Johnny Rockets - disappointed

[SailingSal]

We were recently on Adventure 12 day cruise (great, fun time) and decided to try Johnny Rockets on a Sea Day.  We have enjoyed the fun atmosphere and service in the past.  Never thought the "up-charge" was too much.   Well - our bill was $29.50 for 2 people.  No Happy greetings or dances;  2 burgers that were at best, "OK"; A basket of onion rings that were mostly all breading,  French Fries that were barely fast food quality; 1 vanilla pop and glass of ship water;  and 1 milk shake (we use to get a free one with Diamond status).  I  was surprised as I do not remember anywhere close to $20 before.   Really - shouldn't the burgers be more special and the fries hand cut for that price?  Just want to say we won't be returning to Johnny Rockets - and to share with others that it is NOT worth the price. 

[spookwife]

I won't eat there at land based restaurants.   so I've never been tempted to try it on board.  

 

when compared to the  overcooked bland disks in the Windjammer, though,  they are pretty special.....

[h20skibum]

I agree there is nothing special about JR’s.  I was surprised it was still on Indy after the Amp. 

 

This is one place that could be done away with.  They are busiest at the free breakfast time.  

[sellwingri]

We ate there on Adventure in January after returning from a late shore excursion and absolutely loved it!  In our opinion, the food was great and the atmosphere fun and lively.  

[LuCruise]

We had a free Johnny Rockets meal for four with out Boardwalk Balcony room on Symphony.  Well, never used it.  There were too many other good food options, and we just never felt like having greasy fast food.

[thegraminator]

Can someone  tell  me  the  cost  of  the  meal  now?   Also ,  is the price  lower for kids meals.   I  also  understand  that  the  milkshakes  are an additional  charge  unless you have the deluxe  drink  package . Does that also include the  refreshment  package ?   TIA     BTW  we will be cruising  on the  Allure  if that matters . 

[gerif]

Went to JR years ago on our first RCI cruise when it was free (had long lines to get in). Totally unimpressed. Burgers were okay but nothing to write home about, fries tasted of freezer burn and chocolate shake, well, it was made with vanilla ice cream so not very “chocolately at all. Didn’t go back for quite a while, even gave away our free C&A coupons that were given once they started charging. I think we went back one more time. I enjoyed the Oreo sundae but nothing else was worth the price. Maybe if I had youngsters, but the burgers in the MDR were just as good. 

[bouhunter]

We gave up on it a few years ago.  Average burgers, fries etc.  Not worth the extra cost to us any longer.

[sparks1093]

We ate on a Johnny Rockets on the way to a previous cruise and it was alright but I know much of the price paid for the decor. I've never found decor to be all that filling. Wasn't tempted to pay for JR's on the ship.

[Paulette3028]

The only thing we get at JR is the shakes....with the BOGO offer as part of our CAS discounts.  NOTHING else there is appealing to us.  We tried it on our very first cruise back in 2004 and even FREE the food wasn't worth it....so for a fee, it would not be worth it.

[schmeed]

1 hour ago, SailingSal said:

to share with others that it is NOT worth the price. 

 

Add "in my opinion"...

[fred30]

Tried JR's once 10 years ago and found the food was not very good.  At the current price point the food should be exceptional.

Now they do make good shake's which are a must with the coupon!

 

RC was smart to put JR's next to the pool on the Quantum class though.  It seems to be very busy.

 

 

[awestover89]

We've enjoyed it every time we've gone (two free visits on Harmony for boardwalk balconies, paid visits on Symphony, Freedom, and Anthem)

 

When it's just the cover charge, it was a great price. Ala Carte, it was more expensive than I'd be willing to pay on land, but on the ship I know prices will be higher than on land, and it didn't feel outrageously so. I agree the fries were meh, but I'm not a huge fan of fries anywhere on land either. Onion rings and burgers have always been great though. Sure, not gourmet, but on par/superior to many fast food burgers

[mugtech]

1 hour ago, awestover89 said:

 Sure, not gourmet, but on par/superior to many fast food burgers

We live in a world of lowered expectations.

[Zach1213]

My wife like stop by once a cruise, usually for dinner. She likes it, I'm indifferent. I don't mind spending a little extra money, but I (nor her) definitely wouldn't go to a land-based one. And I would never go more than once in a cruise (and we don't cruise all that often).

 

Also, since we've only been to them on ships where they're tucked away, and at dinner, it has always been very quiet...maybe a few booths taken? Paying a little extra to have outdoor, quiet seating on a 4,000 passenger ship doesn't really bother me.

