Just off a back to back on the Freedom, very disappointed too

Do you people that complain about bar service tip with cash? We do and second time around get our drinks right away. We tip EVERY drink.

 

 

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Yes we do, every drink a dollar. In this case, the problem was that there was maybe one waiter for the entire bar and it was packed! That's a management issue. And the waiter kept chaging every night so they didnt know they could expect a tip from us. Also strange.

Maybe you will get a call from Rudy at Corporate who will say sorry we took your money and gave you a subpar experience and hang up without any resolution.

 

If you are committed to those additional 209 points why would Royal do anything to improve?

You have a good point. Perhaps i should rethink that. After all, being pinnacle doesn't really get me much more than we already get. Except a shiny badge that I will not wear!

We experienced the same issues with the MDR food on the Adventure in October. Our service, however, was fantastic and every crew member we saw on the ship had a smile and a greeting.

Lack of bar wait staff and around the pools has become the new norm. Most of time you can expect to get own drinks...

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Here is my opinion and please don't flame me. Due to the alcohol packages being prepaid, I feel that Royal does not feel the need to have enough bartenders to serve us. They already have your money. Before the alcohol packages were being offered there was an abundance of bartenders in the lounges and by the pool.

Maybe you will get a call from Rudy at Corporate who will say sorry we took your money and gave you a subpar experience and hang up without any resolution.

 

If you are committed to those additional 209 points why would Royal do anything to improve?

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I hate hearing this about FOS.......It is our favorite ship out of all the cruises we have taken. I will say that some of the issues mentioned we also found on IOS. Hope this is isn't becoming common place on RCI.

We sailed on Freedom Nov 11, 2017 in cabin 6336 (thanks to recommendations from cruise critic members-thank you, it was wonderful!).

Our particular experience was fantastic from beginning to end!

The crew was great & always cheerful. Victor, the greeter at the Windjammer was a great person to get your day started-always upbeat.

I must have ordered the right meal every night in the MDR because it was always very good & hot.

If I had any negative (which did not impact us but it was really just not typical based on 13 past cruises) it would be that we did not see our Head waiter until day 4, and even thereafter, he did not do anything for our table...no small talk, no prepping lobsters, etc...

Interestingly, we had a wonderful experience on Freedom of the Seas last February (and have traditionally loved the service on RC ships), but found the service lacking on Brilliance on the Seas this summer. I have been hoping it was isolated (we are going on Anthem in January) so was disturbed to see this thread. In our case, the MDR was great - esp. the waiters, who were just fantastic - but around the rest of the ship there was something lacking. In fact, in places like Next Cruise and the Excursions Desk there was a level of incompetence I have not seen before on a RC cruise (I have on Norwegian). Hopefully, these are aberrations and not a trend.

Here is my opinion and please don't flame me. Due to the alcohol packages being prepaid, I feel that Royal does not feel the need to have enough bartenders to serve us. They already have your money. Before the alcohol packages were being offered there was an abundance of bartenders in the lounges and by the pool.

We just had this same conversation with some friends that came off the Allure last week. We have both noticed the lack of bartenders and the lack of many top shelf selections that have been removed from the bar. If it is a tend...this will be the last beverage package we will buy.

This past year I have sailed on the Freedom, Allure, and the Harmony, and by the far, Freedom was my least favorite. The food in the Diamond Club on the Freedom was BAD!, on the Allure it was OK/average, and on the Harmony it was great.

For the statements made in the initial post, that is why we NEVER eat in the MDR on any ship. We only eat in the Specialty Restaurants, no matter if we have to pay for it. I'd rather pay more and be happy than not pay and remain hungry cause the food stunk. Gone are the days of Song of America, Song of Norway and Sovereign of the Seas, but that was before the pay for food restaurants and you had Lobster in the MDR and everyone and I mean everyone was in a tux or black suit. I miss those days.

Interestingly, we had a wonderful experience on Freedom of the Seas last February (and have traditionally loved the service on RC ships), but found the service lacking on Brilliance on the Seas this summer. I have been hoping it was isolated (we are going on Anthem in January) so was disturbed to see this thread. In our case, the MDR was great - esp. the waiters, who were just fantastic - but around the rest of the ship there was something lacking. In fact, in places like Next Cruise and the Excursions Desk there was a level of incompetence I have not seen before on a RC cruise (I have on Norwegian). Hopefully, these are aberrations and not a trend.

We also loved FOS, thought the staff was great and had the Drinking Package and had no problem getting drinks. We don't in in the MDR so can't comment on that but the specialty restaurants were good.

