What cutbacks have you noticed since you started cruising?

I don't see the elaborate midnight buffet ( perhaps it was just a Carnival thing which we haven't cruised in years) anymore and I miss smoking cigars up on the bow or far forward on the ship (not allowed).

Folks are often commenting on how cruising has changed over the years so I was curious what changes other readers have seen in this industry

Parading of baked Alaska's will real flames.

No more midnight buffets (I remember them on Royal Caribbean up until around 2008/2009).

Most cruise lines did away with chocolates on the pillows - not Princess.

Formal nights for some cruise lines, or (not to start a debate) enforcement of dress code in general.

Receiving multiple entrees... used to, the waiters would just bring out two lobsters for the men at the table (specifically Royal Caribbean 2001), but now it seems a little unordinary to order more than one of the same dish.

Baked Alaska parade, but not sure if that's a cut back per Se.

Pillow chocolates.

Shampoo and body wash in bottles

I've seen changes and adaptation to a changing market more than cutbacks. Prices, at least on Princess, are lower now than they were twenty years ago.

Back in the early 90's, there was only fixed seating and dress was strictly enforced. On a seven night cruise, you might have three formal (definitely evening gown and tux), three semi-formal (more like today's formal) and smart casual. Gentlemen were required to wear a jacket and tie. They'd be turned away if they weren't dressed appropriately. Dinners were at least 2-3 hours long with separate salad and pasta courses.

As far back as I remember, the Princess buffet was open 24/7. Don't remember a midnight buffet but there were dessert extravaganzas at lunch on sea days with whole sections of the buffet set up with cakes, pies and other goodies. Is it a "cutback" that the buffet now closes at 11pm? Maybe. I see it as good business practice. Few people went after 11pm and the food waste and crew time doing nothing cost you and me money.

Back in the early 80's on Royal Caribbean, if you had early dinner seating, you also had early breakfast seating. You snoozed, you loose.

I could go on but cruising has changed as has the demographic. The times, they are a-changing.

Towels round the pool,you virtually have to beg for your second towel of the day,and then guard it with your life.

Which is not worth it because they are shabby,shabby,shabby,threadbare,faded,pieces of cloth.

Apart from that ,maybe the food has declined in quality or maybe our expectations are greater.

Entertaiment has declined,or maybe again our expectations are greater.

3 cruises over 10 years,with 4th coming up and its still a wonderful experience.:):)

Oh the times certainly are a changing.

The HAL midnight buffet had two lines.

One for eating and a second for taking photos.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

rarely do you see cruise fare including air except on expensive lines.

Use to be able to bring wine on board and paying corking and sometimes no corking fee was charged.

Cocktail parties aboard for repeat passengers were with real cocktails... lol.

Sterling Steakhouse used to be part of the main dining option and never had a surcharge at all. In fact steaks were a regular on the menu in the main dining room.

French service by white gloved wait staff at dinner in the dining room.

Air fare included in the price of the cruise. In some cases, all the passengers would be flown to central airports (i.e.; Miami for cruises starting at a Caribbean port) where there would be a special lounge with a buffet available.

Chartered aircraft would be used to take the passengers to the port city. Food service would be first class with wine.

The luggage that was checked at your home city was not to be seen again until it was delivered to your cabin on board ship.

Adequate public space on board ship for the number of passengers. There was no need to worry about the availability of deck chairs (one was put out for you when requested - no early morning chair hog saving). No need to worry about reservations months before your cruise for on board dining and entertainment.

I also remember French service. I like the new style of service better--more choices. If I see a side dish I want that comes with a different main dish, I can ask for a portion on the side.

I remember when there wasn't a charge for specialty coffees in the dining room. The change happened on Princess in 2003, in between our Alaskan cruise in July and a Caribbean one in December. A decade earlier, on our Royal Caribbean cruises, they used to include soft drinks with no additional charge in the dining room.

Our first time trying a specialty restaurant was the Painted Desert on the Golden Princess in 2002. The cost was $8, I believe, and included a margarita. The menu was Tex-Mex and included some steaks.

I miss the brunch that used to be served at Sabatini's. It was a seafood extravaganza plus the usual brunch menu items and unlimited mimosas. The cost was $15. We enjoyed that on the Star Princess in 2003.

rarely do you see cruise fare including air except on expensive lines.

 

Use to be able to bring wine on board and paying corking and sometimes no corking fee was charged.

 

Cocktail parties aboard for repeat passengers were with real cocktails... lol.

Princess still lets you bring unlimited wine on board. First two bottles are free. You pay $15 corkage on any additional ones.

Parading of baked Alaska's will real flames.

Yes. That I miss. Those little electric tea lights are just not the same! :D DH really misses the bridge instructors and the sanctioned play.

