Harmony April/29 - where is the royal that I know?

[mcatmcat]

I just got back with my GF from Harmony.
We sailed on March 29th easter itinerary. I am not good at making reviews so I will be fast. In addition, I rarely do reviews for CC, but I had to do this because I thought service and food were going down. We are Diamond and close to Diamond Plus, the millennial generation, and we were alone without friends or families. 

Yes, the food at Windjammer is terrible. Everything tasted the same, the dishes were cold, and the presentation could have been better. I loved the ice cream, and the dessert was better than before, but everything looked smaller, and they could have done a better job presenting all the food. No more welcome aboard cake or cupcakes, no seafood day or shrimp.

 

A person even asked the captain in the meet and greet what they broadcast on TV about the shrimps and the cost of additional lobster tails, and he blamed the covid for everything and said that it would take time to be back as they were before. I gave my constructive feedback to the Windjammer manager, whose answer was basically that he was following orders. In other words, that the way the royal want to run his businesses now. 

 

I wouldn't say I liked the new menu at the MDR; there is something in the taste that I didn't like; however, the NY steak tastes better. The main dish was cold last night, and sometimes the steak needed to be medium well. The waiter and assistant were professionals, and I could be out of the MDR in less than an hour. I sent four emails requesting a table of two. I had late dining, and guess what? I was transferred to my time. 

 

The shows were excellent, and the compass was full of activities. We had two days at sea, and it was packed with activities. The captain was super funny, and I think he is going on vacation today. The cruise director has a lot of experience, but sometimes, in my opinion, that can be annoying since he sounds like a broken record and won't go out of his scripts. The stateroom attendant was terrific, despite his challenges of doing the room only once daily. The diamond club was an in-and-out for me; we could get what we wanted to eat and be out of there in less than 2 mins. Boarding was fast, but we were sent to a different lane because we had a carry-on, which had only one scanner; imagine how slow that lane was while we were looking at the rest of the passengers passing by us in less than a min. 

 

I just remembered that employees rarely look at the passengers and forget about the Good Morning or Hi; they seem tired and not looking to interact with passengers. Stateroom attendants will say Hi even if they know you but don't expect the rest to do the same—silent disco, crazy quest, belly flops, zip line, and sexy man can't miss it.  
 

[firefly333]

Until they turn a profit, I agree that cut backs are happening.

 

That being said my Bella oasis cruise I found faults with my no personality cabin steward, bumped from my dining tablet.. again. 

 

Radiance a smaller ship, I enjoyed all my meals except italian night. 

.

It can vary by ship. I dont expect things to change, cruise prices are going up up up. When there is a profit maybe things will be added BACK?

[ReneeFLL]

5 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Until they turn a profit, I agree that cut backs are happening.

 

That being said my Bella oasis cruise I found faults with my no personality cabin steward, bumped from my dining tablet.. again. 

 

Radiance a smaller ship, I enjoyed all my meals except italian night. 

.

It can vary by ship. I dont expect things to change, cruise prices are going up up up. When there is a profit maybe things will be added BACK?

I think even when they do start turning a profit I doubt that they will improve things.

[PhillyFan33579]

4 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I think even when they do start turning a profit I doubt that they will improve things.

Why are you on an RCI board if you aren’t happy with their product? Or am I misreading your comment. 

[ReneeFLL]

14 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Why are you on an RCI board if you aren’t happy with their product? Or am I misreading your comment. 

Yes you are definitely missing something. Have all your cruises been 100% perfect on Royal? Something tells me you have made a comment or 2 about something you didn’t like. Could be wrong, but doubt it. BTW where did I say I didn’t like their product? If you look at their past history even when they were making money they were still eroding the product. Why do you think it will be any different when they start to turn a profit?

[MommaBear55]

14 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Why are you on an RCI board if you aren’t happy with their product? Or am I misreading your comment. 

There are plenty of things Royal could do to improve, there's no reason not to discuss it with others who sail Royal. I had a horrible cruise in the beginning of April, but it was because of the passengers, not the crew. I have eaten only once each in the MDR and Windjammer since Covid because the food is so bad. Doesn't mean I don't have 6 more cruises booked, I still love the music and shows, cabins are comfortable, D+ drinks are great and I buy a specialty restaurant package. 