Have also noticed on the boards that some of the biggest critics are people who cruise an awful lot ... so I think they are nitpicking a bit ... we get a chance to cruise about every three years, and find it to be as good a vacation as you can get ... i think the big reason is you don't do any work, there's no dishes to wash, food to make, beds to make ... it's luxury for us middle-class folk. Yet we can say "ah, the bed's not quite right," "the bathroom is small," "the water tastes funny," "there's a stain on the carpet" just because that's our language of life. Sometimes the happier we are, the more miserable we sound. oh and I forgot "the weather could have been better" ...

For the statements made in the initial post, that is why we NEVER eat in the MDR on any ship. We only eat in the Specialty Restaurants, no matter if we have to pay for it. I'd rather pay more and be happy than not pay and remain hungry cause the food stunk. Gone are the days of Song of America, Song of Norway and Sovereign of the Seas, but that was before the pay for food restaurants and you had Lobster in the MDR and everyone and I mean everyone was in a tux or black suit. I miss those days.

I miss those days too!

For the statements made in the initial post, that is why we NEVER eat in the MDR on any ship. We only eat in the Specialty Restaurants, no matter if we have to pay for it. I'd rather pay more and be happy than not pay and remain hungry cause the food stunk. Gone are the days of Song of America, Song of Norway and Sovereign of the Seas, but that was before the pay for food restaurants and you had Lobster in the MDR and everyone and I mean everyone was in a tux or black suit. I miss those days.

The women wore a tux or black suit, as did the children? Who would miss that?

I was on the Freedom beginning November 5, 2017 for a b2b. First let me say, I have sailed the Freedom numerous times and have always loved her. One of my favorite ships. However, that was not my experience this time. I experienced most of the negative things expressed in this thread and then some. I found many (not all) RCI employees to be rude for no apparent reason. But my biggest complaints is when I was eating breakfast in the MDR...I asked for a spoon and watched the waiter go into the area were dirty dishes etc were and pick a spoon from the dirty spoons and wipe it off with his towel. Pretty disgusting. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to cause a scene. Needless to say, I was concerned about cleanliness for the rest of the cruise.

One other thing to mention...the ship is in dire need for updates/improvements. Furthermore, there was mold in my shower.

With all that being said...I have had some great cruises with RCI.

I was on the Freedom beginning November 5, 2017 for a b2b. First let me say, I have sailed the Freedom numerous times and have always loved her. One of my favorite ships. However, that was not my experience this time. I experienced most of the negative things expressed in this thread and then some. I found many (not all) RCI employees to be rude for no apparent reason. But my biggest complaints is when I was eating breakfast in the MDR...I asked for a spoon and watched the waiter go into the area were dirty dishes etc were and pick a spoon from the dirty spoons and wipe it off with his towel. Pretty disgusting. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to cause a scene. Needless to say, I was concerned about cleanliness for the rest of the cruise.

 

One other thing to mention...the ship is in dire need for updates/improvements. Furthermore, there was mold in my shower.

 

With all that being said...I have had some great cruises with RCI.

You should have said something about the spoon. That is a health hazard not petty complaining. The waiter would have deserved any consequences that came his way.

ALWAYS speak up, and also tell the rest of us how it was addressed. I have always spoken up and every time I have my concerns were taken seriously. On Serenade we had poor service for breakfast in the MDR when ordering off the breakfast menu. Got a bunch of lip from the waiter, went to the Maitre D. Returned to our room later to find chocolate dipped strawberries and a note of apology. ALWAYS speak up.

...But my biggest complaints is when I was eating breakfast in the MDR...I asked for a spoon and watched the waiter go into the area were dirty dishes etc were and pick a spoon from the dirty spoons and wipe it off with his towel. Pretty disgusting. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to cause a scene. Needless to say, I was concerned about cleanliness for the rest of the cruise...

Your biggest complaint and yet you did nothing about it! How does a huge issue like that get corrected if nothing is said. SMH! IMO you not speaking up immediately is more disgusting than what the server did. Heard of norovirus.

Hi cruisers: We were on the back to back Freedom for Nov through the 12-9 . We were in a junior , the same one we have had for six other cruises and kept it both weeks. Freedom is our favorite so did this and one for feb. and April, as will say goodbye as living in Florida , and will not fly to San Juan to cruise.

Some of our experience.

1. Ship looked great being maintained and clean

2. Drink service complaints but since the drink packages, they don't push the drinks now and the longer the wait and less service availability the more profit for them;

3. There were the Pied Piper Group, appx. 700 men on first cruise that sail as a group often, last few on Celebrity. They did have nightly gatherings but we had n problems with them.

4. Diamond lounge, we only went twice was not bad after 645. Many early seatings and shows cleared it out. Did go to bar table to get our 2 drinks as service very slow.

