Is there an extra charge for Ben & Jerry's?? What about Seattle's Best?

[mohavemommy]

Is there an extra charge for Ben & Jerry's?? What about Seattle's Best?:confused:

[Melanie H]

Hi, Just returned form the explorer and there was a charge for ben and jerry's. On the explorer they had a 24 hour ice cream machine. Thats what i did if i wanted ice cream.

[Alexis]

Yes, there is a charge for the Seattle coffee. I got a large non fat flavored Latte, once or twice a day on the Enchantment 2 years ago. At that time it cost me $4.31 per cup which included the tip.

Last year on the Brilliance, the coffee bar was $4.32 for a 16 oz. Latte with flavoring. That also included the tip.

[Jim M]

No charge for coffee - regular and decaf. There is a charge for the specialty coffees.

 

Jim

[Sophie]

How much for the Ben and Jerry's ice cream?

[bUU]

I seem to remember paying a lot more than that for the espresso beverages. Something like $4 for a 6 oz (not 16 oz) latte. This was last month on Majesty of the Seas.

[mickeycrz03]

How much for the Ben and Jerry's ice cream?

 

We were on the Mariner on 11/7/04. I was a little disappointed in the Ben & Jerry's ice cream. 1 teeny tiny scoop (about 1/4 of what you would get at most ice cream places) was $2.50 plus tax. I thought I had my final bill right here so I could give you exact figures but can't put my hands on it. Maybe I was just one of the unfortunate ones and the person working that day didn't understand how much one scoop should have been. I know I could have spoken up but just took my ice cream and walked away with a smile on my face because I was on "vacation."

[mohavemommy]

1 teeny tiny scoop (about 1/4 of what you would get at most ice cream places) was $2.50 plus tax.

well that stinks! :eek:

[stillfrantic]

No charge for coffee - regular and decaf. There is a charge for the specialty coffees.

 

Jim

Hooray for good, free coffee. I wouldn't know what an expresso or latte was if it hit me in the head. I like coffee.....just coffee.:p

[Sophie]

We were on the Mariner on 11/7/04. I was a little disappointed in the Ben & Jerry's ice cream. 1 teeny tiny scoop (about 1/4 of what you would get at most ice cream places) was $2.50 plus tax. I thought I had my final bill right here so I could give you exact figures but can't put my hands on it. Maybe I was just one of the unfortunate ones and the person working that day didn't understand how much one scoop should have been. I know I could have spoken up but just took my ice cream and walked away with a smile on my face because I was on "vacation."

If that's the case, I guess I won't be spending my money there...

[Ericknow32]

To much commercialization. What next McDonalds

[bUU]

What's wrong with commercialism? It's arguably preferable to the depravity of gambling and drinking evident on cruise ships, with the context of certain legitimate personal belief systems, eh?

[Ericknow32]

What's wrong with commercialism? It's arguably preferable to the depravity of gambling and drinking evident on cruise ships, with the context of certain legitimate personal belief systems, eh?

Everything commercialized has a charge. The cruise line can make things internally and give it away for free or at a reduced rate. But no, they outsource the products and wham we have to pay for the product the company name and who knows what else.

[bUU]

Everything in a capitalist economy has a charge.

 

You're confounding two different issues: Outsourcing and surcharging. They're actually not related. After all, on RCI, they "make" dinner at Portofinos "internally" but passengers have to "pay for the product" -- $20 per person.

 

Outsourcing is a strong tool, especially when the outsource supplier specializes in the product or service, or in some other way can provide something that the principal supplier cannot. In the case of Johnny Rockets, for example, RCI cannot provide the excitement of this trendy, hip brand, "internally" -- Johnny Rockets provides value-added in that it promotes and builds up its brand-image, which captures people's imagination and therefore delivers them value that they cannot get from a brand that has no brand-image (like "Seaview Cafe").

 

As I pointed out above, surcharging is completely unrelated to outsourcing. The cruise line surcharges for many things that are not outsourced, and probably outsources many things that it does not surcharge for (and we'll never know, if all goes well).

 

Back to the issue of commercialism: In a nutshell, the American Dream is built on commerce. Condemning it seems ill-advised.

[Alexis]

Your quote:

I seem to remember paying a lot more than that for the espresso beverages. Something like $4 for a 6 oz (not 16 oz) latte. This was last month on Majesty of the Seas.

************************************************************

Please re read my posting where it says 2 years ago and last year. Things do go up in price. Besides, I have my receipts from those cruises and use them as a guide for my future cruises for my expenses. That is what they say, including the size of the cup. :D

[Ericknow32]

Back to the issue of commercialism: In a nutshell, the American Dream is built on commerce. Condemning it seems ill-advised.

