Cost Cutting Gone To Far

[corakari]

Wow, just wow. These consistently bad reviews just seal the deal that we are going to cancel our RC cruise and go with Celebrity - chicken necks, toilet issues, disgruntled employees, norovirus. What I cannot understand is why anybody who personally experienced any of this would even remotely consider rebooking on RC.

[bigjsl]

I should have made clear that the sense we got was that budget cuts have left them short staffed hence the slow service.

[2ManyCruises]

Wow, just wow. These consistently bad reviews just seal the deal that we are going to cancel our RC cruise and go with Celebrity - chicken necks, toilet issues, disgruntled employees, norovirus. What I cannot understand is why anybody who personally experienced any of this would even remotely consider rebooking on RC.

 

Check Celebrity's forum. They're some unhappy cruisers there. But not as bad as Royal Caribbean. We booked The Oasis for 2016. I'm not worried about the chicken necks as we will only dine in specialty restaurants for dinner.

[corakari]

Check Celebrity's forum. They're some unhappy cruisers there. But not as bad as Royal Caribbean. We booked The Oasis for 2016. I'm not worried about the chicken necks as we will only dine in specialty restaurants for dinner.

Well that's just it. We are not big cruisers but have an itinerary we really want to do by ship. Initially RC had the one we wanted and we were excited about it. But reading reviews here and elsewhere seemed they were really slipping on service. Celebrity was more expensive but reading the reviews there, it seems to be pretty positive across the board with a few gripes and complaints, but nothing we would not experience on any trip. My question was for those who actually did experience poor service on an RC cruise or horrible food, sanitation, etc. why not take your money elsewhere? Edited December 17, 2015 by corakari

[JamesEM]

DW and I use to cruise about 30 days a year, but with all the cuts backs and less service we have cut back to just one cruise a years, we are now taking AI and land vacations.

[poopin]

We were first time cruisers 2 weeks ago on the Allure. It was amazing but even we thought the food would be better. MDR was the best "complementary" food option but everything else was meh.

 

We got home and ran the numbers. The cruise bookended by 3 days stay in Florida was the same cost of All-inclusive 10 day stay at a gourmet resort (El Dorado Royale) in MX.

 

Dollar for dollar, the El Dorado Royale won by quite a bit. Actually, if you drink the resort is a FAR better value. We would maybe cruise again, but the value just isn't there so it would have to be for some other reason that we would go.

 

I love the idea of cruising but the value just isn't there for us.

 

We probably won't be back but the ship was at 112% capacity so who cares, right?

Edited December 17, 2015 by poopin
Poor wording.

[Biker19]

I'm not worried about the chicken necks as we will only dine in specialty restaurants for dinner.

But, in time, you may be offered some meal with a disguised chicken neck and like it.:eek:

 

Biker, who lately comes to CC for the entertainment reading threads like this.:cool:

Edited December 17, 2015 by Biker19

[L454S]

Have read several replies about going to Celebrity instead. We just did 14 days on the Summit and 11 days on the Equinox. The MDR is on a par with RCI, but the buffet is a loser, especially at dinner. Almost the same stuff every night.

 

We found RCI dinner buffet to be ahead of Celebrity. The B/fast buffet is about the same as RCI, as well as lunch.

 

I guess the point is , we were not better off going to Celebrity. Other folks might feel differently.

[cruisevv]

Wow, just wow. These consistently bad reviews just seal the deal that we are going to cancel our RC cruise and go with Celebrity - chicken necks, toilet issues, disgruntled employees, norovirus. What I cannot understand is why anybody who personally experienced any of this would even remotely consider rebooking on RC.

 

Because, at least in my experience, the good far outweighed the bad. I could tell you about the state room attendant that I spent half an hour conversing with and got a private towel show out of, I could tell you about the delicious Indian curries and stews that I devoured, I could tell you about the lovely movie nights I had, I could tell you about the fantastic service from employees across the ship, or I could tell you about the amazing suite I enjoyed.

 

But its human nature to complain about the inconvenience. So yes I'm going back. I had fun. I just hope the chicken necks don't return as well. ;)

Edited December 17, 2015 by cruisevv

[ewenix]

I could tell you about the state room attendant that I spent half an hour conversing with and got a private towel show out of

 

Uhhh.... You got a what?

[John&LaLa]

????

 

Did you mean "out of America"?

 

I know that the takeover is fairly advanced but we do still have some differences.

 

Sailing out of Australia.

If I meant it the other way, I would probably have said outside of Florida.

[John&LaLa]

Uh huh. Yep. A chicken.

And I'll just stop right there. [emoji239]

 

I don't get it, maybe I need more coffee

[cruisevv]

Uhhh.... You got a what?

 

Clearly...that came out wrong lol. He made me a towel animal in person and took me through each of the folding steps.

[Cuizer2]

Wow, just wow. These consistently bad reviews just seal the deal that we are going to cancel our RC cruise and go with Celebrity - chicken necks, toilet issues, disgruntled employees, norovirus. What I cannot understand is why anybody who personally experienced any of this would even remotely consider rebooking on RC.

 

Because perhaps the passengers have a long experience with Royal Caribbean and are willing to let one bad experience go. Or perhaps they have seen worse on other cruise lines, including Celebrity. Or maybe despite all the issues they still had a great time.

