RCCL Main Dining reached a new low

[galavant3]

So you would be happy with poor food then?

 

Mazandsteve, we have booked a cruise next year on a more expensive line because we want to have that "luxury line" experience. Since you seem to be willing to pay a bit more, have you considered that option? I love RCCL and will continue to cruise with them but I look foward to the comparison.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

Mazandsteve, we have booked a cruise next year on a more expensive line because we want to have that "luxury line" experience. Since you seem to be willing to pay a bit more, have you considered that option? I love RCCL and will continue to cruise with them but I look foward to the comparison.

 

 

Yes, we are willing to look at all options, to be honest, its all about the itinerary and places we have not been to, this comes first and if Rccl are the only line then it has to be them, they do seem to have a good choice.

[rolloman]

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.

 

I think my past 10 years associated with this site and all those who know me easily qualify me as a credible poster. Your statement of posting on this site gets no attention from the cruiselines is an outright proven fabrication. The cruiselines not only watch this site on a daily basis they now get involved with the meet and greets. The real question is what is yoru motive for trying to discredit this thread and the overwhelming negative response to the current service levels fleetwide in the MDR?

[temple1]

I think my past 10 years associated with this site and all those who know me easily qualify me as a credible poster. Your statement of posting on this site gets no attention from the cruiselines is an outright proven fabrication. The cruiselines not only watch this site on a daily basis they now get involved with the meet and greets. The real question is what is yoru motive for trying to discredit this thread and the overwhelming negative response to the current service levels fleetwide in the MDR?

 

Slight problem with reading comprehension? Or just an attitude problem? Outright fabrication? Motivation?

 

If you read all the words in my post and not just selective words and phrases you will see I have no hidden agendas, nor am I fabricating statements.

[Paul65]

The real question is what is your motive for trying to discredit this thread and the overwhelming negative response to the current service levels fleetwide in the MDR?

 

That's quite a stretch to say there is an overwhelming negative response to the current service levels fleetwide. I think that's probably part of what temple1 was trying to say. It's easy, on the internet, to post a gripe, find a few people who agree, and declare it to be an overwhelming response. The surveys that most every passenger on a ship fill out would give a better indication of the overall passenger feeling.

 

But I don't think this site is totally ignored by RC.

[rolloman]

Slight problem with reading comprehension? Or just an attitude problem? Outright fabrication? Motivation?

 

If you read all the words in my post and not just selective words and phrases you will see I have no hidden agendas, nor am I fabricating statements.

 

My problem is people like you who make feeble attempts at trying to discredit others. Fabrication- You made up your theory in your own mind the only way to get the cruiselines attention is through the survey. Motivation_ What is your motiviation for your post, simple question deserves a simple answer? Your post has no substance whatsoever, simply an attempt to discredit others. In all the years I have been on this site I have 3 people on ignore. You are now the fourth. Congrats.

 

PAUL65- Yes there seems to be an overwhelming response to recent negative service fleetwide IN THIS THREAD.

[Paul65]

PAUL65- Yes there seems to be an overwhelming response to recent negative service fleetwide IN THIS THREAD.

 

Exactly. That was the point. I don't really agree with you that the comments in this thread are "overwhelmingly" negative, but there are a lot of negative comments. But that's partly because the thread is about dining hitting a new low. It invites people to share similar experiences. That's why it is not a true reflection of the overall situation and the survey responses collected on the ships will give a much better indication of that.

 

And I still think YOU are trying to discredit others more than temple1 did. For instance, temple1 never said that the survey was "the only way" to get the cruiseline's attention, as you misparaphrased it above.

 

BTW - How do you put someone "on ignore"?

[temple1]

:confused:

My problem is people like you who make feeble attempts at trying to discredit others. Fabrication- You made up your theory in your own mind the only way to get the cruiselines attention is through the survey. Motivation_ What is your motiviation for your post, simple question deserves a simple answer? Your post has no substance whatsoever, simply an attempt to discredit others. In all the years I have been on this site I have 3 people on ignore. You are now the fourth. Congrats.

 

PAUL65- Yes there seems to be an overwhelming response to recent negative service fleetwide IN THIS THREAD.

 

LOL - you attack my post and then put me in time out. :D Go figure. So I guess the problem is both. But you won't see this because I am a nonentity now.

 

And I still think YOU are trying to discredit others more than temple1 did. For instance, temple1 never said that the survey was "the only way" to get the cruiseline's attention, as you misparaphrased it above.

 

BTW - How do you put someone "on ignore"?

 

I was trying to point out that anyone can post anything. There is no control, no verifying etc. I know the majority of posters are honest and are sharing the events that happened to them. We have a tendency to only pick up on the more horrific stories. In my example - the poster's experience was rather extreme. To the point it makes one wonder about what really happened (not about the idiots tossing bread but the waiter's answer about the slowness of service.)

