5 things you hate about RC

[Marley-Bop]

Firstly jessiejamesb welcome to cruise critic :D

 

In answer to your perfectly reasonable question I have three things I dislike about RCCL:-

 

1. The spa, RCCL have it onboard and when I had a VALID complaint about a treatment I had received onboard, guest relations said it was "nothing to do with them". I had to write to RCCL on my return and only then I received a full refund. IMHO...the spa was a rip off.

 

2. The non enforcement of rules...chair hogs, unruly passengers etc etc. RCCL make the rules, I wish they would use them.

 

3. The differences in booking conditions outside of the US. We do not receive our deposits back if we cancel, we cannot have the RCCL visa card, no next cruise benefits, higher prices to cruise etc etc.

 

Good question and dont let the RCCL fan club put you off ;)

 

Chubbas XX

[JohnnyCruiser]

Oh and we were also very annoyed because A) Explorations desk told us that shuttle from Black Falcon Cruise Terminal to Faneuil Hall would be complementary and then when we got there it was not and B) The fee was $8 one way/$12 R/T. Getting a taxi was both cheaper and more convenient and would be so for pretty much anyone not traveling alone. Would be nice if the Explorations people had their story straight. Would have been nice of RCCL to offer the shuttle free or cheap.

 

I thought the Silver Line went to Black Falcon Pier? If not, maybe RCCL could at least offer a shuttle to the World Trade Center or South Station, although shuttle service is usually provided by the port city, not the cruiseline. Then take the T to Haymarket or State. Even cheaper than a taxi. Was Boston the final stop on the cruise or just a port of call? Dragging luggage on the subway isn't the most fun thing to do, but Boston's isn't the worst subway I've ever had to do it in. If it was just a port of call, I can't think of any port I've ever been to in any country that provided complementary transport anywhere past the entrance to the port facility.

 

As voted by at least one other poster, lack of a self serve laundry is the only thing I miss when compared to Carnival.

[MakinGold]

Firstly jessiejamesb welcome to cruise critic :D

 

In answer to your perfectly reasonable question I have three things I dislike about RCCL:-

 

 

Good question and dont let the RCCL fan club put you off ;)

 

Chubbas XX

 

 

I'm not a cheerleader for any cruise line, but I think it's perfectly reasonable to question someone's motives in asking people what they "hate" about a cruise line. Hate is a very strong word. I was not one of those (very few, btw) who jumped in to criticize the OP, but I disagree about it being a good question. It was a question spring-loaded to generate a reaction. If you only want well-reasoned responses, then the question should be phrased differently.

[TahoeBob]

Maybe you should highlight your point in big red text next time.

 

Also, I hate slow internet, but just because i do doesn't mean I wont cruise again. I think your choosing to use my term too literally when we both know that if you actually read the first post it was done for attention. Worked well. Too well.

Well I guess it did work, but if someone has to use a term like"What I hate about RCI" it must have been a week post to begin with.

 

This time I used bold blue, is that more to your liking.

[beverland]

1) I certainly am not crazy about room service & Windjammer coffee. Can't quite figure out why the coffee tastes fine in the Dining Room at dinner, but terrible at other locations. I always order coffee and hot water to make it tolerable.

 

2) Can't stand Chair Hogs (and the lack of enforcement.)

 

3) Do not like that you are not allowed to bring or purchase alcohol on board for in room consumption - just leads to unecessary smuggling.

 

4) Waitstaff who try "over and over" to sell us more beverages by the pool when we "obviously" have a bucket of beer sitting in plain sight.

 

5) All the loud noises pre-dawn on the last morning of the cruise. Seems they are trying to wake everyone up!

 

6) No room service coffee (even if it is terrible) on the last morning of the cruise.

 

Regarding the photographs, we rarely buy them, however, it is fun to look at them. You have to keep in mind that for some people a cruise is a once in a lifetime vacation. I remember the days when getting a photo taken with the Captain was thrilling....but only if he was a good looking one. :D

 

As you can see from my cruise history, we typically sail RCI. We also love to sail on Celebrity. Carnival is my least favorite.

 

BUT, a day at sea on any ship is better than a day at work!

 

Can't say that I honestly HATE a thing, though.

