$14.95 for STEAK???

[Beach710]

[/center]

 

most of us who actually cruise with RCCL could care less about the chocolates or a trail of a Chops steak on the MDR menu .

 

 

I don't know about "most of us" but I actually "cruise with RCCL" and I do care. This discussion prompted me to consider cancelling my upcoming cruise.

I do not post frequently and I wonder how many others to do not like to get into the fray feel the same way.

[Brad1185]

[/center]

 

Thank you for the unnecessary math lesson. Most of us understand why RCCL would decide to discontinue the chocolates and can do the math. Thanks! As can also been seen from reading here most of us who actually cruise with RCCL could care less about the chocolates or a trail of a Chops steak on the MDR menu that came about because greedy people were insisting on being served Chops steaks in the MDR. You should pay extra if you are to cheap to pay to go to Chops!

Your hyperbole is not helpful to the discussion.

 

I think out of the thousands of posts I have read on CC, this one is of the most ridiculous statements yet.

 

"Greedy people were isisting on being served Chops steaks in the MDR" HUH

What are you talking about?????????? Absolulty ridiculous. You really think this is why they are charging in the MDR now?

[Morecruisesplz]

I think out of the thousands of posts I have read on CC, this one is of the most ridiculous statements yet.

 

"Greedy people were isisting on being served Chops steaks in the MDR" HUH

What are you talking about?????????? Absolulty ridiculous. You really think this is why they are charging in the MDR now?

Brad,

It was posted here, either on this thread or one of the others that has popped up about it. I didn't make it up. A head waiter told the OP that was the reason for the test. Ridiculous or not in your opinion they could no longer afford to bring Chops food those who were asking for it in the MDR.

 

[quote name=I don't know about "most of us" but I actually "cruise with RCCL" and I do care. This discussion prompted me to consider cancelling my upcoming cruise.

I do not post frequently and I wonder how many others to do not like to get into the fray feel the same way.

__________________

Donna

Hi Donna' date='

I didn't post often either until all of the ridiculous posts started about how unfair it is for the cruise lines to try new things. Check out the bargain hunter's thread please. People are cruising for $100/day and less - some for much less! Then read the threads where posters are bragging about ordering "one of everything on the menu" in the MDR and how the waiter "smiles and loves seeing them enjoy it." Order 5 or 6 lobster tails? Go for it - where did that get us?

How in the world can you expect mgmt not to try to figure out a way to recoupe some of the costs of excesses and waste in the MDR coupled with lower cruise prices?

I understand if you prefer not to get into the fray because it is not fun being called names (KoolAidKrowd, etc.) by those who see it differently but how could you ever consider cancelling a cruise over the addition of a steak from Chops being added to the MDR at a price AS A TEST on a couple ships? If your cruise happens to be on that ship either: 1.) don't ordedr it, 2.) tell your head waiter you are offended by the listing (if that is the case) or 3.) ask for the normal sirloin steak that was always on the menu and on some ships still is (along with the Chops steak) and I'll bet you will be served it. Do you think RCCL is trying to tick you off and get you to cancel or do you think they are trying to satisfy those who have been asking for the Chops steak in the MDR? And, no matter your answer, is it worth cancelling a cruise over? Take the cruise and make your point to those who listen if it is that important to you. Cancel and no one knows why you did so. Just my 2 cents worth for what it is worth.

[As the ship sails]

Brad,

It was posted here, either on this thread or one of the others that has popped up about it. I didn't make it up. A head waiter told the OP that was the reason for the test. Ridiculous or not in your opinion they could no longer afford to bring Chops food those who were asking for it in the MDR.

 

 

Hi Donna,

I didn't post often either until all of the ridiculous posts started about how unfair it is for the cruise lines to try new things. Check out the bargain hunter's thread please. People are cruising for $100/day and less - some for much less! Then read the threads where posters are bragging about ordering "one of everything on the menu" in the MDR and how the waiter "smiles and loves seeing them enjoy it." Order 5 or 6 lobster tails? Go for it - where did that get us?

How in the world can you expect mgmt not to try to figure out a way to recoupe some of the costs of excesses and waste in the MDR coupled with lower cruise prices?