5. Conceige suite no problem after 1st seating

6. We had best room steward ever and found all staff encountered in halls etc extremely friendly, but we always speak and some stop and chat for a moment

7 Food in Dinning room has dropped again. smallest lobster on formal night I have ever seen on Royal. After 1st week

went for Prime rib on second. 2nd. week offering we saw also were small

8 . Service on my time was hit and miss. Had same reservations each evening and even on request for same area 1st night never got even the same section

9. We have been diamond + for a good while now, were in a junior and always request to leave around 730 but don't do self assist. We got 29 tags the last three times on the 9th deck. I went to Conciege and traded for #2 but think Royal can do a little better with debarkation.

Well guess I vented a little and still will keep on with the boats but I guess everywhere you look in retail, service, loyalty, etc. everyone is cutting corners. Merry Christmas to All and smooth sailing and calm Seas to all our Cruise Critic Friends.

Bob & Nancy The Villages, Florida

I completely agree with the statement about this being an unhappy crew. We are Diamond members, and always take complaints on these boards with a grain of salt, but our Freedom cruise on November 11 was the first cruise we were ever unsatisfied with. This was a very unhappy crew. We actually overheard crew on two occasions cursing about the captain. While our MDR service was excellent, service elsewhere on the ship was poor. Food quality was also bad, and I am a huge fan of RC food. The Windjammer food was terrible, and I mean terrible. I've never seen it like this. MDR food was inconsistent. Two people at our table would order the same dish, and it was served differently, with different side dishes. A tablemate praised the angus beef sliders one night, only to order them the next night and have something foul tasting, resembling a sausage roll, served to him. It was just weird. We had a horrible experience in Johnny Rockets, which just boggled my mind. That's usually so much fun, but this crew just did not want us there. We went twice, and the first time( the horrible experience), we were told that soft drinks were not included. I was under the impression that when the cover charge was raised to $7, soda was now included. Also, a gratuity was automatically added onto the bill. Never seen that before, but I bet they knew we were not inclined to tip well after the rude service. On the second visit, service was better, sodas were included, and no automatic gratuity was charged. What? For the first time ever, we had our gratuities removed, and tipped the MDR waiters and room steward, in cash. Even that experience had poor service, as I waited in line for an hour on the last day to requested the gratuity removal, and was told it would be removed and my bill the next morning would reflect it. When the bill came, guess what? All gratuities remained. After another 30 minutes in line, and 20 minutes of the guest services rep being in the back office, I was told that accounting couldn't deal with it right now, but they would make a note and it would be taken off. I didn't leave feeling confident that it would happen, but luckily it did. I love RCCL, and it was so disappointing to have this experience. For the first time, we were ready for the cruise to be over. The food was bad, service was bad, and the crew seemed angry and depressed. I hope they fix whatever the problem is on this ship, because the experience is just usually so much better.

Just got off the Freedom after doing B2B 12/3 & 12/9. Have to agree This is not the Freedom we've sailed on more than 10 times before. MDR was awful. We ordered prime rib medium to medium rare and got totally raw, cold meat. Everyone around us sent theirs back, too. In the Windjammer, I used tongs to get a banana. When I picked it up to move it on my plate, I noticed it was rotted on the underside, not bruised, rotten. I gave it back to the person behind the food and said that it should be thrown out. He took it with bare hands (no gloves) from my hand and dropped it on the tray with the rest of the bananas. OOPS, good way to cause problems. Told him to toss the whole tray and he said they were fine. I did find an officer and told him, and he did toss everything and walk the guy out into the kitchen. I know that they are a training ship, now, but the training is really poor. Food poor, most waiters are not good. Wish they would bring my favorite ship back, because until then I won't sail the Freedom again

For the statements made in the initial post, that is why we NEVER eat in the MDR on any ship. We only eat in the Specialty Restaurants, no matter if we have to pay for it. I'd rather pay more and be happy than not pay and remain hungry cause the food stunk. Gone are the days of Song of America, Song of Norway and Sovereign of the Seas, but that was before the pay for food restaurants and you had Lobster in the MDR and everyone and I mean everyone was in a tux or black suit. I miss those days.

Hi,

Yes, I agree that the dining room experience (actually, the entire cruise experience) was much better on those ships. I cruised aboard the Sun Viking, Song of America and Sovereign of the Seas during the 1980s. On the Sun Viking, I remember the head waiter preparing Cherries Jubilee tableside. Cruises used to be much more special. I miss those days, too.

I was very disappointed with my most recent cruise on the Independence of the Seas in August 2017. As a result, I canceled the three future cruises that I had booked on Royal Caribbean ships. I honestly would rather stay home than sail on one of their ships again.

I totally agree with the statements about the Freedom. We spent two weeks on her and things were just not right. Couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was wrong, just a lot of things not right. I agree with all statements above. Liberty is just about the same anymore.