Dining Issues...Explorer to Alaska May 20-27

We are currently visiting Alaska on RC Explorer of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean desperately needs to evaluate its food and beverage program on this ship. There are so many issues that it's one of the most common topics of discussion among the passengers. That's never a good sign.

Some of my personal experiences with the dining program over the past 3 days:

1. There was not enough seating our first full day at sea in the Windjammer for lunch. The dining manager made an announcement over the PA system asking people to eat and leave so that others could sit down. There are many ways to hurry people along that still convey courtesy and professionalism. This announcement was astonishing and completely inappropriate.

2. We have ordered creme brûlée at dinner 3 nights in a row. Each time, the flavor and presentation has been different. Because it is a daily offering, this should be an easy dish to prepare with consistency.

3. Twice I've ordered steak rare and it's been med-well/well. I don't have a huge preference, but if this has happened to me both times I've ordered steak, it's a process issue.

4. Two mornings we have been among the first people at breakfast in the Windjammer. I have had to clean our seating area both times. It's never good to have your customers have to clean their table, but to be the first ones and find food residue is unacceptable.

5. The 24 hour Promenade dining area does not have any sort of "breakfast" offerings available for those who wake early. Because of the time differential here in Alaska, there are many people going down 2-3 hours before breakfast is served. The only food available is sandwiches. It makes no sense not to have a light fruit or pastry during the early morning hours.

6. The Coke Freestyle machines have a *lot* of issues. RC and Coca-Cola are aware of the problem and there will be a Coke technician from Atlanta on the next sailing to address the problems. Having said that, those on *this* sailing who bought drink packages are rightly upset to not have access to what they paid for.

7. My husband was charged for items which should have been covered under his beverage plan. While this isn't a *huge* deal, it meant I had to stand in line at customer service *twice* to get these charges fixed.

Our dinner mates have their own frustrating experiences. These are process/systems issues which needs to be evaluated and corrected. I am easy-going but the value perception on this particular sailing is not conducive to encouraging me to chose Royal Caribbean as my go-to cruise line.

On the upside, the scenery here in Alaska is beautiful and our Captain and his crew have done an amazing job maneuvering this ship. It's actually been awe-inspiring to watch how adeptly they can move such a huge vessel. We literally turned 180 degrees this morning (a pivot turn) and inched into the dock. We have met service personnel (Linci at Starbuck, Dexter the Coke Freestyle guy, and Hendry our room steward) who have really gone way beyond to be helpful and friendly. They have greatly enhanced our onboard experience and been wonderful ambassadors for Royal Caribbean.

1. There was not enough seating our first full day at sea in the Windjammer for lunch. The dining manager made an announcement over the PA system asking people to eat and leave so that others could sit down. There are many ways to hurry people along that still convey courtesy and professionalism. This announcement was astonishing and completely inappropriate...

Just so you know, this is completely normal and has occurred on EVERY one of our cruises. The Windjammer is the "go-to" place to eat on embarkation day, and because the cabins are not ready until 1 or 1:30, some passengers tend to sit and lounge, thus taking up spaces where others would like to sit and eat their lunch. I'm sorry you felt it was "astonishing and completely inappropriate", but as I said, it is completely normal. Curious as to what alternative would you suggest? I have seen signs on the tables saying the same thing, but no one pays attention. Perhaps if passengers would be courteous and move along after they finish, it wouldn't be such an issue. :o

I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

.

The Explorer is a mess right now. We just did the 4 day last week and it was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. Tons of new staff and a lot of general incompetence. It was definitely the subject of a lot of conversations and consensus was it was not normal at all. I'm sorry to hear the issues are continuing. :(

I think launching two VERY big new ships in the last few months may be taking its toll on the rest of the fleet with lots of new staff in all departments. There seems to be larger than normal reports of issues of overworked, undertrained, rude and or clueless staff fleetwide right now. I'm sorry your cruise is less than spectacular from a food and service perspective.

The Explorer is a mess right now. We just did the 4 day last week and it was some of the worst food I have ever eaten. Tons of new staff and a lot of general incompetence. It was definitely the subject of a lot of conversations and consensus was it was not normal at all. I'm sorry to hear the issues are continuing. :(

Totally agree as I was on the 4 day too.