 

As the poster did not notice, thus my comments on his reading comprehension skills, is I qualified my comments.

 

To ignore someone - you can go into your profile, find ignore and type in their screen name. Then the only time you will see their comments are if they are quoted by another poster. I've only done it once or twice - can make for interesting reading. If you find some of the posts confusing now.

[torpeedo]

Just want to add our personal observations to this thread, absent any negative motivation or desire to discredit any other poster. Have been cruising RCI exclusively since 2006, and sailed on Independence twice in the past year. Our overall experience on RCI has been positive, or we wouldn't return. No serious problems with food quality or service. Of course we could nit pick isolated service issues, but food quality is a subjective matter and we just don't expect gourmet quality from the MDR of any mass market cruise ship, whether it's RCI, CCL, NCL or HAL. If gourmet dining was our expectation and/or primary reason to cruise, we would be on Silversea, Seabourne, Regent etc and paying for that upgrade. We do expect better than average banquet quality food in the MDR, and that's what we receive and why we continue to sail on RCI.

[Maraprince]

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:

 

 

 

You are 100% right in your assessment! RCI is taking (and foregeting) from the rest of the fleet and giving everything to Oasis and its soon to be sister ship. No matter the size of the ship we are ALL paying passengers and should get the same good level of service. Seems like RCL is creating 2 classes of ships and 2 levels of service. Not everyone wants to go on the Oasis or a ship of its size, but we shouldn't be shut out of good service and decently prepared/served food. Nor should we have to use the pay extra restaurants to obtain it. When the choice of food is better in the buffet area, then you know there is a problem!

 

While this is a little off the topic, for those of you who know about a retail store called "Daffy's" who prides itself on offering "bargains for millionaires" -- higher end merchandise and imports from Europe along with odd lots of close out merchandise -- they were selling RCL children's clear pastic backpacks with a 9" fashion doll complete with a skateboard, skates with the RCL logo for $6.99. Now, imagine what RCL was selling it for on their ships before they discontinued the item?

 

Either RCL is a mass market line just like Carnival (I know some may protest the comparison) or it is higher end. RCL can't say they are one thing and then do the opposite. Their pricing sctructure reflects higher end, but the quality isn't there. If you are going to charge more, then it is not unreasonable for passengers to expect more. Already RCL has implemented cutbacks in amenities, what is given to repeat customers, etc. Is this a case of "how low can they go" before they hit rock bottom and even their most loyal passengers will leave them to keep stuffing the ships with "newbies" who have NO expectations or even know what they should be getting? Their product has been diluted and lacks the punch it used to have. Someone at headquarters needs to reassess who they are as a company and how they want to be preceived. There is a lot of competitiors out there just waiting to pounce and gain former RCL passengers.

 

MARAPRINCE

[rolloman]

Exactly. That was the point. , but there are a lot of negative comments.

 

 

Thanks for the redundancy.

My beef is with Temple1 (who is now on ignore). Exactly why are you getting involved? The board has enough watch dogs and referees. The thread was flowing nicely.

[Jimnbigd]

My Carnival Ecstasy in January this year had rather poor dining service. I finished my starter (which had tomotoe sauce on it), the waiter takes my dirty fork, sets on the clean table cloth (no longer clean now), and wants me to eat my salad with this same fork. I've never had that happen before.

 

My RCCL Voyager of the Seas cruise in March of this year was very enjoyable. Marilyn, our waitress was really good. The assistant needs work, but generally that's why they are assistants I guess. Food was good and usually warm (not hot, but warm) -- not bad since our table was one of the furthest ones from the kitchen.

 

Regardless, I always enjoy the MDR experience -- it makes me feel very elegant.

[Cruiser Forever]

I hope you had not prepaid your tips

 

 

That is why I NEVER prepay my tips. I don't like the idea of prepaid tips. This server would not get as much as intend if I had to go through what the poster went through. Never prepay. if the service is lousy you are stuck.

[Paul65]

Thanks for the redundancy.

My beef is with Temple1 (who is now on ignore). Exactly why are you getting involved? The board has enough watch dogs and referees. The thread was flowing nicely.

 

 

I got involved, because I saw a hypocrite (you) being needlessly rude to another poster, so I spoke up. I'm sure it won't do any good, but I spoke up, anyway.

 

By the way, the apparent redundancy is only because of the way you edited my quote.

[Mrsg324]

I also try to remember that more people complain than compliment. If I see 2 complaints about something I try to realize there are probably 10 compliments for the 2 complaints.

