What on earth is happening to royal caribbean

[JohnGaltny]

I still like Royal, but it is not what it was. Too much cost cutting and too much fare raising. Ten years ago, I came off a cruise feeling that I had been pampered and treated like royalty. These days it's just a very good vacation.

 

 

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This. EXACTLY.

 

Just off Majesty with a review to come this week. I may steal this as a Title.

[SPacificbound]

Just been reading reviews written about various Royal Caribbean ships, a lot of them are saying the same - What on earth is happing to Royal Caribbean. The service is becoming very also ran, cabins are being handed over to passengers dirty. The food is becoming so repetitive and boring. The quality of the food especially the meat is very poor. Lots of people are saying that they have had enough and are going elsewhere.

I am sure that there are plenty of people out there that will say they they have had a wonderful time on RC, but the ones that haven't seem to increase rather a lot.

 

I have not seen these reviews you are speaking of.

 

Could it be possible that you are drawn to reviews that have a negative slant?

[angeleyes27]

We went on RCCL for the first time last summer without reading any reviews but heard one person rave about them. We liked their itinerary. We were not impressed. We would sail them again if itinerary was good but they would be one of our last choices. Others onboard we met felt the same. Anniversaries not celebrated etc. We don't expect to be in the lap of luxury but they seemed to be skimping on things. One night there was no show, very little food from 3 to 6:30 which is when I typically need to eat..only a hot dog and salad available. I had to keep cereal and fruit in my room to eat. Some things just didn't fit for my lifestyle. Most entertainment was 10 or later and with a 7am port day the next day, it was too late. On at sea days, we watched TV because activities were so limited and we never watch TV. Staff was excellent and eager to please. No problems there. It could have been because the ship was being sold or taken out of service

[TCBFlash]

I still like Royal, but it is not what it was. Too much cost cutting and too much fare raising. Ten years ago, I came off a cruise feeling that I had been pampered and treated like royalty. These days it's just a very good vacation.

 

 

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I totally agree with this. My son just got off of the Navigator. He had a great time. Some of his comments - MDR waiter was excellent, asst. was awful. In the Windjammer they had the hardest time finding a table compared to all other cruises and there were only two of them. Cabin steward was great. It was very difficult to get pop with the package. The thing that bothered him the most was all of the sales push to buy up charge items. They came right to their dinner table to push specialty dining and wouldn't take no for an answer.

 

We are sailing on Navigator in 2 weeks and I'm sure it will be great. But it's the little details that seem to be disappearing and those are the little things I really look forward to. We will see how it goes, but our next cruise we are going to try Celebrity.

Edited March 20, 2016 by TCBFlash

[wilmour]

Booked our last cruise, Jewel of the Seas - 10 June 2016, over a year before while on board Explorer of the Seas. Decided then to add 3 additional nights in Rome pre cruise and phoned RCI customers services (what a joke). Was informed if I wished to do this I would need to cancel original cruise, pay cancellation fee and rebook including pre cruise stay. This wasn't acceptable so emailed RCI and was informed that this was not the case and they would arrange hotel and transfer etc etc.

Obviously a breakdown in communication somewhere along the line but was still being informed of airport pick up, transfers etc right up to the last minute. Had also been communicating with hotel re tours in Rome. Thanks goodness I did as they emailed me on the morning we were leaving home to advise that they hadn't been notified of our booking. What a terrible shock.

Phoned Guest Services, what a complete waste of time as after an hour being passed about departments, was told sorry, hotel section closed, no hotels available. Emailed hotel in a complete panic and thankfully they could help. Also this is the hotel used by RCCL and main pick up point.

We are an elderly couple 70/73 and we would have arrived at Rome airport 8.00pm, no pickup and no transfers. Hotel did arrange a taxi pickup.

Have sent two letters, numerous email attachments, a satisfaction survey and other correspondence but now feel that RCCL are not remotely interested. All I wanted was the additional expenditure incurred, About 200 euros. This was our 10 cruise and 5 with RCCL and will be our last. That of course is of no interest to them. Not sure what direction to go now as I feel totally let down an ripped off.

[BillOh]

I guess I've not been reading the right reviews because I'm not seeing a general degradation of service and food on board. I have noticed that Chops seems to be hit and miss, but the other venues, including Windjammer and the MDR seem to be the same to me.

