Would you pay more to bring back some old features?

[Happy ks]

food always has been, and will continue to be, a major focus of cruising. Anyone who says different is really just lieing to themselves.That said I do not agree that RC can not produce good quality food in mass quantites. if they can't then they are in the wrong business. And buying through the bulk quantites that they are should still ensure quality food at a fair price. Ask yourself this for the number of people who opt for the specialty dining is it that they can not provide the same quality in the MDR or is it really just about the extra profit with the specialty dining????

 

 

You're kidding, right? I have no doubt that RCI and any of the other main stream cruise lines out there could cook better food. But it could never, ever be the same quality as the specialty restaurants that cook to order and use fresh ingredients. If they cooked to order in the main dining rooms, the kitchens would have to be a whole lot larger, the wait for the food a whole lot longer and the price of the cruise a whole lot steeper since the refrigerated storage facilities would have to increase as well.

 

As it is now, the food cost runs around $12 per person/per day. I think many people assume the cruise cost is for the food when in reality the real cost of the cruise is the operation of the ship and fuel.

 

As for what we'd pay extra for and wish they would bring back...it would be the advantage of bringing aboard our own wine (willing to pay corkage fee) and the purchase of a bottle in the gift shop. I believe we paid $9 for the bottle before they discontinued that in 2005.

[Ocean Boy]

This would be the right time to bring back a REALLLLLLLLY old poll I did.

 

How much are you willing to pay for that privilege that you miss so much?

 

If you want them to bring it back, you have to make it WELL worth their while.

 

So, on top of the duty-free price in the shop, how much are you willing to pay for the ability to buy it on Day 1 and take it back to your cabin with you?

 

But it really shouldn't matter because the change was all about controlling alcohol consumption and the drunks "falling" overboard and not about money, right? Or at least that is how the theory goes according to some.

 

To the OP, I can't really think of anything from when we first cruised up to now that is missing that I wish we could get back. OK, maybe can the charge for Johnny Rocket's but we can more than make due without the place or the grease.

[vegasgirl702]

I miss the Shipshape program and quality exercise classes for free.

 

I would pay $20 for a Shipshape program. Points for going to gym with chance to earn points for gimmicky things (water bottle, t-shirt etc).

 

Not sure if it was RCCL or Celebrity but having High Tea. I would pay $25 with Champhange.

[boingy300]

I would pay extra to see :

Sumo wrestling back. Hilarious and can't be any more dangerous than a flow rider.Funny if you've never seen it.

For more focus on "theme" nights and dressing up. Our 1st cruise in '91 did that and it was fun to watch. So cheesy, so fun.

For long time cruisers or people with > 10,000 posts on cruise critic to take a nicer, more positive tone with people, esp. newbies. You were a newbie once. I would pay extra for that!

Please no smoking in the Schooner or Viking Crown lounge. I don't care about anywhere else.

I think charging a premium for behind the scenes tours for everyone would be a real money maker. Sell cook books after the kitchen tour, the history of RCCL dvds after the bridge tour, or personal cds of the performers behind the "back stage tour". I think RCCL is missing a money maker here.(I realize it's a D+ perk, but it could be so much more lucrative........)

More variety in their sailings. I swear this is my last time circling Cuba on the Western!(My fault there)

Overall they do a very good job- that's just my wish list.

[Giorgi-one]

I have been cruising for 30 years. I am paying the same amount of money as I did 30 years ago ---then in an inside cabin and now in a balcony. The prices of cruises has not gone up, so there has to be cuts. We love to book the specialty dining, but if it was a tight year with money, I would be ok in the dining room.

 

I would definitely be willing to pay for a drink package like they do on Celebrity. I sure wish that RCCL would add that.;)

 

Totally agree with your observations on the cost of cruising. Most people just do not get that, particularly if they are new cruisers. They just do not understand what a value they are getting. Eating at specialty restaurant for $35 per night amounts to $490 for two people on a 7-day cruise which is way, way, way more than it is worth just for the food. Some of this money goes to the more personal service but most of it is just profit. Most cruise lines break even on the fare people pay in average cabins - not talkingi about suites. The profit is made on the extras especially drinks but also casino, excursions, ships, specialty restaurants, bingo, etc. However, as far as food is concerned I would pay extra for better food and you don't have to pay $35 per person per dinner to get it. Most cruise lines spend between $10 and $15 per person per day on actual food cost (wholesale). Let's assume we add another $10 per person per day or $70 for a cruise. That should be enought to get way better food in the Main Dining Room and the buffets. I would definitely pay for that.

