RCCL and Johnny Rocket's

[wreckem2013]

9 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I just don't get why Royal charges for Johnny Rockets, and especially how much they charge. Take out any comparison to other cruise lines and it still stands out to me as a mediocre burger joint, which to me doesn't deserve any upcharge.

 

I love Royal's MDR and Windjammer.  I think they've nailed that.  Sounds childish, but I just feel that Johnny Rockets is a stupid out of place venue the way it's setup.

Dan

If I had to guess Johnny Rockets is for pay to cover any associates royalty costs associated with operating it.

[Ret MP]

29 minutes ago, wreckem2013 said:

If I had to guess Johnny Rockets is for pay to cover any associates royalty costs associated with operating it.

That would have been my guess, too.  However, before I said anything about it, I realized that Fish and Ship's isn't, as far as I know, associated with any other brand and therefore, no royalties but they have an upcharge.  So, I'm just not sure.  I'm thinking that it is just a revenue producing decision and much surveys and research went into the decision.  As stated earlier in one of this thread by someone else, I believe that JRs was originally free/no extra cost.  So, something happened to make it to a revenue producer.  Maybe their research and surveys are outdated now.  Who knows.

Edited December 15, 2022 by Ret MP

[ldubs]

39 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Disclaimer:  This post is not intended to change anybody's mind about anything, it is just my/our opinion.

 

We ate the infamous "Crispy Chicken Sandwich" while on Coco Cay and don't see what all the fuss is about.  Average at best.  

 

I didn't have crispy chicken.  I did have a burger and other stuff.  I would call it good as just about any burger cooked on a grill is going to be good.  I enjoyed it but it wasn't anything special. Just a burger.   

[Morecruisesplz]

19 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

I didn't have crispy chicken.  I did have a burger and other stuff.  I would call it good as just about any burger cooked on a grill is going to be good.  I enjoyed it but it wasn't anything special. Just a burger.   

Johnny Rockets is just a burger too. But a $15 one! Unless you can eat 3 or 1/2 dozen hot dogs, it's not worth. Save your $s for a specialty restaurant. 

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Johnny Rockets is just a burger too. But a $15 one! Unless you can eat 3 or 1/2 dozen hot dogs, it's not worth. Save your $s for a specialty restaurant. 

 

Never been to Johnny Rockets, but I understand they have shakes and maybe even malts too. Sounds like the burgers are similar to the ones available in the windjammer.  

[Morecruisesplz]

3 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Never been to Johnny Rockets, but I understand they have shakes and maybe even malts too. Sounds like the burgers are similar to the ones available in the windjammer.  

Well the choices of burgers are the standards found in land bases JRs. With the various toppings. But just not the same. Royal might be cutting corners on burger size or the meat. A milkshake can be covered by 1 drink voucher so that could save you a little. Now if they replaced with 5 Guys you wouldn't find it empty so often. 

[ldubs]

1 minute ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Well the choices of burgers are the standards found in land bases JRs. With the various toppings. But just not the same. Royal might be cutting corners on burger size or the meat. A milkshake can be covered by 1 drink voucher so that could save you a little. Now if they replaced with 5 Guys you wouldn't find it empty so often. 

 

Oh man, I guess I wasn't even thinking about land based Johnny Rockets.  Never been to one of those either.  I'm not even sure where they are around here but am sure I've seen them.   I agree about 5 Guys.  They are pretty darn good. 

[graciekelli]

18 hours ago, ONECRUISER said:

Wow, Fuddrucker's! Havent been there in over 30yrs!

I wish they'd change it to an In-N-Out.  

