Second day of cruise- feeling underwhelmed.

Hi everyone. My wife and are are currently on day 2 of our 7 day RCI Western Caribbean cruise on Allure. We did a similar cruise on Freedom back in 2010. We are determined to have a good time no matter what and we realize that the crew works very hard for not much pay. That being said, we keep finding that things fall short of our memories from our last cruise. Although we booked fixed dining, somehow we ended up on My Time and decided to give it a shot. We were disappointed by the food, and to a much lesser degree the service. Many other things onboard seem less organized, less efficient than they were on Freedom in 2010. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just us? Is it the ship? Should I book Celebrity next time?:rolleyes:

Hi everyone. My wife and are are currently on day 2 of our 7 day RCI Western Caribbean cruise on Allure. We did a similar cruise on Freedom back in 2010. We are determined to have a good time no matter what and we realize that the crew works very hard for not much pay. That being said, we keep finding that things fall short of our memories from our last cruise. Although we booked fixed dining, somehow we ended up on My Time and decided to give it a shot. We were disappointed by the food, and to a much lesser degree the service. Many other things onboard seem less organized, less efficient than they were on Freedom in 2010. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just us? Is it the ship? Should I book Celebrity next time?:rolleyes:

2010 was forever ago for the cruise industry. Do yourselves a favor and stop comparing the two trips. I for one, believe many things have declined although there are others that will remind us some things have also improved. Just be in the moment and enjoy your time together.

If in future you decide to try another cruise line, evaluate it on it's own merits as well - comparisons will always break down. The Celebrity marketing department would have you assume it will be an upscale environment to RCCL, but in my own experience (admittedly a good number of years ago now as well) with them was simply that the demographic was different, not so much the level of attention or quality was higher.

The food has been going steadily downhill for years...that's on almost EVERY line....fewer menu options, and fewer staff to passenger ratio than in years past.

When the economy gets back on a stronger foot, perhaps we will see a return of 'gracious cruising"!

Things have changed. However, I would suggest talking to the dining room manager as to why you were changed to MTD. Perhaps if you booked traditional it was a computer error - what does your confirmation say?

As others have said, food has changed and service, but I don't think that much to be so obvious. Have been sailing since early 1990's and changes since then big time, but not that much in 5-6 years. Perhaps be more specific, and don't "suffer in silence ". You can complain politely and see if there is improvement.

I personally love the variety of things to do and entertainment options on the bigger ships, but think the food can be hit or miss.

Enjoy your cruise! Don't try too much comparing! Sometimes our memories can be clouded too, and we tend to remember only the best of each trip. The mishaps, little hiccups, etc. tend to fade and be not so annoying.

Stop comparing and you'll be much happier.

Cruising has changed a lot in the past six years. So realize that and stop comparing.

Hi everyone. My wife and are are currently on day 2 of our 7 day RCI Western Caribbean cruise on Allure. We did a similar cruise on Freedom back in 2010. We are determined to have a good time no matter what and we realize that the crew works very hard for not much pay. That being said, we keep finding that things fall short of our memories from our last cruise. Although we booked fixed dining, somehow we ended up on My Time and decided to give it a shot. We were disappointed by the food, and to a much lesser degree the service. Many other things onboard seem less organized, less efficient than they were on Freedom in 2010. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just us? Is it the ship? Should I book Celebrity next time?:rolleyes:

Sorry that this cruise does not measure up. Crew changes all the time so you could have a great cruise with great service and food and a year later go on the same ship and be disappointed. New chef, cooks, servers etc. The one's from the great cruise had their contract end, went home for vacation and came back and are assigned a different ship. They are placed where there is an opening.

Don't hesitate to try to get into the dining of your choice by talking with the maitre d. Next cruise on a different ship will be totally different.

I'm surprised OP did not get requested assigned dining - RC emphasizes assigned. He certainly should go to maitre d' and make a strong request. Of course, the idea of being on a 5400 passenger ship seems to be begging for mass-production cruising. While it seems that cuts have been industry-wide, I believe that HAL and Celebrity still provide a bit more of the traditional quality experience than the mass market lines.

Thanks for the insight, everyone. We were able to get switched back to traditional dining, with a table for 2 even. It seemed nicer to us. We will continue to enjoy ourselves regardless. I just wanted some perspective from people who had cruised more recently. Thanks.

When the economy gets back on a stronger foot, perhaps we will see a return of 'gracious cruising"!

Interesting thought. Assuming the economy allows the lines to raise fares and still sell out ships they might use that added revenue to touch up the menus and services. Or, they might let it go to the bottom line and please shareholders or invest in new ships. But it would be nice if they could maintain a consistent product rather than an ever downward spiral. The one big hit we've noticed was mediocre MDR selections (no bad, just not as good as years ago) ever since the emphasis on added fee specialty dining. The industry is always changing and competing so trying new things. There are pluses and minuses everywhere.

OP, sorry you are not fully enjoying your cruise. We try not to compare either but I think it is human nature to do so. I found the food on Oasis (Allure's sister) to be the worst of the fleet - however, having said that, I did not go hungry and I am not complaining (merely an observation).

While many people love the big gals, I will never cruise on that size of ship again. The negatives outweighed the positives for me and that's just how I felt, personally.