OP....No excuse for the soft drink dispensers they were not working on our cruise, this should have been resolved when in port last Friday.

So glad to hear you r enjoying the scenery...did u know u had a singing Captain...?

I did a South Pacific cruise on Explorer at the end of March out of Sydney. We were very disappointed with the quality of food in the Sapphire Dining Room....I'd rate it maybe a 3 out of 10 and had expected to get nicer meals than I could cook myself at home.

Windjammer was also really busy on our first couple of lunches but improved as the cruise went on, hopefully it will for you too. It was predictable buffet fare, hit and miss most of the time......the dukkah chicken and pork schnitzel were delicious if you happen to see them. Lots to choose from each day, but not much variation from one day to the next.....eg. same types of desserts each day at lunch, same pastries at breakfast day after day. It all became a bit predictable unfortunately. Omelettes were good at breakfast and the lady taking the orders for them every day was lovely, as were all of the other staff we came accross.

Coke Freestyle machines were hit and miss on our cruise as well....sometimes out of order or not dispensing certain drinks.....bar staff filled my Coke cup a couple of times.

On the whole we enjoyed the cruise and could only really fault the food. I hope things improve for you and I'm glad you are enjoying the scenery in Alaska......... I'm very jealous, I'd love to cruise there one day.

Regards

Melissa

Agree that the WJ is always ridiculous at the beginning of every cruise. It tends to be the default food location until folks get settled.

Different presentation of the creme brulee seems as though they are trying to make it interesting since it is a daily offering.

I'm wondering if anyone else has gotten rare steaks on board. Wondering if it's deemed a health issue?

Coke machines can be dicey at times, but the bar staff will always fill your cup with no problem.

I understand the frustration at the Promenade not having breakfast items, but it's impossible for every ship to adjust operations for those coming from other time zones.

We are on the sailing next week so I'll be interested to see how things are.

I was not clear. It was not embarkation day. It was lunch the first full day at sea. And even the very seasoned cruisers on our ship are less-than-thrilled with the atmosphere.

If you need to turn tables, you do it personally, table by table. You do not make an announcement that to paying customers that they're inconveniencing other guests by partaking of 15 minutes of sitting...which, by the way, I wasn't as I gave my chair to a young mother with children and stood to eat.

Alaska is amazing! If you're headed this way, make sure to bring binoculars (ours are at home) and plenty of layers. The scenery is phenomenal. We've seen brown and black bear from our cabin as well as a couple eagles and all kinds of marine life. This cruise ruined Caribbean cruising for me forever. Every moment of every day is just spectacular. Our Captain and his crew have been awesome...I don't know if it's corporate policy but he rotated our ship for quite a while at the glacier (fjord day) so that everyone got great views.

The food and beverage program needs a Six Sigma Black Belt to evaluate and fix it *now*. All four of the couples at our dinner table happen to be in the food and beverage industry. One is the comptroller at a large resort (9 restaurants and 4 hotels), one is an exec at Coke, one is in sales for a Sysco type company and one works for McDonalds. I'm not a complainer...the food and beverage portion of this sailing are a mess!

I was not clear. It was not embarkation day. It was lunch the first full day at sea. And even the very seasoned cruisers on our ship are less-than-thrilled with the atmosphere.

 

If you need to turn tables, you do it personally, table by table. You do not make an announcement that to paying customers that they're inconveniencing other guests by partaking of 15 minutes of sitting...which, by the way, I wasn't as I gave my chair to a young mother with children and stood to eat.

These announcements are totally normal. I'm sorry you're offended by them, but I'm sure they're not doing it rudely. Also, the announcements are directed at folks who choose to sit around a chat for 20 minutes after their meal, or even worse, start playing a card game.

Wow...if announcements like that are totally normal I guess I've been living under a rock for the past 50 years...as have our fellow passengers. I vote with my money. Maybe Royal Caribbean just isn't the line for us. I'm not much on paying money to be treated like cattle on a feed lot.

And I don't think it's unreasonable to anticipate a pastry offering at 5 or 6 a.m. cruise ship time. Call me crazy, but how many over 20s eat subs during breakfast hours?