[Mikew0805]

21 hours ago, Ret MP said:

I was once involved in a heated discussion (I know, hard to believe) in this forum or maybe it was one of the other cruise social media sites about Johnny Rockets.  I am/was a defender of the venue.  I, kinda still am.  But, another thread in here has several people listing Johnny's as one of the top overrated venues in RCCL.  I've only been to one Johnny Rockets since the restart and the Johnny's we've been to pre-pandemic were all on Oasis Class Ships, Oasis, Symphony, and I don't remember about the Allure. All of those were great. We really liked the Johnny Rockets that we visited, pre-pandemic.  HOWEVER, the Johnny Rocket's on the Independence this past October/November was far less than I expected.  The place looked old, worn-out, perception of unclean, and just not inviting.  The burgers were lacking something, they seemed bland, not sure what was wrong with them, maybe lack of seasoning.  I'm not ready to criticize Johnny Rocket's as a whole but it definitely needs some attention on the Independence.  Some say that they believe that Guys on Rustbucket Cruise Lines is much better.  I disagree, not because of the taste/quality of Guys.  Only because it isn't a sit-down/full service venue, the fix'ins bar is gross (not very well maintained, non-Guys people (often drunks) walking by and grabbing stuff with their hands, etc.), the lack of seating far too often, and no beverage service (you have to go to another venue (like the BlueIguana Bar) for a drink of any kind and by the time you get back, the burger is cold).  So, I'm looking forward to returning to Oasis Class ships with a Johnny Rocket's and a better experience, I HOPE!  

 

BTW, I totally agree 100% that Coco Cay is way overrated.  Especially if you are a 71 year old.  There is nothing I can do on Coco Cay that I can't do on the ship and I can do it without the crowds.  That's not to say that it isn't great for young families and active adults.  But, for old folks like me, it's a wasted part of the itinerary.  I'm only saying that I'll look for itineraries, in the future, that don't include Coco Cay, unless we have any/all of our grandkids with us.  I'm not suggesting that Coco Cay be removed from RCCL's options, it's just not for us.

 

 

The Johnny Rockets on Indy has been similar to my experience at all the Johnny rockets on RCI. Food is subjective (actually almost everything is subjective) so that is just my opinion when I say that the food there is disgusting. Guy's on CCL, whether it has a dine in venue or not still has a far better burger, and the toppings bar is no different from the same toppings bar at El Loco Fresh on Royal. 🤷‍♂️  I do like the burger at Playmakers. (Although I change it around a bit, and I am sure the staff 🙄 LOL)

 

As far as a rust bucket.. LOL have you seen RCI ships? 

 

I like Coco Cay, and when I am in the mood for a beach day, pool day, or waterpark day.. it is nice. I also like the food at the Snack Shack. However, most times I just stay on the ship because I also really like the peace and quiet. The last 6 to 8 times I have stayed on the ship, and I will probably stay on the ship this weekend.

 

 

[Tulsacoker]

I you all love burger the best burger I've ever had on a Royal ship is from Jamie's Italian ....excellent 

[DallasGuy75219]

22 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Johnny Rocket's has never made sense to me, ever since our first sailing in 2012.  I mean, you are charging for burgers and fries, neither of which are anything to write home about.  I also don't get the 50's décor and vibe, it just doesn't mesh to me.  (just my opinion)

 

Celebrity has complimentary burgers and fries at their Mast Grill right there by the pool, Carnival has Guys burgers that are FAR superior, etc...

 

My main confusion about Johnny Rockets is that it's a "paid for" venue.   Royal can do far better IMO. 

 

Dan

 

22 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I just don't get why Royal charges for Johnny Rockets, and especially how much they charge. Take out any comparison to other cruise lines and it still stands out to me as a mediocre burger joint, which to me doesn't deserve any upcharge.

 

I love Royal's MDR and Windjammer.  I think they've nailed that.  Sounds childish, but I just feel that Johnny Rockets is a stupid out of place venue the way it's setup.

Dan

JR seems like a holdover from the older, smaller ships when your food choices (other than maybe an upscale restaurant with a surcharge) were pretty much the MDR, WJ, pizza, or Cafe Promenade.  It was a bit of a niche back then but unnecessary (and unappealing for many due to the surcharge for mediocre food) with all the food options on the Oasis class and newer ships.

 

Not sure if RC has a long-term franchise/license agreement they're stuck in or just doesn't care, but JR seems like a relic whose ship has sailed (pun semi-intended).

