Changes since 2017

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

7 minutes ago, MisterOJ2 said:

 

I'm pretty sure there will be lobster. Since there's two elegant nights on six-day cruises, lobster should be served on the first one.

2nd one. That's a more recent change. 

[MisterOJ2]

Just now, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

2nd one. That's a more recent change. 

Oh, that's interesting. I hadn't heard that. I actually like that a lot. I never really cared much for the second elegant night menu and it seemed kinda anticlimactic having it so late in the cruise.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

8 hours ago, Stick93 said:

Elegant night is over rated. Can come in your birthday suit at this point but at least you get a table cloth to cover the table. 

Elegant night is what you make of it.  Our family wore suits/cocktail dresses, had our pictures taken with various backdrops (got 5 nice prints), and had two very nice evenings.

 

On the Horizon 8 day, I would say at least 90% of those in the MDR had suits/sports jackets/cocktail dresses.

 

One change I noticed is that despite a relatively low number of backdrops (compared to my cruises on the Pride and Fantasy class ships) and more people, the lines for the photo ops were really short. I guess it's because of the high cost of the photos. Especially on the ships with digital photos, if they half the cost of the photos, they'll more than double the sales, and increase revenue without any additional costs.

[ninjacat123]

10 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Elegant night is what you make of it.  Our family wore suits/cocktail dresses, had our pictures taken with various backdrops (got 5 nice prints), and had two very nice evenings.

 

On the Horizon 8 day, I would say at least 90% of those in the MDR had suits/sports jackets/cocktail dresses.

 

One change I noticed is that despite a relatively low number of backdrops (compared to my cruises on the Pride and Fantasy class ships) and more people, the lines for the photo ops were really short. I guess it's because of the high cost of the photos. Especially on the ships with digital photos, if they half the cost of the photos, they'll more than double the sales, and increase revenue without any additional costs.

I agree!  Viewing my pics on my phone or at a kiosk is so much easier than the "hunt" through the piles of pics.  I wish all the ships had digital viewing.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

4 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

I agree!  Viewing my pics on my phone or at a kiosk is so much easier than the "hunt" through the piles of pics.  I wish all the ships had digital viewing.

Yes... except for the last day when everyone is trying to view their photos.  Each click of a link took minutes to load, and we tried both our phone and the kiosk. They need to upgrade wherever the bottleneck is.  It made us long for the hunt for the prints!

Edited August 1, 2023 by PrincessArlena'sDad

[jimbo5544]

41 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

2nd one. That's a more recent change. 

Bingo

[Moparfiend]

Cheers max drink price went way down was $50 per serving, now $20 or less

Steak at dinner/breakfast, it's food, but it's nothing like the fillet 

Drug dogs before boarding, some ships have them stationed onboard (may only be 1 currently)

Service level is not even close to the same, they still blame staffing issues, it's still fine overall

Some Bars where removed from casinos, varies by ship, countered by plenty of staff serving while playing

The muster drill is way way better now, huge positive

[Stick93]

4 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Elegant night is what you make of it.  Our family wore suits/cocktail dresses, had our pictures taken with various backdrops (got 5 nice prints), and had two very nice evenings.

 

On the Horizon 8 day, I would say at least 90% of those in the MDR had suits/sports jackets/cocktail dresses.

 

One change I noticed is that despite a relatively low number of backdrops (compared to my cruises on the Pride and Fantasy class ships) and more people, the lines for the photo ops were really short. I guess it's because of the high cost of the photos. Especially on the ships with digital photos, if they half the cost of the photos, they'll more than double the sales, and increase revenue without any additional costs.

They dropped the picture prices for 2 months years ago and could not keep up with the demand - I walked off one ship with 400 photos in print and digital for under $200 (or less). There is prob a better sweet spot but they have not found it. 

 

I always take a lot of pictures even if I only buy a few - 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

48 minutes ago, Stick93 said:

They dropped the picture prices for 2 months years ago and could not keep up with the demand - I walked off one ship with 400 photos in print and digital for under $200 (or less). There is prob a better sweet spot but they have not found it. 

 

I always take a lot of pictures even if I only buy a few - 

I remember that. The problem was they included both prints and digital.  If it was just digital, it probably would have been fine.

 

Disney cruise makes a fortune in photos. Their prices are high, but reasonable.  I think it's $300 for unlimited digital, down to $150 for ten photos. I wouldn't be surprised if over half the ship gets the unlimited.

[Stick93]

11 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

I remember that. The problem was they included both prints and digital.  If it was just digital, it probably would have been fine.

 

Disney cruise makes a fortune in photos. Their prices are high, but reasonable.  I think it's $300 for unlimited digital, down to $150 for ten photos. I wouldn't be surprised if over half the ship gets the unlimited.

Royal is similar - but have gone up in price and dropped unlimited to 50/100 depending on length of trip. 

[Butterbean1000]

19 hours ago, cxr133 said:

oh and no more noon time hairy chest/ belly flop contests 

Thank you, Jesus.

[happy cruzer]

20 hours ago, happy cruzer said:

The smoking policy changed.  No smoking in any cabins or balcony.

 

more included food options like guys and blue iguana.  Sea day brunch.

