Crew Issues.....and disappointment in RCCL

[deliver42]

Probably less than 1% of cruisers are on CC, but at least 80% of these like to complain about anything. There are shortages in every industry, and if that's your complaint, I suggest waiting a couple of years until it gets straightened out.

[rudeney]

Saying that "it's just the way things are because...COVID, or because...supply chain, or because...the economy," is a cop-out excuse.  If a cruise line can't provide adequate services for 4,000 passengers on a ship because they have insufficient crew and supplies, then they should not sell the services to that many passengers.  If they can't make a profit sailing at reduced capacity, then they need to change how the business operates, or get into another business that can be profitable.  

 

I've said this before...If you get such bad service on the cruise that you feel you did not get what you paid for, then you need to make sure the cruise line compensates you monetarily.  Critical surveys and bad reviews posted online are not going to make a company change things.  What will make them change is a loss in revenue.  You can stop doing business with them, but that may not get any attention if there is another customer right behind you ready to pay.  Until the company realizes there is a problem that is going to affect their bottom line, they aren't going to change anything. 

 

Imagine if 100 passengers on a cruise who truly believed they did not get what they paid for complained and were refunded $1000 each (say the price of the DBP or half cruise fare, etc.).  A sudden $100,000 drop in revenue on a fully-booked cruise might get someone's attention.  Until then, as long as people keep paying, the company will continue to push the envelope with higher prices and lower service. 

[baelor]

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And where will you take your loose loyalty? What cruise line isn't short staffed but desperate for revenue?

Why are the options limited to cruise lines?

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, baelor said:

Why are the options limited to cruise lines?

They're not.

[Project-College]

4 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And where will you take your loose loyalty? What cruise line isn't short staffed but desperate for revenue?

Probably away from cruising if it doesn't offer value.

[baelor]

52 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

They're not.

Which means your original question was a weird one, since the obvious answer is "away from cruising" if all of the cruise lines are offering unacceptable value.

[vjmatty]

54 minutes ago, baelor said:

Why are the options limited to cruise lines?

 

Trust me, for many of us they are not.  Our upcoming vacation of one week in Greece and three weeks cruising could easily become a month in Greece if those sailings either get canceled by the cruise lines or changes in policy between now and then make sailing undesirable.  And I understand you're a fan of AI's but we wouldn't even do that.  Island hopping by ferry, local restaurants and bottles of wine in our vacation rentals.  In Greece you can pay as little as 25% of the cost of a cruise or all inclusive resort if you stick to islands other than Thira and Mykonos. Maybe you don't get all of the activities on a cruise ship but you have beaches and history.

[baelor]

7 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

Trust me, for many of us they are not.  Our upcoming vacation of one week in Greece and three weeks cruising could easily become a month in Greece if those sailings either get canceled by the cruise lines or changes in policy between now and then make sailing undesirable.  And I understand you're a fan of AI's but we wouldn't even do that.  Island hopping by ferry, local restaurants and bottles of wine in our vacation rentals.  In Greece you can pay as little as 25% of the cost of a cruise or all inclusive resort if you stick to islands other than Thira and Mykonos. Maybe you don't get all of the activities on a cruise ship but you have beaches and history.

Oh, I would never do an AI in Europe.  I used to live in Europe and have pretty extensive experience on mainland Greece, so message me if you want recs.  It sounds like you are focusing on islands, though.

[vjmatty]

18 minutes ago, baelor said:

Oh, I would never do an AI in Europe.  I used to live in Europe and have pretty extensive experience on mainland Greece, so message me if you want recs.  It sounds like you are focusing on islands, though.

 

Islands this trip, mainland probably next time.  My mother is from the mainland and my father was an islander, so I try to do equal time... but my heart is in the islands.

 

I have actually  done an AI in Europe once, in a Club Med outside of Nice France, but that was for a conference so it wasn't my choice. Although I enjoyed it, mostly because the conference took the whole resort, I wouldn't choose it for our own vacation.

[baelor]

22 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

 

Islands this trip, mainland probably next time.  My mother is from the mainland and my father was an islander, so I try to do equal time... but my heart is in the islands.

 

I have actually  done an AI in Europe once, in a Club Med outside of Nice France, but that was for a conference so it wasn't my choice. Although I enjoyed it, mostly because the conference took the whole resort, I wouldn't choose it for our own vacation.

Sounds good.  Yeah, I prefer Club Med's winter resorts, although their Caribbean summer resorts are nice (and also in the part of the world most geared toward all-inclusive experiences...). 

[johnjen]

On 5/29/2022 at 1:34 PM, WheresWalter said:

 

I recently read an article on either Cruise Hive or Cruise Industry News that said the visa problem has been compounded by up to 35% of former crew who have opted to keep their land based jobs instead of returning. That gives a double whammy to the cruise lines trying staff up. Of course to mitigate the staffing issues the cruises lines should cut back on bookings to maintain a quality guest experience. Cunard has done that and it would be good to see the other lines cut pax capacity back to 70% or something like that for the ships that are severely understaffed. 