Regardless, a bad dinning experience on a cruise ship is better than a good dining service at Chilli's

[Kathykins56]

I have not read the entire thread but I just got off the EOS yesterday and the food was so-so. Nothing special. I was actually excited to get off the ship and eat in a chain restaurant. I was on Grandeur in May 2009 and the food was a lot better.

[weary traveler]

A big hello and well wishes sent in between some of these bombs being tossed lol.

The JOS repo for 2011 just got posted Boston to Tampa!!!! 14 days and a new itinery!

Yes we had great times aboard the JOS and great service to boot! From what I hear things havent changed on her at all. Here's to a great summer and a fantastic cruise for you aboard the IOS (tied up next to her in Cozumel.. couldnt believe the diff in size between her and GOS) havent talked to Bob or Elaine in a few months but i believe all is well there.

I have to be spoiled cause after reading the $$$$ amounts spent here, I really have nothing to complain about after spending $239 per person including port and taxes for a 6 day/5 night Western carib out of Tampa in December visiting Key West and Cozumel and being upgraded to an outside cabin on the 4th deck. That's one night at Foxwoods for some people...If I dont like the MDR i go to the windjammer, if i dont like the windjammer, i'm always ready to try the specialty restaurant.. but for some reason.... :) i cant stay away from the all night pizza and french fries.. lol Any day at sea beats a day in the grease pit.

 

nuff said

[Maraprince]

[I really have nothing to complain about after spending $239 per person including port and taxes for a 6 day/5 night Western carib out of Tampa in December visiting Key West and Cozumel and being upgraded to an outside cabin on the 4th deck. That's one night at Foxwoods for some people...If I dont like the MDR i go to the windjammer, if i dont like the windjammer, i'm always ready to try the specialty restaurant.. but for some reason.... :) i cant stay away from the all night pizza and french fries.. lol Any day at sea beats a day in the grease pit.

 

nuff said

 

 

So very sad that anyone would be willing to accept poor quality food just because they didn't pay a lot for their cruise!

 

You have to realize that EVERYONE is being served the same food regardless of how much/how little they paid. Paying a low price to get on a ship doesn't equate with low quality food or poor service. Unfortunately, most of us paid a whole lot more than you did and didn't get an upgrade in the process -- our deposit per person was higher than your cruise price!

 

So if we are not happy with poor service/poor food forgive us for "rocking the boat" by complaining.

 

 

MARAPRINCE

[weary traveler]

The underlying point was exactly what you pointed to oh great and all-knowing Maraprince.. you can pay 6000 or you can pay 239 and you still get the same shoddy service or lousy food. in my case, I make no bones about it....i wont go to the mdr, i wont hesitate to complain but i'll still find a way to enjoy myself because even the french fries at the all nighter are great. bottom line? I wasnt putting anyone down here, i think everyone has the right to complain and write into here and express their thots. I was only "expressing" my feeling about how much i love to cruise and am fortunate to have done so. I appreciate how "sad" you think it is and how i am.

[pcur]

If I had not been on a RCCL cruise in a while, I'd be worried about the posts on this thread, and the situation with the main dining room service and food in general. But, that's not the case with us, so I'm just puzzled instead of worried.

 

First of all, I wonder if the timing of the OP's cruise was part of the problem. Looks like it was over Spring Break, and maybe the Indy was packed and the servers overwhelmed. Don't know.

 

I do know that we were on the Indy in mid-December and had great food and service in the MDR. Our waiter was ill one night and the assistant waiter took over flawlessly. The two of them did not get along very well, but they did not let it interfer with their service to us.

 

I have also been on a Celebrity ship, the Majesty, the Rhapsody, and the Mariner since March 2009. On none of these cruises did we received bad service or bad food. Quite the contrary on the Rhapsody.

 

So, I'm thinking some people may be picking times to cruise when they are training new staff, or they've rotated staff from one venue to another and they are adjusting to that.

 

I also encourage everyone to speak up the very first night if there's a problem, and keep talking to their head waiter every night until the problem is solved. If it isn't, then switch to the Windjammer, because dinner there is very nice, too, with many of the same selections. Be sure to take names, table numbers, etc., because you DO want to put it on your comment card. If problems aren't address with repeated discussions, then the ship's management need to know there's a problem with the individuals you talked to.

[SandraLee]

Yes, the OP was on a Spring Break cruise. I was on the same one. Yes, the ship was packed -- well, actually it was at capacity.

 

Have we reached the conclusion that if you sail when the ship is at capacity, you should expect poor food and poor service in the MDR? Personally, I can't accept that premise. If the ship sleep the capacity numbers on any ship, hte crew should be able to service those same passengers.

 

Again, those that are chained to the school holiday calendar and pay a premium, should at least expect comparable and acceptable service.

