Free Birthday Cake from RCI?

[NavarreCruiser]

Has anyone received a free Birthday or Anniversary cake from an RCI ship? I am in a facebook discussion about this subject and 2 people claim to have received at least 3 free cakes, one to a 1st time cruiser. RCI's website says that cakes are available fleet-wide for a "nominal fee" We have never heard of or received a free whole cake at dinner or to the cabin.

[OSUZorba]

I did a cruise the week before my birthday (last day of the cruise was the day before my BDay), and told them I was celebrating my birthday, and I got nothing and no one said anything. Another time I told them we were celebrating our anniversary, again got nothing and they said nothing about it. I am not even sure why they ask, if they aren't planing to do anything for it.

[39august]

Many years ago, yes. Now, no, not a whole cake. Depending on one's waitstaff, you might get a piece of cake with a candle stuck in it.

[Clarea]

We had to order and pay for our birthday cakes on Allure.

[Retired LEO]

Has anyone received a free Birthday or Anniversary cake from an RCI ship? I am in a facebook discussion about this subject and 2 people claim to have received at least 3 free cakes, one to a 1st time cruiser. RCI's website says that cakes are available fleet-wide for a "nominal fee" We have never heard of or received a free whole cake at dinner or to the cabin.

 

They were free at one time but no longer. They're something like $14.95 now. They will give you a slice of cake or other desert with a candle in for free.

[spookwife]

perhaps in years past, but it appears to have gone the way of the Dodo recently.

 

Now I have seen the wait staff come out with the dessert you chose that evening with a lit candle and an off key rendition of "Happy Birthday" but not one of the cakes gratis

[gerif]

Agreed. There was a time they gave a free cake but then every table was suddenly celebrating something and demanding a free cake. Now, you need to pay - although they are quite good, but who really needs more dessert? If you want to be sung to (not for me, thanks), you need to remind your waitstaff that evening.

[tekeella]

Royal Caribbean is notoriously bad about passing on the notes associated with gift purchases. We went for our Honeymoon and three different people purchased us gifts through RCI and we had no clue where any of it came from.

It is entirely possible they think they received a "free" cake that no one ever got thanked for :(

[SICruiseGirlNYC]

We had to order and pay for an anniversary and birthday cake on our last cruise on the Explorer of the Seas.

[Danish]

On my last cruise I turned 50 - I did not hear a thing. But 3 days later one of the bartenderes would not let me pay for my cocktails, he said, that the system showed that it was my birthday, so I had the cocktail for free - and I did not want to correct him!:)

[Mark_K]

perhaps in years past, but it appears to have gone the way of the Dodo recently.

 

Now I have seen the wait staff come out with the dessert you chose that evening with a lit candle and an off key rendition of "Happy Birthday" but not one of the cakes gratis

More like gone the way or pillow chocolates.

[grand isle joe]

Free cake?......free cake???.....free cake???????.......LMAO.......free.....good one....:D:D

 

 

don't believe alot of people when they "brag" on all these free-bees, upgrades, best friends with the captain,etc. Much like fishing most are baloney.....;)

[Kimmy0303]

I took my mother on the Majesty in May 2012. When we booked we noted the special occasion on our reservation. Several crew members wished her a happy birthday whenever she used her seapass. At dinner they brought a piece of cake and a candle and sang "Happy Birthday" to her. It was our first cruise and I thought this made her bday very special.

[Ourusualbeach]

Best to smuggle in a box of candles and head on up to the Windjammer.

[Snoopycollector]

Yes, years ago when we were on Liberty -- it was my birthday and I received free cake -- but it was smallish.... maybe 4 slices worth. It was good but it wasn't like I needed MORE dessert that day. And, I took the leftover portion back to the cabin... and ate it later or the next AM. :)

 

and last year, when my mother and MIL were on the same cruise, I called RCCL and ordered (and paid for) 2 "celebration" cakes for them to be served on Mother's Day. They didn't offer a Happy Mother's Day message -- I think we went with "Congratulations" and they knew it was from us. No question.

