Could we start a list of perks that were discontinued?

[cruzn4life]

I am hugely excited about our first cruis but I must admit having read all this I wish I'd been on a cruise like the cruises you're all describing.

 

Don't let the nostalgia for the "glory days" of cruising get you down - look at the number of cruises these folks have been on...it obviously hasn't kept us from booking that next voyage! You will LOVE your cruise - enjoy!

[marco]

And a couple of things I don't miss.....having to rent a deck chair. Granted, the heavy wooden chairs with a nice comfy pad was nice and you ALWAYS had "your" chair, but it's nice to be able to sit "where ever". And I really don't miss EVERY meal (save for one grand buffet, once during the cruise) was in the dining room. Breakfast was open sitting but even lunch (other than in port days) was first and late seatings. I DO miss the call buttons in the cabins to summon a steward (red button) or stewardess (green button). I don't think I (or any family member I traveled with) ever used them, but it nice to see them and know someone was at your beck and call.

[jakzak10]

WHat ever happened to bringing a few friends and or family members onboard for a bon voyage party. The thrill of hearing the ship blow her smokestack when it was time for everyone to leave.

 

I know what happened....security...security...security.... sometimes I think we are giving up too many of our rights for the sake of security.

 

Jakzak-alan

[Bonnie J.]

On our 1st cruise, the Dolphin, in 1985. every table, every night had a complmentary bottle of red and white wine on every table!

[JimAOk1945]

Actually dining with the Captain!! Sailed the Big Red Boat in 1989 and my friend and I were invited along with 4 married couples to dine with the Captain, and we were each seated on either side of the Captain and had the absolute best time ever!! Of all my cruises, this still stands out as the most memorable event!!

 

I also miss the tours of the galley and the bridge. I understand this is because of security concerns, but I still miss them!

 

We dined with the captain on our Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas Alaska cruise last August. It was a fantastic experience! And since it was our anniversary the whole experience was extra special!

Pictures here

August 2012 Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas

Also, we had a tour of the galley and bridge when we did a Behind The Fun tour on the Carnival Conquest.

[JimAOk1945]

Just off the Carnival Dream last week and they were offering a tour that included the bridge, engine room, crew area, and kitchen. Price per person $100.00 with a few trinkets to keep.

 

That sounds like the Behind The Fun Tour. DW and I did it on the Carnival Conquest in 2011. It was great!

[JimAOk1945]

I don't know about this but I just heard from someone on a RCCL ship (not sure which one) where the chocolate is not on the pillows any more. We just got off the Voyager and we did have chocolate, guess I will see when we go back on the Voyager the 1st of Feb. :confused:

 

We had chocolates on our pillows every night on our last three RCCL cruises. I wonder if it may depend on what type of stateroom you are in? We always book a GS or OS.

[Multi-Cruiser]

We had chocolates on our pillows every night on our last three RCCL cruises. I wonder if it may depend on what type of stateroom you are in? We always book a GS or OS.

 

Carnival puts chocolates on every bed every night. I've received them on every cruise.

[Bonnie J.]

I forgot about having dinne with the captain! The captain used to eat everynight, 2nd seating, in the dining room. We ate with 3 different captains on the Dolphin. Then we would all go to the show, had first two rows. They didn't have a stage, just a dance floor. As it was obvious we were the captain's guest, I peeled a banana on the 'stage' and my husband had boas wrapped around his neck.

 

Costa only puts chocolates on your pillow on formal nights. Carnival, Princess and NCL have them everynight. Haven't been on Celebrity in a while but they used to also.

[George C]

I remember Costa serving ice cold voldka with cavair, loved that. Also many of the lines cooking something at your table

[marco]

And I remember as an appetizer you could order "steak tartare". Now, you can't even get a hamburger medium rare!

[CruisinS]

I remember when I first started cruising, I would go up on deck in the morning and the deck steward would greet me and ask me where I would like to sit; if there wasn't a deck chair there, he would go get one and set it up; then he would take a rolled towel and put it behind my neck. Now, you can't even FIND a deck chair if you go up on deck after 8AM! :rolleyes:

 

Cruising has changed a lot over the years, but it's still the way I want to travel.

[antique sailor]

AHOY SHIPMATES

 

It's difficult not to sound negative(maybe a bit sarcastic) but I love cruising and shall continue to do so. If it were't for some of these changes I wouldn't be able to afford to do so.

I miss the 180 staff and crew who disappeared from each of the HAL ships.

I miss the cruise directors who used to attend the sail away parties

I miss the beautiful young ships hostesses who were PR people that told the truth and attended all the major functions and served as the Capt's

escort if his DW wasn't aboard.

I miss the Capt's gala dinner in the Kings room on the HAL ships.

the free Quality shopping bags to each passenger each cruise.

the Drambuie and other liquires at the ice cream bar

the cruise staff who organized the activities and mingled with the passengers(now replaced by Assistant cruise directors who only handle one

event and are unionized.

Flambe was prepaired tableside in MDR still available in extra $$$

restaurants

remember when you didn't have to pay extra for a good steak

the casino was liberal with the free drinks even if you were't a high roller

the entertainment wasn't recruited from saturday am kids TV

Again I still prefer Holland America and do not blame the staff

The exes in Seattle make the changes with the approval of the

CEO who doesn't pay for his cruises.

GARY

[marco]

And a couple of other things that were "missing" on our last HAL cruise. The hot "hors d'ouvres cart in the lounges during cocktail hour and the fellow who went around from lounge to lounge with the chimes announcing "dinner is served".....but HAL is still one of, if not THE favorite line of ours. Something else though that doesn't happen anymore. I've been organizing the "Friends and Family Annual Caribbean Cruise" now for over 40 years. I used to have flowers, a bottle of champagne and a note waiting in my cabin "thank you for choosing XXXXX cruise line" The line would host a complementary cocktail party for the group one evening (and not just a choice of 3 or 4 pre-poured drinks) complete with hors d'ouvres and appetizers, and at least every other day I'd get a note or call from the cruise director insuring everything was "OK". Last year there were over 30 of us in the group and I didn't even get an acknowledgement for brining 32 people on their ship.