[Gonzo70]

1) Way too many areas permit smoking (i.e. ban it in casino, most bars, and balconies).

 

2) Spa workers trying to sell you products when you have a treatment.

 

3) Foul odor toilets have.

 

4) Internet too expensive.

 

5) Poor coffee.

[jzerocsk]

I thought the Silver Line went to Black Falcon Pier? If not, maybe RCCL could at least offer a shuttle to the World Trade Center or South Station, although shuttle service is usually provided by the port city, not the cruiseline. Then take the T to Haymarket or State. Even cheaper than a taxi. Was Boston the final stop on the cruise or just a port of call? Dragging luggage on the subway isn't the most fun thing to do, but Boston's isn't the worst subway I've ever had to do it in. If it was just a port of call, I can't think of any port I've ever been to in any country that provided complementary transport anywhere past the entrance to the port facility.

 

It does look like there are Silver Line stops near the terminal on the on-line map, but I didn't see any either in my surface maps or on the taxi. It was a port of call.

 

Boston doesn't need to waste their time/money helping out cruise so it makes sense they wouldn't provide the transportation. New London CT, OTOH, is desperately courting cruise traffic and had free shuttles from the pier to the town center.

 

Of all the ports on that itinerary, however, Boston was the only one where you really couldn't go *anywhere* without some kind of transportation.

 

If the Explorations desk hadn't told us there would be a free shuttle we wouldn't have been *as* annoyed, but it should have been cheaper either way...I'm sure RCCL can afford to cut the passengers a little slack there.

[bluecookies]

I have a feeling I might be the only one with an issue here, but personally I think some of the humor in the shows is too dirty. Its fine if they want to have a late night adult only, but after dinner with 8 year old kids in the front row and comedians tell them a dirty joke in front of everyone to them thats ridiculous.

 

I was on the Adventure in June and thougth our cruise director was good, but he was far from clean himself.

 

I personally get very offended by it, and that is why I stay out of the late night ones. I wish they would keep it there though.

[jevotm]

1. The alcohol policy is over the top and cheapens the over all cruise experience.

2. Inconsistent service from the CR desk once aboard. Some have been very good while others have been down right rude.

3. Quality and price of the internet service.

4. The quality of the food is not as good as it used to be.

5. Cabins are the smallest of the cruise lines I have been on.

 

These 5 are very small compared to the many reasons why we enjoy cruiseing RCI and will continue to do so.

[jessejamesb]

There might be maintanance people outside especially while in port, but hey I wouldn´t even care, if they look into my cabin and see me in there all nekkid, they probably learn their lesson pretty quick not to peek in there:eek: :p :D

 

Hahahahahahahah. Well said and true for me too.

 

For my wife though, they would look twice.

[jessejamesb]

What an odd way to phrase a question. Too bad Alex Trebek isn't in your country.

 

You deserve what responces you will get.

 

Better luck next time.

 

Don't worry, being overly sensitive is not a trait I share.

[jessejamesb]

Re the Internet speed all I can say is use your own Laptop and the WiFi, it´s not that bad. Usually connects at 11Mbps.

 

p.s - Thanks for the tip.

[royalcruz]

1. Bring back unlimited pool towels on the pool deck.

2. Don't touch me! When I get off the ship to visit a port, do not handle me to pose me for a photo.

3. Clean off the tables faster in the buffet, so that we can find a clean table during the day.

Everything else, of course, is perfect. I love RCCL!!!

[ombavia]

On our recent cruise on the Serenade (9-22-07), there was a question/answer forum in the Tropical Theater with the captain. Someone asked (complaining) why in the heck we couldn't hear the announcements in our staterooms (every time we heard a faint "ding-dong" everyone raced to open their cabin doors in order to hear the announcement!) The captain answered that they had decided to disable the controls in the cabins because people had complained that the announcements in the cabins were annoying. I guess you can't please 'em all!

 

I too found the internet painfully slow, and just gave up on it altogether. When I did, I discovered that the world continued to revolve without my staying "connected", and I enjoyed my vacation all the more.

 

They also printed out all those unwanted pictures. Shamefully wasteful. No wonder they charge so much for the ones people do want. A viewing screen makes more sense.