I am truly sorry you are having food issues...I do however find it sad that you are on here for 3 hours instead of out enjoying yourself on your cruise. I hope you will get out there and have fun instead of on CC about an announcement. I will GLADLY change places with you!!!

Wow...if announcements like that are totally normal I guess I've been living under a rock for the past 50 years...as have our fellow passengers. I vote with my money. Maybe Royal Caribbean just isn't the line for us. I'm not much on paying money to be treated like cattle on a feed lot.

 

And I don't think it's unreasonable to anticipate a pastry offering at 5 or 6 a.m. cruise ship time. Call me crazy, but how many over 20s eat subs during breakfast hours?

Its not like they're trying to kick you out because they don't feel like working anymore...The whole point of the announcements in the first place is an attempt to eliminate crowding.

PS...I meant that announcements like these are normal on cruise ships, well at least on some Royal Caribbean ships. They're not trying to be rude...they can't win either way.

While not an excuse, one has to remember that this is the first time Explorer has been to Alaska and very likely has had a large turnover of staff. It will take a few sailings to get right.

Biker, who hopes they get it right by next May when he'll be on the same cruise.

It's really sad that the dining issues persist. I was on the 4 day PNW cruise prior and thought perhaps we were being short changed since it was just a sampler cruise. The crème brulee was a gloppy mess, the prime rib was thin and overdone, and the melon at breakfast in the WJ had been frozen. I was on Explorer in 2012 Bayonne to E Caribbean and don't remember it being this bad. OTOH, the Royal Promenade, rock wall, ice rink, and Flowrider were fun.

Wow...if announcements like that are totally normal I guess I've been living under a rock for the past 50 years...as have our fellow passengers. I vote with my money. Maybe Royal Caribbean just isn't the line for us. I'm not much on paying money to be treated like cattle on a feed lot.

 

And I don't think it's unreasonable to anticipate a pastry offering at 5 or 6 a.m. cruise ship time. Call me crazy, but how many over 20s eat subs during breakfast hours?

I think those defending it don't realize how bad the food and service on Explorer are right now. I read the issues you identified as examples of a much bigger problem on that boat. You're not wrong about Cafe Promenade - I couldn't believe the sparse offerings. If last week had been my first cruise, I would never cruise again.

Biker, as long as you don't cruise for a dining experience, you will have a fabulous time. Nothing beats the scenery and wildlife. It's fabulous!!!! Skagway and Juneau are both easily accessed by walking and there are plenty of things to do in both places. We've hiked in both locales.

And JMH, honestly, everyone's entitled to their opinion...and making whatever assumptions float their life rafts... My hope is that RC will read this feedback and integrate it to enhance future cruisers experiences.

Now, back to work...and whale watching...at the same time. Life doesn't get much better than this.

just so you know, this is completely normal and has occurred on every one of our cruises. The windjammer is the "go-to" place to eat on embarkation day, and because the cabins are not ready until 1 or 1:30, some passengers tend to sit and lounge, thus taking up spaces where others would like to sit and eat their lunch. I'm sorry you felt it was "astonishing and completely inappropriate", but as i said, it is completely normal. Curious as to what alternative would you suggest? I have seen signs on the tables saying the same thing, but no one pays attention. Perhaps if passengers would be courteous and move along after they finish, it wouldn't be such an issue. :o

 

i hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

.

+1 :)

Biker, as long as you don't cruise for a dining experience, you will have a fabulous time. Nothing beats the scenery and wildlife. It's fabulous!!!! Skagway and Juneau are both easily accessed by walking and there are plenty of things to do in both places. We've hiked in both locales.

 

And JMH, honestly, everyone's entitled to their opinion...and making whatever assumptions float their life rafts... My hope is that RC will read this feedback and integrate it to enhance future cruisers experiences.

 

Now, back to work...and whale watching...at the same time. Life doesn't get much better than this.

If you want Royal Caribbean to read your feedback, this is not the place.

End of cruise survey

Email to Customer Relations

Speaking to the appropriate officer on the ship

I think those defending it don't realize how bad the food and service on Explorer are right now.

