How to avoid Room Service Charge

[Ashland]

We have sometimes asked our waiter for a cheese plate to take to our room. He/she puts a dome on it and we're set. Now I find they have a much nicer selection of cheeses in the Windjammer so we just go up there and get some to take to our room. I cover the plate with a napkin for the trip to the room.

Next time just ask one of the waitstaff in the WJ and they'll easily get a plate cover (dome) for you.

[Luv2Cruz24/7]

Is this on RC, as that is the thread this is on. I know on NCL, they will not allow you to take something from the dining room EXCEPT in the speciality dining room where they did deliver it to my room, but maybe it was because you pay for each item a la carte (although we used a speciality restaurant coupon.)

 

I took food out of main dinning last month on RC. Then again, I took food out of the main dining almost every night on NCL last year. (mind you, I also use to work on NCL and all the time we allowed guests to take plates of food out of main dining. So unless this is a new rule, someone was just being lazy lol. Ask maitredee or restaurant manager next time)

[botbien]

My husband and I liked to order coffee, a slide of chocolate cake and enjoyed it on our balcony at night when we cruised with Carnival. This will be our first time with RC. I guess we just need to come down to WJ and get coffee ourselves.

[CCC3]

My husband and I liked to order coffee, a slide of chocolate cake and enjoyed it on our balcony at night when we cruised with Carnival. This will be our first time with RC. I guess we just need to come down to WJ and get coffee ourselves.

 

 

 

But get to the WJ before 9:00 pm because it closes then! Otherwise, the Cafe Promenade has coffee and some desserts and will be open all night.

 

 

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[botbien]

But get to the WJ before 9:00 pm because it closes then! Otherwise, the Cafe Promenade has coffee and some desserts and will be open all night.

 

 

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Thank you so much for this information. It’s very helpful. [emoji4]

[CCC3]

Thank you so much for this information. It’s very helpful. [emoji4]

 

 

 

Have an amazing cruise! And if the Cafe Promenade has Coconut Ranger cookies...grab a few! [emoji1360]

 

 

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[WeLuvVacation]

Amazing! Maybe that should go for judgers and haters as well...no?

 

You don't get it. Judgers and haters ALWAYS feel they are correct, They are the ones who push past you on the buffet line, don't move to the back of the elevator to let more people on. They are the ones who let their kids run wild all over the ship, etc. BUT THEY are the ones who baitch and whine about topics like this one and all others like this one where an opinion doesn't match theirs.

 

 

I try to avoid them at all costs, confront them vigorously as required.

[botbien]

Have an amazing cruise! And if the Cafe Promenade has Coconut Ranger cookies...grab a few! [emoji1360]

 

 

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I’ll remember this. Sounds like yummy cookies.

 

Thank you so much CCC3. I appreciate the information.

[angeleyes27]

I bring something back to eat from the dining room or buffet every night by wrapping it in a napkin. I have blood sugar issues and it gives me a snack in case I feel shaky. There are too many carbs or high cholesterol foods at the breakfast buffet so it is very helpful.

 

 

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[katiel53]

I guess my opinion is not the same as most on here as I think its fair for those who want room service to pay for it. There are many things on a cruise that cost the cruise line money that is passed on to the passenger whether or not the passenger uses them.

 

It costs money to provide room service and why should those of us who don't use it subsidize those who do? It's like the rock-climbing walls, the kids clubs etc. Not all of us use those benefits but we pay for them in our fare.

 

I have no problem having people pay for what they use. A classic example is the specialty dining. If I want a better meal or better atmosphere when dining, I pay for it. I don't ask others to pay for my dinner. I feel that at some point the cruise lines will adopt a policy of you want it, you pay for it and things will change.

 

I could give other examples and I think initially if/when this happens some people will stop cruising, but others who don't care about all the extras that they don't use will continue to cruise. JMO and I know most will disagree with me.

[Merly]

Room service is delivered by room service staff, not your room attendant.

 

I see two reasons for RCI doing this. 1) Offset the cost of the staff required to deliver the room service, and 2) To reduce the load on room service so they can provide more timely service.

 

On the second point, I have seen posts on CC that discussed very long waits for room service before the charge, and much shorter waits now.

 

 

Could the charge also have been introduced in order to reduce waste? I am sure we have all seen plates of leftover food on trays in the hallways. Since the introduction of the charge this seems to have reduced.

 

( We have never used room service but will bring cookies from the WJ for later.)

[MoniMommy]

Fortunately, an exception to the Room Service Charge is Continental breakfast, which will remain complimentary. Also, orders to Grand Suites and higher will not carry a charge.