[phoenix1181]

Thanks for your posts everyone, they're really interesting to read.

 

It seems like I am in a very very small minority, but I personally would be prepared to pay a little bit more to get some of these things, and I think it would be great if Royal Caribbean offered them as an optional extra.

 

It's not that I really miss the chocolates, or have any issues with the food in the dining room, but if I could pay a small amount extra (probably $5 - $10 per day) to bring back some of the nice extras that made my cruise even more special, then I probably would do. Most important to me would be a different menu to choose from in the MDR. I know the speciality restaurants are available, and I like to go to them once or twice during the cruise, but not every night.

 

Such as???

[Ocean Boy]

I have been cruising for 30 years. I am paying the same amount of money as I did 30 years ago ---then in an inside cabin and now in a balcony. The prices of cruises has not gone up, so there has to be cuts. We love to book the specialty dining, but if it was a tight year with money, I would be ok in the dining room.

 

 

Pricing is all about supply and demand. How much do you suppose you would be paying to cruise today if the supply was the same as it was thirty years ago? Pricing would be sky high and only the very wealthy would be cruising. One could easily make the argument that if you were paying today's prices for an inside cabin 30 years ago that you were being ripped off big time. But the supply/demand ratio back then supported the pricing.

[FLSteve11]

Totally agree with your observations on the cost of cruising. Most people just do not get that, particularly if they are new cruisers. They just do not understand what a value they are getting. Eating at specialty restaurant for $35 per night amounts to $490 for two people on a 7-day cruise which is way, way, way more than it is worth just for the food. Some of this money goes to the more personal service but most of it is just profit. Most cruise lines break even on the fare people pay in average cabins - not talkingi about suites. The profit is made on the extras especially drinks but also casino, excursions, ships, specialty restaurants, bingo, etc. However, as far as food is concerned I would pay extra for better food and you don't have to pay $35 per person per dinner to get it. Most cruise lines spend between $10 and $15 per person per day on actual food cost (wholesale). Let's assume we add another $10 per person per day or $70 for a cruise. That should be enought to get way better food in the Main Dining Room and the buffets. I would definitely pay for that.

 

I would think that most new cruisers are the ones who are more then happy with eating in the MDR and enjoy the food there. It's a new experience for them, and they're still filled with wonder at the difference and not quite so jaded with having the same meals and menus repeatedly. It's more likely to be the long-time cruisers who are the ones unhappy with the food there and are likely to hit up the specialty restaurants.

 

Unfortunately, I think the mass markets have spoken already. Much like airlines, they will take the cheaper option with less specialty service built-in over a more expensive option. RCCL could try and up the cost a bit to cover the foods. But then they will be too expensive compared to the mass market lines (ie Carbival, Princess, NCL) for many folks, especially new cruisers. And not up to the service (or costs) of the luxury lines to lure those folks in. Flowriders, zip lines, promenades, and such are all novelty items that only they have, so they can charge a bit extra for those. The food is more subjective and more like the other lines, not sure they can add more to the price for that at this point and grow their business. For every long time cruiser they please (who probably would book with them anyway), they will lose a few new cruisers due to their compared pricing to the other lines

[CruiseMore1]

I wish they would bring back the "buy a bottle of whiskey onboard and take it back to your room"......

 

Barb

 

AMEN to that!!!

[CruiseMore1]

This would be the right time to bring back a REALLLLLLLLY old poll I did.

 

How much are you willing to pay for that privilege that you miss so much?

 

If you want them to bring it back, you have to make it WELL worth their while.

 

So, on top of the duty-free price in the shop, how much are you willing to pay for the ability to buy it on Day 1 and take it back to your cabin with you?

 

So what's wrong with nothing extra......just like it used to be?

[CruiseMore1]

Was truly my favorite salad dressing "florida Orange" Haven't seen that in a few years on RCI:(

 

That was the BEST! Second was their homemade Russian Dressing.

