Some Concepts Royal Caribbean are Experimenting With

[Demongear]

Bottom line for all the suggestions by RCI is simple: Increase Revenues.

SR's not doing well? Options, do something to bring more people in, (the obvious first choise to accomplish this would be to invite the children who are currently excluded - and are dying for the opportunity to sit through a refined, 2 1/2 hour dining experience), OR heaven forbid, lower the surcharge, which is ridiculouly high and misunderstood to begin with. (Is it a tip? Is it an upcharge? Is it both? Clear as mud. And for those who compare the $50.00 fee per couple to "a wonderful restaurant meal well worth the $50.00 charge," please remember that it is an additional $50.00 charge, on top of the amount you already paid in your cruise fare. Interestingly, was on Azamara last fall, and their SR's surcharge had dropped from $20.00pp to $5.00pp. Both were packed every night).

Cruisers booking their own airfare? Looks like another lost revenue opportunity for RCI.

Interesting how this thread has drifted away from the reasons behind the suggestions by RCI, to the great "Kiddie Debate."

Happy Cruising,

TnT

 

I'm glad that you brought up RCI trying to get you to book your airfare through them. I tried this once on the first cruise I took with Royal. I would NEVER do it again. We booked with another couple and just as somebody could guess, we(2 couples)were split up on the flights down and back.

[Pumbaamd]

Can the OP, or anyone else, post a link to the RCCL Facebook page?

Thanks!

Rick and Deirdra

[islahopper]

I agree there should be no children in the SR. They are a safe haven for adults to enjoy a adult meal. By the way, I have no children and I do not like children.

[CeeAngel]

I agree there should be no children in the SR. They are a safe haven for adults to enjoy a adult meal. By the way, I have no children and I do not like children.

 

I saw this and busted out laughing. You just said what others probably thought to say, but didn't want to hear the backlash from those with perfect children! :p

[It'sRC4ME]

Just in case RC is reading this thread, I'll add my voice to the chorus who don't want to expand the "family" options for the specialty restaurants beyond what they already are.

 

However, I'm not too worried about this, because as as a person enjoying a blissfully child-free existence I know better than to cruise during "kid season". Actually, one of the reasons I like RC is that there is so much for the few kids cruising during school times to do that they are usually off in their various clubs and venues, so they are less likely to be bothering me.

[kyriecat]

I'm glad that you brought up RCI trying to get you to book your airfare through them. I tried this once on the first cruise I took with Royal. I would NEVER do it again. We booked with another couple and just as somebody could guess, we(2 couples)were split up on the flights down and back.

I don't think that most experienced cruisers buy their air through cruiselines. That's probably why most people haven't brought up the easier to book air - they don't care about it because it doesn't affect them. I made the mistake of booking air through RC also on my first cruise, under the advice of the travel agent. We could have got the air for less booking separately but the agent played up the RC will take care of you if there is a delay so we ended up booking through RC (and increasing the TA's commission). There are direct flights from Houston to San Juan that take 4.5 hours. Of course, that's not what we got! We flew from Houston to Atlanta to Miami to San Juan and took 14 hours to get there. I book my own air now.

[Madkitty]

the muster drill is a much better idea - ive never understood the way they do it at the moment after what is the likelihood of being in your cabin if theres an emergency! Hell I want to know what to do if Im elsewhere on the ship LOL

[grammyandpoppy]

Even the best behaved younger child can have an off night - especially if they have been on shore excursions etc. We love kids but have seen some well mannered children have a complete melt down toward the end of the day.

 

Fine if children dine before 6:30 in the specialty restaurants - but please no later. This grammy and poppy like to enjoy a nice meal now and then without hearing "please don't do that" - "please calm down" - "please sit in your chair" etc.

 

Take the grandparents along and let them sit the kids while you enjoy the specialty restaurants!

[BroncosFan2010]

LOVE the idea of changing the Muster Drill.

 

HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE (not enough room to type how much) I hate the idea of removing the age restrictions. Half of the point of us dining in the specialty restaurants is to get AWAY from the noise of the dining room, the families, and to have a quiet evening to ourselves. I guess we will not be as eager to spend that extra $40-$50 several nights on our cruises.

 

I see this as a MONEY KILLER rather than a MONEY MAKER for the line.

 

SORRY RCCL, you have this one ALL wrong.

