$7.95 Room Service Charge

[LMaxwell]

I did get a canned reply to my email, but signed by an actual person. When I replied to that I got a canned auto-response and then another canned response a few days later from someone else. When I responded to that I got a canned auto-response...seems like Royal now runs these responses through a 3rd party mailer so you can never actually deal with anyone directly.

 

They don't want customer feedback (see also fake surveys). They just want to know what it is going to cost THEM. The answer is nothing. So the policy will stay. Plan accordingly.

[TigerCruzin]

Interesting. I knew that there were nothing to the legal accusations being thrown around by Americans, but I wasn't sure about what folks were saying about other country's consumer protection laws. It would be surprising to me to learn that those accusations were true; it makes sense that for consumer protections to apply that the amenity (in this case, the fact that room service is "free") would have to be, as you said, a "stated inclusion".

 

 

Actually, they did previously say it was included in the cruise fare.

 

 

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[Cauzneffct]

Yep. Justice Scalia talked about having a stamp that said "Stupid But Constitutional." We could probably use a similar "Bogus But Legal" stamp when it comes to changes implemented by cruise lines.

[bUU]

They don't want customer feedback.

No one here has any inside information that would substantiate that assumption. Rather, all we can say is that they are not going to use unsolicited, non-normalized customer feedback to run their business. And that's just smart business practice. The reason why you survey guests and rely on that market research rather than unsolicited complaining is that the unsolicited complaining may misrepresent the reality. It may overstate the extent and depth of dissatisfaction because only those dissatisfied are providing feedback. It is well understood that folks who are unhappy will express their unhappiness an order of magnitude more than those who are happy will express their happiness. Scientific surveys, with normalized sampling of the target demographics, is the only sound way to factor customer input into running a business.

 

Actually, they did previously say it was included in the cruise fare.

That's not what The_Big_M indicated. (I also don't recall seeing "Free Room Service" specifically as part of the list of stated inclusions when I booked a FOS cruise recently.)

 

Yep. Justice Scalia talked about having a stamp that said "Stupid But Constitutional." We could probably use a similar "Bogus But Legal" stamp when it comes to changes implemented by cruise lines.

There's no comparison between what Justice Scalia was talking about and this, and I believe Justice Scalia would say so himself if he could speak from the grave. This is not bogus, but rather it is just bad new for consumers.

[Cauzneffct]

There's no comparison between what Justice Scalia was talking about and this, and I believe Justice Scalia would say so himself if he could speak from the grave. This is not bogus, but rather it is just bad new for consumers.

 

A thousand pardons if the analogy did not meet your approval. I was simply trying to illustrate that one's opinion on the wisdom of a policy has little bearing on its legality. Further, I was using "bogus" in the sense of "deceptive," which I feel is apt in this situation as an advertised benefit is no longer being provided as advertised. That said, given the wording of the contract, the cruise line is legally free to make pretty much whatever changes they want.

[LMaxwell]

No one here has any inside information that would substantiate that assumption. Rather, all we can say is that they are not going to use unsolicited, non-normalized customer feedback to run their business. \

 

If you have no information to form an assumption, you shouldn't make your next line an assumption.:confused:

 

The clients I deal with I don't need to see their master or operating plans to tell when the winds shift on communication.

[LMaxwell]

Scientific surveys, with normalized sampling of the target demographics, is the only sound way to factor customer input into running a business.

 

Pumping guests for across the board perfect scores with sob stories, very scientific. Come on. You are very book smart it appears, but you have to factor in reality too.

[knittinggirl]

About five years ago, I booked on Celebrity and printed out the room amenities when I booked the cruise. But by the time I sailed, over a year later, Celebrity had removed a few amenities and changed their website accordingly.

 

I still felt they hadn't honored the contract since they hadn't fulfilled the room amenities that were on their website at the time of booking.

 

Maybe I should have checked the amenities on final payment date. But how do they determine the amenities we should get based on when we booked?

[WhenIsLobsterNight]

This thread needs to die. Nothing new has been added for pages now. If you were booked (and paid in full) in the last 90 days and order room service, go to the main desk and complain if you want to. There is a very high chance those charges will be removed for you based on an email I received. They are not going to just give every person that booked additional compensation for this new room service charge, but will likely take care of those that complain. If you are 91+ days, then RCCL just added another to their list of dozens of nickle and dime ways they created to boost revenue. Yes, it stinks and that menu they are offering is certainly not worth any additional expense in the majority of opinions I have read.

[Cauzneffct]

About five years ago, I booked on Celebrity and printed out the room amenities when I booked the cruise. But by the time I sailed, over a year later, Celebrity had removed a few amenities and changed their website accordingly.

 

I still felt they hadn't honored the contract since they hadn't fulfilled the room amenities that were on their website at the time of booking.

 

Maybe I should have checked the amenities on final payment date. But how do they determine the amenities we should get based on when we booked?