Pam Hilton is so right. Prices for what you get are much lower than they were when we first started cruising (1955). At that time, most travel on the bigger lines was point to point, much like airlines today. I remember families moving, with most of their belongings, from the UK to Australia. Then there was the class difference. 1st class with 1/3 of the passengers-2/3 of the ship and Tourist with 2/3 of the passengers and 1/3 of the ship. Many staterooms did not have facilities (they were down the hall) and drinkable water was in thermos like containers. Much better food and service in 1st class. Oh and the doors between first and tourist were locked (unless you were sneaky):D Think Titanic and the love affair between passengers in different sections;)

Somethings are what you might classify as cutbacks. But much of what I have read on this posting seems to be an adaption to the current market, and just plain cost and waste control. As an example I remember the extravagant midnight buffet was already being phased out by RCCL in the 90's. There was probably just too much waste. Who can eat all that 4 hours to 1 1/2 hours after you finish dinner? My 1st Princess cruise was in the mid 90's to Alaska. I can't even recall if they had a midnight buffet at that time. While some cruise lines have reduced the quality and selections of free food, Princess seems to be holding the line and offering a nice selections of venues and foods at no extra charge. The Princess specialty restaurants are reasonably priced.

Where I see cutbacks and the related reduction in customer service is in the housekeeping area. Cabin stewards have additional cabins now and it just seems that they are too overworked.

I am a relative newcomer compared to some people on this board, but my husband and I honeymooned on the Grand Princess in 1999, when she was brand new. I remember enjoying the formal and semi-formal nights, the pasta course freshly prepared tableside by the waiter, and the expansive menu at Sabbatini's. They even let us take out pizzas from Sabbatini's for lunch at no charge. I remember the tipping envelopes and carefully deciding how much we were going to tip each person who had served us, and presenting envelopes personally at the end of the cruise. We fell in love with cruising and are now elite Princess cruisers.

I miss all of these things. I am sad that there are no more semi-formal nights, that the formal dress code is not enforced as it was, that there is no more pasta course, and that dishes are no longer prepared tableside. I hate the autotip. But I understand that cruising has changed, and that if I want to continue cruising, I need to change too.

And not all of these changes are bad. I remember the smoke on the Grand being so thick that we had to change decks to walk around the casino. This is no longer a problem. I remember drinking only water on that first cruise to save money, but now I can have an unlimited soda package for not too much money. And while there is no tableside preparation normally, I can now enjoy the Chef's Table dinner. So like everything, there is some good and some bad.

But it is amazing to think of these changes in fewer than 20 years.

Room Steward service. I've cruised several different lines and only since we've been on Princess have we seen only one steward having the responsibility of many cabins instead of an assistant steward. I have no complaints as to the service they provide but I feel they are spread far too thin. On a recent cruise my cabin, a suite, wasn't serviced until after lunch yet we were out of our cabin before 9a.m. It was bit of an inconvenience. It is inconsistent and I feel not the fault of the steward.

Although the patter seems full these days, there are less activities than in the past. Now it seems they resort to MUTS, trivia and On Your Own activities unlike previous years. Don't get me wrong, I love MUTS and always find something to do, but I used to have to make hard decisions on which actives to choose and which I would have to miss. I couldn't be both places at once. I guess the limited cruise staff these days can't be both places at once either.

I remember on my first cruises in the 80's on one of Carnival's first two ships of buying liquor and taking it back to your room. I swear one of our rooms was so far up in the bow the room came to a point!

No longer sales of full size bottles of liquor

Elimination of the Lotus Spa Eucalyptus products

Elimination of the seafood buffet usually first evening of cruise

Elimination of free internet for suites

Mike:)

complimentary slippers in standard cabins

canapes selection

Room Steward service. I've cruised several different lines and only since we've been on Princess have we seen only one steward having the responsibility of many cabins instead of an assistant steward. I have no complaints as to the service they provide but I feel they are spread far too thin. On a recent cruise my cabin, a suite, wasn't serviced until after lunch yet we were out of our cabin before 9a.m. It was bit of an inconvenience. It is inconsistent and I feel not the fault of the steward.

Read that Celebrity is starting to go with one room steward and no assistant and no turn down service.

On balance, I prefer the prices now (in conjunction with what I get for it) compared to what prices used to be and what I used to get. With the price difference I can buy and bring on board most of the creature comforts that have been cut. Need more towels at the pool? A quick trip to a discount store and you're all set. Need a better cut of beef or unlimited lobster tails? Pay for the Specialty Restaurant. And so on. My cruise fares today coupled with my out of pocket add-ons still leave me far ahead. I know that this exactly what people who miss the good old days don't want to hear, but for us it is the truth. I don't care to return to the Tourist Class days of the QE2 which was my first shipboard experience.

Our first cruise was only 2 years ago so I can't contribute but wanted to say that my DH was told about midnight buffets from friends at work and he was so disappointed that there was not one on our cruise...he survived with room service.

We were able to each bring a bottle of wine on board (free of corkage fees) and we were given the envelopes for tips on the last day of our cruise. So these two items were still on our Royal FOS cruise.

All of the cuts I mentioned have occurred in the last 10-11 years and there have been no price reductions on our cabins during that time, only increases.

Mike:)