PAYING for Pizza in Sorrento’s

[aubreyc1988]

On 8/10/2023 at 3:32 PM, NateUpNorth said:

Insanity.
Regardless of if it's decent pizza or not, it's one of few food options available for free after the MDR closes up shop. Pretty soon it'll be a FAQ:

Q: Are there any non-pay food options available after the MDR/Windjammer closes.
A: No, you must pay for food after 9PM. Each guest is permitted to carry on one box of cookies and 1 small bag of candy per stateroom to enhance their experience.

 

 

LOL. Honestly, I would NOT pay for pizza and I find RCI included food options to be too limited, esp at night. Like on my last two cruises, I've packed SNACKS for the evening (because what if I don't want pizza every night) and honestly doing that is a bit ridiculous.

[aubreyc1988]

2 hours ago, PompeySailor said:

A Slice always goes down well with 4 shots of something late at the schooner bar

May it continue to be Free 💯 

 

I know the napkin says Jaeger Bomb 💣 

 

 

 

I brought pizza to one of the schooner bar tables (Not at the bartop, the ones by the hallway before you go into the casino) and I got ripped a new one by staff about bringing pizza there 😅 

[aubreyc1988]

On 8/16/2023 at 11:29 AM, TwoMisfits said:

 

I'm amazed there is no sweet and salts area for snacking around til midnight near multiple bars.  It's CHEAP, it's easy, and it would make people wildly happy. 

they used to do that on NCL. They took it away during peak times during Covid times, and I haven't sailed them recently so I don't know if they have brought it back...but it was always nice to have bar snacks always available. 

[PlanetX]

Per MB on FB:

 

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBayleyRoyalCaribbean

Edited August 17, 2023 by PlanetX
Fixed image w/full post

[TwoMisfits]

13 minutes ago, PlanetX said:

Per MB on FB:

 

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBayleyRoyalCaribbean

 

Hopefully, this brings about a larger conversation about the need for RCCL to improve the availability and content of its free food offerings, especially post-dinner.  If you lose the food battle on a cruise, you're gonna lose the war for customers, no matter how much entertainment you bring on board, especially for families with kids.

[Shocked91]

Michael Bailey has confirmed today no charge for Pizza.

[Ocean Boy]

12 minutes ago, Shocked91 said:

Michael Bailey has confirmed today no charge for Pizza.

Maybe for now and maybe never. However, they did not send out the survey simply because they were bored and had nothing better to do. Their mindset is going in a direction that I don't like and find concerning for the future. And their is a history of surveys, trials, and tests that lead to reality for me to base my concerns and suspicions on.

[smokeybandit]

5 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Maybe for now and maybe never. However, they did not send out the survey simply because they were bored and had nothing better to do. Their mindset is going in a direction that I don't like and find concerning for the future. And their is a history of surveys, trials, and tests that lead to reality for me to base my concerns and suspicions on.

 

Marketing people are a strange lot. They may have asked that question to gauge interest in a separate for pay pizza place with "real" pizza.  With such a high number of people not willing to pay for pizza, it might put "real pizza place" further down the list of new restaurants to add on future ships.

[mickeychicky]

When they ask for your opinion, it's already in the works to figure out how to charge for this. 

Make it another Johnny Rockets type situation?  If so, they'll need to step up the quality of the pizza.

Make it a pay per day thing? Pay once and come back anytime during that day.  I don't eat Sorrento's like a meal, I will grab a slice or here or there, late at night coming back from the casino on my way to the room.  I'm not gonna pay EVERY time I stop by and grab a snack.  Again, the quality of the pizza is not "charge" worthy. The Disney-Nickel-and-Dining has made it way to the cruising industry.

 

Look at the new NCL Viva, they charge to play mini golf now.  Let that sink in.

[Ocean Boy]

14 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

 

Marketing people are a strange lot. They may have asked that question to gauge interest in a separate for pay pizza place with "real" pizza.  With such a high number of people not willing to pay for pizza, it might put "real pizza place" further down the list of new restaurants to add on future ships.

They already have such a place. It is called Giovanni’s Kitchen.

 

[PompeySailor]

1 hour ago, aubreyc1988 said:

 

I brought pizza to one of the schooner bar tables (Not at the bartop, the ones by the hallway before you go into the casino) and I got ripped a new one by staff about bringing pizza there 😅 

😳

I do recall someone saying it was ok as long as it was free and on a plate 😉

[cruisemiser1]

33 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

Maybe for now and maybe never. However, they did not send out the survey simply because they were bored and had nothing better to do. Their mindset is going in a direction that I don't like and find concerning for the future. And their is a history of surveys, trials, and tests that lead to reality for me to base my concerns and suspicions on.