 

The only things guaranteed are food and a room at the level you booked; everything else (itinerary, entertainment, the variety of dining options, etc) is provided by the grace of the cruise line (praise be upon them). So they don't "have" to provide any of the amenities advertised when you booked and can eliminate, tinker, or charge for pretty much anything.

 

That said, when they do make a change it is (typically) based on sail date not booking or payment date. Hence the current hullabaloo for people who are past final payment and are now subject to the room service charge. Sometimes they'll give you an option to prepay at the current rate (ie when they raise gratuity charges).

 

If people are familiar with how the lines have handled other changes, feel free to chime in.

[John&LaLa]

This thread needs to die. Nothing new has been added for pages now. If you were booked (and paid in full) in the last 90 days and order room service, go to the main desk and complain if you want to. There is a very high chance those charges will be removed for you based on an email I received. They are not going to just give every person that booked additional compensation for this new room service charge, but will likely take care of those that complain. If you are 91+ days, then RCCL just added another to their list of dozens of nickle and dime ways they created to boost revenue. Yes, it stinks and that menu they are offering is certainly not worth any additional expense in the majority of opinions I have read.

No way this is over. Today is first official day. People are boarding Serenade as we speak and will be flooding GS in about 90 minutes. Besides it's fun for some of us. Don't judge. [emoji6]

 

How can we determine if the new menu is worthy, they haven't delivered a single order yet. I for one have high hopes. I experienced the old menu. It wasn't worth the wait, even if it was free

 

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Edited March 27, 2017 by John&LaLa

[John&LaLa]

About five years ago, I booked on Celebrity and printed out the room amenities when I booked the cruise. But by the time I sailed, over a year later, Celebrity had removed a few amenities and changed their website accordingly.

 

I still felt they hadn't honored the contract since they hadn't fulfilled the room amenities that were on their website at the time of booking.

 

Maybe I should have checked the amenities on final payment date. But how do they determine the amenities we should get based on when we booked?

Let's relate this to Dynamic Dining. I booked Oasis for March of 2015 expecting Dynamic Dining. It didn't happen. People booked Anthem for this fall expecting Dynamic Dining and lobster every night in Grand. They cancelled it. Is it that much different?

 

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[Suzieanna]

Nelson just phoned me! There's 10 minutes of my life I wont get back! They do "value feedback and loyalty" apparently. I told him that my loyalty has gone. I do feel that the choices and quality will be better - and I agree they can charge what they want. But trying to get him to see my point of view i.e. that I have paid in full (as far as I am concerned) for what was offered at my time of purchase - well I might as well have been talking in Martian or something. Like I said I am not interested in $8 - its like what, half a mudslide or something?

 

Just waiting till the "enhanced" buffet entrance line is introduced!

 

Oh, Hello Nelson if you are reading this!!!!

[bUU]

If you have no information to form an assumption, you shouldn't make your next line an assumption.:confused:

You've posted a logical fallacy. Just because one doesn't know anything about 'A' that does not mean that that person knows nothing about 'B'. The 'A' in this case was what whether Royal Caribbean wants customer of feedback or not. As I said before, you have no way of knowing what they want, and just posted what you posted without foundation for what you wrote. That was compounded by how unlikely it would be that a company wouldn't want to understand their customers. The 'B' in this case is "smart business practice", as I explicitly labeled it. That's something I do know and can speak authoritatively about.

 

Pumping guests for across the board perfect scores with sob stories, very scientific. Come on. You are very book smart it appears, but you have to factor in reality too.

I think you're just upset with the cruise line and want to make them look bad. JD Powers is a reputable organization. I believe them before I believe you with regard to the scientific and normalized nature of the their survey.

 

But how do they determine the amenities we should get based on when we booked?

You've hit the nail on the head... THIS is why so much is "subject to change". The mass market works because suppliers provide the same product to thousand or millions of people, not a different product for each passenger aboard the cruise based on what day you booked your cruise.

 

This thread needs to die. Nothing new has been added for pages now. If you were booked (and paid in full) in the last 90 days and order room service, go to the main desk and complain if you want to. There is a very high chance those charges will be removed for you based on an email I received. They are not going to just give every person that booked additional compensation for this new room service charge, but will likely take care of those that complain. If you are 91+ days, then RCCL just added another to their list of dozens of nickle and dime ways they created to boost revenue. Yes, it stinks and that menu they are offering is certainly not worth any additional expense in the majority of opinions I have read.

Good points. Edited March 27, 2017 by bUU

[LMaxwell]

You've posted a logical fallacy. Just because one doesn't know anything about 'A' that does not mean that that person knows nothing about 'B'. The 'A' in this case was what whether Royal Caribbean wants customer of feedback or not. You have no way of knowing what they want, and just posted without foundation for what you wrote. That's what I indicated. The 'B' in this case is "smart business practice", as I explicitly labeled it. That's something I do know and can speak authoritatively about.