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Hi everyone. My wife and are are currently on day 2 of our 7 day RCI Western Caribbean cruise on Allure. We did a similar cruise on Freedom back in 2010. We are determined to have a good time no matter what and we realize that the crew works very hard for not much pay. That being said, we keep finding that things fall short of our memories from our last cruise. Although we booked fixed dining, somehow we ended up on My Time and decided to give it a shot. We were disappointed by the food, and to a much lesser degree the service. Many other things onboard seem less organized, less efficient than they were on Freedom in 2010. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it just us? Is it the ship? Should I book Celebrity next time?:rolleyes:

1) 2016 is not 2010. Things have gone downhill. Things that used to be free now are not. You have to live w it or book a more upscale cruise.

2) The food in the My Time dining room is exactly the same as the food served in the fixed time dining room. Same food. Same kitchen.

DON

A) Stay OFF the internet, you're on vacation.

B) Enjoy the moment and forget 2010. It is 2016, enjoy today.

It's a lot like the airlines. People say they want this or that amenity, but when it comes time for booking, they pick the lowest fare. The result of that has been charges for checked and sometimes carry on baggage, payments for seats in certain locations and food for purchase. As long as people continue to book for the lowest per diem rate, the quality of service, crew per passenger rating, food quality and deck space per passenger will continue to decline.

So cruise prices are essentially the same as many years ago, but as costs have risen, everything else has declined. I would recommend trying one of the more upscale lines for your next cruise.

With 5 days left you might consider the three pack specialty dinning package, a great way to finish your trip. We were on a 14 night Allure transatlantic last year and loved it so much that we took a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Oasis last January, the difference between the two cruises was eye opening. The Allure trip was fantastic where as the Oasis was a zoo, nothing but kids and slobs. In your case it might not be the ship but the demographics. Allure sailed with 5400 and it seemed empty at times, never a wait in windjammer and always a place to sit in the promenade, Oasis was 6500 and those extra 1100 kids made a big big difference. Never again will we take a seven day cruise.. happy cruising

Well, every cruise that I go on I'm never disappointed. Being on a cruise just about beats everything else.

We've been doing this for 20 years, each one is as good as or better than the last. And we look forward to the next one(s).:)

Some people are so harsh, SMH. don't listen to someone tell you to stay OFF the internet like you're a child.

Sometimes it takes me a few days to settle into the vacation mode. You'll know by the last day whether it measured up. And yes, things have really changed. It's a much more bare bones experience and the crew is generally overworked.

Give it a couple of days and I bet you get totally into cruise mode.

Like the airline business had to do the cruise ship industry has to go through a bit more decline before it can climb back up to where it used to be. Case in point, airlines are attempting to clean up the mess flying has turned into by selling upgrades such as 'economy comfort' seating in coach, expanded space and more amenities in Business and [to me] crazy accommodations up front in First.

'Cattle transport' is what flying turned into but each year the industry is improving and finding that people will pay a bit more to not have to suffer in space designed for your pet, or get slammed with one extra fee after another as you try to travel from point A to point B.

No one 'needs' to cruise so getting back on course in an attempt to make cruising what it used to be gets a bit more complicated. Jumbo aircraft changed the flying experience and ships that carry over 2 thousand passengers are doing the same thing. Yes, more folks can travel but how much does one want to give up to hit a price point?

Quality cruising with top notch service, roomy cabins, outstanding food and attention to every detail will be the domain of the smaller and more costly ships. The mega ships and mega planes will survive and continue to do well but phrases such as 'a gourmet food experience' and 'first class accommodations and service' won't be needed in describing the actual experience. Reasonable expectations will need to be learned. Keep in mind that a one dollar diamond isn't a diamond - it's a rock and that really inexpensive cruising isn't luxury cruising - it's a boat ride. Good food and good service come at a price. Your disappointment in your last cruise is unfortunate but certainly not unique. I expect as time moves on more passengers will start to echo the disappointments you mentioned.

The bottom line is that if we want to play we're going to need to pay.

For me, it actually always takes a few days to fall in love with the cruise. The first few days, I haven't made any friends yet. I'm haunted by that question in the back of my mind: "Will this be a dud of a vacation?" But once I'm midway, I've started to make memories that put a smile on my face, and that makes me forgive the hiccups here and there. Finally, by the end of the week, I don't want it to be over!

I'll go against the grain to a certain extent. Maybe just make notes of what you like and dislike about the cruise. Then, in a few weeks, pull out the notes and make you comparison with a fresh set of eyes.

Have things changed since 2010...of course. But many things have gotten much better for the dollar spent on them. We have found that hotels have improved much more in their service and amenities than they have increased in price. Most restaurants have as well. The entrees are better, décor is better, service (for the most part) is better. Why should you accept less from a cruise line?

As I see it, any business in that industry have options.

1) They can raise their prices marginally and keep the quality of the product the same. Of course, that means other areas will suffer if they wish to maintain the profit percentages. But with technological advances that is not really difficult. Staff can be reduced in many areas, video conferencing allows to elimination of travel and related expenses.

2) They can maintain their price and marginally cut quality. For a hotel, that may be changing to a different sheet, or reduce the options in a free breakfast buffet, different landscaping that uses less water, energy saving devices, etc. This is a difficult option.

3) They can maintain their price and encourage their customer to spend extra for "premium" experiences. This seems to be the approach taken by cruise lines. In my opinion, what they are saying to their average customer is "Unless you are willing to fork over extra money, you are going to have to be willing to accept average (at best) quality when it comes to service and product (namely food quality of options)." I think that is basically saying they are not that concerned about the experiences of their average customer, only those that will pay extra.

At some point, you will need to make the decision if you are willing to accept the decline in service and quality or if you will vote with you wallet and spend you money in other ways.