 

Fully agree. There are so many people in this world who suffer from Boiling Frog Syndrome. Rest assured, RCCL was not merely asking for opinions about a hypothetical situation on charging for pizza without bean counters behind them.

 

As usual, there were folks willing to accept yet another cut, number 404 of 1000, who would continue to accept these charges for things that were at 1 time included in the price of a cruise.

[jbooth2099]

We are "Tin Foil" on RCL and I have read the banned items list twice.  It does not specifically say "no pizza ovens", so we bought this for our next cruise.

 

We will get some frozen pizzas and pack them in our carry-on.

[firefly333]

3 minutes ago, cruisemiser1 said:

As usual, there were folks willing to accept yet another cut, number 404 of 1000, who would continue to accept these charges for things that were at 1 time included in the price of a cruise.

And maybe as usual there were some people not affected who never eat the pizza. I rarely ate it, and then often mostly the topping of cheese and pepperoni, not all the bread. 

 

Imo if someone isnt affected they dont care if rcl charges you for pizza. Not their problem. Always going to be some who dont care if something is taken away. Unrealistic to think everyone will agree. 

[Another_Critic]

19 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

When they ask for your opinion, it's already in the works to figure out how to charge for this. 

Make it another Johnny Rockets type situation?  If so, they'll need to step up the quality of the pizza.

Did they step up the quality of JRs when they added the initial cover charge and further stepped up each time they increased the cover charge?

[PlanetX]

16 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

When they ask for your opinion, it's already in the works to figure out how to charge for this. 

Make it another Johnny Rockets type situation?  If so, they'll need to step up the quality of the pizza.

 

Possibly a fast casual pasta and brick oven pizza type deal, grab your Italian food and go eat somewhere else on deck. A la carte, starting price $7.95 per item or something similar.

[TwoMisfits]

13 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Did they step up the quality of JRs when they added the initial cover charge and further stepped up each time they increased the cover charge?

 

Honestly, they should consider changing Johnny Rocket's to a free location with only a cover for milkshakes/beverages.  If the board's experience is to be believed, it tends to be a ghost town after breakfast, and I'd assume the only folks who eat there for lunch and dinner are the ones not paying directly (either with free meals or AYCE plans), and it's a location that could easily be a 24-7 meal server, along with Sorrento's.

 

[RFerrington]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

 

Marketing people are a strange lot. They may have asked that question to gauge interest in a separate for pay pizza place with "real" pizza.  With such a high number of people not willing to pay for pizza, it might put "real pizza place" further down the list of new restaurants to add on future ships.

This is my hypothesis as well

[mramella]

1 hour ago, Shocked91 said:

Michael Bailey has confirmed today no charge for Pizza.

 

...at this time...

[barbeyg]

I thought it was interesting that he would 'admit' (if it's factual data) that 20% of people would consider other cruise lines.  We are considering others because of the high pricing.  And we didn't do the survey. 

[Ocean Boy]

32 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

 Always going to be some who dont care if something is taken away. Unrealistic to think everyone will agree. 

Right, they don't care until a change comes around that does affect them and then they can't see why no one else cares or understands their concern.

[NateUpNorth]

Michael Bayley has confirmed no pizza charge........... however..... RCL DOES charge for popcorn near the Aquatheatre on the Oasis class... so you'll forgive me if I don't quite believe the "oh, this was just a survey, only a survey, and never anything more than a survey" attitude. 

It's pretty clear they're looking for ways to increase revenue across the board without adding any cost whatsoever. 

Edited August 17, 2023 by NateUpNorth

[barbeyg]

2 hours ago, aubreyc1988 said:

 

I brought pizza to one of the schooner bar tables (Not at the bartop, the ones by the hallway before you go into the casino) and I got ripped a new one by staff about bringing pizza there 😅 

I hope you told them where to get off.  😀 Politely, of course.

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, NateUpNorth said:

Michael Bayley has confirmed........... however..... RCL DOES charge for popcorn near the Aquatheatre on the Oasis class... so you'll forgive me if I don't quite believe the "oh, this was just a survey, only a survey, and never anything more than a survey" attitude. 

It's pretty clear they're looking for ways to increase revenue across the board without adding any cost whatsoever. 

It's never been free on rcl. It was free on carnival but I think they started to charge because of the mess popcorn makes. 

[NateUpNorth]

53 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

Look at the new NCL Viva, they charge to play mini golf now.  Let that sink in.

I suspect that has been noted and filed away on every line that has such things.
I'm sure the accountants in charge are giving the side eye to the mini golf, zipline, waterslides, Abyss and any other activity they feel could provide a few extra daily charges. Just a case of what will cause the least pushback.