 

You posted about what they do or don't want without any way of knowing that yourself. You then judged this as smart business, based on your own acumen, but without any further knowledge. I don't know how much you do or do not know about 'B', I just know you have the same internal working knowledge as anyone else here, which, by the way is a consumer discussion site. So pointing out that I am a consumer discussing something without internal documentation isn't exactly blowing the covers off the story. Just saying.

 

Regardless, if a company wanted honest feedback they would not have installed barriers to free flowing communication. Canned responses from employees you can not converse with tells the real story.

[bUU]

You posted about what they do or don't want without any way of knowing that yourself. You then judged this as smart business, based on your own acumen, but without any further knowledge.

If that's the way it read to you then I'm sorry. My intention was to express what was "smart business practice" based on my career advising companies about customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, operations management, and quality management. These concepts are matters I taught for years and years, and I still dabble in them now and then even though I've moved on to a more lucrative second career.

 

I don't know how much you do or do not know about 'B'

Now you do.

 

Regardless, if a company wanted honest feedback they would not have installed barriers to free flowing communication. Canned responses from employees you can not converse with tells the real story.

That's nonsense. The mass market works a lot different from your local tailor shop. Again, normalized feedback is critical to success of a mass market supplier.

[bigque]

No way this is over. Today is first official day. People are boarding Serenade as we speak and will be flooding GS in about 90 minutes. Besides it's fun for some of us. Don't judge. [emoji6]

 

How can we determine if the new menu is worthy, they haven't delivered a single order yet. I for one have high hopes. I experienced the old menu. It wasn't worth the wait, even if it was free

 

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If the wings turn out to be good that will be worth it for me when I come in from the clubs. If I can go to Sorrentos and get some pizza and order up some wings and get a Corona

then I will be set! :cool:

[LMaxwell]

If that's the way it read to you then I'm sorry. My intention was to express what was "smart business practice" based on my career advising companies about customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, operations management, and quality management. These concepts are matters I taught for years and years, and I still dabble in them now and then even though I've moved on to a more lucrative second career.

 

Now you do.

 

That's nonsense. The mass market works a lot different from your local tailor shop. Again, normalized feedback is critical to success of a mass market supplier.

 

Come on, if you were so smart you'd have been doing the second, more lucrative venture all along

 

j/k

 

:D

[CaptainBazinga]

No way this is over. Today is first official day. People are boarding Serenade as we speak and will be flooding GS in about 90 minutes. Besides it's fun for some of us. Don't judge. [emoji6]

 

But not as fun as the T.P. thread that went POOF today (hope it wasn't something I said :halo::')).

 

If the wings turn out to be good that will be worth it for me when I come in from the clubs. If I can go to Sorrentos and get some pizza and order up some wings and get a Corona

then I will be set! :cool:

 

Why make the extra trip? New room service menu has fresh baked cheese or pepperoni pizza. Just order it when you order the wings. It's not like they're charging per item (YET!).

 

Hey, does anyone recall there being actual wings once upon a time on RCI's old free room service menu? I do, unless I have my cruise lines mixed up. :confused:

 

CB

[mybagsarepacked]

I love RCCL but this room service charge is obnoxious. This is why I have one more cruise with RCCL (and I am platinum level so I have been cruising with them for years) and then we will just cruise with Crystal. We would MUCH rather pay one fee upfront (even a higher amount) and not have these idiotic one-offs for everything - including sodas, lattes, and now a room service charge? So if a guest gets ill, or twists an ankle, or (like me) is an author on deadline and spending quiet time working in my cabin, I am going to pay an extra $20-$40 a day just in rm service charges with gratuity added? So for a transatlantic, I will add say an additional $350-400 to my bottom line? Ridiculous. :o

[CHIEFFY]

Have just been told I will lose my deposit of £1500 or over $2000 as we will be unable to travel due to my daughter being pregnant as they will lnot let a baby on board under six months they said they would let me rebook I would have to pay a premium price about over £3000 more than what is on the website

[NewfieGuy1972]

Can someone PLEASE tell me how do I turn off notifications for this (what has officially turned into a generic RANT thread)?

 

MODS this thread should be closed!

[Clarea]

Can someone PLEASE tell me how do I turn off notifications for this (what has officially turned into a generic RANT thread)?

 

MODS this thread should be closed!

User Control Panel, List Subscriptions.

[knittinggirl]

I am going to pay an extra $20-$40 a day just in rm service charges with gratuity added? :o

Hadn't thought of the gratuity. That makes it $10 per delivery.

[KuffMUp]

I am platinum level so I have been cruising with them for years

going to pay an extra $20-$40 a day just in rm service charges with gratuity added?

 

You haven't cruised much with them if you are platinum. Also, you are going to eat 5 meals a day in your room? I have never ordered room service when it was free.