The ships are not American. They are Bahamian.

 

If your ok paying a lot more for stuff that was at one point free. I guess thats you.

[bUU]

And you have something against our friends the Bahamians striving for a bit of the American Dream themselves? That seems a little selfish. Regardless, the profits go to American companies, not Bahamian companies.

 

It isn't a matter of being okay with stuff. I'd rather you pay for your sodas, quite frankly, so I don't have to help pay for them. I'd rather you pay for your hamburgers, , so I don't have to help pay for them. Cut my fare down to just the things I use, just the things I do. My fare should not be artificially higher because of all the assorted and sundry things they throw into it that I won't use.

[codlips]

I thought rcl was a norwegian company?:confused:

[bUU]

From the Form 20-F:

 

Royal Caribbean International was founded in 1968. The current parent corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., was incorporated on July 23, 1985 in the Republic of Liberia under the Business Corporation Act of Liberia. The address of the principal executive offices is 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132; the telephone number is (305) 539-6000.

 

Florida is in the United States. :D

 

For many years, the ships were registered in Norway (which is a heck of a lot less expensive than being registered in the United States) but even that is now to end, with all the ships being registered in the Bahamas. That means that the ships have to comply with the laws of the Bahamas, for things like labor relations and ship maintenance. However, corporate governance is strictly American, and the officers of the corporation are all Americans, as are most of the members of the Board of Directors.

[dwbuzzard]

Whenever I sign up for a cruise it's advertised as all inclusive. We all know that drinks are extra...even soda. Coffee is included but wait, you can buy better coffee. same goes for ice cream, and Portfinos. Last discussion was about charging extra for gormet meals each day. Every time you get an offer to buy extra the standard (included) gets reduced by quality and/or quantity. If a trip is inclusive then that's what it should be. If Ben & Jerrys is going to be available on board include it in the price, I'll bet it would not raise the price by more than a buck! Its just an opportunity to collect another fee, and tip. What's next hot tubs with warm water are free but if you want hot water theres a two dollar charge?

[codlips]

The history of Royal Caribbean

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Royal Caribbean was one of the founder members of the Miami cruise boom of the early 1970's. The company was the brainchild of American born Edwin Stephan. His idea was to create a brand new cruise line with 3 brand new ships, a sensible ideas which paid off. Stephan travelled to Norway to convince shipping magnates to come in with him and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines was born.

In 1969 the ships were ordered from Wartsila, Finland and on 7th November the following year the lead ship SONG OF NORWAY left Miami on her maiden voyage. Her sisters NORDIC PRINCE and SUN VIKING followed in 1971. Business boomed and in 1978 the SONG OF NORWAY was stretched to increase capacity by cutting her half and adding 26 metres to their length passenger capacity was increased by 164 cabins. The second ship NORDIC PRINCE was similarly treated 2 years later.

In 1982 the company took delivery of a 37,500 tonne purpose built cruise ship named SONG OF AMERICA. Built by the same yard that constructed the original three ships, the ship had a more substantial Viking Crown lounge which went all the way around the funnel and even had its own lift.

It was several years before new tonnage was to built for the company and when it came it came big. The lead of a three ship series, the SOVEREIGN OF THE SEAS has a gross tonnage of 73,162 making her the largest in the world. In 1988 that was a major new build. Two ships followed named MAJESTY OF THE SEAS and MONARCH OF THE SEAS.

These big three ships continue in Caribbean service. In Summer 1990 the company took delivery of the NORDIC EMPRESS, the first ship ever specifically designed for 3/4 day cruises. Further new tonnage came in the late 1990's with 6 cruise ships entering service expanding the companies cruise network outside of the Caribbean. With this in mind the company changed its name to Royal Caribbean International. The new ships were built by 2 builders, Wartsila and for the first time the French Chantiers de l'Atlantique. They were built as follows

NameTonnagePaxBuildersDeliveredEnchantment of the Seas74,0002,440Masa Yards, Finland9/97Grandeur of the Seas74,0002,440Masa Yards, Finland12/96Legend of the Seas71,0002,064Chantiers de l'Atlantique5/95Rhapsody of the Seas79,0002,435Chantiers de l'Atlantique4/97Splendour of the Seas71,0002,064Chantiers de l'Atlantique3/96Vision of the Seas79,0002,435Chantiers de l'Atlantique4/98

With 9 super ships in service the original 3 were phased out. The second ship NORDIC PRINCE was sold in 1997 to Airtours followed by SONG OF NORWAY the following year and SUN VIKING in 1999/2000. Also to go was the SONG OF AMERICA which was sold again to Airtours for $100,000,000.

