How many would be willing to give up shows for better food

[Dena]

The shows must be expensive to provide. We personally do not like them and stopped attending a while ago. I know many others who also skip the show. But everybody has to eat and I don't want to see the food slip any further. Maybe having a small cover charge for the shows would make sense. Or how about showing classic movies.

[Toto2Kansas]

My hubby would stop cruising if they no longer provided shows.

I often don't go as unless we arrive 30 minutes early, it is almost impossible to find two seats in the show lounge or theater as they are always packed full.

[chrysalis]

Maybe having a small cover charge for the shows would make sense.

 

 

...or a small cover charge for deck parties and afternoon ice cream:)

[greenbar]

Not me!!!!!

[crusinpeg]

No way!!!!!! If there are extra charges for everything I might as well take a land vacation.

[Dena]

...or a small cover charge for deck parties and afternoon ice cream:)

 

Fine with me. I don't use either. But the fact that they are being dropped, if true, is indicative of cost cutting. I am OK with cruising becoming entirely pay as you go for food, drinks, entertainment etc. This would be fair to everyone.

[Dena]

No way!!!!!! If there are extra charges for everything I might as well take a land vacation.

 

Don't that depend on what your total bill is for the vacation. It might be lower than what you are paying now.

[SailinC2C]

We really enjoy the shows. It wonderful to be able to go to a nice dinner, show and dancing after, 7 nights in a row! We are far too busy at home for this luxury.

And we have no complaints about the food.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We've got enough extra charges already, don't give them any ideas!

 

We like most of the shows, though after multiple trips on the same line they get kind of same-old, same-old. Did I hear there is a new theater show about ready, though?

 

The good thing about having seen a show before is that we are not as picky about seats and have mostly given up going early. We seem to get decent seats (we don't even want to be front and center) by moseying in about ten minutes before show time.

 

Besides, the food is fine with me; too fine, if you go by weight gain.

[dfields1814]

We think the food is fine and we like attending the shows. For us this would be a very bad idea.

[Iamcruzin]

The shows must be expensive to provide. We personally do not like them and stopped attending a while ago. I know many others who also skip the show. But everybody has to eat and I don't want to see the food slip any further. Maybe having a small cover charge for the shows would make sense. Or how about showing classic movies.

 

Personally I don't book a cruise to see the shows. I live in the shadow of Broadway and I can stream classic movies via Netflix on my TV if I want that type of entertainment. With that said I think the majority of the passenger who book a Princess cruise consider entertainment when choosing a cruise line. Food is so subjective. When I read that people enjoy the buffet for dinner and claim that it is just as good as the MDR I just shake my head but that is just my opinion. Over the years the food has changed but it has also changed at restaurants I eat in when I am home. I think that the main reason we are seeing a decline in the quality of the food is because of preparation. They are now preparing and serving twice as many passengers in more venues than they did 20 years ago. To this day I have only sent a steak back once because it was under cooked for my liking. Charging a fee for entertainment doesn't guarantee that the food is going to be to everybody's liking. If our only problem in America is the decline in cruise line food we should count our blessings. There are places in the world where they don't even have clean drinking water. As long as I can get away for a week at a price I can afford I am happy because any food that is prepared and served is better than preparing and cooking yourself.

[karatemom2]

We enjoy the food and if anything I would prefer to see the shows improve. I enjoy the entertainment, but there is so much more they could do with the production shows. Often the talent is there, but the material needs to be refreshed more often.

 

Keep the shows and make them better!

[Toddy709]

Personally I don't book a cruise to see the shows. I live in the shadow of Broadway and I can stream classic movies via Netflix on my TV if I want that type of entertainment. With that said I think the majority of the passenger who book a Princess cruise consider entertainment when choosing a cruise line. Food is so subjective. When I read that people enjoy the buffet for dinner and claim that it is just as good as the MDR I just shake my head but that is just my opinion. Over the years the food has changed but it has also changed at restaurants I eat in when I am home. I think that the main reason we are seeing a decline in the quality of the food is because of preparation. They are now preparing and serving twice as many passengers in more venues than they did 20 years ago. To this day I have only sent a steak back once because it was under cooked for my liking. Charging a fee for entertainment doesn't guarantee that the food is going to be to everybody's liking. If our only problem in America is the decline in cruise line food we should count our blessings. There are places in the world where they don't even have clean drinking water. As long as I can get away for a week at a price I can afford I am happy because any food that is prepared and served is better than preparing and cooking yourself.

 

Amen! If you're not happy with the value you get on a cruise ship, don't cruise! There are many more options out there to explore!

[Sunviking]

We have probably only been to one or two shows in the last many, many cruises so I don't really care about them. That being said, I don't believe there should be extra charges for them. We find the food fine given the fact that on a ship the size of the Ruby Princess they are feeding 5000 people when one factors in the staff. We have sailed on other cruise lines including a voyage on Regent last fall and find that all of them have both good and not so good things.