[Smokeyham]

sullaRaffaello,

 

I agree, in the 70's and 80's, passenger lists were standard issue on most cruise lines. In the 90's and beyond I think maybe the more upscale lines still provided passenger lists. On Cunard's "smaller" ships like the Sagafjord and Vistafjord in the 90's they had pasenger lists. In the mid 90's, Cunard discontinued listing cabin numbers on the passenger lists for security reasons.

 

In 2000 I did a QE2 crossing and in 2006 I did the Hawaiian Liner voyage on QM2 and both these cruises passenger lists were not provided. With approx. 1,800 and 2,600 passengers on QE2 and QM2 respectively, it is quite a task to generate, reproduce, bind and distribute such a large passenger list on every cruise. IMHO, not providing passenger lists has noting to do with passenger privacy but merely a cost cutting measure in support of the "bottom line."

 

I have to disagree, and think that if a line was to distribute a list with peoples' name, cabin number, home town, email or any other such information in this day and age, then they would be flooded with complaints.

 

Passengers simply don't expect this, and the concerns about identity theft and privacy would far outweigh any benefit that such a list would provide.

[Multi-Cruiser]

I have to disagree, and think that if a line was to distribute a list with peoples' name, cabin number, home town, email or any other such information in this day and age, then they would be flooded with complaints.

 

Passengers simply don't expect this, and the concerns about identity theft and privacy would far outweigh any benefit that such a list would provide.

 

I agree with Smokeyham. While it may have been nice and practical in years past, if a cruise line did that these days I think they would be exposing their passengers to security risks and the lines to liability concerns.

[sullaRaffaello]

I have to disagree, and think that if a line was to distribute a list with peoples' name, cabin number, home town, email or any other such information in this day and age, then they would be flooded with complaints.

 

Passengers simply don't expect this, and the concerns about identity theft and privacy would far outweigh any benefit that such a list would provide.

 

I have to mention that on my Crystal crossing last year, a list was provided. They went out of their way telling you that you could opt out. It only listed name and country, or in the case of the US and Canada, the state or province as the case may be. No cabin number or town. Can't imagine wanting to opt out with that minimal amount of information.

[ckrobyn]

We had chocolates on our pillows every night on our last three RCCL cruises. I wonder if it may depend on what type of stateroom you are in? We always book a GS or OS.

 

I think it depends on the ship. We had an OS for two weeks on the AOS and did not have chocolate on the pillow the first week. However, I did ask about them, and they appeared every night of the second week......

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk -

[antique sailor]

I think it depends on the ship. We had an OS for two weeks on the AOS and did not have chocolate on the pillow the first week. However, I did ask about them, and they appeared every night of the second week......

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk -

AHOY SHIPMATES

CHOCOLATES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE ON ALL PILLOWS EVERY NIGHT.

 

They are donated by the ADA and considered great for business LOL

 

gary

[SSs]

I miss real real teck floor. I loved when boat had a lot of wood for flooring instead of "plastic" flooring. The long wood longer, only a few line still has them. I miss my no charge cappucino in the main dining room.!!!!'

[West Coast Gal]

I miss the "Social Hostess" on Princess, miss caviar as an appetizer in the main dining room and miss the sommelier and the Late night Real London Pub night and high tea everyday.

[Lovely other]

I'm not trying to be negative here because crusie lines have added services and attractions over the years that may make up for these losses. Also I have only been on 8 cruises on various lines. Some may have been discontinued on some lines and not others. Some of these things I don't miss at all. Also I am very pleased that mini-refrigerators are becoming common. If you know of others please post. But these are the things that I think were discontinued:

 

anytime lemonade

 

gifts like fanny packs and win a cruise contests for repeat cruisers

 

fruit basket in the rooms

 

water color prints (suitable for framing) of your ship

 

 

 

 

soft serve ice cream

 

24 hour pizza station

 

some midnight buffets

 

HAL still has anytime lemonade, fruit baskets in the rooms and soft serve ice-cream, 24 hour pizza .

[Oceans&Rivers]

I have to mention that on my Crystal crossing last year, a list was provided. They went out of their way telling you that you could opt out. It only listed name and country, or in the case of the US and Canada, the state or province as the case may be. No cabin number or town. Can't imagine wanting to opt out with that minimal amount of information.

 

I can not only imagine it, but we did and do opt out of Crystal's passenger lists.

 

I prefer "aggregate statistics", such as "we have onboard 240 residents of the USA, 127 who reside in Canada, 80 from Timbuktu, etc.", and am glad that if there is a passenger list, we (and many others on the same voyage) can easily opt out. Looking back at our first passenger list on Crystal, which seemed to be a full sailing, clearly 25% or more were not listed on the passenger list.

Edited November 20, 2013 by Oceans&Rivers

[Smokeyham]

I have to mention that on my Crystal crossing last year, a list was provided. They went out of their way telling you that you could opt out. It only listed name and country, or in the case of the US and Canada, the state or province as the case may be. No cabin number or town. Can't imagine wanting to opt out with that minimal amount of information.

 

 

I'm curious as to what passengers do with this information? If you meet people you would like to keep in contact with you would presumably exchange information. Otherwise, why would you care who else is on board?

 

I also would opt out of being listed.

[dorisis]

Nobody has mentioned all the animals coming onboard 2 by 2. I only saw it once on my first cruise.