[Maraprince]

The underlying point was exactly what you pointed to oh great and all-knowing Maraprince.. you can pay 6000 or you can pay 239 and you still get the same shoddy service or lousy food. in my case, I make no bones about it....i wont go to the mdr, i wont hesitate to complain but i'll still find a way to enjoy myself because even the french fries at the all nighter are great. bottom line? I wasnt putting anyone down here, i think everyone has the right to complain and write into here and express their thots. I was only "expressing" my feeling about how much i love to cruise and am fortunate to have done so. I appreciate how "sad" you think it is and how i am.

 

 

It wasn't a personal attack on you. The point was that it was "sad" that price paid should not enable the line to provide bad service. When it comes to dining we are all equal since no one asks how much you paid for the cruise. We don't walk around with stickers on our foreheads saying lowest "inside" vs. top of the line "suite". Food is the great leveler.

 

Of course, the more you pay for the sailing it will affect how you preceive the service and food quality. For most of us, this IS the once a year vacation and our expectations aren't out of line. We save to be able to afford to take the cruise. Some of us end up paying higher prices than others because of how RCCL sets its pricing on different sailings that may be the same length due to where the ship is sailing from, date of sailing and how well the sailing is selling.

 

IMO no matter where you eat on the ship, the food should be prepared and served at the proper temperature and the service rendered should not be poor.

 

Bad service/poor food quality is not acceptable at any price level. Whether I paid $300 or $3000 for the sailing shouldn't make a difference.

 

MARAPRINCE

[pcur]

Yes, the OP was on a Spring Break cruise. I was on the same one. Yes, the ship was packed -- well, actually it was at capacity.

 

Have we reached the conclusion that if you sail when the ship is at capacity, you should expect poor food and poor service in the MDR? Personally, I can't accept that premise. If the ship sleep the capacity numbers on any ship, hte crew should be able to service those same passengers.

 

Again, those that are chained to the school holiday calendar and pay a premium, should at least expect comparable and acceptable service.

 

Hmmmm........If your comments are to me, I went back and reread my post from above. I don't see where I stated anyone should accept poor service, or expect it, either. I was merely suggesting that the staff may have been in a "conversion" week. On the contrary I stated very detailed suggestions about how to take care of the problems while on board the ship.

[wetfish]

Ok, you confirm it . . . We also voted to try Celebrity next time, now I'm sure we'll give it a try.

 

We were on Celebrity last summer - :D the service was faultless the food great and we had as many main courses as we wanted delivered to the table - the waiter also remembered our favourite desserts and ordered them for us whether we'd asked or not - if we didnt want them that evening that was fine too.

I've never sailed RC before, now I'm dreading it!! :(

[rolloman]

If I had not been on a RCCL cruise in a while, I'd be worried about the posts on this thread, and the situation with the main dining room service and food in general. But, that's not the case with us, so I'm just puzzled instead of worried.

 

First of all, I wonder if the timing of the OP's cruise was part of the problem. Looks like it was over Spring Break, and maybe the Indy was packed and the servers overwhelmed. Don't know.

 

I do know that we were on the Indy in mid-December and had great food and service in the MDR. Our waiter was ill one night and the assistant waiter took over flawlessly. The two of them did not get along very well, but they did not let it interfer with their service to us.

 

I have also been on a Celebrity ship, the Majesty, the Rhapsody, and the Mariner since March 2009. On none of these cruises did we received bad service or bad food. Quite the contrary on the Rhapsody.

 

So, I'm thinking some people may be picking times to cruise when they are training new staff, or they've rotated staff from one venue to another and they are adjusting to that.

 

I also encourage everyone to speak up the very first night if there's a problem, and keep talking to their head waiter every night until the problem is solved. If it isn't, then switch to the Windjammer, because dinner there is very nice, too, with many of the same selections. Be sure to take names, table numbers, etc., because you DO want to put it on your comment card. If problems aren't address with repeated discussions, then the ship's management need to know there's a problem with the individuals you talked to.

 

Just want to post a reminder.. I DID NOT say the food was bad at any point. Looking over the posts it seems the issue on Independence of the Seas was on several cruises this year not just the one I took. I agree with Sandralee, springbreak or any high travel time the prices are higher and the ships have greater exposure, which in turn should create an opportunity to showcase to a higher percentage of 1st time cruisers what a great deal cruising is. I am realistic though and I can deal / understand bad service at times, the all time low I created this post about was for the staff blatantly trying to cheat me out of a 14.95 steak. As usual a thread takes a life of its own and you have the typical armchair referees calling people liars and various other names. I have learned to expect that as well on this site, fortunately they have added the ignore feature.