Imminent RCL Entertainment Cutbacks

[SUgwoz]

8 minutes ago, BND said:

When we were younger, we never stayed "on the beach".  We stayed on the bay side which wasn't even half the price of being on the beach. And, then it more likely 3-4 nights and not 7.  Going "to" the beach does not mean staying waterfront.  Our generation also didn't vacation every year and definitely not more than once per year.  Expectations have changed a lot.  We had a TA friend (friend's parent) when we were younger so logistics weren't that difficult.    All my friends growing up (I grew up in a very nice suburb) were lucky if they went anywhere outside of visiting family.

I grew up where typically the annual vacation was a two hour drive to the Cape to stay at a motel for a long weekend, with a larger vacation crossing state lines every few years.  Now that I have financial means and its takes me all of a few hours to book a vacation, no reason to continue that.  

 

Expectations for everything has changed, just like expectations for someone in 1920s was different than someone in 1950s.

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

Exactly!  There was a change at the corporate level where a long time Royal executive was replaced by an even longer term corporate executive, most likely a direct report, with many years of experience in Royals entertainment department. 

 

Stuff like that happens all the time without much fanfare. Heck, if it wasn't for CC, I wouldn't even know the names of any of Royal's executives, much like I don't know the name of any executive at my cable company, credit card company, supermarkets I shop at, etc....

No different that how some people, after a cruise,  consider their cabin steward to now be their BFF for life. Cruisers simply look at the world differently.🤷‍♂️

[orville99]

6 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

No different that how some people, after a cruise,  consider their cabin steward to now be their BFF for life. Cruisers simply look at the world differently.

I can probably list a dozen or so great room stewards we have had over the years, and yet, I cannot tell you the name of a single cruise director. I guess we all cruise differently😇

[orville99]

27 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

You mean you don't attend every single 70's dance party or Love&Marriage show on every cruise you take?

😉

I attended 60's dance parties in the 60's, 70's dance parties in the 70's, and techno dance parties in the 80's. Been there, done that, and lived to tell about it (although it is quite comical to see people our age dress up in costumes they think represent the 70's). IMHO, if you think you can remember the 70's, you didn't experience them.😉 Now the only Love and Marriage show that is important to me is the one my wife and I enjoy every evening on our balcony with a glass of wine as we watch the world go by👴

[nelblu]

46 minutes ago, orville99 said:

I can probably list a dozen or so great room stewards we have had over the years, and yet, I cannot tell you the name of a single cruise director. I guess we all cruise differently😇

I can't even remember the name of the CD even during the sail.🤣

[Pratique]

Royal Caribbean owns many patents with Nick's name listed as an inventor. Such as this one. So likely he assigned away all of his rights to them.

[Tree_skier]

44 minutes ago, nelblu said:

I can't even remember the name of the CD even during the sail.🤣

 I can't even remember my own name some nights on a cruise.  

[orville99]

21 minutes ago, Pratique said:

Royal Caribbean owns many patents with Nick's name listed as an inventor. Such as this one. So likely he assigned away all of his rights to them.

Traditionally, inventions by an employee under contract to an employer are the property of the employer

[George C]

1 hour ago, orville99 said:

I can probably list a dozen or so great room stewards we have had over the years, and yet, I cannot tell you the name of a single cruise director. I guess we all cruise differently😇

I couldn’t name either in my approximate 80 cruises, luckily I can remember my wife’s name and that’s all that’s matters.

[wolfie11]

With the exception of Virgin, cruise line shows seem to be endless slight variations on the same theme.  I can’t even sit through 90% of them. Even the talent is the same as most cruise lines use many of the same agencies.

[gumshoe958]

17 minutes ago, wolfie11 said:

With the exception of Virgin, cruise line shows seem to be endless slight variations on the same theme.  I can’t even sit through 90% of them. Even the talent is the same as most cruise lines use many of the same agencies.

While that is certainly true for many of Royal’s in-house production shows and headliners, you can’t possibly think the Broadway, Aqua and Ice shows are slight variations on the same theme? Love them or hate them, they’re high quality productions and are, for me, what sets Royal apart from other lines.

 

I agree Virgin’s entertainment is refreshingly different, but there are only so many times I can sit through Dual Reality.

[Gracie115]

3 hours ago, nelblu said:

I can't even remember the name of the CD even during the sail.🤣

Except for a guy named Alejandro on Celebrity I don't remember a single one either.  He was exceptional...and at the time was an assistant CD, apparently has gone onto to CD on all their newest ships.   

[wolfie11]

1 minute ago, gumshoe958 said:

While that is certainly true for many of Royal’s in-house production shows and headliners, you can’t possibly think the Broadway, Aqua and Ice shows are slight variations on the same theme? Love them or hate them, they’re high quality productions and are, for me, what sets Royal apart from other lines.

 

I agree Virgin’s entertainment is refreshingly different, but there are only so many times I can sit through Dual Reality.

Yes, but I’d have to go on a monstrous big ship for that and I refuse to get on a ship with more than 3500 passengers and would prefer under 2000.

[gumshoe958]

1 minute ago, wolfie11 said:

Yes, but I’d have to go on a monstrous big ship for that and I refuse to get on a ship with more than 3500 passengers and would prefer under 2000.

Royal’s probably not the line for you then! 

[wolfie11]

1 minute ago, gumshoe958 said:

Royal’s probably not the line for you then! 

