Gone but not forgotten...

[RevSmith]

We have been cruising RCI exclusively for four years, and are just a few credits away from Crown & Anchor Diamond Plus. However, as many have noticed, RCI is starting to do things on the cheap, and it has gotten more noticeable lately.

I got the idea for this thread from GMoney's starter list on another thread. So, RCI cruisers, what else have you noticed that the line has removed from their previous goods and services?

 

Here is GMoney's list:

 

> Fuel included in fare

> Better DR food

> Good steak included in DR

> Panama Canal

> Key West

> Hubbard Glacier

> Free cash in casino

 

I will add:

 

> Beer and wine coupon in C&A book

> Table side Cherries Jubilee in DR

> Grand Marnier souffle

> Lobster (the "real" thing, not that tiny mystery crustacean surrounded by even tinier shrimp)

> Free Johnny Rockets

 

Anybody else?

 

LL

 

When we first cruised on RCI, fillet mignon was served on the first formal night, as the years progressed the cut of meat kept declining...the steak may be tender to some...but that is only because there is a lot of tenderizer in it...or they marinated it...not because of the cut of the beef...

I can add a lot to the list:

 

No cranberry juice and a few other juices that used to be offered in the morning.

Quality of coffee served everywhere but the coffee shop and the CL or DL has declined significantly.

A few years ago they offered a pasta bar in the dinning room...it was wonderful...now the quality of food that is offered at that bar has declined...as an example, the shrimp have shrink en to those tiny little salad shrimp...

No more Reuben sandwiches for lunch offered in the MDR

No more bottles of free liquor in the royal suite

The movies that are offered now on the TV are not as new as they used to be

Quality of cold cuts in the Windjammer at lunch time has declined

Omelette station has limited what they offer in their omelettes.

Price has gone up to twenty-five dollars at Chops.

 

That's all I can remember now....but I know there are a lot more...

I'm not complaining, just remembering...times are changing... ships have to survive...or where are we going to do on our next vacation.

[Havana Daydreamin]

I guess I would add

 

no more "If I were not upon the sea" routine on the closing show in the theater.

[Carol4158]

Gone but not forgotten....

Free soda in the main dining room

Wine waiters

Unlimited pool towels

Filet mignon in the dining room

Five course menus...but as we know better we order them anyway!

 

 

What I'd love to see disappear...

The children's pirate parade....

The scripted jokes from the cruise director ....

Overpriced European excursions ..with comfort breaks in a factory shop!

Smoking

Queue jumpers and chair hoggers

 

New additions that I love...

Cafe Promenade

Sorrentos

Adventure beach

greater vegetarian choice...but then it's cheaper than meat!

[Clamett]

I miss the free picture in the Diamond C&A booklets. I didn't think they lost that much money with them. I'd be happy if they would bring back a 2 for 1 picture like those in the Gold booklets if they felt the need to cut back in that area.

[mark290]

Wow, with all these terrible cutbacks, I'm sure none of these posters will ever take another cruise on RCCL! I bet that none of the other cruise lines have cut back on any of thier services at all.:rolleyes:

 

At the end of the day, a cruise is what one makes it. If you want to pick apart every change - have at it. Just remember it all comes down to costs. I'll bet that if the price for a cruise went up enough to cover all those "little things" that may have been cut out, there would be as many people griping about how expensive cruising has gotten!

 

This is not what I have taken away from this thread at all.

It appears to me people are simply stating what is no longer included

on a cruise line that they enjoy vacationing on. If you want to pick

apart the meaning of this thread - have at it.

[Lynnees]

I miss the free picture in the Diamond C&A booklets. I didn't think they lost that much money with them. I'd be happy if they would bring back a 2 for 1 picture like those in the Gold booklets if they felt the need to cut back in that area.

 

 

When did they take away the free 8 x 10? We had it on our TA cruise in April........

[BILL-WI]

Gone from most ships, except for a rare appearance...

 

Say it with me...

 

H

 

E

 

N

 

R

 

Y!!!!

 

 

 

 

RIP!

 

 

BILL

[Grandiva]

I miss the free picture in the Diamond C&A booklets. I didn't think they lost that much money with them. I'd be happy if they would bring back a 2 for 1 picture like those in the Gold booklets if they felt the need to cut back in that area.

