Engineroom Snipe

"I pity the fool..." (A-Team) that would try that with my wife. I have been on the wrong side of her intentions and I have known the 'Fear of God' in her eyes on only a few occasions. It would be similar to the scene from the Waterboy (1998) where Mama Boucher puts a whooping tackle on her husband who abandoned them when he tried to get money from Bobby Boucher's success. 😲

And it always seemed to be the picky, demanding, and overbearing ones that skipped that night. You could just tell by the flourish of the hands and pointing fingers at the food or the servers as they tended to have an elevated voice for those around them to hear.

Repeat and rinse the two previous answers. Since December of 2022, the prices normally are going up until the ship is full during the six months previous to embarkation.

Hence my earlier comment about using the bed as a trampoline for awhile and then taking him to medical when I was finished with "my work-out".

April 2023 on the Enchantment with a very similar experience to yours. The meals themselves where hit or miss. I appreciate someone else buying, cooking, presenting, and cleaning the dishes of any meal served to me. After the third day, we just went to Windjammer. The servers were understanding as they did not cook the food but somehow, they sensed what was coming on the second seating. They saw the reaction of the first seating and saw what food that was left on the plates. They were not strongly suggesting anything which led me to believe that it was just a very bad cruise dining experience they had no control over. I can cook and love great food but I am very forgiving on cruises considering the past few years of turmoil. I wanted the food to be good. It just was not.

I am not abandoning Royal but I am starting to look at other experiences. I will be cruising less with Royal but not abandoning it. New cruisers will replace me and Royal moves on. It does not invalidate many of the personal opinion complaints. In so many instances, companies do great until they do not do great. In the discretionary vacation business where Royal was so much cheaper than other experiences, one needs to keep a open mind to trends. The CEO recently stated during an interview that he believes there is another 30% price increase to most of the current cruise prices which would align Royal's pricing scheme to other comparable vacation experiences. If one adds 30% more to the basic cruise prices and also adds the Unlimited Drink Package, Unlimited Dining Package, Unlimited Wifi Package, etc., it will start to be the price per day of an all inclusive resort or an all inclusive cruise line. I keep an open mind and like to hear the pluses and minuses of fellow posters. In many cases, I know where they are coming from through my own experiences onboard. Time will tell. It will be interesting to see how the prices keep increasing and what will be the new normal.

More emphasis. 😱

Any topic, ".....@#$%^.....GRATUITIES......*&^%$#" Fill in the rest of the sentence on CC. As the narrator says on Spongbob, "Six pages later...." 🤣

I feel another thread is going to be locked or deleted once again.

As I go down to claim my luggage in the 'walk of shame' at 8pm for banned items on embarkation: "Sir, our x-ray machines picked up a coil of large metal, would you watch us open it with you." "Of course, no problem." "It appears to be Concertina Wire, Sir. This is highly dangerous to touch." "Yes, that is why the leather gauntlets are packed with it so I do not hurt myself installing it underneath my berth." 🤣

If I would think there is someone under the bed, it becomes trampoline time as I test the mattress supports. Then it is time to get the clown to medical. 🤡 Not much room under our bed after the luggage is placed next to the additional blankets, pillows, and comforters not used on a two person voyage. As far as the bathroom, I am with @toxicfairy, his eyes would never be right again.

Such a fine line between being a stockholder who needs cruisers and a cruiser who needs stockholders to support their cruise line of choice. Mr. Bayley does not know I exist, but you , my fellow cruiser does. What an irony.

Yes, I saw those 30% special higher loyalty discounts like you did and they ended up being cheaper than any other non "Royal" cruise tour. Sadly, they strike me the same as "Royal's" military discounts: a method of trying to sell some last minute deals without having those who previously bought them demanding that 'Royal' honor any new discounts. If I see a "special" discount for 'Diamond Status and above', 'Royal' does not have do honor it to those who previously purchased it but do not qualify. This is going to leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many loyal cruisers.

Vision of the Seas, April 4, out of Baltimore: Thrill Water Park and Cabana Day Pass: $599. This includes 6 passes for the Thrill Water Park at $71 (per person if you buy them ahead of time for each person). $426 of passes included in the $599 price. The reserved cabana with attendant is costing you $173. If you are a family or a group on this cruise, maybe you can enjoy a special deal.

No, they will just raise the prices on the day beds that do not have an aroma. First rule of Royal: do everything to resist lowering any price unless absolutely necessary. If fact, raise the prices and then take them back to where they were and called it a "discount." Problem solved. NEXT!

🫢

Another hot-topic that has not reared its ugly head for a while. Just when I thought things were cooling down a bit on this thread. Popcorn and beer on my CC tab. 😁

@Anton. There is a two to almost three year buffer built into the planning of long time 'Royal' cruisers like yourself. As such, there will be a time lag that has to occur before 'Royal' feels any economic repercussions from you possibly looking elsewhere. 'Royal' does not care because they are only looking to survive the next fiscal quarter and the one after that. 'Royal' is in survival mode. Frankly, the CEO is not worried if 'Engine Room Snipe' is financially secure next week, next month, or next year. Time for us to fend for ourselves and our families. I feel like a Viking setting sail on a new journey. We love the sea, does not matter what ship we sail on it. 😁

I am very cognizant of my price points. I have tracked many Royal Ships on Cruisemapper.com in the past few months. If there are any empty cabins, it is because of three to four people per cabin. Cruisemapper will display the actual passengers on board and I have been surprised that in almost every case except for new high demand ships, that they are sailing with capacity completely full. Literally, the capacity is at the listed full capacity for their lifeboats. I have seen softening this year compared to last year's summer revenge cruising but nothing is going to break until next fall. For instance, Odyssey, November 17, 2024 has not had any Large Outside Balconies sell for the last three months. A majority of them have not sold yet. Small stuff like that. As you said, time will tell.

There were so many memories on those past cruises. Always sad when a relationship is going the wrong way. "After all, tomorrow is another day". (Gone with The Wind, Vivian Leigh's last line in the movie which was overshadowed by Clark Gable's "Frankly, my dear, I don' give a damn." The audiences were so shocked by his line that most of them did not even hear her response line afterwards.) We are Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable is 'Royal'. Royal is moving on whether we like it or not. 😞

"Et Tu Brute" (Julius Caesar, Shakespeare) "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer". (Godfather Part II). I am jealous. You get sleep? 🤣

@LobsterStalker, So, I always follow the golden rule, be worth more alive than dead. This reduces the temptation to scrap the barnacle encrusted hull until every penny of profit can be "squeezed" out of it (pun intended). 🤣

So many states have very different school years (or sessions). This makes it nearly impossible to say "the majority of schools are in or out of session". Planning a cruise during a specific time of year thinking there will be less children onboard is not as easy as it used to be. While smaller ships with longer voyages tend to attract less children, larger ships in the future seem to be the trend for Royal as you noted.

My opinion...... 🤐

Not "leaving" like @Jam0610 but cutting cruises with Royal to two a year. So far I have been able to get good price points on those cruises but future cruises on the newer ships are not going to happen. I think my cruises will fade as they retire the older smaller ships that I enjoy. I know there are many cruisers who adore the newer ships but that style is most probably a one and done for me just to say I tried it. I am exploring other travel experiences with the monies I do not spend on additional cruises.