[CruiseMore1]

food always has been, and will continue to be, a major focus of cruising. Anyone who says different is really just lieing to themselves.that said i do not agree that rc can not produce good quality food in mass quantites. If they can't then they are in the wrong business. And buying through the bulk quantites that they are should still ensure quality food at a fair price. Ask yourself this for the number of people who opt for the specialty dining is it that they can not provide the same quality in the mdr or is it really just about the extra profit with the specialty dining????

 

bingo!

[dodgeball24]

Our first which we though would be our last was on the Big Red Boat, we had the Royal Suite. They had theme night, mid night buffets, great food and service. Our latest was on RCCL 14 days, EOS, the food was the best we have ever had on RCCL, we have been on 3 Mariner and 4 EOS, and others in teh RCCL fleet, and they do charge for the kitchen tour, which includes the best meal my wife and daughter ever had in Portifino, and a signed copy of their cook book a great bargain. We ate there and the service attention was so lacking, and the food just OK, you had to pay extra for ICE TEA. On this trip was our first Johnny Rockets food, probably our last. Our waite staff in the MDR was superb. We asked at Portifino's which night would be a good night to eat and we checked with our waiter MDR also, they both recommended the same night. Needless to say my daughters boyfriend was hungry after Portifinos. We have experienced both Chops and Portifinos on the Mariner and the food and service was so much better. I would probably pay more for better entertainment, although the Nelson Twins were great. We loved the ABBA tribute on Mariner as well. We saw both Ice Shows, again, as we had 2 new people cruising with us this time. One had just been on a 7 day carnival only 4 weeks prior. The other it was their first trip. BRING BACK BETTER COFFEE FOR FREE, PLEASE (PER MY wIFE). Or have them learn how to make it, Seattles Best is not a bad coffee, they just don't know how to make it.

[a_cruise_fan]

Such as???

 

The main thing for me would be an upgraded MDR menu, as some nights I've been disappointed with the food available in there. But some other things I would love to have included in a package of extras (and going slightly wider than just things that used to be offered on Royal) would be:

 

• A glass of champagne as I board.
  
• A towel animal in my room and chocolates on my pillow every night.
  
• A bathrobe and slippers in my stateroom.
  
• The ability to order from the full breakfast or dinner menu for room service.
  
• Some extra snacks brought to my room, e.g. a fruit basket like on Princess, or cookies like NCL used to do.
  

Most of this wouldn't cost too much and could make some extra revenue from passengers who enjoy a few extra luxuries, but don't want to pay for a suite to get these.

[Giorgi-one]

Pricing is all about supply and demand. How much do you suppose you would be paying to cruise today if the supply was the same as it was thirty years ago? Pricing would be sky high and only the very wealthy would be cruising. One could easily make the argument that if you were paying today's prices for an inside cabin 30 years ago that you were being ripped off big time. But the supply/demand ratio back then supported the pricing.

 

It is much more than just supply/demand. It has a lot to do with economy of scale. Ships are much larger and can carry many more passengers, better fuel efficienty, higher passenger/crew ratio, etc. But again, a lot has to do with the money generated from the extras many of which did not exist 30 years ago. For example, if you used the same ships they did 30 years ago, with the same amenities and same price, but added more ships to keep up with the demand, they would go out of business today. You simply could not operate those ships at today's prices, so it is just not simply supply and demand. The real answer is technology which encompasses all the changes over the last 30 years.

[Giorgi-one]

You're kidding, right? I have no doubt that RCI and any of the other main stream cruise lines out there could cook better food. But it could never, ever be the same quality as the specialty restaurants that cook to order and use fresh ingredients. If they cooked to order in the main dining rooms, the kitchens would have to be a whole lot larger, the wait for the food a whole lot longer and the price of the cruise a whole lot steeper since the refrigerated storage facilities would have to increase as well.

 

As it is now, the food cost runs around $12 per person/per day. I think many people assume the cruise cost is for the food when in reality the real cost of the cruise is the operation of the ship and fuel.

 

As for what we'd pay extra for and wish they would bring back...it would be the advantage of bringing aboard our own wine (willing to pay corkage fee) and the purchase of a bottle in the gift shop. I believe we paid $9 for the bottle before they discontinued that in 2005.