I understand if you prefer not to get into the fray because it is not fun being called names (KoolAidKrowd, etc.) by those who see it differently but how could you ever consider cancelling a cruise over the addition of a steak from Chops being added to the MDR at a price AS A TEST on a couple ships? If your cruise happens to be on that ship either: 1.) don't ordedr it, 2.) tell your head waiter you are offended by the listing (if that is the case) or 3.) ask for the normal sirloin steak that was always on the menu and on some ships still is (along with the Chops steak) and I'll bet you will be served it. Do you think RCCL is trying to tick you off and get you to cancel or do you think they are trying to satisfy those who have been asking for the Chops steak in the MDR? And, no matter your answer, is it worth cancelling a cruise over? Take the cruise and make your point to those who listen if it is that important to you. Cancel and no one knows why you did so. Just my 2 cents worth for what it is worth.

 

A friend of mine is a headwaiter on the Freedom and I can assure you that they weren't running back and forth to Chops to get food for passengers in the MDR. Whoever reported this is either making it up or is mistaken.:)

[hoop4321]

I am wondering who decides who can be outraged by RCCL. Does it really matter that someone has not been on a cruise in 2 years? Still, in RCCL standards he is a gold crown and anchor member. A repeat customer. Someone they wish to have back on board with lots of credit on a credit card. If you are not outraged, great. If you are, then clearly this is the thread for you. For me, I have been to 2 RCCL trade shows, the latest for the Oasis ( I won a bag!:p ) The RCCL rep says over and over, "The ship has become the destination." She said that all the ammenities that made RCCL great would be on the Oasis. One older gent asked about the food. She said they were working on incredible new dishes. She never mentioned the erosion of the services. Her pitch in so many words were everything you know and more. They asked about new ports, and she mentioned the new one in Jamaica. There was a groan, and she said again, the ship has become the destination. Celebrity is owned by the same company, but they are often less expensive than RCCL. For a ship to be the destination, they have to take care of their customers. It seems they have forgotton about their customers. When the first time cruisers, who pay more to cruise RCCL than Carnival get nickeled and dimed, they are going to search for something better. In the end, if this goes through, everyone's fare will be increased and you will still have the extra charges. It is a lose, lose situation. How will the newbies know that they could possibly ask for the steak? What will entice them to be repeat cruisers if the food quality keeps plumeting? Why should they choose a cruise line that looks at them as a cost to keep low, instead of an income to return?

[Ocean Boy]

[/center]

 

As can also been seen from reading here most of us who actually cruise with RCCL could care less about the chocolates or a trail of a Chops steak on the MDR menu that came about because greedy people were insisting on being served Chops steaks in the MDR. You should pay extra if you are to cheap to pay to go to Chops!

 

Where did you get your information that this came about because greedy people were insisting on being served Chops steaks in the MDR? Must be the same people that said the charge was instituted in Johnny Rocket's in order to increase customer satisfaction.

[hermang]

First of all - as many posters intimated - if you don't want to pay $14.95 for Chops steak - DONT Personally I'd rather spend the $25 and go to Chops for the sides and the service.

 

Second - As a RCCL stockholder - I like to see new things and changes - Granted I am not thrilled with 3 ports on a 7 night cruise but My next cruise is on Solstice and I definitely am anxious to see as much of this ship as I can because in November 2009 lord willing I will be on the Eqinox TA.

 

Fuel charges and other things are no where as insidious as the Airlines constant addition of ala carte pricing - want a seat belt cough up a couple of bucks. want a comfortable seat - $25 more extra bag - sure $25-50 bucks.

 

Pretty soon I can cruise for less then it costs to get there

 

 

Only good thing about 3 ports is fewer bad and expensive shore excursions.

[hoop4321]

First of all - as many posters intimated - if you don't want to pay $14.95 for Chops steak - DONT Personally I'd rather spend the $25 and go to Chops for the sides and the service.

 

Second - As a RCCL stockholder - I like to see new things and changes - Granted I am not thrilled with 3 ports on a 7 night cruise but My next cruise is on Solstice and I definitely am anxious to see as much of this ship as I can because in November 2009 lord willing I will be on the Eqinox TA.

