RCCL Main Dining reached a new low

[Sugar*Magnolia]

First to answer Bakincakes; no the staff on the Oasis is not the "cream of the crops"...this time they asked for volunteers, although in important areas like public relations, the staff was hand picked.

I believe there are many reasons why the food and service is sub standard. The first is the economy...staff has been cut, hours have increased, and time off has diminished. The wait staff is over worked and it shows in service. People burn out more easily.

Also cruising is now so popular, and many new people are deciding to cruise every year. These newer people are not aware of the good food and excellent service of the past, so they don't miss it.

I too am sorry that this is the case, but cruise lines have to survive in this and every economy...in this world it's all about the almighty dollar...after all...it is just another business.

 

Exactly!!

[Aquahound]

In fact its the opposite. You're more likely to get inexperienced servers on the smaller ships. As they improve they graduate to the larger ships.

 

I'm not sure if this still holds true, but Majesty used to be a training ship for RCI staff and crew. Most of the inexperienced crew/staff were assigned to Majesty, then moved to larger ships after proving themselves.

[kyriecat]

From my perspective, I don't expect 5-star food in the main dining room. I understand that you're going to get "banquet" type food that can very from poor to good on any given night. However, I can forgive the occasional "poor" food quality if the service is good. The problem is the service, with a few exceptions, has gone from good to barely adequate. Ten years ago, the waitstaff had 2-3 tables each but now have 4-5, plus they have to sing and dance. To be honest, I'd rather go without the mealtime "entertainment" if it gave the waitstaff more time to focus on serving the passengers. On my first cruise, I would barely take a sip of water and the assistant waiter would be there to refill my glass. On my last cruise, I often had to ask more than once to get the assistant waiter to refill my empty water glass. When I go to Chili's, I usually don't have to ask more than once for water and most of the time, the server will automatically refill it for me without being asked. Is it really too much to ask that the service in the MDR be comparable to a Chili's (2-star) dining experience?

[rolloman]

All I know is when I'm on a cruise I eat better than anything that I eat at home. And we do eat in the main dining room every night. Never in the specialty restaurants. While the service will vary from cruise to cruise, generally we're satisfied with the product Royal offers. I'd like to know exactly what the complainers on this threat eat at home? 5-course gourmet meals? During this difficult economic time I'm sure there are millions of fellow Americans who would love to be able to go on a nice vacation and relax and be served all week. But unfortunately they can't afford it. They're just worrying about paying their mortgage and putting food on their families table. I wonder what their reaction would be if they heard some of the whining on this thread. If you're not satisfied with a particular cruise line then go cruise on another one. Just stop the ridiculous complaining. Sheesh.

 

This thread is about SERVICE and an attempt to upcharge and then cheat someone out of a high end steak. At no point did I say the food sucked. It has always been my opinion that out of 8 or so menu items, something can be ordered that is edible. The main problem seems to be how can you get someone to BRING it to you.

[Maraprince]

Yes, maybe that is the case. I mean Royal Caribbean has never really been known for their food, but there was a time when it was of better quality, was presented in a better manner and cooked and served at a proper temperature. That is a bit hit and miss now. Some ships are definitely better than others.

 

But how many times do you read on these boards when posters comment on the food......at least you didn't have to shop for it, cook it and clean up after......well, sorry if I am paying to eat in a restaurant anywhere, on land or sea I expect good service and properly cooked food. If I don't get it, I usually don't return.

 

 

My point of view is that I am a "captive audience". I can't leave the ship and eat my meals elsewhere. I might be able to book a speciality restaurant for dinner, but what about the other meals?

 

Hopefully RCL will take some notice of the types of complaints regarding the poor food quality and service if they truly read these posts. No longer is it an isolated incident. Maybe they need to import some personnel who have hotel training to teach the waiters their jobs and the chefs how food is supposed to be prepared and served.

 

One thing I will say about Princess, their food is heads above the other lines -- especially all the different types of pastas -- never a repeat and always excellent. Even Carnival does a credible job in the main dining rooms as well as offering great selections in the buffet areas.

 

Food is something that either makes or breaks a cruise. Remember the old jokes that it is only about 1 hr. per day that food is not being served somewhere on the ship!