Edited May 28, 2019 by Zach1213

[steveru621]

We were told by the CL the 2for1 was gone when we questioned why it was not on the D+ voucher list.

 

I agree the price is too high for the quality.

[Mikew0805]

The burgers at JR on board are not good, and definitely not worth paying for. I wish they would just remove JR's from the ships and find something else to put in their place. 

[ECCruise]

1 hour ago, awestover89 said:

 

When it's just the cover charge, it was a great price. Ala Carte, it was more expensive than I'd be willing to pay on land, but on the ship I know prices will be higher than on land, and it didn't feel outrageously so. 

This is where cruise lines have brainwashed the cruising public.  Why in heaven would anything be MORE expensive on a cruise ship than land?  This goes for JR, booze, spa, etc.

You have paid a huge entry fee to get to these venues (your cruise fare, thousands of $$$) that you don't pay on land.  You are foregoing a fully free meal (whether in MDR or the buffet) so the cruise line saves food costs there. The employees on ships are paid WAY less than those on land, so employment costs are lower.  Land based businesses pay real estate taxes.  Pay employment taxes.  Have lots of other fixed expenses that a ship based business does not have.  

[Clarea]

2 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

The burgers at JR on board are not good, and definitely not worth paying for. I wish they would just remove JR's from the ships and find something else to put in their place. 

 

I agree with an earlier post, change it to In & Out.  I'd pay for that.

[brillohead]

I did it once with my son, just to say I'd done it, and even that wasn't until I was Platinum or Emerald (meaning many cruises under my belt). 

 

I won't be back.... it just isn't worth it, especially since I'm perfectly happy with lunch and dinner in the MDR.  (Tutti Salad Bar in the MDR on sea days is THE BEST!!!!)

Maybe if it were free, I'd stop by for just a snack, but even then, I doubt it.  I really don't snack much on cruises, b/c lunch and dinner are so filling.  (And I'm a fattie -- it means a lot that I don't snack!)

[MightyMike]

This is one area where Carnival has Royal Caribbean beat. I'm not really a burger person myself, but I've heard people rave about Guy's Burger Joint. And the cost? Included.

[Yvonne]

17 minutes ago, MightyMike said:

This is one area where Carnival has Royal Caribbean beat. I'm not really a burger person myself, but I've heard people rave about Guy's Burger Joint. And the cost? Included.

 

Yes, Guys is awesome.  Burger cooked in front of you and you put your own toppings on, and the fries are just as great.

 

We ate at Johnny Rockets on the Mariner years ago, when there was no charge except for milkshakes and we did enjoy it.  This past February on the Oasis we sat down there and had planned on eating.  I thought the cover charge was $7.95 but asked to make sure and we were told $11.74 each, milkshakes were extra.  We left without eating.  Too expensive when there are other include in your cruise fare places to eat.

[bouhunter]

52 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

This is where cruise lines have brainwashed the cruising public.  Why in heaven would anything be MORE expensive on a cruise ship than land?  This goes for JR, booze, spa, etc.

You have paid a huge entry fee to get to these venues (your cruise fare, thousands of $$$) that you don't pay on land.  You are foregoing a fully free meal (whether in MDR or the buffet) so the cruise line saves food costs there. The employees on ships are paid WAY less than those on land, so employment costs are lower.  Land based businesses pay real estate taxes.  Pay employment taxes.  Have lots of other fixed expenses that a ship based business does not have.  

You're putting way to much irrelevant thought into this.  They're  not "brainwashing" anyone.  And no one cares about real estate taxes, employment taxes, etc.  Those things have nothing to do with cruise ship prices.  Good grief.  They're just putting out a product and pricing as they see fit, no more complicated than that.

Edited May 28, 2019 by bouhunter

[Wordell1]

Crazy that one cannot get a decent free burger on RC

[Mikew0805]

5 hours ago, brillohead said:

I did it once with my son, just to say I'd done it, and even that wasn't until I was Platinum or Emerald (meaning many cruises under my belt). 

 

I won't be back.... it just isn't worth it, especially since I'm perfectly happy with lunch and dinner in the MDR.  (Tutti Salad Bar in the MDR on sea days is THE BEST!!!!)

Maybe if it were free, I'd stop by for just a snack, but even then, I doubt it.  I really don't snack much on cruises, b/c lunch and dinner are so filling.  (And I'm a fattie -- it means a lot that I don't snack!)

Yeah I probably wouldn't even if it was free either. Just not that great of a burger, and I have yet to find a really good burger on Royal. Maybe that burger in the pic on the cruise planner for Jamie's lunch? We shall see.