 

Fuel charges and other things are no where as insidious as the Airlines constant addition of ala carte pricing - want a seat belt cough up a couple of bucks. want a comfortable seat - $25 more extra bag - sure $25-50 bucks.

 

Pretty soon I can cruise for less then it costs to get there

 

 

Only good thing about 3 ports is fewer bad and expensive shore excursions.

 

but for how long will you be able to cruise for less? If the people stopped flying with the companies that nickeled and dimed them, the company would have switched back just to stay in business. Now it is the rule for airlines instead of the exception. Seeing the airlines change and being unhappy with it, why would cruisers allow this to happen with the cruise industry?

[PhoenixCruiser]

More please.

 

LOL, did your first account get banned for calling people names and throwing insults left and right :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

 

###

[rubrrick]

LOL, did your first account get banned for calling people names and throwing insults left and right :rolleyes:

 

###

 

Originally Posted by EscapeFromConnecticutx

More please.

 

I see that this name also has dissappeared, yet I saw it just a short time ago. :confused:

 

Banned again???:D :rolleyes:

 

Nice job PhoenixCruiser!! :)

 

Rick

[Retired LEO]

He's got 25 more letters to add to his name.

[As the ship sails]

Originally Posted by EscapeFromConnecticutx

More please.

 

I see that this name also has dissappeared, yet I saw it just a short time ago.

 

Banned again???:D :rolleyes:

 

Nice job PhoenixCruiser!! :)

 

Rick

 

This is not directed at you Rick but it bugs me the way people go out of the way to get people banned. Kinda of sad really. I think that being a mod kisser is far worse than any of the posts made by EFC.:rolleyes: Unfortunately some people make far too much use out of the red triangle key.:( I've never understood why people can't simply skip over a post that they don't like or agree with.:confused: I swear some people never made it out of grade school.

[PhoenixCruiser]

This is not directed at you Rick but it bugs me the way people go out of the way to get people banned. Kinda of sad really. I think that being a mod kisser is far worse than any of the posts made by EFC.:rolleyes: Unfortunately some people make far too much use out of the red triangle key.:( I've never understood why people can't simply skip over a post that they don't like or agree with.:confused: I swear some people never made it out of grade school.

 

FOR the record, I did not use the red triangle, it was JUST an observation...:rolleyes:

 

I think EFC did this to himself by not following the CC guidelines.

 

###

[Coralc]

I tend to doubt that Phoenix used the red triangle. I think that most people who have been on here for a few years....rarely use it. As you said, you can read over or ignore those posts. I only used it once, some person that had BigBird? as an avatar and was nasty/foul mouthed attacking. I don't know really if things like that are board generated or moderator generated. (but since discussing board policy is verboten...I'm not going to guess. :) Edit: there you go, I was just reading along. :-)

[As the ship sails]

FOR the record, I did not use the red triangle, it was JUST an observation...:rolleyes:

 

I think EFC did this to himself by not following the CC guidelines.

 

###

 

Possibly but I find it much more likely that some bored and lonely soul found their way to the red triangle.:rolleyes:

 

I gotta say that this thread just won't be the same without EFC.:( :D I personally was finding it quite entertaining.:)

 

PS.....I really wasn't aiming my post at you either just stating my own thoughts on the subject of having people banned.;)

[G'ma]

Well, if EFC is gone, we've lost a treasure! Poster was funny, amusing, entertaining, spot-on right about most of what he had to say.

 

Whoever reported him shouldn't have. It's so simple to just ignore posters we don't like....by using the "ignore" function or just passing the posts by.

[rubrrick]

Possibly but I find it much more likely that some bored and lonely soul found their way to the red triangle.:rolleyes:

 

I gotta say that this thread just won't be the same without EFC.:( :D I personally was finding it quite entertaining.:)

 

PS.....I really wasn't aiming my post at you either just stating my own thoughts on the subject of having people banned.;)

 

 

Sandy.........I have to agree with you that EFC was entertaining.

 

I'm not sure whether someone found the red triangle........or the mods heard from RCCL...........one of their lead advertisers......to quit bashing Mr Fain.

 

Actually EFC was becoming funnier as this thread moved along....very witty...........and quite intelligent. I believe that I made a remark about that.