 

The only bad experience we had was when we tried to order a movie in our room. It wouldn't work on this one particular movie, which we really wanted to see. After 3 calls to guest relations, they finally said that they'd send someone to our room to help us. Never showed up. No big deal.

 

The "cheesecake" from roomservice is not really cheesecake. The dining room cheesecake is not all that, either, but is better than roomservice cheesecake. Having said that, I weigh more now than when I boarded the ship, so I can't complain about the food! (Chops' and Portofino's cheesecake is better than dining room cheesecake.)

 

The Cruise In Review DVD would have been fine without the "Quest" shots of people's butts. (Really, moon shots!) I think that was in poor taste, and should have been edited more.

 

Aside all that, I LOVED my cruise.

[snb3]

just back from our 2nd RCI trip

 

1. alcohol policy plain sucks, although I brought some on board. Nevertheless, I spent about $100 over 5 days.

 

2. soda policy sucks ass. I don't mind paying for it if thats what it takes but they make it needlessly time consuming to get a coke. If half the staff thats selling extra drinks are utilized to dispense coke, I wouldn't mind.

 

3. Windjammer food gets old by the 2nd day. Too bad the only alternative to the dining room is this or hot dogs/burgers/pizzas. No real alternatives nor did it seem healty. Dining Room food & service was usally very good.

 

4. Disembarkation left a bad lasting impression. hours of sitting around, kicked out of our rooms.

 

I don't expect any large ship cruises to be perfect. It is what it is: a cattle call attempting to fit as many people onto a boat to show as much as possible in a set period of time. Going into it, it was about what I expected. Since someone asked, here's my answer. Nevertheless, these shortcomings might make me consider some other cruise lines although I have no other frame of reference as I haven't tried another large cruise line.

 

Both RCI cruises were far less memorable than our Euro River cruise. Maybe its my preference but the personal touches, higher overall service and quality & flexibility outweigh some of the choices & frills of a larger ship. I guess in the end, you get what you pay for. You can't pay for Dennys & expect Ruth Criss service.

 

FYI, internet was not very usefull & there was not wifi on the Enchant.

[rpclmc]

On our recent cruise on the Serenade (9-22-07), there was a question/answer forum in the Tropical Theater with the captain. Someone asked (complaining) why in the heck we couldn't hear the announcements in our staterooms (every time we heard a faint "ding-dong" everyone raced to open their cabin doors in order to hear the announcement!) The captain answered that they had decided to disable the controls in the cabins because people had complained that the announcements in the cabins were annoying. I guess you can't please 'em all!

 

I too found the internet painfully slow, and just gave up on it altogether. When I did, I discovered that the world continued to revolve without my staying "connected", and I enjoyed my vacation all the more.

 

They also printed out all those unwanted pictures. Shamefully wasteful. No wonder they charge so much for the ones people do want. A viewing screen makes more sense.

 

The only bad experience we had was when we tried to order a movie in our room. It wouldn't work on this one particular movie, which we really wanted to see. After 3 calls to guest relations, they finally said that they'd send someone to our room to help us. Never showed up. No big deal.

 

The "cheesecake" from roomservice is not really cheesecake. The dining room cheesecake is not all that, either, but is better than roomservice cheesecake. Having said that, I weigh more now than when I boarded the ship, so I can't complain about the food! (Chops' and Portofino's cheesecake is better than dining room cheesecake.)

 

The Cruise In Review DVD would have been fine without the "Quest" shots of people's butts. (Really, moon shots!) I think that was in poor taste, and should have been edited more.

 

Aside all that, I LOVED my cruise.

 

What is the "cruise in review DVD"? How do I get that?

 

Linda

[PSCruiser]

Five things I hate? - now that's tough.

I can come up with one - the stupid pool towel policy.

 

Give me easier questions, like:

10 things you hate about NCL, or,

15 things you hate about Azamara!

[ombavia]

What is the "cruise in review DVD"? How do I get that?

 

Linda

 

This was our first cruise, so I don't know if this is always offered, but they had a guy going around filming at various times. Toward the end, they started advertising on the Royal C. channel that we could purchase this DVD they were making, and it would be available on the next-to-the-last day of the cruise. We reserved a copy at the photo shop onboard and picked it up on the last evening. I do not know if you can purchase one post-cruise. I think the cost was around $30.