[Cuizer2]

I would probably have said outside of Florida.

 

That is a fairly large percentage of the earth.

Edited December 17, 2015 by Cuizer2

[marci22]

If I went to the WJ for lunch and the chicken option was 'necks and backs', prepared in any way, I would be pretty disgusted.

 

How did they get to this level?

[mjldvlks]

For a variety of reasons, I had a lengthy break between my last 2 cruises and the differences were stark. In the Windjammer for example, the choices were substantially diminished. There used to be a huge variety of fruits -- berries, apples, pineapple, and others. On Serenade in October, fresh fruit was basically melon. Sometimes a few others. Even Bananas were difficult to come by. I happened to be going through some old pictures from a 2010 cruise. One picture showed a table with loads of fresh fruit. There was nothing like it on Serenade in October. Also, everything seemed to take longer. I attribute this to short staffing. Anyway, we still had a great time and intend to go back, but it is truly a different product than it was 3-5 years ago.

[ryano]

but it is truly a different product than it was 3-5 years ago.

 

Agreed. I remember rolling into the WJ on Radiance 4 years ago on boarding day to a huge table FULL of fresh fruit, carved melons and a nice crown and anchor ice sculpture. Where did all that go? :o I said it once and will say it again. If someone really wants to see all the cutbacks that are happening, all you have to do is take a 3 year break from cruising. The changes and cutbacks from 2012 to 2015 have been numerous yet prices are as high as ever. I can only guess it will be even more from 2015 - 2018.

 

They keep on sailing at 104% occupancy though and most of the cruisers have no idea how things were 3-5 years ago.

[jnojr]

Could be worse...

 

[ryano]

.

 

How did they get to this level?

 

Too many "as long as I dont have to cook it or clean it up, Im good" people just willing to settle for whatever is how it go this level. :)

 

I had a piece of fried chicken from the WJ on Freedom this past April and I couldnt tell you WHAT part of the chicken it was. lol. Seriously

Edited December 17, 2015 by ryano

[marci22]

Too many "as long as I dont have to cook it or clean it up, Im good" people just willing to settle for whatever is how it go this level. :)

 

I had a piece of fried chicken from the WJ on Freedom this past April and I couldnt tell you WHAT part of the chicken it was. lol. Seriously

 

I have noticed cutbacks on each cruise I have taken, but not to the level of rock hard beds and chicken necks and backs.

[alfaeric]

Agreed. I remember rolling into the WJ on Radiance 4 years ago on boarding day to a huge table FULL of fresh fruit, carved melons and a nice crown and anchor ice sculpture. Where did all that go? :o I said it once and will say it again. If someone really wants to see all the cutbacks that are happening, all you have to do is take a 3 year break from cruising. The changes and cutbacks from 2012 to 2015 have been numerous yet prices are as high as ever. I can only guess it will be even more from 2015 - 2018.

 

They keep on sailing at 104% occupancy though and most of the cruisers have no idea how things were 3-5 years ago.

 

For your specific example...

 

Did you or did you see anyone eat any of the fruit in that table of arrangements?

 

I saw those a lot, never touched them, and never saw anyone eating any of it- which meant that whole table was a waste.

 

I supposed being able to just throw stuff away is a measure of luxury, sure. But it's also an annoyance for people who saw that as just waste. Heck, even for the midnight buffets I saw- much of that was just thrown away- total waste. I'm sure there were more than one cruiser who noted that wasting like that is bad.

 

OP: Chicken necks? Did you have to spit out a lot of vertebrae bones? I've never seen that.

Edited December 17, 2015 by alfaeric

[mjldvlks]

Agreed. I remember rolling into the WJ on Radiance 4 years ago on boarding day to a huge table FULL of fresh fruit, carved melons and a nice crown and anchor ice sculpture. Where did all that go? :o I said it once and will say it again. If someone really wants to see all the cutbacks that are happening, all you have to do is take a 3 year break from cruising. The changes and cutbacks from 2012 to 2015 have been numerous yet prices are as high as ever. I can only guess it will be even more from 2015 - 2018.

 

They keep on sailing at 104% occupancy though and most of the cruisers have no idea how things were 3-5 years ago.

Ditto. I don't think I saw a single ice sculpture on our recent cruise. I wish now I had taken more photos in the past so I could remember what it was really like in the not so distant past.

 

Another area where short staffing was painfully evident was in the MDR. Our poor assistant waiters [we had MTD so it changed] were so stretched it took forever to get basic service like water refills and bread. It used to seem the assistant was their with bread before you even buttered your first item. The staff [last October -- to be clear] were eager and great -- no complaints, they just had way too much territory to cover. And if you say anything about the delay, the waiter and asst waiter get in trouble -- FOR SOMETHING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT THEIR FAULT.

Edited December 17, 2015 by mjldvlks

[NYcruzzer]

What, no necks ? I'm canceling my upcoming cruise on Anthem.

[marci22]

There are other cruise lines that offer the product you seem to be looking for. However, they also cost a bit more.

 

But seriously, should you have to pay $5k per person to get a chicken leg instead of a neck or back? It's comical.