[PhillyFan33579]

6 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

There are plenty of things Royal could do to improve, there's no reason not to discuss it with others who sail Royal. I had a horrible cruise in the beginning of April, but it was because of the passengers, not the crew. I have eaten only once each in the MDR and Windjammer since Covid because the food is so bad. Doesn't mean I don't have 6 more cruises booked, I still love the music and shows, cabins are comfortable, D+ drinks are great and I buy a specialty restaurant package. 

I guess I don’t understand why people would spend money on a product that they complain about frequently. For example, if I thought RCI had plenty of things they could improve and that their food was so bad (I don’t fell this way) I guarantee I would not cruise on RCI any more. There are too many other cruise lines out there to stay with a cruise line that you have complaints about. 

[MommaBear55]

3 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

I guess I don’t understand why people would spend money on a product that they complain about frequently. For example, if I thought RCI had plenty of things they could improve and that their food was so bad (I don’t fell this way) I guarantee I would not cruise on RCI any more. There are too many other cruise lines out there to stay with a cruise line that you have complaints about. 

I can guarantee that every cruise line has something that doesn't work for someone. Just because I don't care for the food in two venues doesn't mean I don't like other things about Royal. I have nothing in my life which is perfect, doesn't mean I discard it based on a few flaws. 

[torpeedo]

20 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I think even when they do start turning a profit I doubt that they will improve things.

Agreed,  I have stock in RCI and they had their earnings report.  What struck me was the RCI president Jason Liberty pretty much bragging about how much they have meaningfully increased prices.  Of course he failed to mention the reduction in services. As long as everyone pays the increases and are happy with the product, it will just continue.

Edited May 7, 2023 by torpeedo

[jagsfan]

15 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Yes you are definitely missing something. Have all your cruises been 100% perfect on Royal? Something tells me you have made a comment or 2 about something you didn’t like. Could be wrong, but doubt it. BTW where did I say I didn’t like their product? If you look at their past history even when they were making money they were still eroding the product. Why do you think it will be any different when they start to turn a profit?

I’m with you, Renee. 
min the MDR, instead of having to choose which dish I want the most, I’m settling for one I am willing to eat. 
We’ve  lost the available every day list, so no more shrimp cocktail every night. 
it’s going to be like a temporary tax that never goes away. 
If we’re filling cruise ships, why would they go back to spending more money on us. 

[BennyandBo]

10 minutes ago, torpeedo said:

Agreed,  I have stock in RCI and they had their earnings report.  What struck me was the RCI president Jason Liberty pretty much bragging about how much they have meaningfully increased prices.  Of course he failed to mention the reduction in services. As long as everyone pays the increases and are happy with the product, it will just continue.

There not happy with the product. More than 50% are first time cruisers. Looking at year old you tube videos with photos of food etc that have been cut. Royal Caribbean is not meeting the expectations of many of these guests. 

[firefly333]

As pax we are adapting to the new normal. We adapt rather than stop cruising. I got to where for dinner on carnival I rather do a pay restaurant.  It's getting that way on rcl where some nights it's worth paying for a restaurant rather than the Mdr. 

 

I dont understand why some say if it's not perfect then you should stop. Bossy to me telling others they should stop cruising .. do what YOU want, and dont let the bossy people tell you what to do with your cruising dollars.

 

I agree we all do what makes sense to us. For instance from texas there have been fewer choices. Its cheaper to pay for dinners than to fly. The new drink vouchers tip the scales in favor of rcl. 

 

No cruiseline is perfect. Rcl better shows. I did enjoy celebrity but have to fly. Liked ncl as well. I havent rules ncl new ship out. 

[BennyandBo]

15 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

As pax we are adapting to the new normal. We adapt rather than stop cruising. I got to where for dinner on carnival I rather do a pay restaurant.  It's getting that way on rcl where some nights it's worth paying for a restaurant rather than the Mdr. 

 

I dont understand why some say if it's not perfect then you should stop. Bossy to me telling others they should stop cruising .. do what YOU want, and dont let the bossy people tell you what to do with your cruising dollars.

