Georgeny

Their lasagna has always been yuck. The meat in it is more like dogfood than good beef.

Well said and also a point I have made in past. Airlines will survive simply because the need to get from point A to B exists for many. The need to be on a cruise ship, not so much. Ocean liners don't exist, they were put business by airplanes. If someday someone invents a system to beam us up Scotty airlines will disappear. Once land resorts and cruise ships offer equal value, getting there fast thanks to nickel dime culture and service reductions, cruise ships will disappear. Cruiselines are steeped in debt, there fault. The urge to be biggest, to have the most outrageous activities, do they really need those slides etc. The core business of service, food, and relaxation has developed into must be Disney at Sea.

Don't know if links to other sites are allowed here but will give it a try. https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/09/22/photos-show-what-it-was-cruise-royal-caribbean-the-1980s

There are actually THREE subjects worth researching regarding to future plans of cruising. All existed and had plans to be put in place long before the pandemic. SHIP in a SHIP - basically onboard class system regarding service and amenity. ECONOMY of SIZE - basically bigger capacities create higher margins. ALA-CARTE Dining - Shoreside style restaurants and pricing. You are seeing huge ship capacity, special areas and amenities for people who can afford it. Speciality restaurants pricing increases, diminished MDR and casual dining free offerings and quality. This is not a mystery. As prices for tickets climb so do onboard charges. The pandemic makes a believable excuse for this occurring now and so rapidly. George in NY - cruising since 1985, once in the business on the peripheral. What will be interesting is that once the pent up travel desire and the pandemic reserve cash etc diminish what will happen in the industry. Whether these changes can be sustained in a real question. in U.S housing is becoming far more important and costly than the desire to cruise.

Gee I only have a GED, cruised until recently but 30 days a year. But I did retire at 40, what took you so long? I have cruised RCL at lot and I am sure will again when the menu suits me more. All lines have cut back on food budget. Recent HA no different, no lobster at all now unless paid on MDR menu. But since RCL sails from Cape Liberty I would love to sail them again soon as they stop cutting everything from service to food. Being an impressive post graduate degree and practically living at sea you will let me know won't you. I shall rely on your superior knowledge and abilities. Then again, as you said, you might just be clueless. And so as happens on the boards, the conversation degenerates. LOL George in NY - Leaving you the last pompous A word as I shall surely be to overwhelmed to reply.

Wow, now that is a class trip LOL! Yes definitely reverting back to class cruising and I think that is a darn shame! The beauty of then modern cruising in the 80's and 90's was that everyone received the same food, service, etc. The only difference was the actual cabin size and location. Two families we met and remain close to to this day and cruised many times together through the years were table mates. On land in reality we would have never come together being far different in financial and way of life those years. Now with the separate restaurants, my time dining, suite only areas, etc, this doesn't happen easy anymore. The other factor of course the number of passengers. doesn't promote the old " we are all on this special vacation together. " I know you must miss Walters Hot Dogs 🙂 George in NY - Go Garnets class of 1968

Jim, We sailed the Liberty Seas in June after the RCL menu had just changed there. I wonder if your October Anthem cruise was the old menu or the new menu? I don't know if they staged the change. Looking at your history of sailings you started cruising when I was 9 years old. I have to think that you were cruising with parents in 1959? The Dam ships use the same names over and over. I sailed the newer Nieuw Amsterdam October 2023, a whole different ship and experience I am sure. I was raised in Rye, now in upper Westchester.

Can't agree with " enjoying a cruise offering is almost looked down upon " comment. Many cruise reviews if not most are very positive in many areas. Most cruise reviews are also very honest and honest cruise reviews will almost always pro and con areas, just like life. As with life one should take any review with as no more than a personal opinion and information to assist with selection. Just bought a dryer, had to be this particular dryer due to depth size required. Reviewers praised the capacity and drying ability etc. Only con was the loudest end of cycle buzzer in the world and no off with fir same. I thought to myself how loud can the car thing be after all. I bought dryer, buzzer will knock you out of your chair from another floor and room. But I was at least prepared 😉 We've done well over 100 cruises over 40 years and still always read reviews of ships before booking. Can always learn from others experiences.

