What's happened to the quality customer care expeience?

[60 somethings]

Just back from our 4th RC cruise - of 18 in total over the past 20 years. It seems increasingly obvious to me and other dedicated RC cruisers that the former quality experience is sadly slipping.

We can no longer deal with a dedicated RC rep - unlike Princess and Carnival.

While on our most recent Oasis, the staff and crew encouraged us to submit positive responses to RC cruise survey. No such survey arrived this time and after a week when I sent a concern to RC I received a prompt auto-reply type response from 'Gloria' who was apparently a member of the Guest Experience team. Despite a promise to respond 2 weeks ago - it never did happen.

Dining room staff seem overworked and disorganized with little help from assistants or supervisors. Wine service was often disappointing, affecting the overall dining experience.

Today, I received an RC email, welcoming me as a new GOLD C&A member, even though I am already a Platinum member. The entire experience is diminishing somewhat.

Although we are again booked with Oasis next year - it does appear there is some disconnect at RC corp. Perhaps they need one of their competent Captains to take control of the corporate ship.

[jcross2]

If you don't get the post-cruise survey, check your "junk" email folder. The past 4 surveys they have sent me have gone automatically to my junk folder, and I've had to go look for them there. (Isn't their IT team just great?! :rolleyes:)

[lbjen]

You said it yourself - you already booked another sailing. Where’s the incentive for them to spend the money on improving service? The ships continue to sail full.

[Merion_Mom]

I did not receive my post-cruise survey for my most recently completed cruise either. It's annoying.

 

You are not the only one who was disappointed with that particular cruise. Perhaps you should try a different ship next time?

[A&L_Ont]

Just back from our 4th RC cruise - of 18 in total over the past 20 years. It seems increasingly obvious to me and other dedicated RC cruisers that the former quality experience is sadly slipping.

We can no longer deal with a dedicated RC rep - unlike Princess and Carnival.

While on our most recent Oasis, the staff and crew encouraged us to submit positive responses to RC cruise survey. No such survey arrived this time and after a week when I sent a concern to RC I received a prompt auto-reply type response from 'Gloria' who was apparently a member of the Guest Experience team. Despite a promise to respond 2 weeks ago - it never did happen.

Dining room staff seem overworked and disorganized with little help from assistants or supervisors. Wine service was often disappointing, affecting the overall dining experience.

Today, I received an RC email, welcoming me as a new GOLD C&A member, even though I am already a Platinum member. The entire experience is diminishing somewhat.

Although we are again booked with Oasis next year - it does appear there is some disconnect at RC corp. Perhaps they need one of their competent Captains to take control of the corporate ship.

 

We also got the email after our negative post cruise survey. We never received the promised phone call so is email Mar Bailey’s office. Things were resolved.

[CruisingNole]

You said it yourself - you already booked another sailing. Where’s the incentive for them to spend the money on improving service? The ships continue to sail full.

 

You hit the nail on the head.

[grapau27]

You hit the nail on the head.

I agree,if people give top marks and fill their ships regardless there is always the temptation for RC to make cutbacks on crew numbers, benefits etc to make more money.

[papaflamingo]

It seems to me that the CEO has a "bottom line" mentality. They seem to do everything they can to cut costs and increase prices to the detriment of the experience. Our Oct. cruise on Oasis was not disappointing at all. But the cost cutting is apparent. The crew worked very hard in my opinion to make up for corporate cutbacks and inefficiencies. We were on Freedom in Jan. and had the "90 minute" dining service. Our waiters were spectacular, but it was clearly a strain on them.

I miss the old days when the experience was more important than the bottom line. But that's like everything. We have developed a "Wal Mart" mentality and it seems that cruise lines are trying to "meet" our expectations by dumbing down the whole experience.

[deliver42]

The cutbacks seem to be industry wide on the mainstream lines. Check out the other forums and you will see the same complaints. It looks like you have to go to Oceana or one of the other truly luxury lines for the old time service, but be prepared for a lot less to do on board.

[BecciBoo]

It was alive and well on Vision 3 weeks ago....great cruise, one of our best as far as Customer Care goes. We were in a grand suite and our every wish was accommodated.

 

Do agree the dining room food quality experience has diminished, but the crew was in all ways superlative.

 

Our cruise mates hated the new whipped butter tubs instead of the usual foil wrapped pats of butter and she complained bitterly about it the first night...every night thereafter, the head waiter was waiting for us with a plate of stick butter!

[CruiseKeeper]

Just back from our 4th RC cruise - of 18 in total over the past 20 years. It seems increasingly obvious to me and other dedicated RC cruisers that the former quality experience is sadly slipping.

We can no longer deal with a dedicated RC rep - unlike Princess and Carnival.

While on our most recent Oasis, the staff and crew encouraged us to submit positive responses to RC cruise survey. No such survey arrived this time and after a week when I sent a concern to RC I received a prompt auto-reply type response from 'Gloria' who was apparently a member of the Guest Experience team. Despite a promise to respond 2 weeks ago - it never did happen.

Dining room staff seem overworked and disorganized with little help from assistants or supervisors. Wine service was often disappointing, affecting the overall dining experience.

Today, I received an RC email, welcoming me as a new GOLD C&A member, even though I am already a Platinum member. The entire experience is diminishing somewhat.

Although we are again booked with Oasis next year - it does appear there is some disconnect at RC corp. Perhaps they need one of their competent Captains to take control of the corporate ship.

 

You should call C&A. The last time we were welcomed to GOLD (we have over 600 points!) we found out their system created new records for us and added previous missing points to the new GOLD records. It took awhile to find someone competent enough to merge the records. Look closely at that welcome to GOLD email, how we figured it out, the C&A number on that was not ours. I hope this helps with part of your issues.

[Nashna]

The cutbacks seem to be industry wide on the mainstream lines. Check out the other forums and you will see the same complaints. It looks like you have to go to Oceana or one of the other truly luxury lines for the old time service, but be prepared for a lot less to do on board.

 

We sailed on The Seabourn Odyssey's January 6th sailing. The service was not up-to-par. Many staff members were new to Seabourn and it showed. We were given incorrect information, pool towels were unavailable after 4:00pm and the food was mediocre. Service in the dining room was slow. Seabourn is coming out with a new ship and the best of the crew either had or were getting ready to depart. One great room stewardess was leaving at the end of our sailing. Seabourn is suppose to offer an "ultra luxury" experience. It did not.