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[Tankminder]

For those of us who remember the "good old days" where you actually had a bar server come around, had your iced tea and water refilled without asking and actually looked forward to dinner as a "special" experience...

 

Indeed... In fact, I was recently re-watching some video I took of our 1st cruise on the Monarch way back in 1991. I'd forgotten that back then, not only did you have a "bar waiter", but a Sommelier - and head Sommelier as well!

 

In our youthful (early 20's) impatience, we were a bit irritated when the waiter apologized telling us "only the Sommelier" could open/pour the champagne we'd ordered. On that first evening the Sommelier was a few moments late meeting his new tables, so we'd asked the head waiter for assistance (again, the impatience of youth :o). Needless to say, that night, and every night the rest of the week, we had both the Sommelier and Head Sommelier - plus the Bar waiter, table waiter, assistant waiter, and Maitre'D doting over us. The wine and champagne we liked were on the table (unopened) every evening when we arrived and the Sommelier often met us before we'd all arrived. We never reached the bottom of a glass of water, beer, or wine without being offered service. It was also the first time I ever saw a "crumber" - I was truly out of my element!

 

It was wonderful and it doesn't mean I won't enjoy my upcoming cruise, I know I will. But still, it would be nice to share that same level of service with my kids who've never seen it - and may not again.

[Bakincakes]

Mara...food does make or break a cruise for some of us but there are others that are satisfied with whatever they get as long as they don't have to cook it. I think those pax are the ones that RCI focuses on. They know that those of us that know what great cruise food was will buy our way into one of the specialties and pay more to get it.

 

The lack of complaints may have helped RCI to become complacent about their MDR food/menus and service.

 

Their ships are sailing full??..what do they care?? As long as pax continue to put up with bad service and subpar food and continue to rebook all is well in RCI land.

 

When we sail RCI we have started to eat more in the ports. We can get great meals on shore and do so more and more. It does cost us more than $20 pp at times but we find it worth the $$ to savor local flavors and my DH enjoys trying out local wines.

 

At least we know that one meal of the day will be delicious.:o

[Debde]

This thread is about SERVICE and an attempt to upcharge and then cheat someone out of a high end steak. At no point did I say the food sucked. It has always been my opinion that out of 8 or so menu items, something can be ordered that is edible. The main problem seems to be how can you get someone to BRING it to you.

 

Oh dear. Did not read every page but it seems your thread took on a life of its own!! :eek:

 

Service-everyone is bound to get a bad server no matter where they eat once in a while. As for RCCL-service is probably fading for many reasons.

 

A.-I'm sure these folks have many more tables to wait on. Eating dinner at 7;30 with a probably early seating 6Pm dinner is just wrong. Way to long to wait. If you ask for something-it should be delivered to you with a reasonable time frame and not cold. Not too much to ask for. So-more tables is probably not working for some dinner teams.

B.-I do remember the day where we had an actual bar server at dinner and if memory serves me correct-I recieved a tip envelope for them. One stands out in particular who followed me to the casino after dinner most nights. Loved that guy.:D Bring back the bar server at dinner please. This made more time for your assistant waiter to bring you drinks that are included in your fare. Yes-this service is lacking by cutbacks now IMO.

C.-Chops and Portofino will be the demise of the MDR for you folks that truly enjoy it. I'm thinking the cruise line makes more money off of you if you book these. I see the writing on the wall for this one. By ordering it in the MDR they are not making as much off of you as they can if you step into the actual restaurant. ching cha ching-25 bucks a head. Do the math guys!!

D-I don't care what anyone says-pre-paid tips will also be the downfall of service. Tip the folks that serve you should be the norm also. Sorry-it's how I think. Why bother giving good service if a-I've been tiped already or b-they are going to tip me anyways because CC says you need to give us all of it because we work all over the ship-even if you have never seen us.[i know-i'm dead for those comments;)]

E.-Finally-order a filet-you shouldf get a filet-that's just really bad service.

 

Rollo-you vented-I feel for ya. You were not happy and rightly so. What you do with your next vacation is your choice. CC message board just can't help but it is a good place to vent.