 

It just may have been that his post script bashed RCCL and Mr Fain....everytime!! Just my thoughts. ;)

 

Rick

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

Well' date=' if EFC is gone, we've lost a treasure! Poster was funny, amusing, entertaining, spot-on right about most of what he had to say.

 

Whoever reported him shouldn't have. It's so simple to just ignore posters we don't like....by using the "ignore" function or just passing the posts by.[/quote']

 

G'ma, you rock!! But not to worry: As usual, the cheerleaders have it wrong again.

 

Wow, some folks can't get ANY of their facts straight, eh?

First, they claimed lysolqun was flat-out wrong, and that there was no upcharge in the MDR. So there was no point for this thread (which now has more than 31,000 page views!!) Never mind that lysolqun was just off the ship, and that lysolqun gave a perfectly rational, calm and even-handed account of the facts; the cheerleaders knew better.

When the truth was eventally proven to be entirely the opposite of what they'd claimed, they tried "Oh, it's an enhancement. Really. Paying $14.95 for a steak instead of getting one at no charge is just a nice, exciting new choice."

When that water buffalo drowned, the KoolAidTales got really bizarre.

The best was the "boycotts are anti-freedom" .... yep, we insanely greedy and dangerously powerful customers were beating on poor defenseless RCL like the brawny schoolyard bully stomping the kindergartener with glasses.

(I'm still expecting half the KoolAiders to turn up in the MDR with buttons reading "Buy Freedom steaks: $14.95 preserves America's liberty").

At one point they insisted that RCL customers "asked for this" upsell scheme, even though the overwhelming majority of posters on this thread are clearly against it. One of them blamed the entire dispute on union organizers and government employees (honestly ... look it up, it's in this thread. Jon Stewart couldn't write material this funny)

Truth is, the RCL cheerleaders haven't had the story straight about ANY element of this debate. Not one. And I greatly enjoy calling them on it. :cool:

As I said before, they're entitled to their own opinions ... but not their own facts. :)

And now they're going to post that I have been banned?

Ah, let's try another reality check. The evidence against that "fact" is ... exactly what you're reading at this moment.