First allow me to compliment you on one of the most comprehensive reviews I have ever read, thank you. I am happy that you were happy with the food offerings, maybe transatlantic was better? I am afraid though reading the reviews before and after your happiness with the food is the exception not the rule. Though it is obvious that in the area of food there are a wide range of opinions currently the thoughts that the RCL food quality and menu selection have been diminished seems to be a constant note now. Again, enjoyed reading your review and thank you for taking the time to encompass so much information. George in NY

Through my 40 years of cruising I have seen lines makes some real mistakes in understanding their passenger reason for enjoying cruising. One of the more recent years that many will remember was, I think they called it " Dynamic Dining." Most passengers called it : Disaster Dining!" Where many small venue dining rooms whose venues never changed in each. That on the Quantum of The Seas. They had two other large ships scheduled to convert but postponed then cancelled the changes. Cruisecritic article can be found here. https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles/dynamic-dining-everything-you-need-to-know# The interesting part of it is that it took two years for RCL to figure it out, that people hated it for the most part. And that they eve retrofitted two more ships to start DD before someone figuring it out. Reminds me of that show Undercover Boss where the guy running the company actually goes and works at one of their outlets and is shocked at what he runs actually does run.

Had the same experience on the Liberty of The Seas in October. Asked for a just plain garden salad and it was like I had asked for the moon. After conferring with another waiter our waiter offered he could only deliver a Caesar salad without the dressing. That or nada! Even a dive diner can come up with a plain salad for goodness sake. Most nights they had Caesar or some strange combo salad and my just a plain salad was done but with varied leafy combinations. Geez only a darn salad and they can't even do that? Yes a cruise is not only the food but food is a large part of it. Service is another large part. Another facet now lost is new and interesting friends made through the evening dinners. My Time, which is really their time mostly, and separate speciality venues has pretty much negated that facet as well. We have close friends for over 30 years man at the MDR evening table through the years. Now table mates here one day gone another. Huge pass number ships do not promote such growth of friendship. George in NY

I agree, means exactly that. You can also note that lobster is about gone most lines except as a paid item on the MDR menu. The fact that you have extra charge items on the regular MDR menu now shows the direction that they are all going. Charged for food just like at home. This is nothing new, was the plan long before the pandemic. As was SIP in a SHIP ( class separation via $$$ ) and ECONOMY of SIZE ( more people carried one ship higher margins ). The fact that you have fares Regular, PLUS, MORE PLUS no matter the name it really stands for STEERAGE, 2nd CLASS, 1st CLASS. Packages, then comes included packages with some fares, just a way to get there. My thoughts are more toward who will pay all this once the post pandemic urge to travel slows. So many in United States having problems in housing and with inflation how many will have exorbinant costs of cruising? George in NY

Great review and photo's!!! Someone will have to explain to me WHY a cruise line charges so much for popcorn, in fact why they charge at all? To me a real " we just don't care " to the customers that all paid big ( getting bigger every minute ) bucks to sail. RCL has been doing it for years....

We sailed Liberty of the Seas in June 2023. If I told you what I thought of Main Dining food and service in the words I would like to use this would not be posted. WORSE food ever on a cruise, couple that with added charges like $28 or some such for a good steak or a lobster we were totally disappointed. We decided to stop crusing RCL until we see some notable improvements noted on boards and reviews. Instead we sailed Holland America in October, noted that many cuts as well but food at least was far superior to RCL. Normally we would have sailed RCL from Bayonne for holidays but decided to stay home rather than be so disappointed but food and service. Let's not even get into recent pricing, nickel and dime onboard policies, constant gratuity increases, and service downsizing. After over 100 cruise over 30 years all lines really disappointed in what cruising has become. Ill attached a picture of the prime rib served me. Looked at tasted like a sole from a shoe. Waiter and assistant couldn't;t even tell you what menu offered or what something on your plate was. So sad, we loved cruising, now, will cruise again but not like before. George in NY

Teddie, Thank you for your quick but well written summary so far. We sailed Liberty in June and were sadly disappointed by RCL food and various service cutbacks. Because of that we are not booking RCL currently but we do watch and wait there hopefully eventual improvements. Just sailed Holland America Nieuw Amsterdam in October and the food was so better than RCL we haven't missed them yet. Sadly even on HA the service though good was few and far between. Dining staff really had little clue. I think all lines are having real problems getting and training staff. Thanks again George IN NY Will look forward to whatever you to decide to add about this cruise.