Seems like many did not comment on these changes.  But it f the smoking policy had not changed we would it book on Ccl.

 

 

 

 

[KyloRen]

I went through all the replies and

 

 Attire is much much much more laxed, they will no longer turn you away for any attire on formal night they will just remind you that it’s formal night, they stated that on Princess well 

 

They have slimmed down the fun times a bit and they no liver give paper ones, there’s waaayyy more trivia now than there was in years past

Edited August 2, 2023 by KyloRen

[TravelGirlinDallas]

Oh, they only serve drinks with flavored candy straws now, which can melt before you are finished drinking the beverage. 

[KyloRen]

3 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Oh, they only serve drinks with flavored candy straws now, which can melt before you are finished drinking the beverage. 

I HATE THOSE STRAWS! I bring my own straws on board (then forget them in my cabin) lol I’d rather have paper straws than those, 

 

it’s so fun to get a lime straw with my mudslide! /s

 

 is afternoon tea a post 2017 addition? I do not recall it back in the day

 

 also no more chocolate buffet on I think it’s 5d or less and no more midnight buffets (those mayb have been tossed pre 2017)

Edited August 2, 2023 by KyloRen

[Joanne G.]

6 hours ago, KyloRen said:

. . . .  They have slimmed down the fun times a bit and they no liver give paper ones, there’s waaayyy more trivia now than there was in years past

I received a paper Fun Times every evening in my mailbox on my Pride cruises last month.  But it was definitely slimmed down. 

[mohawk1129]

8 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

Oh, they only serve drinks with flavored candy straws now, which can melt before you are finished drinking the beverage. 

Wow! Thank you for that .

My husband has Celiac .Candy straws would be a definite no go!! Will pack our own

[Honolulu Blue]

I'm not sure if this change was made in '16, '17, or '18, but it was somewhere in there - there is no more future cruise desk, future cruise booking associate, or future cruise seminar/lecture.  I miss them all. ☹️

 

Also, the Hasbro shows didn't survive the pandemic.  I miss those as much as anyone. ☹️

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

9 hours ago, KyloRen said:

I HATE THOSE STRAWS! I bring my own straws on board (then forget them in my cabin) lol I’d rather have paper straws than those, 

 

it’s so fun to get a lime straw with my mudslide! /s

 

 is afternoon tea a post 2017 addition? I do not recall it back in the day

 

 also no more chocolate buffet on I think it’s 5d or less and no more midnight buffets (those mayb have been tossed pre 2017)

Midnight buffet is back as of this month, actually.  But, I don't know how it compares to the old one.

[TravelGirlinDallas]

1 hour ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Also, the Hasbro shows didn't survive the pandemic.  I miss those as much as anyone. ☹️

I think Lip Sync Battle didn't return after the shutdown, either.

[jsglow]

Wow there's a lot of 'misinformation' in this thread.

 

1) Paper Fun Times, delivered to your cabin, resumed recently.

2) There's no such thing as traditional 'Midnight Buffet' anymore.  What has returned are some decent late night food offerings besides pizza. That happened in July.

3) There are not table cloths on the vast majority of Carnival ships, even on Elegant Night.  You get a lovely little seashell on the table! 

4) At no time in the last 20+ years of cruising have I ever witnessed 90% of cruisers in suits/sportcoats in the MDR on Elegant Night. Collared shirt and khakis would be mostly the norm.  Doesn't matter if it's 3 nights to the Bahamas or a 14 night Journeys. 

[jimbo5544]

40 minutes ago, jsglow said:

Wow there's a lot of 'misinformation' in this thread.

 

1) Paper Fun Times, delivered to your cabin, resumed recently.

2) There's no such thing as traditional 'Midnight Buffet' anymore.  What has returned are some decent late night food offerings besides pizza. That happened in July.

3) There are not table cloths on the vast majority of Carnival ships, even on Elegant Night.  You get a lovely little seashell on the table! 

4) At no time in the last 20+ years of cruising have I ever witnessed 90% of cruisers in suits/sportcoats in the MDR on Elegant Night. Collared shirt and khakis would be mostly the norm.  Doesn't matter if it's 3 nights to the Bahamas or a 14 night Journeys. 

Misinformation….cruisecritic?. Say it isn’t so

Edited August 2, 2023 by jimbo5544

[ninjacat123]

11 hours ago, KyloRen said:

I HATE THOSE STRAWS! I bring my own straws on board (then forget them in my cabin) lol I’d rather have paper straws than those, 

 

it’s so fun to get a lime straw with my mudslide! /s

 

 is afternoon tea a post 2017 addition? I do not recall it back in the day

 

 also no more chocolate buffet on I think it’s 5d or less and no more midnight buffets (those mayb have been tossed pre 2017)

I'm pretty sure I remember my DDs and I having afternoon tea before 2017.😊

[Honolulu Blue]

2 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

I think Lip Sync Battle didn't return after the shutdown, either.

I didn't know that.  Not my thing, but thanks for the heads up!

[KyloRen]

3 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

Midnight buffet is back as of this month, actually.  But, I don't know how it compares to the old one.

This month?! Yesssss!! TiL

Edited August 2, 2023 by KyloRen