RCCL Main Dining reached a new low

[rolloman]

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.

 

Agreed. I also have had nothing but excellent service while on Disney.

[temple1]

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.

 

I've read about this and I don't understand the theory.

So, why?

[SandraLee]

I've read about this and I don't understand the theory.

So, why?

 

Each restaurant is themed. Your menu sort-of matches the restaurant. Also, you have different things (decor) to look at while you are in the restaurant. And, if you are unhappy with your table in one restaurant, you don't have to sit at that table every night for 7 days! You are only in each restaurant 2 or 3 times each 7 days.

 

In my opinion, the restaurants are more cozy, less convention-type. Many times on the RCCL ships I feel no different than eating in a big convention/hotel type catered dinner.

[Maraprince]

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.

 

 

Disney knows how to do it right!

 

MARAPRINCE

[KrispyMilk]

I've noticed that it's always a bad idea to go on the 2nd newest ship in the fleet, no matter which cruise line it is. Because whenever they have a new ship, they pull all the best staff to that ship... then when a newer ship comes along, all the good staff from the 2nd newest ship gets pulled to the newest one. And then they staff the 2nd newest ship with inexperienced people.

 

I experienced this firsthand because I saw a lot of positive reviews for Celebrity Solstice before Equinox came out. But Equinox didn't fit my schedule, so I had to opt for the Solstice. And the dining room service was horrible. The first night I was there, I waited for an hour and still no food, so I asked the waiter when he came by. He was like "There're 1000 people waiting to be fed. Obviously it's gonna take a while." I was pretty shocked since I heard some very good things about Celebrity. Then he got all the orders wrong, and kept bringing us things that we didn't order and not giving us the things we ordered.

 

Then a few nights later, these teenage girls from a table upstairs were chucking pieces of bread downstairs at my table and other tables in the area. I was just eating my appetizer, then suddenly a half-eaten piece of bread landed on the table in front of me. I talked to the waiter, and they just laughed it off. So I had to talk to the food/beverage manager to solve the problem. The waiter's explanation was "I thought she was joking"

But yea it is a joke... I heard that Equinox is very good though. But I imagine it'll get worse now that Eclipse is coming out...

[cruiserbryce]

too bad...we just got back from Radiance and thought the service and food were pretty good. There were a couple nights when the menu wasnt the most exciting but we chalk that up to cruising with RC over and over...

[rolloman]

From the various posts, seems like the Radiance is the exception to the rule. Maybe their management should host a fleet wide webinar for the corporation.

[psupa]

We recently returned from the Explorer and we had excellent service and the food was very good and always hot. This was the first time we tried MTD and had the best waiter and assistant.

[weary traveler]

I do have to say that when i sailed the Grandeur of the Seas about a year ago I received some of the best dining room service i've ever experienced.

and I agree with all of you.. when a friend says to me "cruising is not for me" and i then brag of how great it is.. i would be mortified to go thru what has been documented here. I just hope someone of interest or authority is reading what is written here..these are not the musings of a disgruntled passenger.. these are serious issues. i would think their philosophy would be to make the service so attractive, that one would pay anything for the attention and expierience.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

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.

 

 

We actually eat a lot better at home than in the MDR, We were not impressed by the standard of food at all and eat at the speciality restaurants mostly.

And of course we feel sorry for those not being able to take vacations, but we can, and we pay through the nose for them, so we do expect better service, meals etc why shouldnt we? just because of the economic situation doesnt mean we have to accept crap.

If anything, the cruisline should be glad they still have customers able to pay for cruises and want to keep them, not make them want to change to another cruiseline. I dont get your attitude:confused:

[mtchg]

It's Mitch...me and Beth were the only "Coen-Huskas" on the Jewel OTS 12 nite Repo...Good to see you are still enjoying cruising and semi-retirement.. Every cruise has been special for us but the one on the Jewel will always hold a special place in our heart.

 

Have you talked to Bob and Elaine lately?

 

We are going on our first European cruise....14 niter on the Independence OTS July 3rd..

 

All The Best!!

 

Mitch and Beth

[Aquahound]

From the various posts, seems like the Radiance is the exception to the rule. Maybe their management should host a fleet wide webinar for the corporation.

 

Agree 100%. I received phenomenal service on my last 2 RCI cruises, and the food was pretty darn good. Radiance and Enchantment are doing it right. Perhaps, IOS, or at least the servers you had, should take some lessons from them.

[galavant3]

Our last cruise was in 8/09 on the Explorer and our dining room service was outstanding. The last few before that were the Mariner and the Voyager and again, very attentive service. We've always (for years) felt that the food was just acceptable but given the number of diners each night expected nothing more. Some meals have been very good, some marginal. But the service has always been fabulous. We'll be on the Mariner in June so hopefully our good fortune will continue!