[Ret MP]

2 hours ago, Mikew0805 said:

The Johnny Rockets on Indy has been similar to my experience at all the Johnny rockets on RCI. Food is subjective (actually almost everything is subjective) so that is just my opinion when I say that the food there is disgusting. Guy's on CCL, whether it has a dine in venue or not still has a far better burger, and the toppings bar is no different from the same toppings bar at El Loco Fresh on Royal. 🤷‍♂️  I do like the burger at Playmakers. (Although I change it around a bit, and I am sure the staff 🙄 LOL)  My review of my last burger at JR's, post-pandemic was a comparison to the burgers I have had on Oasis Class ships JR's, pre-pandemic and I think there is a large difference with both the appearance and taste of the burgers.  Any comparison I made with Guy's was totally and completely about the service, condiments island, and refreshment service or lack thereof.  I fully understand what you said and I respect your opinion, I just want my opinion to be clear.  And one other thing, that is why I like Sabar much better than Playmaker's, no condiment island for the Mexican Food.

 

As far as a rust bucket.. LOL have you seen RCI ships?   See post #88

 

I like Coco Cay, and when I am in the mood for a beach day, pool day, or waterpark day.. it is nice. I also like the food at the Snack Shack. However, most times I just stay on the ship because I also really like the peace and quiet. The last 6 to 8 times I have stayed on the ship, and I will probably stay on the ship this weekend.

 

 

Again, I'm not arguing with your opinion.  It's yours.

[taglovestocruise]

1 hour ago, Tulsacoker said:

I you all love burger the best burger I've ever had on a Royal ship is from Jamie's Italian ....excellent 

Had the Jamies burger on Quantum a few months ago. Far inferior to the Play Makers burgers imo.

[taglovestocruise]

They should ditch the Dog House and make JR free, especially on ships that have JR and Playmakers. 

[Tulsacoker]

14 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Had the Jamies burger on Quantum a few months ago. Far inferior to the Play Makers burgers imo.

never been to Play Makers  so I'll definitely have to try. Unfortunately my next three cruises are on Harmony/Allure and Celebrity 

[taglovestocruise]

1 minute ago, Tulsacoker said:

never been to Play Makers  so I'll definitely have to try. Unfortunately my next three cruises are on Harmony/Allure and Celebrity 

Before we are slammed we should note that we both misspelled Playmakers. 

[Tulsacoker]

1 minute ago, taglovestocruise said:

Before we are slammed we should note that we both misspelled Playmakers. 

I copied you 😄

[taglovestocruise]

3 minutes ago, Tulsacoker said:

I copied you 😄

Hopefully your first and only mistake of the day.. happy cruising

[The Fun Researcher]

13 hours ago, wreckem2013 said:

If I had to guess Johnny Rockets is for pay to cover any associates royalty costs associated with operating it.

 

1 hour ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

 

JR seems like a holdover from the older, smaller ships when your food choices (other than maybe an upscale restaurant with a surcharge) were pretty much the MDR, WJ, pizza, or Cafe Promenade.  It was a bit of a niche back then but unnecessary (and unappealing for many due to the surcharge for mediocre food) with all the food options on the Oasis class and newer ships.

 

Not sure if RC has a long-term franchise/license agreement they're stuck in or just doesn't care, but JR seems like a relic whose ship has sailed (pun semi-intended).

 

I do think it's time for RCCL to break their ties with Johnny Rockets.  They can do so much better.  It's tired and just isn't competitive with other cruise lines.  Having to pay for what's on the JR menu just baffles me.

 

Dan

[A&L_Ont]

2 hours ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

Not sure if RC has a long-term franchise/license agreement they're stuck in or just doesn't care, but JR seems like a relic whose ship has sailed (pun semi-intended).

 

Yes to this. 

 

I also wonder why some ships have Playmkers as well as a JR.  This makes no sense to me.

[Mum2Mercury]

20 hours ago, pfm18 said:

Yeah, I’m not paying for a burger or a hot dog on a cruise when I can get perfectly good ones in the WJ which is about a 20 second walk away. The place doesn’t even have the cool diner vibe it had a decade ago. No thanks. 

My point exactly, and I think people are kinda "over" seeing the 50s as cool /nostalgic.  I associate that time period with my parents.  My kids don't relate to it at all.  

