Service and food.

[merlindog22]

Having recently returned from 2 Royal Caribbean cruises, I have come to the conclusion that the service and food quality on board their ships nowadays is absolutely terrible.

Also the way they are treating people who have had their cruises cancelled after booking for the Majesty of the seas.

Getting back to the service on board some of their ships, the ones I have been on recently 5 in total it is really bad and how they get away with it I am not quite sure. If you ask a question or request something more often the reply is rude and off handish. Also although they keep putting the prices and grats up the quality of certain things is really not good enough. The food must be the cheapest they can possible find, the meat is tough and full of grizzle, the fish pieces are so small it must have been a shame to take it away from its mother. The amount of veg. given on the plate is way to minimal and not very fresh.I am aware that one can ask for more but that is not the point a decent amount in the first place would be nice. Shampoo and bar soap is the only thing given in the bathrooms, no nice smelling articles whatsoever. There is also nothing worth watching on the tv.

So come on Royal Caribbean start thinking about your customers not just the shareholders who have already got plenty.

[Paulxyz2004]

So when is your next RCI cruise?

[Cthy651]

My husband and I have just returned from a cruise on the Oasis - and we have also noticed that the quality of food has declined. This is our second time on the Oasis and noticed a huge difference between cruises.

The good news is, I didn't gain as much weight:) Looking forward to our Harmony cruise and seeing if their is a difference.

[Schatzie51]

Really??? Who goes on a cruise to watch tv???:eek:

[Merly]

On Indy now. No complaints about food or service. Excellent, as usual, in my opinion.

[luvscruising2007]

We returned from our Serenade cruise a few weeks ago. We had no real complaints. Food is so subjective, but we never went hungry and enjoyed what we ate. Some of the service in the MDR was a little off but nothing to really complain about.

If you are that unhappy with RC start looking at other cruise lines.

[Queen of Oakville]

I find on Royal, especially, that my service experience may be awesome, but you at the next table, may have an entirely different experience depending on who your service team is.

 

 

What I especially dislike on Royal, from the CD down to the waitstaff are the constant reminders to give top ratings on the comment card. I think the focus should be more on delivering excellent service, which in turn yield the highest ratings, vs. guilting guests into giving top marks, even when they are not necessarily deserved.

 

 

I've had good and I've had bad service. I've had servers so bad that the constant pandering for top marks was downright comical.

 

On X there is no mention of the comment cords and the necessity to leave top marks. I think this is why service on X is so stellar. Deliver top service and you will get top marks.

[Retired LEO]

Having recently returned from 2 Royal Caribbean cruises, I have come to the conclusion that the service and food quality on board their ships nowadays is absolutely terrible.

Also the way they are treating people who have had their cruises cancelled after booking for the Majesty of the seas.

Getting back to the service on board some of their ships, the ones I have been on recently 5 in total it is really bad and how they get away with it I am not quite sure. If you ask a question or request something more often the reply is rude and off handish. Also although they keep putting the prices and grats up the quality of certain things is really not good enough. The food must be the cheapest they can possible find, the meat is tough and full of grizzle, the fish pieces are so small it must have been a shame to take it away from its mother. The amount of veg. given on the plate is way to minimal and not very fresh.I am aware that one can ask for more but that is not the point a decent amount in the first place would be nice. Shampoo and bar soap is the only thing given in the bathrooms, no nice smelling articles whatsoever. There is also nothing worth watching on the tv.

So come on Royal Caribbean start thinking about your customers not just the shareholders who have already got plenty.

 

The great thing about cruising is there are many choices. If you aren't happy move onto another cruise line.

[BeachChik]

Really??? Who goes on a cruise to watch tv???:eek:

 

Everyone cruises for different reasons. If someone wants to lay in bed in the evenings and watch tv then good for them. No different then if someone spends all their time at the bar. People relax in different ways.

[lv2cruisgrl]

Having recently returned from 2 Royal Caribbean cruises, I have come to the conclusion that the service and food quality on board their ships nowadays is absolutely terrible.

Also the way they are treating people who have had their cruises cancelled after booking for the Majesty of the seas.

Getting back to the service on board some of their ships, the ones I have been on recently 5 in total it is really bad and how they get away with it I am not quite sure. If you ask a question or request something more often the reply is rude and off handish. Also although they keep putting the prices and grats up the quality of certain things is really not good enough. The food must be the cheapest they can possible find, the meat is tough and full of grizzle, the fish pieces are so small it must have been a shame to take it away from its mother. The amount of veg. given on the plate is way to minimal and not very fresh.I am aware that one can ask for more but that is not the point a decent amount in the first place would be nice. Shampoo and bar soap is the only thing given in the bathrooms, no nice smelling articles whatsoever. There is also nothing worth watching on the tv.

So come on Royal Caribbean start thinking about your customers not just the shareholders who have already got plenty.