[temple1]

I do have to say that when i sailed the Grandeur of the Seas about a year ago I received some of the best dining room service i've ever experienced.

and I agree with all of you.. when a friend says to me "cruising is not for me" and i then brag of how great it is.. i would be mortified to go thru what has been documented here. I just hope someone of interest or authority is reading what is written here..these are not the musings of a disgruntled passenger.. these are serious issues. i would think their philosophy would be to make the service so attractive, that one would pay anything for the attention and expierience.

 

What they pay most attention to are cruiser surveys with names and first hand experiences and direct emails. They might see a trend on these boards, but like most of us chalk up the majority of what is posted to whining. Plus, if they continue to get bad reports on surveys from actual passengers and documented complaints by email from actual passengers it will do more good than anonymous anyone who has an axe to grind posting on a website. Just because someone posts something on here does not necessarily make it real.

 

A first time poster chimed in to report how awful and terrible everything was in the dinin room on a Celebrity cruise. What was reported on here is pretty hard to imagine on a cargo ship much less a cruise ship. So you have to wonder about the person, what was really said and why didn't they report the problem immediately, etc. It might have happened exactly as reported, something similar might have been said but the poster blew it out of proportion, or the poster just didn't like the guy and has a creative imagination. We don't know. But if posted in a survey or a direct email to the cruise line - they can follow up and if they actually care, correct the problem.

 

And like all on here - that is jmho.

[Mrsg324]

Without reading replies past the first page.

My experience on VOS was good, not anything like in the past but it was good. The food was really good but not excellent like we have experienced in the past. Our waiter was ok but but I wasn't overly thrilled with the service for head waiter or assistant. Our meals were always correct but just didn't feel the wait staff cared as much as they did in the past. I talked to others on our ship that had excellent service & everyone at our table wished we were at a table with another waiter close by, he was Johnny on the spot & having a great time with all his tables, our waiters were just there. We chopped it up with maybe they are new but as long as we got food & it was good, we were happy.

[Host Kewlguy]

We actually eat a lot better at home than in the MDR, We were not impressed by the standard of food at all and eat at the speciality restaurants mostly.

And of course we feel sorry for those not being able to take vacations, but we can, and we pay through the nose for them, so we do expect better service, meals etc why shouldnt we? just because of the economic situation doesnt mean we have to accept crap.

If anything, the cruisline should be glad they still have customers able to pay for cruises and want to keep them, not make them want to change to another cruiseline. I dont get your attitude:confused:

 

According to your signature you've been on ONE cruise. And according to your post on another thread you only ate in the main dining room for THREE nights on your ONE cruise. Don't you think you ought to get a couple more cruises under your belt before you start trashing the food and service in the main dining room? :confused:

[MAZANDSTEVE]

According to your signature you've been on ONE cruise. And according to your post on another thread you only ate in the main dining room for THREE nights on your ONE cruise. Don't you think you ought to get a couple more cruises under your belt before you start trashing the food and service in the main dining room? :confused:

 

 

If you pay approx $6000 for a cruise vacation you expect good food every night not just some,they portray MDR as fine dining,

I am saying I dont agree and I dont have to have numerous cruises to have an opinion!!!

And I am not the only one that thinks that as this thread shows.

Am I expected to accept bad meals for some nights then and bad service, I dont think so.

[Paul65]

If you pay approx $6000 for a cruise vacation you expect good food every night not just some,they portray MDR as fine dining,

I am saying I dont agree and I dont have to have numerous cruises to have an opinion!!!

And I am not the only one that thinks that as this thread shows.

Am I expected to accept bad meals for some nights then and bad service, I dont think so.

 

Actually, you seem to be throwing around this $6000 number a bit, but that is not generally the base cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise. I'm not sure how many nights your cruise was, but what I will call the "base" cost is what you will pay for a basic room with all of your meals and entertainment included. This cost, of course, depends on supply and demand, so it may be higher on the most popular ships, itineraries and travel dates. But on those newest ships or hottest itineraries or popular vacation weeks, you're paying more because of higher demand, not because of better quality food.

 

So, with that in mind, the base cost is usually less than $100 per person, per day, which includes some port taxes and fees. So, if you're expecting accomodations, entertainment and three gourmet meals per day for less than $100, your expectations may be off. And if you're paying much more than that, you're paying for upgraded accomodations and/or for the privilege of booking a ship/time that is in high demand.

 

I'm not suggesting you should accept poor food or poor service, but if you think you're paying several thousand dollars for the food, you're a bit off in your thinking.

[aruvqan]

Actually, you seem to be throwing around this $6000 number a bit, but that is not generally the base cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise. I'm not sure how many nights your cruise was, but what I will call the "base" cost is what you will pay for a basic room with all of your meals and entertainment included.

We are spending about $6K on next Febs cruise, 3 people in a Jr Stateroom [the handicapped on up on the 10th deck, port side] so $6K is not untoward, not everybody is part of a couple, and some people get suites and not inside cabins ...

 

That being said, this past cruise, our first one ever and I will say that we ate in the MDR every night except the first night [we did Portofinos.] We had an excellent pair of waiters, and a bar server as well. The food was delivered promptly, hot and correct. We got our rolls, water and other services from the assistant waiter promptly. Other than the food being a bit saltier than I would have prepared it [i used to be a chef back in the day] I have no problem with the actual food [other than has been mentioned they tend to use gelatin in a lot of desserts that normally wouldn't have it.]