[BroncosFan2010]

I saw this and busted out laughing. You just said what others probably thought to say, but didn't want to hear the backlash from those with perfect children! :p

 

Agreed! (with you and the poster you quoted)

[pomgo]

WE took 1st dining on a cruise last year why?? WE had 2 teenagers that just took over the table, waiters etc. with no redrees from parents. No dont object to KIDS but from now on will not dine early.After 15 cruises you would have thought we had learnt.

[katiel53]

It just amazes me that every time an adult states they would like to have dinner without children, a parent of a young child states that there are 1-more drunks than ill mannered children 2-the adults are child haters and the list goes on.

 

Why can parents of young children realize that adults need time away from kids? Just because a child is the love of your life, doesn't mean I am thrilled to be seated next to your child when I am paying extra for a nice, quiet romantic meal.

 

I have sailed with my grandchildren and none of them were allowed by our family to go to dinner in the specialty restaurants. They are all well-behaved except perhaps the 3 year old who hasn't had enough experience yet. It's simple, how can we relax with worrying if Johnny is going to be bored, able to sit still for 2 hours plus, enjoy the food etc?

 

Allowing young children before 7 is also a farce in that they aren't out of the dining room until 9 or so, so where does that leave the rest of us? Royal Caribbean is making so many changes that it is driving people away. Our next two cruises are booked on Carnival and we are Diamond Plus cruisers on RCI.

 

Not all changes that are made are for the good. JMO.

[Let'sGo!]

I wouldn't be real happy about paying a surcharge to share my special experience dinner with a table next to me with children.

 

We ate at Portofino on Mariner earlier this year and had the great fortune to sit right next to a boisterous table of a family of 10. (not sure why since the entire restaurant was open).

 

The three teenagers at the table did nothing but whine about the menu, about the fact they really wanted to be somewhere else, about the fact they had to sit there, and so on and so on and so on.

 

I'm thinking if teens couldn't find anything they wanted to eat on the menu, what do you think 7 years would want?

 

As far as the muster drill, I'm sure there could be some kind of check-in improvement made... but I'd hate to see it lose its importance. Yes, it's a pain, but it does serve a purpose. I do worry though when I see crowds of people trying to maneuver the stairs carrying their bulky life jackets. If there was a way to get people to their stations quicker with the jackets there, where they could put them on, that might make it quicker and safer, so I'd be all for that.

 

We usually fly in early when we fly so we haven't as of yet used custom air. I hear so many nightmares about people who do, so I haven't even considered it. But if people could book it with confidence that could certainly be a win for RCCL.

 

I think there might be some other issues that they might want to consider first though -- most of which are addressed on these boards!

[bplazo]

I agree there should be no children in the SR. They are a safe haven for adults to enjoy a adult meal. By the way, I have no children and I do not like children.

 

OMG, Tell us how you really feel.

 

I have just e-mail RCCL how I feel about their age policy in regards to the Specialty Restraunt. RCCl should cater to both families and adults travelling without children and have different venues for both.

 

RCCL has made alot of changes lately so I am going to branch out and try some cruislines that are not so family orientated since my daughter is grown and out on her own now.

[lovemylab]

I like the changes concerning the muster drill.

 

HATE the changes they want to make with the specialty restaurants. If they are going to allow children to dine at all hours, than I won't be dining there.

 

I see nothing wrong with the current policy - those with children can dine in the early part of the evening and those who want a child-free venue can make reservations at a later time. The dining experience at Chops/Portofino takes at least 2 hours.....I don't know of many small children who could sit still for that length of time...especially when it is past their bedtime.

[jackdiamond]

As the parent of a 4 and 6 year old I can say that not I do not want my own kids there or anyone else's. Mine are very well behaved as well but we can have a nice dinner together in the MDR the specialties are for my dh and me. One of the reasons we cruise is for the childcare options so that we can spend time away from kids.

 

Monica

Very well stated.

[buchie614]

If i want kids i'll go to Mickey D's or Johnny Rockets. I love kids but not when I'am spending 40+ on a so called quit dinner.

 

Double ditto. I own a daycare, and the last thing I want is to have a nice quiet dinner with dh with kids around. I always ask for a no children table in the mdr also

[A2Mich]

I haven't read any posts by people who "don't want children at all on THEIR cruise." What I HAVE read is that a lot of people would like to know that there is maybe ONE restaurant that is adults only. I think a cruiseline can successfully target "families" while still keeping one restaurant and one pool open to adults only. In the grand scheme of things, it's a very small compromise, and there are still plenty of dining options open to families/children.