 

This is something they should gladly give out considering the thousands of pictures that are not purchased and thrown out. How is that cost effective:rolleyes: I think they should offer some form of picture perk for all loyalty levels.

[Lightsluvr]

Wow, with all these terrible cutbacks, I'm sure none of these posters will ever take another cruise on RCCL!

As a matter of fact, we are probably taking our last cruise on RCI in February. We are cancelling the Panama Canal in 2009.

 

I bet that none of the other cruise lines have cut back on any of thier services at all.:rolleyes:

 

This is the RCI forum... don't know or care about the other lines...

 

If you want to pick apart every change - have at it.

 

This is Cruise Critic after all...

Just remember it all comes down to costs. I'll bet that if the price for a cruise went up enough to cover all those "little things" that may have been cut out, there would be as many people griping about how expensive cruising has gotten!

 

There are many threads on how the price of cruising has gone up... this thread covers the other end of the spectrum. Raise prices and reduce goods and services - is cruising that great a bargain any longer? Maybe, and then again, maybe not. Have you checked Oasis of the Seas prices???

 

 

JMHO.

 

LL

[Lightsluvr]

This was my first RCI cruise, and just wondered if the desert selection was always so poor. No, it used to be wonderful...

Is their hope it will get better! I wouldn't bet the farm on it... ;)

 

Later

 

Can't see RCI improving something they've already (quietly) trimmed back, unless competition forced it to happen... Sad to say, but Carnival food may be better now... but that's just what I have heard. No experience with that line...

 

LL

[blackie50]

I miss being able to tell my waiter that I want lemon for my water every night and coffee after dinner every night and have it appear automatically :(

 

Carolyln

[Sue L]

Gone from most ships, except for a rare appearance...

 

Say it with me...

 

H

 

E

 

N

 

R

 

Y!!!!

 

 

 

 

RIP!

 

 

BILL

 

 

He was alive and well on the Jewel last week

[rubrrick]

When did they take away the free 8 x 10? We had it on our TA cruise in April........

 

 

Marilyn..........it went away this summer, when the new D/D+ books came out.

 

And......of course there is something else that you can no longer do.......purchase a booking on a ship that has an open cabin at the last minute, and sail on her the same day!!

 

Even just getting on a booked sailing at the last minute is now almost, if not totally, impossible. I can remember in the '90s, being met at the airport, by the ships representative to board a ship.........and by the time we arrived at the pier, the gangway had been pulled away, and after porters carried our luggage up a ramp on their heads............ two of them held us steady as we went up the makeshift gangway!! Those were the days!! :D :D

 

Or.......having first class entertainers.....Names that normally would appear on TV and Las Vegas............doing a stint for a few weeks, mostly relaxation............and a couple of nights of entertaining the ship. Those, too........were the days!! ;)

 

Rick

[Lynnees]

Marilyn..........it went away this summer, when the new D/D+ books came out.

 

And......of course there is something else that you can no longer do.......purchase a booking on a ship that has an open cabin at the last minute, and sail on her the same day!!

 

Even just getting on a booked sailing at the last minute is now almost, if not totally, impossible. I can remember in the '90s, being met at the airport, by the ships representative to board a ship.........and by the time we arrived at the pier, the gangway had been pulled away, and after porters carried our luggage up a ramp on their heads............ two of them held us steady as we went up the makeshift gangway!! Those were the days!! :D :D

 

Or.......having first class entertainers.....Names that normally would appear on TV and Las Vegas............doing a stint for a few weeks, mostly relaxation............and a couple of nights of entertaining the ship. Those, too........were the days!! ;)

 

Rick

 

Hi Rick,

 

That is a huge disappointment. We always get the free one plus a couple of others. It really doesn't cost them anything for those as they have printed them anyway. sheeeeeeeeeeesh

[dmbfiredancer03]

I saw several Henrys on the Sovereign last week.

 

Also, even though our towel animal was made with some pool towels, we still had extra ones placed in the bathroom.

 

There was also a midnight buffet the second to last night of the cruise.

