$3.95 Service Charge for Room Service starting

[yesaccasey]

Just ONE more reason not to pick RCCL... Why would they even do this? It seems so petty...

[bchalker]

Just ONE more reason not to pick RCCL... Why would they even do this? It seems so petty...

 

Prob to get rid of the people that have a problem paying $3.95 for unlimited size order from room service.

[mel_gibson_]

To be honest, $4 is a drop in the bucket, and RCCL is obviously hoping you won't care. And the vast majority won't. The problem here is WHY they're doing it. It is no added expense to the cruise line for the waiter to bring you already-prepared food (which is what the late night room service menu consists of). They just want to pad their bottom line under the guise of it being an actual cost expenditure on their end. That is my problem with it.

 

The staff gets paid whether there is late night service or not. They get paid for working the contract length of their cruise, not the number of hours they work. In other words, RCCL's labor expenditure does not increase if there is more late-night room service.

 

I can understand where RCCL is coming from. It's a business decision, and I can respect that. The reality is, there will be less cruisers for the forseeable future due to the current state of the U.S. economy. So what they are doing is maximizing the number of dollars they can get from each cruiser. Yes, it's nickel and diming, but RCCL knows that 99.9% of their cruisers will still book a cruise with them in spite of this additional fee. But I'm the consumer, and I have the right to complain. :-)

[xpcdoojk]

But I'm the consumer, and I have the right to complain. :-)

 

Yes, and we have the right to ignore your complaint. Consider it ignored!:D

 

jc<---- cracks himself up:D;)

[honeycruise17]

My husband and I have only been on one cruise, we cruised the Med for our honeymoon last year and we ordered room service almost every night. We usually stay up til 2 or 3 am on vacations and weekends at home and we like to eat late. We never ordered a ton of stuff, it was just the 2 of us, usually a snack and we always tipped well. I don't really mind the fee that much because it's not a lot of money, but its just one more thing to pay a surcharge on. I hope the room service waiters don't lose a lot of business and still make nice tips! I worked at a restaurant that did room service because it was connected to a hotel. I found that MOST customers didn't tip us because they were already being charged the service charge.

[capnlars]

Just got off the Monarch this morning - there was no charge for room service during the night hours.

 

When we asked our room steward, he had no idea what we were talking about.

[moonlitmagik]

Exactly... it would be much more palatable if the effective date of this change started with sailings that have not yet reached their final payment deadline. That would be the honest way to treat the customers.

 

Theron

 

kind of like being in the 7th inning stretch and they change the rules on you, huh?

[kooljamming]

Exactly... it would be much more palatable if the effective date of this change started with sailings that have not yet reached their final payment deadline. That would be the honest way to treat the customers.

 

Theron

 

So true, but people still whined and complained about the fuel surcharge even before final payment. Maybe RCCL figured the whiners were born to whine, so it really doesn't matter. We teach people how to treat us. Many have taught the crusieline that they are going to whine and complain whenever they exercise their right to change any part of their business practice. Change is not palatable to some people no matter when it happens. I am sure that there are people complaining that haven't even booked as yet:D

[Bassnote_1]

My FEEt deFEEt any room service FEE:D I've always been able to find food when I am awake, so room service is no issue for ME!!

 

Fee away! Don't like it, don't order it.

[iluvkst]

Yes, and we have the right to ignore your complaint. Consider it ignored!:D

 

jc<---- cracks himself up:D;)

 

..now that wasn't very nice! :o

[Toddcan]

To me, it's the principle of the thing.

 

Sure, $3.95 is not bad, considering it includes a tip. If I am sailing with my wife, and it's just the 2 of us, and we get hungry after midnight and want to order room service, then pfft.. what's $7.90 including tip.. nothing really..

 

Here is where I have a problem with it. What's next? If we accept these changes, then the boardrooms at RCI will surely think of something else to charge for.

 

How about this:

1. Charging you $2.95 to take an elevator instead of walking. After all.. if you don't want to pay for it, don't take it.

2. Charging $15.95 to drink anything but tap water. After all, if you want to drink lemonade, then pay for it. Don't want to? Fine, then just drink water.

3. Charging $4.95 for the deluxe cesear salad. This one comes with anchoives, and fresh ground pepper. Don't worry, the free cesear salad will still be offered on the menu.

4. Charging $29.95 for preferred seating at the pool. After all, if you don't want to pay for it, heck, sit in the many other deck chairs available.

5. Charging $6.95 pp to view the ice show. No biggie if you don't want to pay, just don't go.

 

You get my point. In my opinion, it's a slippery slope if we let the cruiselines think that nickle and diming us is acceptable. It's the principle of the thing. Remember the $14.95 steak poll? the overwhelming majority were against it..why? Because they said "dinning room menu should not include ANY for-pay items". Very few said "$14.95 is too much to pay for a steak".

[bajathree]

Just got off the Monarch this morning - there was no charge for room service during the night hours.