 

Agree with most of what you said except about food being cooked to order. We had dinner with the Hotel Manager on a Celebrity Ship. He explained that food (on Celebrity at least) is cooked to order. The catch is that the chef places the order. He knows just about how many of each appetizer and entree they need every night. The cooking is timed so the food is ready when needed based on experience. Is it right to the minute like it might be in a Specialty restaurant? No, but it is close enough. Quality food requires quality ingredients. Appetizers, soups and salads are all made in advance and are really not affected by the number of people. The big difference is mainly in the quality of the entree. Lamb shank is not a substitute for rack of lamb. Sliced turkey lunch meat is not a substitute for fresh turkey. Prime rib can only be made from prime meat. Same goes for all steaks. Veal dishes need to be made using white veal. These meats are all more expensive. Lobster tails should be 4 - 6 oz, not 2 oz. Shrimp for shrimp cocktail should be cooked fresh not frozen and defrosted. Biggest letdown on all ships now is the desserts. They used to be unbelievably decadent. In most cases they are so bad now I wind up ordering ice cream - hard to screw that up. There is absolutely no reason any cruise line cannot serve the same quality food in the MDR that they do in the Specialty restaurants. It is just a matter of money and profit margins!

[Ocean Boy]

It is much more than just supply/demand. It has a lot to do with economy of scale. Ships are much larger and can carry many more passengers, better fuel efficienty, higher passenger/crew ratio, etc. But again, a lot has to do with the money generated from the extras many of which did not exist 30 years ago. For example, if you used the same ships they did 30 years ago, with the same amenities and same price, but added more ships to keep up with the demand, they would go out of business today. You simply could not operate those ships at today's prices, so it is just not simply supply and demand. The real answer is technology which encompasses all the changes over the last 30 years.

 

I completely agree with you. But that makes the argument that "I am paying what I was 30 years ago" even less relevant. With technology and economy of scale there most likely is a lower operating cost/passenger ratio than there was back then. There are so many changes that affect present day pricing that to compare what someone was paying 30 years ago to what we pay now is a fairly interesting exercise at best and a pretty useless comparison.

[Canusa02]

Seriously??? Wow.

 

That does it. I'm going to cancel my booking and rebook for $1000 + more so I can have free chocolates.:rolleyes:

[nelblu]

Chocolates on pillows and animal towels are available on the Oasis. Also, got robes as we are D members. What I really miss from the olden days is the MD cooking a special meal by your table.

 

Ps. my first cruise was on the Oceanic in the 70's leaving from NYC. What I don't miss is paying/tipping for your lounge chair(s) and the soot that fell on your lounge chair from the ships funnels.

[Happy ks]

Agree with most of what you said except about food being cooked to order. We had dinner with the Hotel Manager on a Celebrity Ship. He explained that food (on Celebrity at least) is cooked to order. The catch is that the chef places the order. He knows just about how many of each appetizer and entree they need every night. The cooking is timed so the food is ready when needed based on experience. Is it right to the minute like it might be in a Specialty restaurant? No, but it is close enough. Quality food requires quality ingredients. Appetizers, soups and salads are all made in advance and are really not affected by the number of people. The big difference is mainly in the quality of the entree. Lamb shank is not a substitute for rack of lamb. Sliced turkey lunch meat is not a substitute for fresh turkey. Prime rib can only be made from prime meat. Same goes for all steaks. Veal dishes need to be made using white veal. These meats are all more expensive. Lobster tails should be 4 - 6 oz, not 2 oz. Shrimp for shrimp cocktail should be cooked fresh not frozen and defrosted. Biggest letdown on all ships now is the desserts. They used to be unbelievably decadent. In most cases they are so bad now I wind up ordering ice cream - hard to screw that up. There is absolutely no reason any cruise line cannot serve the same quality food in the MDR that they do in the Specialty restaurants. It is just a matter of money and profit margins!

 

 

 

Yes, I know about this recalling my days working at a hotel (I was an assistant banquet manager). Banquet food is cooked to order in mass quantities, much like I'd think a cruise ship would do. The menu would list a steak at a certain price, or a really good steak at a much higher price...and we could only do the higher quality steak for smaller parties.

 

The same scenario with the special of the day in our other restaurants, not the banquet rooms.

 

Other types of food would be pre-cooked and finished off when ordered.

 

In other words, the kitchen onboard a ship will cook X amount of steaks well done, medium, medium rare, rare...and the wait staff picks up from that station, the steak is not cooked for the particular order.