 

Using only my last cruise as an example which doesn't make a trend, it does seem staff is spending more time asking for 10s than earning them. :D

[angeleyes27]

While the staff was very good, I did have a number of them tell more than a few times that I needed to give them a 10. I felt a bit uneasy because I wasn't sure why I was hounded about ratings. I wanted to just enjoy my vacation without feeling like I was working as a judge or reviewer. I wish they would ease some of the pressure

[BillOh]

I wanted to just enjoy my vacation without feeling like I was working as a judge or reviewer. I wish they would ease some of the pressure

 

I like this statement, while I do make notes on my trip for reflection later here, its part of my enjoyment of my cruise, but I think more people are like you than me, so I do appreciate the sentiment. Now you use the word pressure, and again I agree with you, but its obvious to me they are feeling the pressure and I wish we could get Royal to dial it back on them as well.

 

On my last Oasis cruise we were enjoying great service from our wait team that did merit a 10, but unusual circumstances caused us to miss 3 nights in a row. (Only evening showing of CATS, scheduled anniversary at Chops, and the third night way too tired after 4 hours in the sun and jet skiing in St Thomas we were too tired to go. Add in that my wife and I are both weight loss surgery success stories and we don't eat a lot. We may eat 2/3s of a really good entre to save room for an anticipated dessert. The waiter kept thinking we weren't happy despite frequent praise.

[Captain Rob]

Are they better or worse than other cruise lines. My past cruising has been P&O and that's gone south like RCI. Thought I would give RCI a go this time if it's no good I will try another cruise line.

[Paul65]

Using only my last cruise as an example which doesn't make a trend, it does seem staff is spending more time asking for 10s than earning them. :D

 

Yeah, I'm not sure it's a trend. I've heard others say they've experienced this and been annoyed by it. I didn't have a single crew member ask me to give them a "10" on my last cruise, though.

[BillOh]

Yeah, I'm not sure it's a trend. I've heard others say they've experienced this and been annoyed by it. I didn't have a single crew member ask me to give them a "10" on my last cruise, though.

 

While this cruise last May on Oasis was a first for me, it was becoming a trend in reviews I have read. The last two days on Oasis the Windjammer was decorated with "10" everywhere and there were other not so subtle reminders everywhere.

 

[makiramarlena]

I have seen some reviews of the exact cruise I was on. there were about 7 of them. for about 5 of those reviews (the really really negative ones) I have a hard time believing I was on the same ship at the reviewer, at the same time, with the same food, the same ports and similar staterooms. (Out of those maybe 3 of them were marked low because of something specific that happened to the reviewer that didn't happen to me.)

Edited July 26, 2016 by makiramarlena

[angeleyes27]

Yes, I meant ease the pressure on the staff. My cabin steward got upset about something that wasn't her fault and she was afraid that she would be blamed for it. I had to reassure her that I would never do anything to get her in trouble. I felt bad for her as she was very sweet, but she seemed almost scared. The workers in the buffet even came around to urge us to make sure we gave them a 10

[loyalcruisernow&foreve]

i still like royal, but it is not what it was. Too much cost cutting and too much fare raising. Ten years ago, i came off a cruise feeling that i had been pampered and treated like royalty. These days it's just a very good vacation.

 

 

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so true! So true!

[loyalcruisernow&foreve]

I like royal but to be honest is not the same as when I sailed for the first time with them back in 2009 or so. Yes they might have amazing ships but for me ships are not everything. I also look into service, food etc. I rather sail with royal than carnival but even as a diamond member sometimes I still search for a cruise outside royal caribbean. I know they want to make money and I'm ok with me but the way they run the company upsets me a little bit. Fake sales, tricks, and a little bit of arrogance. They tell us that as in today they are sailing over 100%!capacity and bla bla bla but I wonder why they had to pull from a few states since they were not making that much money.

 

Again, I still like royal but the wow factor is gone for me. Back in the days royal was ahead carnival and NCL. But I can tell they are now working hard to pass royal. Even MSC is fighting hard in south Florida and it's working so far.

Boy, I couldn't agree with you more!

[TigerLady]

True, but most that have a positive experience don't tend to post reviews and comments. It's the ones that encounter problems that make their voices heard..

 

That is exactly right. People will find fault with anything if given a chance.. I have not had a bad cruise in the 20 I have taken.. perhaps mine hasn't yet.. Don't put a lot a stock in people who only talk about the bad parts of the cruise they just got off.. They are just "cranky" they were told to leave.. :p