15 hours ago, Ret MP said:

That would have been my guess, too.  However, before I said anything about it, I realized that Fish and Ship's isn't, as far as I know, associated with any other brand and therefore, no royalties but they have an upcharge ... 

I was going to say the same thing.  Anyway, WHY would a company as big as RCCI need to partner-up with any food company?  I mean, they can create their own label /their own brand and use it on all the ships; for example, Fish and Ships seems to be their own creation ... and popular.  Why are they paying Starbucks instead of creating their own coffee name?  I saw lots of people getting specialty coffee from the Plaza Bar in the Windjammer at breakfast.  

14 hours ago, ldubs said:

I didn't have crispy chicken.  I did have a burger and other stuff.  I would call it good as just about any burger cooked on a grill is going to be good.  I enjoyed it but it wasn't anything special. Just a burger.   

On Coco Cay I had the Philly Steak Sandwich.  It was good.  My husband had tacos and seemed to enjoy them.  

I didn't know the Crispy Chicken was "the thing to have" -- but I live in the land of Chick Fil A, and that's my standard for a really good chicken sandwich.  

14 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

... Now if they replaced with 5 Guys you wouldn't find it empty so often. 

Love some 5 Guys!  Super good burgers!  Still wouldn't pay for it on a ship -- not when no-cost burgers are available right next door.  

 

What I would like to see in terms of Windjammer burgers -- this probably won't be a popular thought:  I'd like to see smaller burgers.  Like sliders.  Why?  For a person my size, they're rather large.  I'd rather have a slider-sized burger and have space on my plate for some other things as well.  People who want more could take multiple sliders.  

 

[ldubs]

2 minutes ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 

 

What I would like to see in terms of Windjammer burgers -- this probably won't be a popular thought:  I'd like to see smaller burgers.  Like sliders.  Why?  For a person my size, they're rather large.  I'd rather have a slider-sized burger and have space on my plate for some other things as well.  People who want more could take multiple sliders.  

 

 

I always ask the guy behind the counter if they will toast the hamburger buns for me.   I wonder if they would cut a patty in half for you.  

[Mikew0805]

4 hours ago, Ret MP said:

Again, I'm not arguing with your opinion.  It's yours.

Yep, I was not arguing with your either, just mentioning mine. I think you meant El Loco Fresh & Guys not Sabor & Playmakers. That threw me off for a minute, but that is not hard to do right now because I am also working at this time. 

 

I will say, I have considered going back to JR to see if their grilled chicken club sandwich is any good. Do you have any thoughts on that? (I like the Playmakers one, so it may not make sense to try it.)

[Ret MP]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 

I was going to say the same thing.  Anyway, WHY would a company as big as RCCI need to partner-up with any food company? 

One word:  Advertising 

 

Hey everybody, look at the shinny object over here.  Nobody else has that shinny object!  Aren't we great and worth you money!

[Ret MP]

23 minutes ago, Mikew0805 said:

Yep, I was not arguing with your either, just mentioning mine. I think you meant El Loco Fresh & Guys not Sabor & Playmakers. That threw me off for a minute, but that is not hard to do right now because I am also working at this time. 

 

I will say, I have considered going back to JR to see if their grilled chicken club sandwich is any good. Do you have any thoughts on that? (I like the Playmakers one, so it may not make sense to try it.)

Yes, I do think the way I wrote it, it is confusing.  I did mean El Loco Fresh vs. Sabor.

 

My intent was to compare El Loco Fresh to Sabor.  Sabor is a full service, including a bar, Mexican restaurant and El Loco Fresh is basically a buffet with a condiment island.  I really dislike condiment islands unless there is a lot of attention paid to it by staff, keep it clean, stocked, and organized.  Something I haven't noticed at Guy's, for the most part.  That's my observation and opinion.  I said in an earlier post, I've seen people to include drunks (I'll add kids) walk by the condiment island at Guy's and hand pick things out of it, people that weren't even eating at guys.  I have never observed that behavior at an El Loco Fresh and it obviously ain't gonna happen at a Sabor, who's days are numbered, unfortunately.

 

Thank you for your input and opinion.