 

When we asked our room steward, he had no idea what we were talking about.

 

I can also confirm that as I was on the same cruise and my wife had pizza delivered after midnight.

[readytolose]

 

Sure, $3.95 is not bad, considering it includes a tip. If I am sailing with my wife, and it's just the 2 of us, and we get hungry after midnight and want to order room service, then pfft.. what's $7.90 including tip.. nothing really..

 

 

The charge is per order, not per person.

[nbsjcruiser]

I think they should charge all day for room service. Maybe it will cut down on traffic and the room service people will not be so overwhelmed (as they always seem to be).

 

$3.95 with gratuity included is nothing.

 

But you already paid for it, well at least up until now. Nickels and dimes. RCI is starting to figure out what many credit card companies and banks have known for years. Charge a little fee here, a little fee there and nobody will notice. But it all adds up. I for one do not mind paying for a quality product but I absolutely despise being nickled and dimed at every turn. RCI already added an additional charge for a "better steak" in the dining room and now this. So while neither one of those 2 things may affect you its a foot in the door. Once the door is opened (as it is now) it'll be a rainstorm of fees for little things.

 

You'd think the economy was firing on all cylinders. Amazing.

[todareistodo]

I think the bigger issue is people ordering more food than they need or ordering for the sake of ordering room service, and than not tipping.

I (17 yr old boy) have heard other teens (and adults!!) bragging about how much they ordered, than the look of the attendent who didnt get a tip.

Just protecting their workers from idiots

[Ocean Boy]

I think the bigger issue is people ordering more food than they need or ordering for the sake of ordering room service, and than not tipping.

I (17 yr old boy) have heard other teens (and adults!!) bragging about how much they ordered, than the look of the attendent who didnt get a tip.

Just protecting their workers from idiots

 

No fee is going to do that. The only way to protect their workers is to not let the idiots on the ship in the first place. RCI is neither interested in doing that nor protecting their workers from those idiots.

[cruisinMike]

I think the bigger issue is people ordering more food than they need or ordering for the sake of ordering room service, and than not tipping.

I (17 yr old boy) have heard other teens (and adults!!) bragging about how much they ordered, than the look of the attendent who didnt get a tip.

Just protecting their workers from idiots

 

Actually if they really wanted to address waste, it wouldn't be in the relatively small amount of waste generated by room service. They would address it in the WJ and MDR where most of the food waste occurs.

 

As I have previously suggested to keep our base cruise fare low, charge for the second entree, desert, soup, etc in the MDR. Perhaps issue tokens that are traded in for a plate in the WJ. If you don't have a token, it's an additional charge for the second plate.

 

As far as tips, how does the RS charge affect those in the dining room that aren't tipped routinely.

 

I really am amazed at how some folks try to reason this out for poor old RCI

[Rancher Dave]

Didn't see the actual charge level on the cruise, but saw that during late night hours there were charges, at least for selected items. I was asleep or not in need of food in those hours anyhow.

[xpcdoojk]

I really am surprised at how many individual posters here at CC KNOW more about the waste, the operation, and their business plan than the cruiseline. Read enough stuff posted here and you get a really distorted view of reality. When opinions are substitutes for facts you end up with... this thread.

 

jc

[Tranquil Waters]

I really am surprised at how many individual posters here at CC KNOW more about the waste, the operation, and their business plan than the cruiseline. Read enough stuff posted here and you get a really distorted view of reality. When opinions are substitutes for facts you end up with... this thread.

 

jc

 

I think DW's pain is making jc a cranky poster. :D

[bike1964]

No you will not be charged the $3.95 RS fee. That would be that Galley Tour surcharge of $9.95. :D

 

Sweet!!

 

Here's the big question? if I order before midnight and the food gets there after midnight, do I still pay!!!;)

[kasowell2]

Just got off the Monarch this morning - there was no charge for room service during the night hours.

 

When we asked our room steward, he had no idea what we were talking about.

I'm not disputing what the poster said but in the book in the room there was a mention of a late night service charge. So the poster is probably correct but from what I found out on the Monarch is that a lot of people don't exaclty know what is going on on their own ship.

[pmshirl]

Sweet!!

 

Here's the big question? if I order before midnight and the food gets there after midnight, do I still pay!!!;)

 

Maybe you can do a Barter trade and work the Room Service Phone and get FREE Room Service 24/7!:D

[jstweed]

The new late night room service fee is fine by me since I'd never ever order food that late anyway. I think they are doing it to curb all the waistful late night drunken munchie fests. We have never used the room service ever in 6 cruises. Never had a need for it with all the dinning options all over the place on board. Maybe we'll have to try it next time.

[patnolen]

This subject seems to be getting a lot of attention and I can't believe that so many people actually use the service during those hours! On the voyager class ships you can find food late at night in the Promenade. And how many of you think nothing of spending hundreds of dollars on alcohol or gambling and are going to gripe about 3.95 for a service that you probably don't even use!