So as you assess their credibility about everything else in this debate, keep that in mind.

~~~~

(As for any discussion of banning or reprimanding CC members: Bring it, baby. :)

I'd cheerfully work with any moderator to review - post by post - this entire thread. We can look at exactly who has made rude personal attacks directed at individual CC members. ;) )

Stop the RCL "pay-per-entree" scam

Say no to Fain

[As the ship sails]

Yeaaaaaa!!!!!! Great to see you back EFC!!!:D :D :D

[Nack1]

Ok, I'm ususally more of a reader than a replier, but I have to add my 3 cents here. Last week I noticed that the size of the normal container of peanut butter had decreased from 18 oz to 16.8, but the price stayed the same. Now, we consume a lot of peanut butter in my house, should I now boycott it until the peanut butter people increase the jar back to 18 oz? ...

 

No, if you like peanut butter, you should continue to eat it. Like many other things, however, there is more than one brand of peanut butter, and perhaps one of them still sells it in 18-ounce jars at a similar price. ;)

[Ladylouwho]

So Don (EFC),

.............then the reports of your demise were greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase Mark Twain?

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

I am wondering who decides who can be outraged by RCCL. Does it really matter that someone has not been on a cruise in 2 years? Still, in RCCL standards he is a gold crown and anchor member. A repeat customer. Someone they wish to have back on board with lots of credit on a credit card. If you are not outraged, great. If you are, then clearly this is the thread for you. For me, I have been to 2 RCCL trade shows, the latest for the Oasis ( I won a bag!:p ) The RCCL rep says over and over, "The ship has become the destination." She said that all the ammenities that made RCCL great would be on the Oasis. One older gent asked about the food. She said they were working on incredible new dishes. She never mentioned the erosion of the services. Her pitch in so many words were everything you know and more. They asked about new ports, and she mentioned the new one in Jamaica. There was a groan, and she said again, the ship has become the destination. Celebrity is owned by the same company, but they are often less expensive than RCCL. For a ship to be the destination, they have to take care of their customers. It seems they have forgotton about their customers. When the first time cruisers, who pay more to cruise RCCL than Carnival get nickeled and dimed, they are going to search for something better. In the end, if this goes through, everyone's fare will be increased and you will still have the extra charges. It is a lose, lose situation. How will the newbies know that they could possibly ask for the steak? What will entice them to be repeat cruisers if the food quality keeps plumeting? Why should they choose a cruise line that looks at them as a cost to keep low, instead of an income to return?

 

 

Beautiful job, hoop4321. You make some terrific points about what customer service really is about. (Hint to the cheerleaders: It's NOT the empty hype from marketing consultants or executive boardrooms)

A couple thoughts about this claim that cruisers can "just ask" for the alternative sirloin even though it's not on the menu:

1. I doubt it's happening now on Freedom. If it is, then does anyone believe it still will be months from now?

2. What financial gain does RCL get by stocking the ship with alternative sirloins, but not letting people know they're available? Either a lot of old-timers still order them (in which case RCL has saved nothing, and might as well have left 'em on the menu) ... or, nobody orders them and all that pricey steak is thrown out at the end of the cruise. Lose-lose.

3 Let's imagine a scenario where Fain's "pay-per-entree" experiment succeeds, and goes fleetwide. But supposedly, the ships are still carrying a secret cache of sirloins for veteran cruisers who know to ask for them.

Natalie Newbie and Debbie Diamond are seated at the same table on Freedom. Natalie wants steak, sees only the $14.95 upsell, grits her teeth (hey, I thought meals were included on this cruise!) and reluctantly orders it.

Debbie, savvy ol' Diamond that she is, knows to ask the waiter for the secret sirloin.

When the entrees are served, and Natalie is signing off her SeaPass while Debbie is enjoying a no-charge steak, how happy a customer do you think Natalie is going to be?

4. So overall, what marketing or financial sense would that make? None. I accuse RCL management of greed, but not blatant stupidity.

Either RCL is going to provide the sirloin on the menu, or that alternative entree is going to disappear altogether.

 

Stop the RCL "pay-per-entree" scam

Say "no" to Fain

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

So Don (EFC),

.............then the reports of your demise were greatly exaggerated, to paraphrase Mark Twain?

 

Ladylouwho -- Wow, we think alike! Truly, I'd thought of starting that post with "The reports of my banning were greatly exaggerated ..." Mark Twain's a MAJOR name in Connecticut, and he really was great, wasn't he?

As the ship sails -- thanks for the kind words. :)

I haven't been away so much as I've been travelling. In Seattle tonight, and off cruising later this week ... for the first time since Cunard in 1968, I'll be on a line other than RCL. (But that's because of scheduling and itinerary, not the #$%^ upsell steak! :D )

 

Stop the RCL "pay-per-entree" scam

Say no to Fain

[Nack1]

Exactly, Catnip.

 

It is easy to see why RCL's fatcat execs would love anything that brings in more revenue, regardless of how it affects passengers. After all, there's no reason in the world for them to care even remotely whether the customers enjoy their cruise ... just so long as the $$ keeps coming in. These are businessmen. Sadly, this current bunch appears to be the most ruthless and greed-minded of them all, but we're not going to change that.

 