 

After seeing what goes on in a large hotel kitchen it would be fun to see a ships kitchen. I think I'd rather see a video of it, though, kitchens are hot, floors are slippery and generally not a safe place to visit unless you know where you are going. When I worked at the hotel, I knew what hours to avoid going in there.

 

My own personal thoughts would also be that the more well trained cooks are working in the specialty restaurants. The first few years I was working in the hotel, I was in the accounting department and assisted with payroll, the more trained the cooks were, they moved up the line. Only the most qualified were for cooking the dining room, others cooked in the coffee shop. There were different pay scales for them.

[Giorgi-one]

I completely agree with you. But that makes the argument that "I am paying what I was 30 years ago" even less relevant. With technology and economy of scale there most likely is a lower operating cost/passenger ratio than there was back then. There are so many changes that affect present day pricing that to compare what someone was paying 30 years ago to what we pay now is a fairly interesting exercise at best and a pretty useless comparison.

 

Forty-four years ago I bought a Pontiac Bonneville for $3900. Back in 2005, I bought another one for $39,000. If you paid $1000 for you cruise 30 years ago, you should be paying $10,000 now. Everything else has gone up in price even with the changes and technology. Cruises have not gone up or increased very little. They are a fantastic value and people should not expect that everything will be exactly the same as it was 30 years ago. It is a very valid comparison.

[Ocean Boy]

Forty-four years ago I bought a Pontiac Bonneville for $3900. Back in 2005, I bought another one for $39,000. If you paid $1000 for you cruise 30 years ago, you should be paying $10,000 now. Everything else has gone up in price even with the changes and technology. Cruises have not gone up or increased very little. They are a fantastic value and people should not expect that everything will be exactly the same as it was 30 years ago. It is a very valid comparison.

 

Four years ago a 42 inch high def LCD TV would easily run you $2000.00 or more and you can get one today with better technology for $650.00. So not only has everything not gone up but they have gone down and your comparison is still only a fairly interesting exercise at best.

 

And.... I, for one, am very glad that things are NOT as they were 30 years ago. The first cruise ship I every stepped foot on was the old Pacific Princess, the old original love boat. There is not a chance that I would want to be on a ship like that over a Voyager or Freedom class ship.

[BroncosFan2010]

I wouldn't want it to be a choice. I would rather have a more expensive cruise overall and have better food, service, etc... I would also like to see the return to honoring dress codes, and civility on the ships amongst the passengers. But...perhaps that will require just moving to different cruise lines, moving up to the more luxury lines as society becomes more and more casual.

[jewopaho]

I wouldn't want it to be a choice. I would rather have a more expensive cruise overall and have better food, service, etc... I would also like to see the return to honoring dress codes, and civility on the ships amongst the passengers. But...perhaps that will require just moving to different cruise lines, moving up to the more luxury lines as society becomes more and more casual.

I would agree, save for the civility comment. Fortunately, we haven't encountered any out-and-out jackasses (although some passengers are certainly less pleasant than others) ... but with tuxes and gowns becoming less prevalent, little if any chance for a significant improvement in food quality and service, and ships becoming more floating resorts than classy transportation to faraway places, you might have to step up a bit. Of course, the cost of a cruise on the a boutique line (Oceana, Seabourn, etc.) might equal that of a small car ... but Azamara (basically Celebrity on steroids) might work well for you. Right now, most sail dates (even those on the Monsters of the Seas) are sold out, so there's no reason for RCI to change. As I noted previously, they're after those who have never cruised before ... they've already got us. That's 85% of the vacationing public ... even after all these years, the market has barely been tapped. Your points are well-taken ... but the product is what it is, and isn't likely to change much in the forseeable future.

[Ocean Boy]

I wouldn't want it to be a choice. I would rather have a more expensive cruise overall and have better food, service, etc... I would also like to see the return to honoring dress codes, and civility on the ships amongst the passengers. But...perhaps that will require just moving to different cruise lines, moving up to the more luxury lines as society becomes more and more casual.

 

Well, I have no problem with the food or, with some various exceptions, the service. I have met some really nice people on the ships and never had any conflicts with anyone. Casual and vacations seem to be something that go hand and hand. I guess that is why I stay with RCI and am very happy with their product. But as you stated there are cruise lines out there that charge more and provide exactly the experience that you are looking for. The only choice one has to make is to sail with them.