 

I agree we all do what makes sense to us. For instance from texas there have been fewer choices. Its cheaper to pay for dinners than to fly. The new drink vouchers tip the scales in favor of rcl. 

 

No cruiseline is perfect. Rcl better shows. I did enjoy celebrity but have to fly. Liked ncl as well. I havent rules ncl new ship out. 

Nobody is saying stop. I think people with cut back complaints are saying improve. But like it or not, people will be influenced by bad reviews and reports from others. If the food becomes a running joke like Carnival 20 years ago, it will bite the company in the ass.

Edited May 7, 2023 by BennyandBo

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, MommaBear55 said:

I can guarantee that every cruise line has something that doesn't work for someone. Just because I don't care for the food in two venues doesn't mean I don't like other things about Royal. I have nothing in my life which is perfect, doesn't mean I discard it based on a few flaws. 

We obviously have different expectations in life. When I buy something, I expect it to be perfect. I wouldn’t buy something and be satisfied if it was less than perfect. For example, if I buy any kind of electronic I expect it to work 100 percent of the time. Anything less than that, I won’t buy that product again. I also expect customer service to be top notch. A few years back when I was not happy with my local BMW dealer, my days of driving BMWs were over shortly afterwards. Now I drive Teslas and I couldn’t be happier with their cars. With a few exceptions, you have numerous companies you can choose from no matter what product or service you are looking at. Having lower expectation and being satisfied with something that is less than perfect is selling your self short in my opinion (I understand you feel differently). 

[firefly333]

23 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

We obviously have different expectations in life. When I buy something, I expect it to be perfect. I wouldn’t buy something and be satisfied if it was less than perfect. For example, if I buy any kind of electronic I expect it to work 100 percent of the time. Anything less than that, I won’t buy that product again. I also expect customer service to be top notch. A few years back when I was not happy with my local BMW dealer, my days of driving BMWs were over shortly afterwards. Now I drive Teslas and I couldn’t be happier with their cars. With a few exceptions, you have numerous companies you can choose from no matter what product or service you are looking at. Having lower expectation and being satisfied with something that is less than perfect is selling your self short in my opinion (I understand you feel differently). 

Rcl is made up of many things though. I think mama mia is 100% top notch, but hate italian food. Always hated italian food so I dont eat it or blame rcl. I eat something else that  might. 

 

Imo more people are looking at pay restaurants than before but still love rcl shows. I'm seeing a bigger and bigger move to pay venues.. it's only some of the food I am less happy with, but not much tbh. It's harder to find free food to substitute but that could be me too as I'm cruising more. 

 

Excursions seem to be  cheaper, but idk before covid you could pre buy at a discount. I'm very happy with some things. 

[teddie]

Whether RCI turns a profit or not, I do not expect prices to go down. 

 

What I truly *would* like to see are a happier and a more engaged crew.  Staff are overworked, underpaid, and overall, from what I've gathered, RCI is short-staffed since Covid. Food supply chains are different due to Covid. 

 

My February 2023 Anthem cruise was our first cruise in 10 years, and the first thing I noticed was a distracted and less than friendly staff.  Not ALL of them, but a clearly noticeable amount.  I hope that things improve for the staff. Happy staff = all around better experience for passengers in multiple areas.  Customer service, to me, is key. 

 

Teddie

[Hoopster95]

1 hour ago, teddie said:

What I truly *would* like to see are a happier and a more engaged crew. 

 

Great comment.

I assume you've only sailed on the larger ships?

I spent 25 days on Rhapsody in Feb/Mar... superb first name basis service. Superb staff and crew. They loved everybody and everybody loved them. You get to see them and actually talk to them everyday. Absolutely the best crew in a very long time on RCI.

 

Oh, and while Symphony & Harmony had 1 day stateroom service, Rhapsody still had two.

Of course, now that I post this, someone on the Haifa cruises will post that I'm wrong and that everything is different.

 

I can say this with 100% certainty, and has been said for years on this forum:

RCI - Really Consistently Inconsistent

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Rcl is made up of many things though. I think mama mia is 100% top notch, but hate italian food. Always hated italian food so I dont eat it or blame rcl. I eat something else that  might. 