[StarSong]

So many people are celebrating something or other during cruises that they'd be inundated with special occasion requests. It's a nice extra if a waiter pops a candle into a dessert and leads the table in a rendition of Happy Birthday.

More than that, they really don't need to do. JMHO

 

Let's face it, there is cake aplenty on board. How cool that everybody who is celebrating the event can choose the dessert to his/her liking. The celebrant might like chocolate cake while DH prefers cheesecake. It's all good.

Nobody gets shorted dessert on a cruise unless it is by one's own design or by bad luck happens to book a Carnival Cruise that goes to hell and back. :eek:

[George C]

More like gone the way or pillow chocolates.

 

Hal still does the pillow chocolates, all lines are cutting back.

[jackdiamond]

In the old days, they gave you a little cake with a candle; and, the wait staff sang "happy bursday"

[Langley Cruisers]

I am in a facebook discussion about this subject and 2 people claim to have received at least 3 free cakes, one to a 1st time cruiser....

 

Well that's entirely possible, but it certainly wasn't in the past 5 years, maybe even longer ago. I agree with all who have posted before me, no free whole cakes on RCI anymore.

[Bettytrouble]

Our last 3 trips with Royal were either shortly before or shortly after a birthday- twice it was a week prior to the twins birthday, last summer it was a week after my and DH birthday ( same birthday!!).

 

We had cakes and a card 'Compliments of-----"- I don't know if it was the concierge or someone else I don't remember.

 

When asked by the CVP when booking if there was a special occasion, I always answered "no", as the birthdays were not on board.

 

Nice touch. but who the heck needs the extra food!!!

[Bettytrouble]

HOWEVER- when I ordered a Bon Voyage cake, it did not arrive until day 2 or 3!!!

 

I know- who needs extra food anyway!!!

[jkskrap]

We got a free cake twice but that was a long, long time ago!

 

Here is our latest cake story . . .

 

My youngest daughter's birthday was just a couple of weeks after our last cruise and she had been hinting for gifts. I kept telling her the cruise was her gift! I thought it would be fun to celebrate her birthday one night (and to kind of needle her ), so I ordered a birthday cake (way in advance) to have at dinner one night. I put her name on the form (Allison) for the cake, etc.

 

These kind of things kind of drive my DW crazy. She doesn't like the singing of "happy birthday" and all the commotion that comes with it. But it was for our daughter, so I figured she wouldn't mind. I didn't even tell her I had ordered the cake. In fact, I had forgotten all about it until . . .

 

After dinner, all of a sudden several waiters appear around our table with a cake that says "Ruby" - my DW's name - and start congratulating her as they burst into song. If looks could kill . . . I would be a dead man! I was stunned. Our kids were laughing their butts off and finally I was, too. Coleen, our waiter, must have seen the look on my face because she came over and asked me if everything was OK. I told her that it had the wrong name and she turned beet red and started apologizing! Too, too funny! I am sure people on our side of the MDR thought we were nuts.

 

A great story for us to remember, though! I have no idea how they messed up the name. Maybe because Allison wasn't on our reservation - so they just put Ruby? Who knows.

 

BTW -- Ruby loved the cake. They boxed it up for us and we ate some in our cabin each day.

 

 

[cruzinlady1947]

On the Explorer this past Dec. my husband mentioned we were celebrating our anniversary to our cabin sreward. We were eating in the Windjammer that evening and were surprised with a piece of cake and the waiters singing Happy Anniversary. Although I think our friends were responsible for that, but when we got back to our cabin that night, there was a bottle of bubbly, 2 champaign glasses, an anniversary card and a certificate wishing us a happy anniversary and thanking us for spending it on the ship. Never had that before. Never really found out who was responsible for it. Maybe the cabin steward. :confused:

 

Gwen :)

[grand isle joe]

HOWEVER- when I ordered a Bon Voyage cake, it did not arrive until day 2 or 3!!!

 

I know- who needs extra food anyway!!!

 

 

...maybe you should have left the cake with a note for the next passengers that will be occupying your cabin......:D

[NavarreCruiser]

Thanks to all for your posts, and the Ruby cake story is pretty funny.