 

Hi Meg....

You're right.....there haven't been any posts (up until recently) where people said they wanted NO CHILDREN on board.....I was just stating that because there ARE people out there that really do feel that way.....I'm sure you've run into the type......I completely understand the desire and need to have an adults-only venues......the point I was trying to make is that RCI, like Carnival is a family-oriented/targeted cruise line. For the cruisers that complain about children being onboard, it is a ridiculous assumption to not expect children onboard a vessel marketed to families......other cruise lines are targeted at various demographics, such as HAL, Cunard, Celebrity, etc. Those lines are not marketed as family-oriented, do not have adequate facilities for children, and in general, children would not be very common.

[cruiselvr04]

We will not pay extra for fine dining on board to be around small children. I love kids (had 4) and will soon be a grandmother but I don't want them at the next table when I'm having a romantic evening out with the DH. I can see some 10 year olds being very well behaved but can imagine parents bringing in toddlers and preschoolers and not keeping them quiet. No thanks!!! Even parents need a break - take the kid to Adventure Ocean and enjoy some adult time.

 

The Muster drill - Awesome not to have to drag those life vests with!

[SA Traveler]

As I posted before, our 10 yr old GD had dinner with us in both Portofinos and Chops on the Freedom (6:00 PM) . Other than the fact she was a small person, no one would have known she was a child and was there. She certainly didn't do anything to bring attention to herself.

 

She is not a children's menu type. Her favorite food is asparagus. I think it is wrong to generalize about children just as it is to generalize about anyone else.

 

Next year we will have another grandchild on the Freedom - a 10 year old boy. I wouldn't even think about taking him to one of the specialty restaurants. That's just not his thing. He wouldn't like the food and couldn't handle a two or more hour meal. We'll do MY Time Dining and probably won't eat in the dining room more than a couple of times.

 

Unfortunately, it's impossible to limit the young ones by demeanor rather than age so I guess it's a lose lose situation. To me a good compromise would be no children under 13 after 7:00 PM.

[Cruzaholic41]

We will not pay extra for fine dining on board to be around small children.

 

I agree. This is a change I do not like!

[critterchick]

Unfortunately, it's impossible to limit the young ones by demeanor rather than age so I guess it's a lose lose situation. To me a good compromise would be no children under 13 after 7:00 PM.

 

Which is how it is now, at least on all of the ships I've been on...

[English_in_Spain]

I have booked the mystery dinner for my 12 year old, I did it before I completed online check in so his age was apparently (?)unknown to the system, and it allowed the booking to go through. It was only when I decided to change the date that it refused to let me put his name through.....so I kept the original booking.;) He is very well behaved any way and often dines with us in good restaurants.

 

I think the age restrictions on the mystery dinner are less about the meal being in a speciality restaurant and more to do with the adult nature of the evening.

 

I went to one on the Navigator last year and the content of the performance, while funny to adults, might not be appropriate for children of your sons age.

 

I think you may find, even with these new relaxed rules, he may not be allowed to attend the mystery dinner.

[livylotte]

I'm wondering if I feel differently because I'm European?

 

I could be wrong, please correct me if I am - this is only a generalization gained from reading this thread, a lot of people from the US have said they prefer not to eat in the company of children (both their own and other peoples) compared to what I have experienced in Mediteranean countries where many families would not ever consider eating apart.

 

Maybe they could adapt the age restrictions in the speciality restuarants to fit in with the location they are cruising. RCI does this with alcohol, entertainment, food etc in Europe to suit the Europeans so why not reduce the age in speciality restaurants to suit also. Or perhaps offer an 'adult only' night or 'families only' night so everyone gets the chance to sample the delicious food and fabulous service?

 

It would be lovely to be able to eat 'good quality' food for once at a decent time. 6pm is to early for us ... we've only just had our tea :p plus there's no way we'd be ready in time!

 

We, (including my children) find the food in the main dining room very bland. There is a distinct lack of vegetables. Believe it or not not all children prefer pizza and burger :p

 

Doesn anyone know which ships are trialing the no age restriction restaurants?

[CruisinNole]

......the point I was trying to make is that RCI, like Carnival is a family-oriented/targeted cruise line.

 

I don't think there's a more family-oriented cruise line that Disney and I believe that their ships have adult only dining venues. There's no reason why RCI could not make one restaurant an adult only venue.