 

The overall quality of the DVD was really poor (sound, etc...) but considering that they filmed it during, and mass produced it onboard for everyone to purchase it was not too bad, because it was specific to our cruise. It had clips of folks onboard as we sailed away, and clips of all of the entertainment each night, as well as little blurbs about each port we visited.

 

We couldn't pass it up, because when we saw the previews on the TV in our stateroom, there was a clip of our son as he was coming down the rock wall. That made it worth it for us.

[Realtor at Sea]

We have sailed with RCCL for many years (since the 70s) and recently have noticed that one by one, rack of lamb, then filet mignon and, on our last two cruises on the Brilliance in September, lobster tails have all been dropped from the menu. Is this true on other cruise lines also? We miss these special treats!

 

In addition, the quality of the beef on RCCL seems to have declined.

[ombavia]

We have sailed with RCCL for many years (since the 70s) and recently have noticed that one by one, rack of lamb, then filet mignon and, on our last two cruises on the Brilliance in September, lobster tails have all been dropped from the menu. Is this true on other cruise lines also? We miss these special treats!

 

In addition, the quality of the beef on RCCL seems to have declined.

 

We had all of those items on Serenade 3 weeks ago.

[Realtor at Sea]

sliced tenderloin or individual filets? Tenderloin was offered, but NOT individual filets as in the past.

 

We had lamb shanks on the Brilliance, but have not had rack of lamb on our last five cruises on the Explorer, Adventure or Brilliance in the past

15 months.

 

The cruises on the Brilliance were the first time we were not offered lobster tails.

[golfer1966]

However if you had to list 5 things you hated, or think RC could do betterwhat would they be?

 

or would change....

 

1) They should enforce the dress code for formal night. Its one /two nights people. If you can afford to go on a cruise, you can afford a tie. It wont kill you to dress up one or two night.

 

2) Stop taking those stupid Pirate pix in the dining room. I understand they want to offer pix, but the ones getting on and off the ship and throught the ship are good, but get that Pirate outta my face...LOL !!:eek:

 

3) Add some new ports to the intineraries.

 

For me, thats about it really.

[seaitall]

We are getting ready to take our third RCI cruise in a few weeks. I have to say my biggest complaint, and believe me it is a small one, is their "iced tea". I guess I am an iced tea snob. It is my drink of choice and I have yet to find a cruise line where it is drinkable. RCI is one of my favorite cruise lines. Celebrity taking first place. However, considering the absolutely horrible NCL cruise we took in April 07, I am really looking forward to getting back onboard RCI. I can't think of anything I "hate". I am happy that they still have set dining room times. I did not enjoy the anytime dining on NCL. I look forward to meeting our tablemates and have met some great people that way.

[rpclmc]

This was our first cruise, so I don't know if this is always offered, but they had a guy going around filming at various times. Toward the end, they started advertising on the Royal C. channel that we could purchase this DVD they were making, and it would be available on the next-to-the-last day of the cruise. We reserved a copy at the photo shop onboard and picked it up on the last evening. I do not know if you can purchase one post-cruise. I think the cost was around $30.

 

The overall quality of the DVD was really poor (sound, etc...) but considering that they filmed it during, and mass produced it onboard for everyone to purchase it was not too bad, because it was specific to our cruise. It had clips of folks onboard as we sailed away, and clips of all of the entertainment each night, as well as little blurbs about each port we visited.

 

We couldn't pass it up, because when we saw the previews on the TV in our stateroom, there was a clip of our son as he was coming down the rock wall. That made it worth it for us.

 

Oh, I thought it might be one of the promotional ones. Disney does a DVD that you can get (for free) that shows the cruise and everything there is to do. Of course, experiencing the cruise is a whole lot better, but it got us excited.

 

Linda

[travelteam]

the lack of handicapped suites.............only two JS on the Brilliance........none in the higher catagories. In truth this could be said for all cruise lines. Wake up cruise executives.................people with disabilities love to cruise................and want the chance to cruise in style.