. Our Allure sailing will be my 41st in 35 years.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Cruzinforpeace***]

Drama? lol Perhaps you'd like to re-read your post. I'm quite surprised at the Drama and responses of my original post. I guess the masses have a lower standard, which is fine. I'm not arguing with anyone. You have your opinion, I have mine.

 

I did what I did for an FYI/Buyer beware. If you don't care....have at it, go. I'm not stopping you.

 

SMDH.

 

YO

 

I’m completely with you!!! Got off the Anthem of the Seas last week and had a similar experience. Also got Norovirus as a “bonus”. The quality of everything has definitely gone down on RCL!!!! Cruise Critic has yet to post my review (submitted on March 1st). I only see the positive reviews lately and I know others felt like I did because I met them throughout my cruise. I will be reading my review on You Tube sometime soon. I have about 10 videos on You Tube right now talking about and showing my experiences. Go to “Anthem of the Seas, a REAL Review” (Cat A is my screen name). I will have the new one up soon. So sad. I love cruising but HATED this cruise. I’ve been on 100’s of cruises and it is not anything like it used to be.

 

If you don’t mind that things have declined then “go for it”. I can tell you it was not fun being confined to my cabin for 24 hours and then when I could eat the only food that was edible was a burger at Johnny Rockets that I had to pay for! There was so much more that was terrible about my Anthem cruise. Check out the videos if you want to see all the gory details. If not, I guess “ignorance is bliss.

[bubba83]

but the lettuce doesn't even look rotten, it looks more like it was wilted from getting warm. Everything with the food could have been resolved with one simple request. Yes we shouldn't have to request them but its no different if we were eating at a local place in our home town and we noticed something. And what was wrong with the banana split, it looks delicious!

 

As for the light, not much you can do, I am sure they were waiting to get it fixed in dry dock. Every thing it went out right before your cruise started and maybe they needed to wait to get a certain part to repair it?

 

As for the song with the profanity. I have young children, they know what bad words are. We don't curse in front of them (rare occasion a minor curse word may slip but never the F word). I would have said something to either the flow rider employee or someone else and if it wasn't changed I would have taken my kids out of the area until the song was over.

 

 

Overall I wouldn't have let these things make my overall rating of a cruise to be disappointing.

[elaineb]

 

But a ship going into drydock is not any sort of excuse for bad service or unhealthy food.

 

I totally agree. How many people who book a cruise are savvy enough to know or check the drydock schedule??? Also, the people on a ship going into dry dock paid just as much as a passenger after the dry dock. They should NOT get sub standard service. And the vomit near the Flowrider is totally unacceptable! As for the music with foul language - I think they need to police this a little better.

The OP did have many legitimate complaints. Those who say, it is a cruise, how bad can it be? I say should we be lowering our standards to match what we receive or keep up the pressure so the services remain at a constant higher level?

And just for the record, I am not a complainer. But I also think we need to push back when necessary. If we keep accepting substandard service and food, than that is where the cruise lines will put the base line.

Edited March 6, 2018 by elaineb

[A&L_Ont]

But it's such a great song!

 

Indeed, a classic and a great one to cut the wave too. I suspect it was a private rental to which the renter played their own music. I had to check the lyrics, as I forgot where the swearing was in the song.:D NIN Closer would have been another :eek: song.

 

Two neon lights out. I can't believe everyone on board didn't get a voucher for a free cruise....

 

LOL, indeed. How could anyone suffer from this horror for a week. I'd sign up right now. At least the banana split, god forbid on the plate, had a banana and wasn't topped with the wilted lettuce and dried out veggies. Now that would be an travesty.;)

[A&L_Ont]

but the lettuce doesn't even look rotten, it looks more like it was wilted from getting warm. Everything with the food could have been resolved with one simple request. Yes we shouldn't have to request them but its no different if we were eating at a local place in our home town and we noticed something. And what was wrong with the banana split, it looks delicious!

 

As for the light, not much you can do, I am sure they were waiting to get it fixed in dry dock. Every thing it went out right before your cruise started and maybe they needed to wait to get a certain part to repair it?

 

As for the song with the profanity. I have young children, they know what bad words are. We don't curse in front of them (rare occasion a minor curse word may slip but never the F word). I would have said something to either the flow rider employee or someone else and if it wasn't changed I would have taken my kids out of the area until the song was over.

 

 

Overall I wouldn't have let these things make my overall rating of a cruise to be disappointing.

 

100% agree with all of this. It really is what one makes of it, is the glass half empty or half full?

[SRF]

This. With the amount of money they're charging, it should be nothing short of top notch.

 

How do you get this????

 

Time and time again, it has been shown that the cost of cruising now is a FRACTION of what it used to be. So you are paying a LOT less than before, but want all the same things. It won't happen.

 

If you want that level of service, don't cruise the mass market lines, go to the luxury lines. And you will pay similar prices (with inflation) to the old days.

[SRF]

BTW, if the vomit was cordoned off, waiting for cleaning staff, that is the right thing to do.

