Engineroom Snipe

Being there is irrelevant, RCI will gladly try to bill you for the gratuities that you would have owed just to show appreciation for the crew that you would have known. Consider it a thank you to help keep your future crews ready the next time you might actually partake in the said cruise..

I can tell. Loyal to one brand, build up the brand bonus points, and work it for a lifetime. Bing, Bing, Bing,,,, I can hear the casino machines paying off big bonus points for lifetime rewards. 😁

Sounds like you could be a marriage counselor!!!!!!! 🤣

From the infamous movie, Stripes, the words of wisdom from Sgt Hulka, "Lighten up Francis." It is part fact, part fiction, part storytelling, and in most cases, very entertaining. Welcome to Cruise Critic Forums. 😁

Whoah, whoah, whoooooooooah, there fellow. You will soon be getting a "cease and desist" letter from RCI using those words in one of their customer blogs. 🤐

This horse started fast out-of-the-gate and still has plenty of furlongs left. It is already being whipped by the jockey. Just count the amount of entries in such a short time period. 😁

"Tuna flavored Casserole" to be exact. 🤢

I have never encountered the situation that you described but I can understand how scary it would be to have no control over the situation. Normally, my wife is smiling at me from the inside as she locks the door, closes the drapes, and starts her vacation. 😮😉

This is the difficult part to evaluate. My last cruise and the one before it (September 2022, before any announcement of reductions in cabin service or food choices) was "off" My wife and I were close to confirming another spring cruise next year and told our TA we needed to do the cruise in September of this year to make a decision. He accurately reminded me that the price would most likely only go up. The price had already gone up a considerable amount from this year's cruise. He is a good agent. Somehow I sensed a bit of fear during that conversation. I hesitated to quickly book the next cruise, as if they have been selling like hotcakes but suddenly have met some price resistance. I think the spring 2024 cruises have met a tipping point. Previously sold out balcony cruises for November of this year are becoming available. The prices are lower than the last posted prices according to my records. Some cruises are cancelling their reservations far ahead of time and taking a full refund. Just my observations.

From reading some of the nightmares of "leaving things in the cart" accidentally, only to have the processing cause cruises to be canceled, this could be a fiasco just to try and get into a show. I never had this type of incident occur in all of my cruise years.

I am not going to attack your opinion. The medical emergency resulted in a change of venue. If there was no medical emergency and the cruise line had to change venue, what would you think the compensation should be in all fairness? You are still getting all of the amenities except the highly rated island is being substituted for one you could care less about. What percentage of the cruise fare, regardless of the cruise contracts, would you feel adequate to compensate for this change? Try to think of how your cruise experience was reasonably damaged by this change of venue. I have yet to be compensated for any change of venue on any ship I have sailed. If change of venues get to be a common recurring thing on a higher percentage of cruises, cruisers will have to weigh the inconvenience against the cost and experience of cruising. I am not sure how many cruises you have been on but the experienced members of this blog know there is nothing to do about it but not cruise or pick another cruise. Regards,

I read the same report and others. RCI can make it if all of the stars align. I think they are being too optimistic to project the extreme amount of vacation dollars being spent on "revenge vacations" during this time period after the pandemic as a "new normal." Time will tell.

The standard cheerleader defense is high occupancy rates. "RCI has high occupancy rates so things must be good." I have two more reserved cruises this year and one next year in November. I am holding off on reserving any spring cruises next year until I see how the remaining cruises this year perform. Since RCI price points are rising, it becomes easier to look at other options. Like so many businesses, a drop in service takes time to manifest itself to the bottom line. If I find that my Auto shop is charging me "Class A Mechanic prices" but putting a rookie on my car that strips out my wheel lug studs, I will give them one or two more tries before moving on to another shop. I just do not keep going back if the prices go up and the quality of service goes down. The past history of a business does not always predict the future. By the time anyone finally notices it, the horse has gotten out of the barn and jumped the fence in the pasture.

"I have worked a lifetime to finally be free of servitude." (Season 1, Episode 7, Mandalorian, Quill)

I just responded to Biker19 about the same answer you gave to me within one minute of your post, we were posting at the same time about the same with idea the same observation: Standing room only to get out.

JInx!!!!

No, just going out of CATS! 😁

Yes, RCI's version of "CATS" is standing room only! 🤣

I do not think RCI's CEO is worrying about Engineroom Snipe going bankrupt! RCI cruisers who are shareholders might be concerned, RCI Cruisers who have high Crown and Anchor status might be concerned, but if they go out of business, there will be other choices ready to take my money. Capitalism and other cruise lines will create opportunities for it is all about the Benjamins. 🤣

i just did a quick review on the Enchantment of the Seas this week. If you were new to cruising, willing to spend $2250 ( 2 persons, taxes and port fees only) for an interior cabin for 7 days (the price that was available 120 days before the cruise), you would not notice any food differences and room service. To your point, will that new cruiser repeat the cruise at that price point? I think yes because they have no point of comparison to think they should be getting higher service or better food. I believe for the money I paid (less than half), I got a very good deal and would do it again. I will not do it again if my base price is now anywhere near ($2000). I did not even see my room steward the first, second, or third day of the cruise which was a first since 1988. The food was adequate but nothing special. Lunch charcuterie was unrecognizable compared to even last September on the Oasis (and that was disappointing before the cut-backs). Almost all meats disappeared in the Windjammer unless they were chopped into cubes and placed in sauce. Again, adequate" but not something I want to pay double for. Before I get lectured about "how there are cheaper fares out there", my wife and I still work and we do not like locking ourselves into a date 20 months before cruising. Supply and demand, I get it. Unless something changes, my three cruises this year are being reduced to one next. My opinion, my money, and my choice. As stated by so many on this board, why keep cruising if it is so bad? For me, it is coming down to price point and how much I enjoy the experience. RCI is "raising their price points to be more competitive with other vacation experiences (per their CEO)". The downside for them will be when people start trying something new because there is nothing that sets their cruise experience above "other vacation experiences." My opinion and thoughts........

During those early MTD years, I believe they made us pay our "gratuities" ahead of time if we wanted my time dining. Do you remember that?

"Imagine all the people living life in peace..." (John Lennon) Great ideas but you know how difficult it is to get anything RCI IT to work. With my luck, I would go to confirm my choice on the app "that I am waiting at the MDR", ready to be seated, and the app acknowledges that I canceled my reservation." 😠

The ships are operating now at very high occupancy rates. You MUST be prepared for lines and crowds on an Oasis Class ship. I was on the Oasis in September of last year and found this review very interesting. My cruise was before cut-backs in food selection and cabin service. We had a good time but we were prepared for the crowds and went with the flow. In September, high crowds and longer lines the first two days as new cruisers (especially with families) tried as many activities as possible. Lines for slides and water activities were much shorter on the last three days of a seven day cruise. Solarium was full by 9am on most days. Windjammer was packed most of the time to the point that we looked for a table first. One of us would sit down to ensure no-one took the table while the other person obtained their food and switched-off. MDR My Time was rarely available before 7:15pm even if you booked the previous night before you left. MDR food was hit or miss.

The Captain announced that the loud unusual sound was not involved with any ship emergency or problem. It was an aircraft that passed at high speed and there was no threat to the ship or passengers. I believe the Captain was completely unaware that this was going to happen and was trying to assuage the passengers that all was safe. The message occurred about four minutes after the "second" fly-by with no other incidents.

Unlike this video, the jet was so close, it would have not fit into the frame.