I totally agree with you on this. I too was on the 4 day cruise and cannot believe how horrible the food issue was on that cruise. On embarkment day, waiting in line to get into the Windjammer for an hour all to be served only hotdogs, hamburgers, and french fries. I guess we are lucky we didn't have a problem finding a sit once we FINALLY got into the Windjammer.

Normally when I cruise, I eat so much fruit because it is fresh and yummy. I swear all of their fruit was frozen.

This was only my 2nd time on Royal and it will be my last. I did not have a good experience the first time, but decided to give them another shot. What an expensive mistake I made since we booked a suite.

I was in the Alaska sailing this week as well. The food wasn't the best I'd ever had but our staff was amazing (from waitstaff to our steward, to the kids club and ice skating staff).

Was my first time on RCI, and the staff was great and my kids cried getting off the ship because they enjoyed it that much!

I have to agree with most of the issues described on Explorer.

We did B2B in February.

It would rate as our most disappointing cruises.

We won't consider EX for a year or two, when hopefully the problems have been addressed. Confirmed, for us, that we don't like the bigger ships.

Fortunately there are other ships to choose from.:D

We will miss our favourite singing Captain.:(

If you don't want to go to WJ at embarkation, what are your other choices? On Celebrity we go to the Mast Grill for burgers.

Beth

If you don't want to go to WJ at embarkation, what are your other choices? On Celebrity we go to the Mast Grill for burgers.

Beth

Cafe Promenade, small sandwiches and pizza slices.

Wow...if announcements like that are totally normal I guess I've been living under a rock for the past 50 years...as have our fellow passengers. I vote with my money. Maybe Royal Caribbean just isn't the line for us. I'm not much on paying money to be treated like cattle on a feed lot.

And I don't think it's unreasonable to anticipate a pastry offering at 5 or 6 a.m. cruise ship time. Call me crazy, but how many over 20s eat subs during breakfast hours?

Fed like Cattle? YOU ARE IN A BUFFET THATS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS!!!!!

there are plenty of other food venues on the explorer...

also... YES the announcement is very normal. Especially the first couple days at sea, and as others have said, It's usually very polite. "and good afternoon ladies and gentleman, we kindly ask that after you finish your meal you exit the windjammer to give others a chance to sit down" I dont really think that's unreasonable......

I dont think I have ever seen a breakfast offering in cafe promenade... It's not what they do... Your complaining like you have tons of experience with these ships, and yet everything you are describing is 100% normal ?? So there is no excuse for bad food ( and everyone knows the sweets on RCCL are horrible) However, to claim to understand what the norm is and then complain about it when you get the norm? OMG

...everyone knows the sweets on RCCL are horrible...

If true, this is probably a good thing for me ;) I've been told to reduce my sweets consumption and that is difficult when there is always the opportunity for a delicious dessert with ice cream :p

Originally posted by clarea

Cafe Promenade, small sandwiches and pizza slices.

Thanks Clarea. Something for everyone in our family.:)

Originally posted by mv13

We were very disappointed with the quality of food in the Sapphire Dining Room....I'd rate it maybe a 3 out of 10 and had expected to get nicer meals than I could cook myself at home.

My expectations are lower. I expect to get the kind of food served at a big wedding, after all they are serving a few thousand people on the ship. At home you are serving 2 or so. Our food at home is far superior to any ship food we've found, but then my husband is an excellent cook and I'm not bad. And since we are retired we have time to prepare it. We don't go out to eat because we aren't willing to spend the kind of money required to get better food. I mean Daniel can cost several hundred for two people. But the food is better, or so I've heard.

Originally posted by indamama

Biker, as long as you don't cruise for a dining experience, you will have a fabulous time. Nothing beats the scenery and wildlife. It's fabulous!!!! Skagway and Juneau are both easily accessed by walking and there are plenty of things to do in both places. We've hiked in both locales.

We aren't Biker, but we cruise for the itinerary, the chance to unpack once and still see lots of interesting places or scenery. I don't consider the cost of food to be part of it. It is the moving bedroom that we are paying for. The standard food and entertainment are thrown in for free. That way I don't feel I must eat at every opportunity, nor do I feel I must go to every show. It helps me be less critical. :rolleyes: I hope anyway.

We will be on Explorer on the 7 day Alaska cruise the last week in June, so I'll hope the problems have been solved.

Beth