 

Vomit is a body fluid and needs to be cleaned up by trained staff, using proper procedures and protective equipment. It is not for the closest person to just grab a towel and wipe up.

[Yoitsbbg]

Yo...You did not have a stellar cruise. That is what’s important to you. Anyone else’s opinions don’t matter. We are sailing on Allure with our family next year. Hopefully, all will go well. If it does not, I will politely demand that RCCL fix it. In the last three years I have sailed on Princess, Celebrity and Seabourn. Of those three, Princess was the only cruise line that exceeded my expectations. I strongly suggest you try one of the upgraded mini suites with its own specialty dining area on one of the new Princess shops. The service and food were fantastic. Our Allure sailing will be my 41st in 35 years.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks for the tip. Incidentally, Princess is one of the only cruise lines we haven't tried yet. But I will definitely keep it in mind. Thank you.

 

-YO

[scorpluvsdolphins]

The light was out on the NYE cruise.

I noticed it.

If my memory is correct, it was out on the Thanksgiving cruise also.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[DeltaOne]

Vomit is a body fluid and needs to be cleaned up by trained staff, using proper procedures and protective equipment. It is not for the closest person to just grab a towel and wipe up.

 

Once in the buffet we saw special staff cleaning up a table where a child had vomited. It was roped off and the staff were wearing special clothes, gloves and masks.

[A&L_Ont]

BTW, if the vomit was cordoned off, waiting for cleaning staff, that is the right thing to do.

 

Vomit is a body fluid and needs to be cleaned up by trained staff, using proper procedures and protective equipment. It is not for the closest person to just grab a towel and wipe up.

 

Once in the buffet we saw special staff cleaning up a table where a child had vomited. It was roped off and the staff were wearing special clothes, gloves and masks.

 

This would be the same process for an ESA animal ;) that has an accident.

[Yoitsbbg]

I’m completely with you!!! Got off the Anthem of the Seas last week and had a similar experience. Also got Norovirus as a “bonus”. The quality of everything has definitely gone down on RCL!!!! Cruise Critic has yet to post my review (submitted on March 1st). I only see the positive reviews lately and I know others felt like I did because I met them throughout my cruise. I will be reading my review on You Tube sometime soon. I have about 10 videos on You Tube right now talking about and showing my experiences. Go to “Anthem of the Seas, a REAL Review” (Cat A is my screen name). I will have the new one up soon. So sad. I love cruising but HATED this cruise. I’ve been on 100’s of cruises and it is not anything like it used to be.

 

If you don’t mind that things have declined then “go for it”. I can tell you it was not fun being confined to my cabin for 24 hours and then when I could eat the only food that was edible was a burger at Johnny Rockets that I had to pay for! There was so much more that was terrible about my Anthem cruise. Check out the videos if you want to see all the gory details. If not, I guess “ignorance is bliss.

 

I totally feel you, CruizinforPeace!! Watched a number of your videos. Yes....a lot of that stuff held true for us too. Anthem is a larger ship, so your crowds were bigger than ours, but quality, etc....SAME! I didn't harp on the cafeteria food too much. (At least it was hot in the WindJammer.) And not a Chocolate Croissant to be found! The "Disney-ish" attention to detail is for sure, gone.

As for kids club...right? 5 xboxes to 1400 kids. What are you thinking? They make these mega ships and don't think that people are confined for 7 days. Our floweRider lines weren't too bad, tho. Bigger is not necessarily better.

 

As for the crap they sell...watches can be a good deal (MAYBE) but watch your gems and quality. I asked about price on a pair of 1 carot diamond studs and they were trying to charge me what I paid for my wife's 1 1/2 carot diamonds. Not even the same quality/color. So you really need to know your jewelry sense before you buy on a ship (or in the islands for that matter!). We have cruised enough that we generally don't pay any mind to the shops. Kind of useless. They are a business and there to make $, so keep that in mind....it's just the cheesy manor they continue to do it in that rubs ya! lol

 

The nickel and dining is horrible, but they all seem to do it in to their own way (Celebrity included - we really noticed it when we cruised Solstice in 2016).

 

Alas, I'm content in my cabin with a cocktail sitting on the balcony with a cocktail watching the sea go by, however when you have kids....that can be a little difficult. Sorry your cruise stunk, but hopefully you made the best of it. Only reason we did ours was because friends of ours went...and we made our own fun. Sadly, they sucked me into another RCCL cruise (Symphony) for 2019 as they are avid RCCL fans (Diamond Level) (not as much after this past cruise)...but they were willing to give it another shot. Again, we only re-booked because of them. Now that i see the bigger ships are no better, I'm second guessing. I still have a few days where I don't lose my deposit, perhaps I can swap it for the EDGE. lol

 

Again...that's what these boards are for....to educate those and show what REALLY goes on. People need to make their own decisions. My bad was I didn't do my HW before this last cruise. I simply went bc friends who we've cruised with went. It was a bit impulsive.