What's incomprehensible is why supposedly rational and adult consumers would transform themselves into sheep and line up cheerfully for this fleecing. I've never had a problem spending money on vacations (as Diners Club would cheerfully verify), but I detest being scammed and cheated. And that's precisely what RCL is doing here - a long-term bait and switch.

 

The upscale restaurants onboard were, in fact, never about providing "more choices." Obviously, they were exclusively a business decision - and a direct revenue-based decision at that.

 

More importantly, they were also a way for RCL to skim more $$ from its food budgets. Consider a ship of 2,500 on a seven-day cruise - where 5 percent of the passengers dine at Chops or Portofinos on each night. That's 125 meals a night, or 875 during the course of the entire cruise.

 

The obvious $$-maker for RCL comes from charging those 875 people for dining upgrades. But the hidden savings is the 875 worth of food saved from the regular dining room's expenses -- 875 orders of fish, veal, chicken, etc. throughout the cruise. Does anyone really believe that money got plowed back into the dining room budget to upgrade the quality of food for the remaining passengers? Not a chance. That money made its way to the bottom line, with a share off the top for the suits on Caribbean Way who hatched this whole scheme.

 

And the REALLY hidden thievery of this scam is in the ever-worsening downward pressure on the main dining room budget.

 

Put yourself in the shoes of the RCL execs: You're making $$ at Chops and Portofinos, but the dining room meals are pure expense. So every greed-based incentive is going to drive you to steadily hack away at the executive chef's budget for the dining room ... because you figure hey, the upscale customers can pony up $$ for the specialty restaurants, and the rest of them can shut up & make do with dirt-cheap pasta or vegetarian offerings.

In fact, if you rip away a couple more bucks from the nightly per-pax allotment that the executive chef gets, you'll gradually force him or her to select shoddier suppliers, reduce portions or start loading up the menu with high-carb, low-cost buffet stuff masquerading as quality entrees. (I've got nothing against pasta or chicken, but there's a REASON you see more of this stuff on 2008 menus than we used to see in 2000. ) That's going to drive MORE business to the specialty restaurants. (Or, if you're RCL-level devious, you bring Chops into the dining room ... starting with the $15 steak)

 

The next move is to rig the main dinner menu to combine lots of cheapo entrees on the same night ... so three or even four offerings are low-cost fillers.

Meanwhile, the chef consolidates the more expensive and popular upscale entrees (sea bass, veal, scallops, lobster, prime rib, etc.) on fewer nights. So passengers see the same fancy names on the menu, but they'll get to order only a couple ... the rest of the nights, you're steering them toward the cheap stuff.

 

So in reality, the very creation of Chops and Portofinos was the start of the erosion of the dining room experience ... and what looks like a long-term plan to charge everything ala carte.

 

Now in gentler times with a more generous and customer-oriented executive corps, perhaps the specialty restaurants would have really been about new choices - but in this market with RCL's current exec lineup, it's simple scamming.

 

And note that all of this amounts to a hidden attack on value. By cutting out what they give you in exchange for your fare, RCL in effect RAISES your fare - at least in terms of value.

 

That becomes clear when you play this out ... as the Kool Aid Krowd says: "Just order the cheaper stuff."

 

Well, someday when all that's left on the traditional no-charge dining room menu is Spaghetti ala Mariner, Ziti Milano with a garnish of garlic, or Chef's Supreme Cabbage Rolls, then you'll realize you might as well have stayed home and eaten at Denny's.

 

That's the direction this is going in, and the current thread is an excellent indication of who is wise enough to catch on BEFORE RCL wields the hammer ... and who needs to wait for the actual RCL smack before waking up.

 

 

Very well said, for the most part. I wouldn't call it thievery, but on most points, I agree.

 

On the one hand, I do respect RCL's right to cut back quality in favor of extra-cost options. It is their cruise line, and they certainly have the right to do that. As a result, I was somewhat disappointed with the food quality on my most recent RCL cruise. It wasn't bad, and was certainly better than Denny's, but it wasn't 4-star either. The food was good, not great.

 

Now that I have clarified RCL's absolute right to do this, let me add that I am looking forward to my upcoming Carnival cruise. I may give RCL another try, but this slippery-slope of decontenting the main dining room in favor of the extra-cost options does not push me in that direction.

 

As a side note, NCL is even worse, btw. NCL has arrived where RCL seems to want to be in a few years, it's just that they now serve the buffet-like food in the main dining room to drive you to the numerous and ubiquitous extra-cost "specialty" restaurants, some of which used to be included, but none of which are any longer.

 

Carnival seems to be the only line that has not gone down this road in a big way. They do have a steak house, but the food in the main dining room is still excellent, and included.

 

Dining is not everything on a cruise, but it is a significant part of the experience. Not having to pay 25% more again on your cruise price to eat excellent meals is a nice bonus, and any cruise line that offers me that will probably win my loyalty in the long-term, since in most other areas, there doesn't seem to be a tremendous amount of difference between the cruise lines.

[Ocean Boy]

EFC....

 

Glad you are still around..... color, font and all.....