By the time the last new build was delivered Royal Caribbean the company had ordered two more series of ships in Germany and Finland. Project Eagle is the code name given to the bigger of the two series, these 140,000 tonne ships will number 5 in total when they are all delivered. The lead ships VOYAGER OF THE SEAS was delivered in November 1999 for Caribbean Cruising.

The other program of new builds will see 4 ships of 90,000 tonnes. Code named Project Vantage the lead ship of this series was the RADIANCE OF THE SEAS delivered in May 2001. By the time all the current new buildings are delivered the fleet will consist of 18 vessels.

It was not just new buildings which Royal Caribbean have used to grow their empire. Their one and only second hand ship VIKING SERENADE was delivered to Los Angeles for 3/4 day cruises in 1990 after a $75,000,000 refit to totally transform the one time cruise ferry. VIKING SERENADE will transfer to the new company Island in 2002 as ISLAND ESCAPE. Island is a joint venture with the British tour operator Fist Choice in which RCI have a financial interest.

In Mid 1997 RCI bought Celebrity Cruises from the Greek Chandris lines and have built the company up by adding 4 new buildings to the 5 strong 5* fleet they acquired. Celebrity is considered RCI's permium brand and it show in the quality of the tonnage deployed.

 

 

 

[bUU]

Whenever I sign up for a cruise it's advertised as all inclusive.

I've only booked three cruises (one Oberoi, and two Royal Caribbean) but I've booked a cruise that was advertised as all-inclusive. I just did a quick check, and indeed, the term "all inclusive" is never used in any of the advertising on Royal Caribbean's web site. I think you must be thinking of some other cruise line.

 

If a trip is inclusive then that's what it should be.

I agree completely. Royal Caribbean doesn't offer all-inclusive cruises.

[dwbuzzard]

You're right, they don't, but the travel agents do. They don't try to mislead they tell you up front that your meals and certain beverages are included. Liquor and certain ammenities are extra. The point is some people get disappointed when they expect one thing and get another. I've been on enough trips to know how it works, but I don't have to like it. I've seen people when boarding arguing that they don't have to give a credit card, "for what? everything is included I wont need any money" is a standard argument. I see it everytime, every trip. I'm sorry we don't agree but it bothers me to see families on their first cruise telling kids, thats not included, we did'nt plan for that. How much ice cream do you think a kid can eat in a week? Think how much extra that is. Got kids? It's just those small things that lessen a trip.

[bUU]

You're right, they don't, but the travel agents do.

Sounds like you're working with some unscrupulous travel agents. I'd be careful, though, about making a generalization like this. There are many, many honest travel agents, who do not misrepresent the product they're selling. My travel agent, for example, was up-front and honest, and gave no indication that could have been even misconstrued as saying cruises are anything close to all-inclusive.

 

The point is some people get disappointed when they expect one thing and get another.

Precisely right. The question you need to ask is where do such expectations come from, and then if it is necessary to assess responsibility for the unfulfilled unfounded expectations, be sure to place such responsibility where the fault lies. In this case, clearly, Royal Caribbean is not responsible for those unfounded expectations.

 

I've been on enough trips to know how it works, but I don't have to like it.

Also very true. Commerce is a negotiation between what someone is willing to offer, and what someone is willing to accept. If no one is willing to offer what you want, or you are unwilling to accept the offers that do meet your specifications because they're too expensive or otherwise don't meet your needs, then that is unfortunate. However, it is not uncommon, actually, for consumers to want what no one is willing to offer for sale.

[dwbuzzard]

I said that they don't try to mislead they just don't list services and goods one by one. They can't and i understand. The statements are made as a generalization, not specific to me. I don't need specialty ice cream, should stay away from it anyway. Point is to keep adding the little extras that cost is a pain in the butt. I buy drink cards so I don't have to keep signing to my seapass, just punch the card. I'm there to relax, I enjoy walking upto the dining room and having dinner and then walking away. Sometimes I feel like a tv commercial, you know, but wait theres more!!! you can have this coffee for free but for $4.00 more you can have this coffee. You can have this ice cream, but wait for $5.00 more you can have this. If I want the coffee, ice cream or whatever I'll buy it, I just find it annoying that trivial things like this cost extra. As I said earlier just include it in the price. How many cups do they sell vs how many people on board, average it in just like they do with everything else.