Room Service Changes Suspended!!

[Chervil]

On 1/6/2019 at 4:15 PM, CruiserEK said:

And what about the food in the main dining rooms? You can order as many plates of food as you want. I wonder how many people have ordered multiple items and only took a single bite out of it. 

I usually order multiple items, and some only get a single bite.
The reason is I like to try new things.
Sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't
The waiters usually encourage me to do this as well.

 

But I know that you are really talking about those who have eyes bigger than their stomachs.

The issue I have with the food in the MDR at the moment is that in the last 4 years the portions on the plate seem to be getting smaller and smaller.
And honestly, the quality seems to be on the downward slope.
Couple that with the reduction in staff in the MDRs and meal time isn't quite as enjoyable as it was in the last few years.

[splash_in_the_water]

On 1/6/2019 at 5:05 PM, IronScott said:

I didn’t realize room service was such a big deal. We considered it but on sea days we both had exercise classes and on port days it was too crazy to depend on. Never even considered it the rest of the day. I can’t imagine how anyone (able bodied) would go hungry without room service. There is so much free food available it borders on absurd. I ate way too much just because I could but it seems I’m in the minority.

 

I mostly agree, there's tons of food options, but there are those weird time of the day when there aren't as many options. We usually do an afternoon nap so sometimes we'll order a light snack (because we can) watch some TV and have a snooze. I guess it's just nice to have options.

[Mikew0805]

On 1/6/2019 at 9:06 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

Just another example that reinforces my belief that Carnival’s leadership doesn’t know what they are doing and has lost touch with their customer base. 

They are listening to their complaining customers, and that is a bad thing? Wow!

[knight2096]

Good to see Carnival is listening to its customers and reversing this charge. Lets hope it is permanent.

[liveccam]

I was surprised to hear that Carnival had decided to charge for room service but with the many other changes we've seen over the years I guess this could be expected.  Our first cruises were about 23 years ago and we've been cruising up until last year.  We've noticed major changes in food service with the trend in food quality and service slowly spiraling down over the years.  Service in the MDR was at one time constantly impeccable and attentive.  Today you might see your waitperson only briefly as they hurriedly rush diners through the shortened courses of today.  Back then there was an appetizer, salad, soup, a pasta course, and the main along with dessert.  That's all been shrunken to an appetizer, soup or salad, a main, and desert.  The appeal and allure of the MDR just isn't there anymore.  Back then we really looked forward to a relaxing, all inclusive cruise that was a good value.  The last couple of cruises were "here we go again" type things.  Just ways to kill a week of vacation without many expectations.

[Illbcruzn4life]

13 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

To whom are you responding?  Previous bunch of posts do not have corresponding context.

 

I'm not sure the poster you are asking knows how to use the quote function.

 

It does make it awfully hard to follow a conversation when you don't quote anyone and there are already 50+ post in the thread.

[les37b]

On 1/6/2019 at 10:08 PM, Purvis1231 said:

I think the charge per item make sense over a flat fee if the goal is to reduce food waste. (with a flat fee someone make order one of everything.) 

 

I don’t believe for one moment this charge was to counter waste. It you wish to have your nose in the trough, there is nothing to stop you piling up enough food for 4 in the buffet and I seriously suggest the food wastage there is infinitely more than from room service.

 

i would have said it was to save on staff wages, but given the pittance they’d pay to someone fetching food, maybe not.

 

 

[PhillyFan33579]

8 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

They are listening to their complaining customers, and that is a bad thing? Wow!

 

If they were listening to their customers, they wouldn’t have made the change in the first place. When a company announces a significant change, and then reverses their decision before it is even implemented, that tells you that either senior leadership has lost touch with their customer base or that they don’t know what they are doing.  

[PhillyFan33579]

10 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

Nothing has changed for me. I still plan on cruising much less often with Carnival. This flip flop tells me the experience on board will continue to erode. With Carnival, you really do get what you pay for and that's becoming less and less.

 

All the changes Carnival has made over the last several years reinforces my belief that Carnival’s main focus is on the new cruiser. New cruisers won’t complain about the changes because they have nothing to compare it with and they don’t know what it was like to cruise on Carnival in the past.  The changes haven’t pushed me away from Carnival yet, but I know a lot of friends and co-workers who used to cruise on Carnival a lot who will no longer cruise on Carnival. 

[jimbo5544]

23 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

All the changes Carnival has made over the last several years reinforces my belief that Carnival’s main focus is on the new cruiser. New cruisers won’t complain about the changes because they have nothing to compare it with and they don’t know what it was like to cruise on Carnival in the past.  The changes haven’t pushed me away from Carnival yet, but I know a lot of friends and co-workers who used to cruise on Carnival a lot who will no longer cruise on Carnival. 

Carnival’s main focus has long been new cruisers, that is why they have more homeports then anyone else.  It is far less about who complains or not, but much more who spends more, and I think you can guess that answer.

Edited January 8, 2019 by jimbo5544

[lccruiser]

I think it would be a good idea to not charge platinum and diamond, but charge everyone else.  Just a new perk for the loyal customers 😁😁

[sanmarcosman]

8 minutes ago, lccruiser said:

I think it would be a good idea to not charge platinum and diamond, but charge everyone else.  Just a new perk for the loyal customers 😁😁

The market Carnival wants are new cruisers. Room service will be free until you become Gold. At that point you pay for room service just like the plats and diamonds. Gold will still get a voucher for one free drink that can only be used on the last night of the cruise after 5pm. 😉

[auburneyes]

On 1/6/2019 at 1:19 PM, shof515 said:

I took my first princess cruise in October, i loved the international cafe that had sandwich 24/7. Wish carnival had something similar

They do, its called the Deli and its available 11am - 11pm

[jwcruise1]

JMO but I think this may be a case of "Let's run this up the flagpole and see who salutes it"

[Mikew0805]

15 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

 

If they were listening to their customers, they wouldn’t have made the change in the first place. When a company announces a significant change, and then reverses their decision before it is even implemented, that tells you that either senior leadership has lost touch with their customer base or that they don’t know what they are doing.  

LOL @ "If they were listening to their customers, they wouldn't have made the change in the first place."  That is a fallacy. 

 

SMH 🙄

 

[knight2096]

12 hours ago, auburneyes said:

They do, its called the Deli and its available 11am - 11pm

 Yeah but 11am to 11 PM is still not 24/7. A lot of people like the late night choices as well as many morning people.

[knight2096]

16 hours ago, fyree39 said:

Nothing has changed for me. I still plan on cruising much less often with Carnival. This flip flop tells me the experience on board will continue to erode. With Carnival, you really do get what you pay for and that's becoming less and less.

 

I agree 100 percent.

[aftermidnight]

Going on Carnival for 1st time.  Are there coffee makers in the suites.  RCCL always has a coffee & a tea pot in their suites.  Thanks!

[jimbo5544]

25 minutes ago, aftermidnight said:

Going on Carnival for 1st time.  Are there coffee makers in the suites.  RCCL always has a coffee & a tea pot in their suites.  Thanks!

Not on Carnival, sorry