 

I bought a container that was large but small enough to fit in the refrigerator. I order several juices in the morning for the continental breakfast. Then poured them into my container. We were able to have juice every day in my room. I also put the pastries in zip lock bags and eat those later in the evening as a snack. We always ate our actual breakfast in the main dinning room.

[cbelc]

The last time we ordered room service was on the Radiance of the Seas July 2017 in Alaska on our Hubbard Glacier morning. They didn’t let us know our food was sitting on the floor outside our room and our neighbor ate it. So we re-ordered. It came relatively quickly and without the associated cost due to our inconvenience.

 

 

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[Merion_Mom]

The last time we ordered room service was on the Radiance of the Seas July 2017 in Alaska on our Hubbard Glacier morning. They didn’t let us know our food was sitting on the floor outside our room and our neighbor ate it. So we re-ordered. It came relatively quickly and without the associated cost due to our inconvenience.

 

 

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1. I have never heard of a room service delivery being left on the floor outside the cabin.

 

2. Your neighbor ate food that was sitting on the floor??!?!??!:o:o

[SamInWa]

I blame the Internet. Well that's a bit of a glib response. but here is the longer version.

 

It's all about the search engines and the lowest apparent price online. RCCL has to play this game just like every other cruise line, hotel, airline, etc. People do shop based on that lowest apparent price. Most people are not savvy enough or don't care enough to research and min-max their vacation like the average participant here on Cruise Critic.

 

I'm sure that RCCL has good numbers of utilization of room service and the other services on board. The mining and analysis of data is going to tell them whether this is good or bad for their bottom line. I'd wager that they already knew pretty well what to expect before they put this policy into place.

 

How that relates to customer satisfaction might be a bit more squishy to correlate, but with the surveys they do I'm sure they will figure it out.

 

For me, the inclusiveness of room service was one of the things that I really liked about the cruise experience. I'm sad to see it go. But, when I think about it... this is probably offset by the other free food options that are available around the ships.

 

Breakfast was always my favorite, and it looks like "continental" breakfast is still free... through cooked stuff like eggs and bacon have to be paid for.

[Biker19]

2. Your neighbor ate food that was sitting on the floor??!?!??!:o:o

Don't you talk to your neighbors and have them admit they ate your food?

[one_beachlvr]

Hopefully, you're also taking the plates back up after you're finished. Otherwise, you're still receiving room service (the cleaning up of your dirty plates and leftover food) and not paying for it!

[Ocean Boy]

Hopefully, you're also taking the plates back up after you're finished. Otherwise, you're still receiving room service (the cleaning up of your dirty plates and leftover food) and not paying for it!

Seriously? People leave "stuff" all over the ship. Used glasses, empty plates, you name it. Plenty of people bring snacks or food back to their cabins. The cabin attendant removes it. That somehow equates to room service?

[mra9955]

Hopefully, you're also taking the plates back up after you're finished. Otherwise, you're still receiving room service (the cleaning up of your dirty plates and leftover food) and not paying for it!

 

 

 

It’s eight dollars. Who cares?

 

 

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[ramja96]

Hopefully, you're also taking the plates back up after you're finished. Otherwise, you're still receiving room service (the cleaning up of your dirty plates and leftover food) and not paying for it!

 

So when one of the staff comes by and collects your empty drink glass when you're poolside, you pay them every time? :rolleyes::confused:

[squadron]

Who gets that $7.95? Is that a fee that goes to the cruise line, or is it considered a gratuity?

 

Why do people not think about the fact that there is a room service fee in a hotel? Plus menu prices are higher than if you go to the restaurant. It is what it is who cares about where it goes if you want to order room service.

[gerif]

So when one of the staff comes by and collects your empty drink glass when you're poolside, you pay them every time? :rolleyes::confused:

They were “paid” when you purchased the drinks. No glasses permitted around the pool (plastic but no glass).

[cossie1223]

Personally I don’t mind paying the cover charge for room service, some excellent meals and a nominal charge.

[Ocean Boy]

They were “paid” when you purchased the drinks. No glasses permitted around the pool (plastic but no glass).

Who was paid? Is there a difference in price if you consume your drink at the bar where no one has to scurry around picking up after you as opposed to if you leave the bar and someone is going to have to retrieve the empty glass from where ever it is that one happens to no longer have a use for it?

[ramja96]

Who was paid? Is there a difference in price if you consume your drink at the bar where no one has to scurry around picking up after you as opposed to if you leave the bar and someone is going to have to retrieve the empty glass from where ever it is that one happens to no longer have a use for it?

So, you're saying you do pay/tip the person retrieving your empty "glass"?

 

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