 

Personal observations-I'm not a huge fan of the MDR and never have been. Food is OK-but not top of the line. Service has been good but again-not top of the line either. It's a place to be served and that's it. Heck I'm a huge WJ for dinner team player so I may have no value at all to this thread.:o

[EVALUATOR]

This thread is about SERVICE and an attempt to upcharge and then cheat someone out of a high end steak. At no point did I say the food sucked. It has always been my opinion that out of 8 or so menu items, something can be ordered that is edible. The main problem seems to be how can you get someone to BRING it to you.

 

Here is a thought. Maybe one server accidentally took your fillet and served it to a guest that ordered the sirloin. Then you got the sirloin instead of your fillet.

 

Now, although you have complained about your steak, somewhere there is a cruiser raving about the great sirloin they got on their last cruise. :eek: In their opinion, there would be no reason to order the extra charge steak, with the standard menu ones being of such great quality.

[rolloman]

Here is a thought. Maybe one server accidentally took your fillet and served it to a guest that ordered the sirloin. Then you got the sirloin instead of your fillet.

 

Now, although you have complained about your steak, somewhere there is a cruiser raving about the great sirloin they got on their last cruise. :eek: In their opinion, there would be no reason to order the extra charge steak, with the standard menu ones being of such great quality.

 

LOL... I am not in a position to doubt any scenerio but since there have been others state this has happened before I tend to believe it was not bad luck on my part.

[rrgreennc]

To be honest, I'd rather go without the mealtime "entertainment" if it gave the waitstaff more time to focus on serving the passengers. On my first cruise, I would barely take a sip of water and the assistant waiter would be there to refill my glass. On my last cruise, I often had to ask more than once to get the assistant waiter to refill my empty water glass.

I agree about the entertainment in the dining room. I've only been on 3 cruises, but with each one they seem to do more of this, and I find it really annoying. On my last 7 day cruise there were 3 nights where there was some kind of singing, dancing, parading, etc. Could we just stick to dining in the dining room? I don't mind 1 night when there is something "entertaining", but please don't do the parade of nations, followed by the crowing about how great the service was, please give us a hand, yadda-yadda. How about just giving us great service, and then being appropriately rewarded with tips? Whatever happened to that? Are there actually people who like all this ruckus in the MDR?

[Maraprince]

I do my own cooking at home so I know what goes into the preparation and the serving. My budget is limited but with the know how the cheapest cut of meat can be delicious.

 

Don't buy the argument that food that I should be happy with inferior food. I paid good money with RCL, more than with the competition, and the variety just isn't there. Their MDR menu is much more limited than on other lines. The Buffet actually has more variety of food than the MDR!

 

Speciality restaurants are just that -- speciality dining. They were never meant to be the norm or to replace the MDR. What they are -- another source of on-board revenue for RCL -- someone has to pay for the Oasis and its sister! If the quality and service has so detoriated in the MDR, sooner or later it will come around to bite RCL.

 

Yes, while new passengers have no point of comparison, it is very unfair that they think these passengers don't know bad food and bad service. You may get the first time passenger, but will they come back? Their recommendation or lack there of is worth more than any expensive marketing/advertising campaign. Good news spreads fast, bad news spreads faster.

 

Most of us work many long hours and put up with a lot of c.....p to be able to book a cruise. Our friends, families and co-workers envy us for being able to take a cruise in such bad economic conditions. Maybe if I was able to afford to take 4-5 cruises a year I wouldn't care if one of my sailings wasn't up to standard. But when it is the only sailing I am taking, I expect to be served food that is properly prepared and served at the right temperature. If my server has a bad day, no problem. But if everyday is a bad day, either he should change jobs, he is improperly trained/supervised or he is overworked to the point of exhaustion.

 

Passengers do not care why the service/food is bad. They paid for a good experience and it is not unwarranted that they should receive it.

 

Sure the Oasis is sailing full for the last 3 sailings, but RCL still has other ships that need to have good service/food.

 

Princess made the decision to keep both the smaller ships and the larger ones due to passenger preference. The smaller ships give them the flexibility to go many places the larger ships can't. Some passengers prefer a more intimate experience and not the "Coney Island" effect of the Oasis. Being a native NYer this ships holds no special allure for me since I can go to the real thing. If I want the "Disney" experience, I will sail with Disney and enjoy a fantasy experience created by the experts who haven't compromised on service and quality.

