rccl vs the rest

[cruisedaze1929]

First time on RCCL will be in MAY 07 on Explorer(9 day to Bermuda and western Carib)

 

Why Im switching:

 

Celebrity :

In the early 90's food and service rating 7.5 out of 10

In 2004 and 2005 food and service rating 5.5 to 6.0.

Entertainment was just ok

 

Carnival:

well we all know about this line food 5.0

sevice 6.5

entertainment: depends on your age

special note on carnival:

I went on one of the very first cruises with carnival thru the panama canal. However when we were lining to get a good view thru the locks the entire staff including the bands took up all the rail space.

 

I along with many others expressed outrage at this behavior.

i wrote to carnival and they issued me a coupon for a free 7 day cruise for my wife and i providing there is space hahahahaha. what a joke.

 

every cruise i tried to book they told me no space was available.

I then called to just book a cruise and they had virtually any cruise i wanted available. in the same call i told them i have a coupon. in the same breath they stated that all the space for free cruises were taken. they stated they have an allotment of free cruises per ship.

 

It got to the point where i just gave up and tore up the 2 coupons.

So you can imagine what i think of this cruise line.

 

NCL:

Prior to free style cruising:

food: 7.0

service: 6.5

entertaiment: 8.0

 

post free style:

food: 5.0

service 5.0

entertainment 8.0

 

I hope RCCL doesnt dissapointment me. I am not hard to please all i ask is:

My food hot

service with a smile

and my cabin cleaned(Im not a slob)

 

in closing

 

I just dont understand how the food Quality can be anything else but superb. I mean the first thing anyone thinks of when they say cruise is high quality great tasting food. To get anything less is a travisty.

 

I think all the major cruise lines need to start spending alittle extra on the quality of the food.

 

True they are mass production cruise lines carrying 2000Plus people.

But that isnt my problem. We all pay good money and most people work hard for a living with the average person not getting too much time off during the year.

 

Too spend all that money and not get the food or service that one use to expect on board a cruise ship is unforgivable.

[Cruising89143]

I have found that the food on RCI is in line with NCL and Carnival. Each one does something a little better than the other. As far as quality, I would compare it to what I would receive at a Marriott or Hilton banquet. Nothing more. Mass produced food. If food is the main reason for booking on a mass market line then I'm afraid that you will be disappointed. The food is not bad and I have never gone hungry on a cruise but do not expect gourmet unless you book Chops or Portofino's which has a $20.00 surcharge. Cruising today is much cheaper than it was back when the ships were smaller and the food was much better.

 

As far as I service, that is one reason that I stick with RCI. Has always been very good and consistent. Ships have always been very clean.

[DonnaK]

The reason I cruise RCI is for the outstanding service and the amenities/activities aboard the Voyager-class ships.

 

As far as food in concerned , it's about par with the other lines you mentioned and rated quite low, so while I was very satisfied, you'll probably be disappointed.

 

If you want 5-star food, they you'll need to choose a more upscale cruise line, which has much higher fares. Or, as the previous poster said, choose an RCI ship but eat in the alternative restaurants every night (this adds $140 per person to the cost of a 7 day cruise, which is still much cheaper than moving to the cruiselines that rate higher regarding food.)

[jontalley]

I think the food on RCL is MUCH better than NCL. And the staff is friendlier.

[markf]

unfortunately there is a relationship between the price we pay and the quality of food /services we receive--the prices have been reduced over the years-=-the price of gas etc has gone up--they are running a business--The less you pay the less you get

[Piepkorn]

As veteran RCCL cruisers, we have found RCCL's level of service and quality of their food always consistent regardless of vessel. We made the mistake of going on Celebrity over the summer (12 days in Europe), and although the food quality was significantly better, that in itself did not offset the poor service we received in almost all areas. On RCCL, the service staff is much younger, and sometimes they do make mistakes...but it is cute, and they are sincere about it. But it is obvious they are trying really hard.