 

There seem to be some people who are dissatisfied with everything. We, on the other hand, have never had a bad cruise. We've enjoyed them all and have wonderful memories from each one. If I had such negative feelings about cruising, I would probably look for a different kind of vacation.

[NUGal]

We would definitely not be in favor of giving up shows in exchange for better food. We find the food perfectly acceptable, and we enjoy the shows. They are among the highlights of our cruises.

[robsaw]

We think the food is fine and we like attending the shows. For us this would be a very bad idea.

 

Exactly, even better than fine. For someone that doesn't bother going to the shows and doesn't like the food, the better question would be to ask "Why am I still cruising with Princess?".

[Astro Flyer]

Dinner & a show are 2 of the things I enjoy & the quality of both are okay with me. It's not the same as it was decades ago but I'm also paying much less than before & sailing much more often. I like Princess the way it is now & don't want any more added fees onboard.

 

I understand your recent threads about paying for what we get but one of the things that keeps many cruisers returning is for the most part being an all inclusive vacation. I see so many extra charge items on RCCL & NCL and it's one of the reasons I wouldn't sail with them again. Your suggestions to pay for things you use isn't what I want to see happen & with so many repeat passengers I believe most of them want to have no further fees on a Princess cruise. Most of us already have a big enough onboard bill & don't want to pay even more.

 

With so many things you want to change about Princess by adding more fees, there are other cruiselines where you can pay more for the cruise & those where you can pay for higher quality of food & shows. This is not what I want from Princess and not what others want to happen either, so maybe it's time to try another cruise line that provides what you seek & not to try to make Princess into what you want when many are very happy with a Princess cruise. :rolleyes:

[Armchair Cruiser]

No complaints about the food and enjoy the shows. Considering the logistics of providing food for the masses Princess is doing a good job. Support the status quo

[Dena]

I like Princess the way it is now & don't want any more added fees onboard.

 

I understand your recent threads about paying for what we get but one of the things that keeps many cruisers returning is for the most part being an all inclusive vacation. :

 

Your onboard bill might be higher, but your initial cruise cost would be lower, and your total could be lower. For example if someone wants 2 dollar slice of pizza for lunch and I want a 20 dollar sit down lunch, why should the pizza eater subsidize me? I might skip a 5 dollar show at night. It would be easy to implement just swipe the cruise card. This way the cost of getting on the ship is kept low and everyone can customize their vacation with features that are important to them. I suspect, whether we like it or not, this is the future. As far as me going to a more premium all-inclusive line, that is the complete opposite of what I am suggesting.

[betterthanworking]

Where did anyone say the food was not good??? I think it is excellent and just as good as it was 15 years ago. What is the problem?? Closing the DR for lunch is not going to save any money and probably is a good thing to do for the health of some of the folks on board. I see people beating from dawn to dusk and don;t know how they even can fit through the door of their room.

[Izabelle]

I actually love the whole Princess package and know when I book what I will be getting....if you are not satisfied please move on and leave Princess for all us happy cruisers!!

 

As for the shows as others have stated it is part of our evenings onboard to have dinner followed by the show and a stroll on deck...ahhh bliss, perhaps we are easily satisfied and you are very hard to please!!!

[rdsqrl]

You are suggesting a fundamental shift in the way cruising has historically operated. A European cruise line tried this, actually, and they went out of business. People do not want to constantly have their cruise card swiped for every activity in which they choose to engage. And, if you had even a smidgen of business sense, you'd realize that no cruise line would want that to happen, either -- they do their best to make it imperceptible how they're separating you from your money onboard; why would they switch to a system where passengers are reminded at every turn that they're spending money?

I agree with the others above who've accused you of trying to start some sort of rebellion here. I think we all know what the genesis of this was, and while many of us were in agreement with your disappointment about the closing of the dining room on port days, you have now succeeded only in squandering that goodwill, at least on my part. Frankly, if anything, I'm moved to cheer on the dining room closing now, just because. Childishness; it's contagious.

[stoneharborlady]

We love going to the show after dinner. I had no problem with the food on my two cruises. I didnt have to cook it, serve it, or clean up after. Heaven!

[Pam in CA]

I've never gone hungry on a cruise and have no problem with the food as it is. What's one's definition of "better" food? More esoteric? You'd have the meat and potatoes folks complaining. More meat and potatoes? You'd have the gourmands complaining. "Better" is very subjective.

 

As for the shows, I can take 'em or leave 'em. I am fortunate to have wonderful musical and theatrical facilities nearby with year-round offerings so I'd never even think of booking a cruise based on the quality or quantity of shows. Deck parties? Not my thing but perhaps that's generational.

[junglejane]

I feel that much of the appeal of cruising is its all-inclusive aspect. Unfortunately, the cruise lines are whittling away at that more and more. I'm not in favor of more upselling. We find that we enjoy about 50% of the shows. I generally prefer the comedians to the song and dance acts.

 

I think the trend (unfortunately) is to dilute the quality of the MDR food and try to drive people more and more to specialty restaurants or other pay venues. The cruise lines seem to be devising more and more ways to get you to pay extra for food. But I don't think the solution is to start charging for shows.