 

I will sail with RCI and expect the same quality/service I am used to. I will be sailing with a friend who invested heavily with a private investment company who loaned RCI lots of money for the Oasis. You can bet if my friend who has sailed with NCL and Carnival doesn't feel the RCL experience is up to standard that information will be carried back to the other investors. You never know who is sailing with you.

 

By the way, my friend hated NCL but loved Carnival.

 

MARAPRINCE

[critterchick]

All I know is when I'm on a cruise I eat better than anything that I eat at home. And we do eat in the main dining room every night. Never in the specialty restaurants. While the service will vary from cruise to cruise, generally we're satisfied with the product Royal offers. I'd like to know exactly what the complainers on this threat eat at home? 5-course gourmet meals? During this difficult economic time I'm sure there are millions of fellow Americans who would love to be able to go on a nice vacation and relax and be served all week. But unfortunately they can't afford it. They're just worrying about paying their mortgage and putting food on their families table. I wonder what their reaction would be if they heard some of the whining on this thread. If you're not satisfied with a particular cruise line then go cruise on another one. Just stop the ridiculous complaining. Sheesh.

 

I don't cook 5-course or even 3-course gourmet meals at home, but I know my limitations. Unless I have time to follow a recipe carefully, I keep it simple. I think that's where my beef (haha) with RCI lies - they have some very interesting-sounding dishes, but the execution is poor. They are overly ambitious and don't have the setup to deliver what the menu says. The tempura mahi-mahi, for example could be delicious if cooked to order, but it's cooked before the dinner seating (I saw piles of it on a galley tour and haven't ordered it since) and then reheated. So it's soggy instead of crispy. That sort of thing.

 

Then add that the soggy tempura comes out lukewarm because the waitstaff has too many tables to serve and it's just time to go back on Weight Watchers.

 

Yes, some things come out well, but I seldom have a meal that I consider to be delicious, except on Rhapsody, where they turned out some really fine dinners.

 

And yes, we are all blessed that we can sit around and complain about the food quality. But if a 5* restaurant suddenly started serving sirloin in place of filet, its clientele would likely also start complaining. The fact that somebody else can't afford to eat there is irrelevant IMHO.

 

Is it really too much to ask that the service in the MDR be comparable to a Chili's (2-star) dining experience?

 

It would appear so.:p

 

I keep harking back to our recent experience on Rhapsody. Good to excellent food in the MDR (and no alternatives other than the WJ), fabulous service in MTD and no issues with anything except the wine service (here, may I slop some more wine into your glass? Oh, was that sediment? sorry) And once the headwaiter saw that we were displeased with it, he took over. They should make a training video in that MDR and make it required viewing for the rest of the fleet.

[SandraLee]

Where did that all singing and dancing and parading in the dining room come from? It is the stupidest, corniest, waste of time thing I've ever seen. What is the purpose?

 

Seriously, if I want to see a parade or a show, I'll go to the theater.

 

I want the wait staff to spend time on bringing coffee and getting to know my family.

[Bakincakes]

I can tell you that when they used to parade around with the flaming baked Alaskas it was quite something to see.

 

There seemed to be actual joy in the MDR..the staff seemed to love their jobs and would bend over backwards for the pax. They were proud to serve us those wonderful meals.:)

 

We were made to feel like royalty and the staff genuinely wanted us all to enjoy ourselves every moment we were onboard ship. Pax seemed much more relaxed and happier as well.

 

It was just a different atmosphere...

[Ohunion Cruzers]

Where did that all singing and dancing and parading in the dining room come from? It is the stupidest, corniest, waste of time thing I've ever seen. What is the purpose?

 

Seriously, if I want to see a parade or a show, I'll go to the theater.

 

I want the wait staff to spend time on bringing coffee and getting to know my family.

 

It is a chance for all the MDR patrons to show appreciation to the waitstaff for their services. Typically, when your waiter and assistant waiter "parade by" your table, you should applaud and cheer extra hard. If you do, you will see how much they appreciate your enthusiasm.