 

A ship's layout is also very important to us...as on sea days, we just want a chair outside in the shade, or just a quiet spot somewhere and can always find one on RCCL. On Celebrity, the simply finding ANY chair on ANY deck was impossible...and we ended up relaxing on our balcony.

 

We took a friend on his first cruise last weekend (3 day Baja), and it cemented our opinions...and we will continue from now on to sail almost exclusively on RCCL.

 

Dave

[Merion_Mom]

 

in closing

 

I just dont understand how the food Quality can be anything else but superb. I mean the first thing anyone thinks of when they say cruise is high quality great tasting food. To get anything less is a travisty.

 

I think all the major cruise lines need to start spending alittle extra on the quality of the food.

 

True they are mass production cruise lines carrying 2000Plus people.

But that isnt my problem. We all pay good money and most people work hard for a living with the average person not getting too much time off during the year.

 

Too spend all that money and not get the food or service that one use to expect on board a cruise ship is unforgivable.

cruisedaze, I don't think that anyone here is trying to discourage you from cruising on Royal Caribbean.

 

I think, however, that we are all trying to temper your expectations.

 

If you cruise PURELY or even MAINLY for the food, you will have to lower your expectations to enjoy your RC cruise.

 

I would classify myself as a gourmet; I live in a major metropolitan area with fabulous restaurants, which I patronize with some regularity.

 

I would always rather eat GOOD food than merely acceptable food.

 

I have no problem with RC's food.

 

But it is NOT gourmet, and there are times when you have to select carefully, or even send something back and get something different, to be happy.

 

If you can live with that, you will have a great cruise.

 

If that "puts you off", there could be problems.

 

:) :) :)

[caviargal]

I agree that "superb" is not an accurate adjective to describe mass market cruise ship food. If you are a foodie, then invest in a luxury cruise. Otherwise, you will need to adjust your expectations.

 

I do not agree with the OP's point rating of cruise lines' food. Personally, I would give Celebrity an 8, HAL 7, NCL 4-5 (extra charge restaurants are better by a margin) , CCL 4, and RCI a 6. Service on most has suffered with staffing cuts, forcing the waitstaff to handle more tables, as well as pull wine duty.

 

These days, if you want a good to very good meal served professionally and with care in an more intimate atmposphere, it is worth the price to upgrade to a specialty restaurant. I do that most every night when on a mass market line, except for X where I will choose one night for their specialty restaurant as I find the food and service quite good in the main dining room as compared to the others.

[Inshape]

The food is just fine. Nothing great but it beats my food cooked at home! As far as service--I think RCI beats CCL and that is why we have switched to RCI. We have done 6 cruises, with 3 on CCL and 3 on RCI. No more with CCL unless it is soooo cheap we just cannot say no....and even then...i think i would just save for a RCI one! CCL is too smokey for me. The level of service is wonderful on RCI, where the waiter and assistant know our names and likes and dislikes, the cabin steward always says hi and follows that hi with our name. It is nice touch! I can always get a chair in the sun and I love the pools in RCI where I can sit on the ledge and still be in some of the water. Wished they just did more adult comedy at night, as CCL does.

[SandyMc]

I am sooooooo glad not to be a foodie! While we have eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world, it just is not the biggest part of a cruise for us - I have never had a truly bad meal on any cruise line (tho I have had a bad cruise! :p )

Since the whole cruise experience is what is important to us I can't imagine letting the food be a dealbreaker. Still - if it is for you, perhaps you need to concentrate on the more upscale lines like Crystal or Regent.

[caviargal]

 

Since the whole cruise experience is what is important to us I can't imagine letting the food be a dealbreaker. Still - if it is for you, perhaps you need to concentrate on the more upscale lines like Crystal or Regent.

 

I agree totally that is the sum of all parts that makes or breaks a cruise, IMO. IME, it is the whole experience that makes these luxury lines just that; food is only a part of it.

[will work to cruise]

The only cruise we've ben on is a 4 night Disney cruise this past July. We are looking to do the AOS in June 2008. Can anyone give a comparison of the RCCL food to the DCL food? We found the DCL food to be mediocre to good. Expect for PALO, which was outstanding