 

[John&LaLa]

On 5/30/2022 at 6:27 AM, Mapleleafforever said:

With only 5 weeks I need to hang on to all of them, thanks. Besides, this is the cruise lines' problem to fix. 

 

Only 5 😱

[johnjen]

I'm in agreeance with a poster in here. The cruise lines should cut back capacity to cruising to 70% passengers during the post pandemic hiring issue, where I-765's/EAD's (work visas) and USCIS is lagging behind in the processing of the new hires of staff.

 

A good strategy - albeit spending more money for us - tip the cabin attendant some cash UP FRONT the first day we meet them ($50-100) and tip the MDR table waiters $50 each. So you think maybe....you're out $200 - but look at it this way. The main attendants for your cruise will be looking out for you.

 

I'm from Scotland - but I know, at least, how to enjoy myself.

Edited May 31, 2022 by johnjen

[John&LaLa]

9 hours ago, firefly333 said:

actually saying it was full fare might be a stretch. It was cheap. And many were on free thru casino. There were lots offered the grandeur legs free back when they werent filling ships. I heard so many who were on free. Carnival cruisers who booked because it was cheap so they tried out rcl first time. We had so many carnival cruisers, first time trying rcl. 

 

I kept hearing people with 800 casino pts got on but it easnt fair now you need 2400. I have no idea but sounds like rcl isnt giving out as many free cruises but was giving them out like candy on my cruise. So unless people spent a lot onboard, rcl didnt make out that well .. more like a trial of what's to come. Rcl had really cheap prices, gave away lots of cabins ..then suddenly everyone decided to cruise again and packed the ship. Cruising is back with a vengeance. 

 

I've cruised about 10 times since reopening. Several still booked. All, I mean all, were/are ridiculously cheap. Two were free casino cruises. 

 

My slots app had tons of free cruises available for Galveston and LA sailings. 

[Morecruisesplz]

On 5/29/2022 at 10:27 AM, bucfan2 said:

 If anxious about issues in these times, might not be...

Don't yall hate when someone says this to an op? Its like saying you can take it so stay home and let us experts cruise. These folks are posting their experiences. They don't need your advice on if they should cruise or not.

[Merion_Mom]

13 hours ago, baelor said:

Oh, I would never do an AI in Europe.  I used to live in Europe and have pretty extensive experience on mainland Greece, so message me if you want recs.  It sounds like you are focusing on islands, though.

@baelor - you can stop telling people to message you.  There is no private messaging on Cruise Critic.  You would have to post your email address.  🙂 

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, Merion_Mom said:

@baelor - you can stop telling people to message you.  There is no private messaging on Cruise Critic.  You would have to post your email address.  🙂 

Which is a shame…. there would be a lot less thread drift if people could message each other their off topic discussions. 

[bucfan2]

6 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Don't yall hate when someone says this to an op? Its like saying you can take it so stay home and let us experts cruise. These folks are posting their experiences. They don't need your advice on if they should cruise or not.

What makes you think your advice is better than someone else’s?

Edited June 1, 2022 by bucfan2

[Mum2Mercury]

8 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Don't yall hate when someone says this to an op? Its like saying you can take it so stay home and let us experts cruise. These folks are posting their experiences. They don't need your advice on if they should cruise or not.

No, I don't hate it.  Sometimes people need to see the bigger picture.  An example in which I come out looking a bit stupid: 

 

I did a favor for my high school's basketball team (shot some pictures for free), and as a thank you the coach gave me a tee-shirt.  It's one of those high-tech fabrics, and it always smelled kinda musty.  I was complaining to my mom, asking her if she knew how to wash it better. 

 

She said, "It's a free tee shirt.  If it's bothering you, give it to Goodwill." 

 

Brought me up short.  I was worrying over this shirt, trying to make it work, and for what?  A free tee-shirt -- it's not like I don't own a drawer full of the things.  Sometimes another person can see "the big picture" more clearly than the individual who's in the middle of it. 

[Morecruisesplz]

4 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

No, I don't hate it.  Sometimes people need to see the bigger picture.  An example in which I come out looking a bit stupid: 

 

I did a favor for my high school's basketball team (shot some pictures for free), and as a thank you the coach gave me a tee-shirt.  It's one of those high-tech fabrics, and it always smelled kinda musty.  I was complaining to my mom, asking her if she knew how to wash it better. 

 

She said, "It's a free tee shirt.  If it's bothering you, give it to Goodwill." 

 

Brought me up short.  I was worrying over this shirt, trying to make it work, and for what?  A free tee-shirt -- it's not like I don't own a drawer full of the things.  Sometimes another person can see "the big picture" more clearly than the individual who's in the middle of it. 

They were reporting what happened. Not your anyone's job to show them the "big picture!" BTW, what did you do with the tshirt? Dying to know. (JK of course.)

[Morecruisesplz]

5 hours ago, bucfan2 said:

What makes you think your advice is better than someone else’s?

My point exactly!