[tip]

It is a chance for all the MDR patrons to show appreciation to the waitstaff for their services. Typically, when your waiter and assistant waiter "parade by" your table, you should applaud and cheer extra hard. If you do, you will see how much they appreciate your enthusiasm.

 

Gee whiz, and all this time I thought that I was showing my appreciation by putting a little extra in the envelope on the last night!;)

[cruzincurt]

It is a chance for all the MDR patrons to show appreciation to the waitstaff for their services. Typically, when your waiter and assistant waiter "parade by" your table, you should applaud and cheer extra hard. If you do, you will see how much they appreciate your enthusiasm.

Personally, I'm embarrassed for them when they have to perform like circus acts. Just serve up my coffee and dessert and I'll show my appreciation by shaking your hand and thanking you for the dinner service as we leave.

[Cruise Raider]

I'm sorry to hear that a bunch of you are having consistently bad service :(

 

It's funny, though, how much it varies from ship to ship. We had amazing service on Grandeur with none of the problems that are being described here. Actually, a lot of them were things that I noticed the waitstaff did very well. I'd think that things would be more consistent across the fleet :\

 

 

I agree! We are just off the Radiance and probably received the some of best dining room service out of 32 cruises. It is sometimes hit or miss and sometimes the waiter is awful but the assistant is great and vice versa. We did the MTD and we are hooked.

[kyriecat]

It is a chance for all the MDR patrons to show appreciation to the waitstaff for their services. Typically, when your waiter and assistant waiter "parade by" your table, you should applaud and cheer extra hard. If you do, you will see how much they appreciate your enthusiasm.

I found it hard to be enthusiastic last cruise after I asked for a refill of water twice and didn't get it then realized my waiter and asst. waiter were dancing around and juggling so it would be another 10 minutes before I got more to drink.

Gee whiz, and all this time I thought that I was showing my appreciation by putting a little extra in the envelope on the last night!;)

I agree. I add extra for good service when I get it. Last cruise, the waitstaff just got the standard amount.

 

I didn't mind when the waitstaff sang a night or two during the cruise but last one, they had something 4 of the 7 nights. I thought that was overdoing it. I enjoy talking with the others at my table.

[Ocean Boy]

Gee whiz, and all this time I thought that I was showing my appreciation by putting a little extra in the envelope on the last night!;)

 

I agree. I think they probably have far more appreciation for the envelope at the end of the week than for some clapping as they walk by the table.

 

Personally, I'm embarrassed for them when they have to perform like circus acts. Just serve up my coffee and dessert and I'll show my appreciation by shaking your hand and thanking you for the dinner service as we leave.

 

And I agree with you also. I am sure the staff had a choice they would much rather spend time at their tables rather than turning dinner into a side show. There are plenty of entertainment venues on the ship. The dining room doesn't have to be turned into one. It is all part of the reason why we gave up on the MDR and eat in the Windjammer. There is just way too much commotion in the MDR for me. And the fact that the service we received on Mariner was the final straw. It was terrible.

[temple1]

I have to agree with the parade of waiters - not something I enjoy.

[rolloman]

I am not into the buffet, I just can't get past the idea of someone rolling out of bed or climbing out of the pool and then making a bee line for the same ladle/serving spoon I would have to touch. If the MDR service continues to deteriorate, I will have to follow the herd to the pay restaurants. I have a strong feeling that is what they want us to do. I think NCL is on to something. I would not look for the huge MDR on new builds. They will soon be in museum with the dinasours.

[Aquahound]

I agree! We are just off the Radiance and probably received the some of best dining room service out of 32 cruises. It is sometimes hit or miss and sometimes the waiter is awful but the assistant is great and vice versa. We did the MTD and we are hooked.

 

Ditto. The service on my recent Radiance cruise was absolute top notch. I even think the food was better.

[SandraLee]

I would not look for the huge MDR on new builds. They will soon be in museum with the dinasours.

 

Personally, I LOVE the way Disney does the dining rooms. They have 3 smaller dining rooms and you rotate to a different dining room each night. Your wait staff rotates with you. You are in each dining room 2 or 3 times each 7 day cruise. LOVE it.