 

I can't say much as to what I miss, since I haven't cruised very long, but I will say that there are some things from the Mariner that I wish were on Sovereign - ie. the control to hear announcements in the cabin. The only ones we heard were the mandatory type ones. Not that I guess it made much difference since we really only spent time in there to pack and shower and sleep, but I did enjoy hearing activities in the morning when I was getting ready on the Mariner.

[crazy 4 cruising]

[quote name='Clamett']I miss the free picture in the Diamond C&A booklets. I didn't think they lost that much money with them. I'd be happy if they would bring back a 2 for 1 picture like those in the Gold booklets if they felt the need to cut back in that area.[/quote]

wow, haven't had any new books yet obviously. that's too bad as we have so much fun doing the informal lifestyle. did notice on the Jewel that they would no longer allow the dining room 2 picture packages to be gotten with the coupon.:(
[quote name='Lightsluvr']Can't see RCI improving something they've already (quietly) trimmed back, unless competition forced it to happen... Sad to say, but [I]Carnival[/I] food may be better now... but that's just what I have heard. No experience with that line...

LL[/quote]

no on the Carnival food--my sister & BIL were on the Ecstasy this summer for a wedding and they said it was not as good as RCCL.

[quote name='blackie50']I miss being able to tell my waiter that I want lemon for my water every night and coffee after dinner every night and have it appear automatically :(

Carolyln[/quote]

wow, our Asst waiter on the Jewel had our after dinner hot tea order down to whch type of tea (so no "magic" tea box) bag to put on the plate after only a few nights. That's too bad Carolyn. none of us did the lemon in the water so I don't know how that would have been. The 1 of us that drank iced tea had it every night after the first night.

[critterchick]

The C&A books get worse with every printing. Two for one airbrushed tattoos? $5 off $25 of laundry on a three night cruise? A bloody Diamonds International coupon? Pretty soon the coupons will be as bad as the ones you see on Princess.

As for not being able to get a glass of wine with the coupon, it's only the house wine anyway, so that's no loss in my book. I realize that I'm snobby in that regard, though.:) DH has never had a problem getting a beer, even with the new books, though.

[coffeebean]

[quote name='butterfly2']I don't like to complain, but ......I will say I miss the [B][SIZE=3][COLOR=Red]Kruise Komics.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B] Not sure if Im spelling it right but they were the Mimes that put on shows throughout the ship and in the theater before the shows. They were the best![/quote]

I agree with you about the Kruise Komics. They were so entertaining and helped with waiting for the main show to start. I particularly loved the stunts they pulled in Studio B before the ice shows. So funny. I also loved the Lindy Hop dancing on the promonade they did to the sound of the big band orchestra.

[coffeebean]

[quote name='Havana Daydreamin']I guess I would add

[B][SIZE=3][COLOR=Red]no more "If I were not upon the sea" routine on the closing show in the theater.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/B][/quote]

How could that be a cut back to save money??? The staff who do this routine are paid anyway whether they do the routine or not...aren't they???

I loved that routine, BTW, just as much as "Fountains".

[coffeebean]

[quote name='blackie50'][B][SIZE=3][COLOR=Red]I miss being able to tell my waiter that I want lemon for my water every night and coffee after dinner every night and have it appear automatically [/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]:(

Carolyln[/quote]

Has this changed in any way??? My impression of traditional dining was to have "personal" service such as exactly what you have mentioned here. The waiters don't cater to your every need any more???

[cruisegirl1]

Anyone out there been sailing RCCL long enough to remember getting FREE samples of yellowbirds when you got on the ship. (Sovereign)
M

[Sue L]

[quote name='blackie50']I miss being able to tell my waiter that I want lemon for my water every night and coffee after dinner every night and have it appear automatically :(

Carolyln[/quote]


We made some specific requests and they were waiting for us every night there after. We had fantastic service.

[bridedoll1026]

~Banana Cream Pie & those small fruit tarts with the kiwi & berries on top!

[piercetc4]

so what is the johnny rockets coupon like now- small charge? or did it go away totally?

[GMoney]

[quote name='critterchick']The C&A books get worse with every printing. Two for one airbrushed tattoos? $5 off $25 of laundry on a three night cruise? A bloody Diamonds International coupon? Pretty soon the coupons will be as bad as the ones you see on Princess.
[/QUOTE]

Very well put.