 

Imo more people are looking at pay restaurants than before but still love rcl shows. I'm seeing a bigger and bigger move to pay venues.. it's only some of the food I am less happy with, but not much tbh. It's harder to find free food to substitute but that could be me too as I'm cruising more. 

 

Excursions seem to be  cheaper, but idk before covid you could pre buy at a discount. I'm very happy with some things. 

I agree more people are paying for speciality restaurants. More often than not I buy the UDP, but I still like the food in the MDR. I love the escargots (bummed it’s no longer on the menu every night) and I think the beef tenderloin in the MDR is comparable to steaks at Chops. But overall the food is definitely better in speciality restaurants in my opinion, with the exception of Mason Jar, which was not very good (6 of us went there and all of us thought it wasn’t good). 

[MommaBear55]

4 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

We obviously have different expectations in life. When I buy something, I expect it to be perfect. I wouldn’t buy something and be satisfied if it was less than perfect. For example, if I buy any kind of electronic I expect it to work 100 percent of the time. Anything less than that, I won’t buy that product again. I also expect customer service to be top notch. A few years back when I was not happy with my local BMW dealer, my days of driving BMWs were over shortly afterwards. Now I drive Teslas and I couldn’t be happier with their cars. With a few exceptions, you have numerous companies you can choose from no matter what product or service you are looking at. Having lower expectation and being satisfied with something that is less than perfect is selling your self short in my opinion (I understand you feel differently). 

I do feel differently, because I know that I am not perfect, so I cannot expect perfection of others. I worked in a field that was full of gray, and had to understand that sometimes, despite our best efforts, things were beyond our control. 

[seasidemama]

On 5/6/2023 at 2:39 PM, firefly333 said:

Until they turn a profit, I agree that cut backs are happening.

 

That being said my Bella oasis cruise I found faults with my no personality cabin steward, bumped from my dining tablet.. again. 

 

Radiance a smaller ship, I enjoyed all my meals except italian night. 

.

It can vary by ship. I dont expect things to change, cruise prices are going up up up. When there is a profit maybe things will be added BACK?

 

I don't think anything will ever be added back... It never has been. People get used to the new normal and move on.  I do think RCCL are riding the wave of everyone can sail now and willing to pay for it after years of lockdown - same people not yet realizing their money is worth less than half of what it did just two years ago. Salaries certainly have not doubled, but the price of everything has. At least where I'm at.  I think RCCL will ride that for a bit until cruisers realize how unaffordable (any) vacations are with the current state of the economy (for upper middle class and lower earners) and then prices would have to come down because RCCL will have a hard time filling ships again. RCCL is trying to recoup as much as they can until that needle moves the other direction. It's coming soon enough.  Anyway, I digress.  I have always seen cut backs but not once did I see add backs..

[LobsterStalker]

On 5/7/2023 at 1:14 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

Why are you on an RCI board if you aren’t happy with their product? Or am I misreading your comment. 

CC = Cruise CRITIC

.... Not Cruise CHEERLEADER

Good constructive criticism is what I am looking for when I read here

It is nice to know how others views match ( or don't match ) my own.

 

Cheers

[LobsterStalker]

15 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

We obviously have different expectations in life. When I buy something, I expect it to be perfect. I wouldn’t buy something and be satisfied if it was less than perfect. For example, if I buy any kind of electronic I expect it to work 100 percent of the time. Anything less than that, I won’t buy that product again. I also expect customer service to be top notch. A few years back when I was not happy with my local BMW dealer, my days of driving BMWs were over shortly afterwards. Now I drive Teslas and I couldn’t be happier with their cars. With a few exceptions, you have numerous companies you can choose from no matter what product or service you are looking at. Having lower expectation and being satisfied with something that is less than perfect is selling your self short in my opinion (I understand you feel differently). 

I cruise from a perspective of enjoying the positives and not letting the negatives or other people's perspectives ruin my experience. It would take a lot for me to walk off a ship and say "that was just a horrible experience " ... There is just way too much to enjoy if you're trying ! 

 

.....But  you are actually stating here that everything on a Royal Caribbean cruise is PERFECT !?

 

Cheers