 

Perhaps the issue is the first seating? I would think that more people would want the first seating so they could go to the bars or the shows. We specifically chose second seating because we normally eat late at home, and that way we would never be in a hurry coming back from a shore trip. We relaxed on our balcony with coffees from the Promenade Cafe which was more or less right under our cabin and a short run down the stairs for Rob.

 

The only issue we had was on the second night. We had gotten a fantastic red wine in Portofinos, and they had no more ... we literally had the last bottle on the ship on our first night :( but then we had fun trying different wines looking for a new one to have in its place :D

[Paul65]

We are spending about $6K on next Febs cruise, 3 people in a Jr Stateroom [the handicapped on up on the 10th deck, port side] so $6K is not untoward, not everybody is part of a couple, and some people get suites and not inside cabins ...

 

Well, that was really my point. If you're paying much more than the $100pp/day, you're probably paying for upgraded accomodations and/or a really popular ship/sail date, not for better food. Just for grins, I looked up your cruise, and I could book it today for $1099 in an inside cabin for a 12-night cruise, so there you have it, less than $100pp/day for the "base" cost. :cool:

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Actually, you seem to be throwing around this $6000 number a bit, but that is not generally the base cost of a Royal Caribbean cruise. I'm not sure how many nights your cruise was, but what I will call the "base" cost is what you will pay for a basic room with all of your meals and entertainment included. This cost, of course, depends on supply and demand, so it may be higher on the most popular ships, itineraries and travel dates. But on those newest ships or hottest itineraries or popular vacation weeks, you're paying more because of higher demand, not because of better quality food.

 

So, with that in mind, the base cost is usually less than $100 per person, per day, which includes some port taxes and fees. So, if you're expecting accomodations, entertainment and three gourmet meals per day for less than $100, your expectations may be off. And if you're paying much more than that, you're paying for upgraded accomodations and/or for the privilege of booking a ship/time that is in high demand.

 

I'm not suggesting you should accept poor food or poor service, but if you think you're paying several thousand dollars for the food, you're a bit off in your thinking.

 

 

yeah, I think we pay more in the UK and to be honest, I dont shop around, I see the vacation and just book it. And Im not throwing it around, its the only way to get a point across sometimes, I think most people on a 14 day cruise from UK pay that sort of money. To us its a luxury vacation and we expect better than fair.

The difference is, a lot of people from the US take 3,4,5 day short cruises and do this a few times a year, this is our main vacation and our 2 weeks off work is precious and we like a good quality vacation.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Well, that was really my point. If you're paying much more than the $100pp/day, you're probably paying for upgraded accomodations and/or a really popular ship/sail date, not for better food. Just for grins, I looked up your cruise, and I could book it today for $1099 in an inside cabin for a 12-night cruise, so there you have it, less than $100pp/day for the "base" cost. :cool:

 

 

So you would be happy with poor food then?

[galavant3]

 

So, with that in mind, the base cost is usually less than $100 per person, per day, which includes some port taxes and fees. So, if you're expecting accomodations, entertainment and three gourmet meals per day for less than $100, your expectations may be off. And if you're paying much more than that, you're paying for upgraded accomodations and/or for the privilege of booking a ship/time that is in high demand.

 

I'm not suggesting you should accept poor food or poor service, but if you think you're paying several thousand dollars for the food, you're a bit off in your thinking.

 

Funny that you mentioned this. Our goal is to keep the cost per person at $100 per person or less. For our June cruise, we are paying a little more per person for our D1 Balcony but we are paying significantly less for the kid's interior cabin. It comes out to right around $700 per person once we add port fees and taxes. If we are traveling off peak, we can usually come in under the $100 per night.

 

The problem is, even if you are paying for the most expensive suite, you will get the same dining room service as those paying much, much less.

 

I agree that poor food or poor service is unacceptable and fortunately we've never experienced either one. Keeping my fingers crossed for our June cruise!

[Paul65]

So you would be happy with poor food then?

 

Nope. I guess you missed the part where I said you shouldn't have to accept poor food or poor service.

 

 

Edit: What I was suggesting, btw, was that you may have had a higher expectation of what the food should be, based on the $6000 you paid, because it's a relatively small amount of that cost that actually goes to the food. I have always been relatively happy with the food and most times with the service, as well. But I have never thought it was as good as most "fine dining" restaurants. But it can vary from ship to ship and week to week. We were very happy with the food on the Voyager recently. Without having shared your experience on the Brilliance, I have no way of knowing if the food was what I would consider "poor" or not.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Nope. I guess you missed the part where I said you shouldn't have to accept poor food or poor service.

 

 

You dont have a choice when on a ship unless you go to Speciality restaurants.

 

Anyway, nearly 4pm here in England, sunny Friday afternoon and time for home and some smuggled wine!! Ha Ha!!:D