 

-YO

 

BTW...What ever happened to the midnight buffet the display of culinary art/etc. that was THE BEST. Now it's dinner buffet like Golden Corral.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Yoitsbbg

[Yoitsbbg]

I totally agree. How many people who book a cruise are savvy enough to know or check the drydock schedule??? Also, the people on a ship going into dry dock paid just as much as a passenger after the dry dock. They should NOT get sub standard service. And the vomit near the Flowrider is totally unacceptable! As for the music with foul language - I think they need to police this a little better.

The OP did have many legitimate complaints. Those who say, it is a cruise, how bad can it be? I say should we be lowering our standards to match what we receive or keep up the pressure so the services remain at a constant higher level?

And just for the record, I am not a complainer. But I also think we need to push back when necessary. If we keep accepting substandard service and food, than that is where the cruise lines will put the base line.

Well said. Everyone is trying to get more for less! (Hey, that's business)....but you also need to spend money to make money!

 

YO

[Yoitsbbg]

Indeed, a classic and a great one to cut the wave too. I suspect it was a private rental to which the renter played their own music. I had to check the lyrics, as I forgot where the swearing was in the song.:D NIN Closer would have been another :eek: song.

 

 

 

LOL, indeed. How could anyone suffer from this horror for a week. I'd sign up right now. At least the banana split, god forbid on the plate, had a banana and wasn't topped with the wilted lettuce and dried out veggies. Now that would be an travesty.;)

Sigh...

 

And this mentality is why RCCL give you what it does. You probably don't know any better.

 

Get a clue!

 

-YO

[A&L_Ont]

Sigh...

 

And this mentality is why RCCL give you what it does. You probably don't know any better.

 

Get a clue!

 

-YO

 

Honey not vinegar. I know how things work.

[Cruzinforpeace***]

I totally feel you, CruizinforPeace!! Watched a number of your videos. Yes....a lot of that stuff held true for us too. Anthem is a larger ship, so your crowds were bigger than ours, but quality, etc....SAME! I didn't harp on the cafeteria food too much. (At least it was hot in the WindJammer.) And not a Chocolate Croissant to be found! The "Disney-ish" attention to detail is for sure, gone.

As for kids club...right? 5 xboxes to 1400 kids. What are you thinking? They make these mega ships and don't think that people are confined for 7 days. Our floweRider lines weren't too bad, tho. Bigger is not necessarily better.

 

As for the crap they sell...watches can be a good deal (MAYBE) but watch your gems and quality. I asked about price on a pair of 1 carot diamond studs and they were trying to charge me what I paid for my wife's 1 1/2 carot diamonds. Not even the same quality/color. So you really need to know your jewelry sense before you buy on a ship (or in the islands for that matter!). We have cruised enough that we generally don't pay any mind to the shops. Kind of useless. They are a business and there to make $, so keep that in mind....it's just the cheesy manor they continue to do it in that rubs ya! lol

 

The nickel and dining is horrible, but they all seem to do it in to their own way (Celebrity included - we really noticed it when we cruised Solstice in 2016).

 

Alas, I'm content in my cabin with a cocktail sitting on the balcony with a cocktail watching the sea go by, however when you have kids....that can be a little difficult. Sorry your cruise stunk, but hopefully you made the best of it. Only reason we did ours was because friends of ours went...and we made our own fun. Sadly, they sucked me into another RCCL cruise (Symphony) for 2019 as they are avid RCCL fans (Diamond Level) (not as much after this past cruise)...but they were willing to give it another shot. Again, we only re-booked because of them. Now that i see the bigger ships are no better, I'm second guessing. I still have a few days where I don't lose my deposit, perhaps I can swap it for the EDGE. lol

 

Again...that's what these boards are for....to educate those and show what REALLY goes on. People need to make their own decisions. My bad was I didn't do my HW before this last cruise. I simply went bc friends who we've cruised with went. It was a bit impulsive.

 

-YO

 

BTW...What ever happened to the midnight buffet the display of culinary art/etc. that was THE BEST. Now it's dinner buffet like Golden Corral.

 

Yes, I remember the midnight buffets!!!! They were wonderful. Cruising used to be so awesome.

[Milwaukee Eight]

The light was out on the NYE cruise.

I noticed it.

If my memory is correct, it was out on the Thanksgiving cruise also.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Neon lights are custom made and fitted.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[A&L_Ont]

BTW...What ever happened to the midnight buffet the display of culinary art/etc. that was THE BEST.

 

They disappeared sometime after 2006. They were magnificent to look at, however I never ate from one. I watched a man rip apart a chicken character with his hands and put it on his plate. After that there was no chance I was eating.

[latserrof]

Unfortunately, the OP sounds like the type of passenger today's cruise lines may be able to live without, as long as the lines can continue to fill the ships with folks who either have lesser expectations or are willing to pay a premium for better quality.

[njm5378]

Best part as consumers is that we can take our business elsewhere. I'm thinking Oceania may be a better fit to meet your expectations.