I have been on several Royal cruises.  They do have smaller ships that go interesting places.  I cruise for the itinerary not the ship.

[orville99]

Just now, gumshoe958 said:

Royal’s probably not the line for you then! 

The problem with that is that it used to get just about everything right before they morphed into the “whatever floats, fits” theme park of the seas model. If you try to be everything to everybody, you end up being nothing to nobody.

[Baron Barracuda]

A few years back in an expense cutting move they took production of the shows on Celebrity in house.  Result was a series of bland productions barely distinguishable from each other.  Top Hat, Chandelier, etc all featured similar aerial acts, mostly unrecognizable songs interspersed with brief snippets of a few popular ones and male singers who could hit all the high notes but none of the low ones.  They also scaled back live music in the lounges.

[Gracie115]

23 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

A few years back in an expense cutting move they took production of the shows on Celebrity in house.  Result was a series of bland productions barely distinguishable from each other.  Top Hat, Chandelier, etc all featured similar aerial acts, mostly unrecognizable songs interspersed with brief snippets of a few popular ones and male singers who could hit all the high notes but none of the low ones.  They also scaled back live music in the lounges.

You sure got that right....

[ReneeFLL]

On 5/14/2024 at 7:53 AM, BND said:

Well, with prices on everything going up, people still want cruise prices to be low even though it's not realistic at all.

The problem I have and I think a lot of others do is the prices keep going up, while quality of entertainment and just about everything else keeps getting cut.

 

Edited May 15 by ReneeFLL

[ReneeFLL]

On 5/14/2024 at 4:57 PM, crzndeb said:

The Nextdoor neighbor’s, cousin, who’s ex husband’s teacher in 3rd grade, knew a dancer in a production show on the Oasis in 2016, and said Hi to Nick one time. 🙄 🤣🤣

We have a poster like this.

[ReneeFLL]

9 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

Same…..I never eat anything after supper at home. 

Same here for the most part, but I also don’t drink at home like I do on a cruise. Drinking can make me hungry, but I hardly ever eat at Sorrentos.

 

Edited May 15 by ReneeFLL

[Twenty2020]

8 hours ago, BND said:

When we were younger, we never stayed "on the beach".  We stayed on the bay side which wasn't even half the price of being on the beach. And, then it more likely 3-4 nights and not 7.  Going "to" the beach does not mean staying waterfront.  Our generation also didn't vacation every year and definitely not more than once per year.  Expectations have changed a lot.  We had a TA friend (friend's parent) when we were younger so logistics weren't that difficult.    All my friends growing up (I grew up in a very nice suburb) were lucky if they went anywhere outside of visiting family.

 

2 bedroom condo bayside across the street from beach this spring break (St Pete area) was $450/night. Very average accommodations. Even at elevated fares we are getting two adjoining cabins on Royal next spring break for roughly same price. But includes food. 

[BND]

47 minutes ago, Twenty2020 said:

 

2 bedroom condo bayside across the street from beach this spring break (St Pete area) was $450/night. Very average accommodations. Even at elevated fares we are getting two adjoining cabins on Royal next spring break for roughly same price. But includes food. 

Ocean City, MD. A motel room for 4 people.  Even now, not anywhere near $450/night. Some people are missing the point by a long shot.

 

Edited May 16 by BND

[RobInMN]

7 hours ago, Pratique said:

Royal Caribbean owns many patents with Nick's name listed as an inventor. Such as this one. So likely he assigned away all of his rights to them.

Did you skip over the entire patent discussion after the initial question?

7 hours ago, orville99 said:

Traditionally, inventions by an employee under contract to an employer are the property of the employer

This. When you invent something in the course of doing your job you don't "assign away" your rights to your patent, you are only the inventor. The company owns your patent. It is their "IP" (Intellectual Property). If you invent something on your own time not pertaining to your job, then you can fully own your patent, but you will have to prepare it and file it yourself. You may need to hire a patent agent/attorney.

The patent lists: Applicant, Inventor, and Assignee. You will note that on every one of the related patents, Royal Caribbean is listed as the Applicant and the Assignee. Nick is only 1 of 3 listed inventors on most of the related patents, but not all of them. Nick may have had a hand in the invention, but Royal Caribbean prepared and filed the patent. It is their IP.

This is the same for the company I work for. Individuals, working on behalf of the company will be the inventor, but the company will prepare and file the patent. We have at least 2 in-house patent agents/attorneys.

 

 

[Pratique]

55 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

Did you skip over the entire patent discussion after the initial question?

This. When you invent something in the course of doing your job you don't "assign away" your rights to your patent, you are only the inventor. The company owns your patent. It is their "IP" (Intellectual Property). If you invent something on your own time not pertaining to your job, then you can fully own your patent, but you will have to prepare it and file it yourself. You may need to hire a patent agent/attorney.

The patent lists: Applicant, Inventor, and Assignee. You will note that on every one of the related patents, Royal Caribbean is listed as the Applicant and the Assignee. Nick is only 1 of 3 listed inventors on most of the related patents, but not all of them. Nick may have had a hand in the invention, but Royal Caribbean prepared and filed the patent. It is their IP.

This is the same for the company I work for. Individuals, working on behalf of the company will be the inventor, but the company will prepare and file the patent. We have at least 2 in-house patent agents/attorneys.

 

 

I’m a patent attorney so I know all this, but thanks nonetheless. I was just responding to an earlier question. Sorry for the redundant response..