I agree with your food comments, we were on Allure (2nd time) and the food in the main dining room was not good at all. Always served cold and just tasteless. I think they are cutting way back and it shows. I do have to say the food in the Windjammer was great, much better than on other cruises. We did try a few of the "pay" restaurants and again disappointed. It is hard to be Loyal to Royal, next cruise is November on Harmony. Will be interesting :)

[Thetrail]

Having recently returned from 2 Royal Caribbean cruises, I have come to the conclusion that the service and food quality on board their ships nowadays is absolutely terrible.

Also the way they are treating people who have had their cruises cancelled after booking for the Majesty of the seas.

Getting back to the service on board some of their ships, the ones I have been on recently 5 in total it is really bad and how they get away with it I am not quite sure. If you ask a question or request something more often the reply is rude and off handish. Also although they keep putting the prices and grats up the quality of certain things is really not good enough. The food must be the cheapest they can possible find, the meat is tough and full of grizzle, the fish pieces are so small it must have been a shame to take it away from its mother. The amount of veg. given on the plate is way to minimal and not very fresh.I am aware that one can ask for more but that is not the point a decent amount in the first place would be nice. Shampoo and bar soap is the only thing given in the bathrooms, no nice smelling articles whatsoever. There is also nothing worth watching on the tv.

So come on Royal Caribbean start thinking about your customers not just the shareholders who have already got plenty.

Thank the lord you don't post that often,:rolleyes::rolleyes: thanks for the rant it was amusing. Just for the record have cruised 11 times in the last two years and guess what............Great RCL, ships, food, crew....amazing huh!.......... Edited May 11, 2016 by Thetrail

[StolidCruiser]

All I can picture in my mind is Oliver Twist sobbing "Please, Sir... I want some more!"

 

Those greedy corporate snakes raising prices and lowering quality all for the sake of lining their own pockets while they rest of us suffer in the squalor of their machinations. It ought to be a crime!

 

But now for the real opinion: I enjoy all my Royal cruises and have yet to experience one as bad as yours. Sorry that you have been disappointed.

Edited May 11, 2016 by StolidCruiser

[blackshirt]

OP, you must be an unlucky cruiser to keep picking such bad cruises. I've not experienced anything close to bad food or service on any of my 8 Royal cruises. Service has always been exceptional and food good to great. Enjoy your next cruise line. Hope your bad luck streak comes to an end.

[Topbuzzer]

On Indy now. No complaints about food or service. Excellent, as usual, in my opinion.

 

Great to hear! We have just booked to go on the 02/07/16 Indy sailing. We sailed on it in 2012...great to hear food and service still good, anymore comments very welcome!

Edited May 11, 2016 by Topbuzzer

[Ocean Boy]

I was on Oasis in January and Navigator last week. I thought both ships had great crews and the service was very good. I could always find food that I enjoyed in the Windjammer though maybe not as many choices that I found appealing as in the past.

[Ocean Boy]

Great to hear! We have just booked to go on the 02/07/16 Indy sailing. We sailed on it in 2012...great to hear food and service still good, anymore comments very welcome!

 

Last year I thought Indy had some of the best food that I had ever had on a ship. I can remember wishing that I had more of an appetite so that I could eat more of it.

[rs12065]

Great to hear! We have just booked to go on the 02/07/16 Indy sailing. We sailed on it in 2012...great to hear food and service still good, anymore comments very welcome!

 

Hopefully you meant 02/07/17. If not, well then, your ship has sailed. :-)

[north29]

We have enjoyed both great service and food and poor service and food. It depends on the ship and that can change quickly. Maybe the OP was just unlucky.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Maybe the OP was just unlucky.

 

Or maybe the OP is just a complainer. ;)

 

Oh, I'll bet my platinum pin the OP won't be making a return!

[AZAficionado]

As a long-time cruiser on Royal, I'll add my $0.02.

 

There has certainly been a decline in the food product (raw materials) Royal buys. This is one way to cut costs.

 

However, I'd say that the food preparation has improved - it takes more to make a great meal with lesser products.

 

The service has been about the same. Quite often I see exceptional service and routinely see very good service.

[Norwich Cruiser]

Says it all.

[Topbuzzer]

Hopefully you meant 02/07/17. If not, well then, your ship has sailed. :-)

 

Ha ha no I did mean 02/07/16 - in the UK that's 2nd of July!

[soccer2010]

… Getting back to the service on board some of their ships, the ones I have been on recently 5 in total it is really bad and how they get away with it I am not quite sure. ...

So you went on 2 RCCL cruises with terrible service and food. Then you went on a 3rd. Then you went on a 4th with bad service and food and finally a 5th with the same issues.

I don't have a lot of faith in someone's opinion that did this.

[matj2000]

The poster is venting over the decline in food & service which he has observed over his last 5 cruises.

 

He has pretty valid points.

 

Dining service is luck of the drawn in whom you wind up serving you.

 

We have had very good, & very bad...

[matj2000]

Really??? Who goes on a cruise to watch tv???:eek:

 

Don't knock it..

 

When you are on a ship for a week, there is plenty of "down-time" to chill in the cabin and watch TV.

 

But RC have pretty much stripped the TV channels to bare bones, but added more & more RC commercials.

 

I will bet most people do the same whether they admit it or not....

Edited May 11, 2016 by matj2000