New Room Service Menu Coming April 12th - w/some pay items

...In addition the Victory, Triumph and Destiny did not include steakhouses. I don't know if the Sunshine got one when it was converted from the Destiny. To the best of my knowledge, the Triumph and Victory have not had a steakhouse added.

Yes, the Sunshine did have one added. They did quite a bit better with the (shipwide) Destiny>Sunshine modifications than I anticipated.

Tom

I'll just jump in and comment. We did sail on a Celebrity Cruise a few times and did the Concierge so we could have hot breakfasts on our balcony. It was great in theory however, by the time they get it to your room it's mostly just lukewarm. It's not the biggest deal in the world to get dressed and go to the dining room, I like my eggs hot!!!!

I'll just jump in and comment. We did sail on a Celebrity Cruise a few times and did the Concierge so we could have hot breakfasts on our balcony. It was great in theory however, by the time they get it to your room it's mostly just lukewarm. It's not the biggest deal in the world to get dressed and go to the dining room, I like my eggs hot!!!!

If you go the suite route, your butler will bring it straight to you (same with NCL) - and it's always been hot/fresh !

Yes, I know that it represents quite a premium just to insure a hot breakfast - but if you're going that route anyway, it's a nice perk. :)

Tom

The perceived value of the new room service menu items is up to the individual passenger. If you feel it is worth the money, pay for it. If not, don't order it.

Again, the idea was to add more items as passengers requested based upon the survey feedback results.

MARAPRINCE

If you go the suite route, your butler will bring it straight to you (same with NCL) - and it's always been hot/fresh !

 

Yes, I know that it represents quite a premium just to insure a hot breakfast - but if you're going that route anyway, it's a nice perk. :)

 

Tom

Hi Tom, yup we figure if we do Celebrity again it'll be suite life for us!!! I haven't done NCL but there is always a possibility in the future!!!

Thanks for the info.

Carole

I pay more at a restaurant to change one of my sides to asparagus.

So, is your left side or right side covered in asparagus?

Yes, the Sunshine did have one added. They did quite a bit better with the (shipwide) Destiny>Sunshine modifications than I anticipated.

 

Tom

Okay, then Carnival has ten ships without a steakhouse.

Upcharges seem to be the future of cruising. I don't know that we'll ever pay for a room service item, but as long as Carnival continues to offer inexpensive cruises, I'll put up with the nickel and dining. At least we can choose not to partake.

Great observation. You are not entitled to pay for it, but I can see where cruise lines are eating away at the "inclusive" fare.

First some things are available for an extra charge.

Then slowly other things are eliminated.

And eventually it is no longer all inclusive.

Someone else on a similar thread pointed out that cruise fares have not gone up appreciably in many years, yet the prices of things needed to run a cruise have gone up, namely food, drink, and the cost of hiring service workers. The cost of food rises drastically on a regular basis, and I doubt prices are going to go back down any time soon because for some reason the economy never works that way. The cruise lines NEED to make money somewhere or they will not be able to stay in business. If people want all inclusive cruising with prompt service and exceptionally good food and drink included, they are going to have to start booking the luxury lines that cover their costs with exorbitant cruise fares. The money to stay in business has to come from somewhere.

For years I've read the posts from the frugal people who claimed to be happy with the bare minimum accoutrements in order to save a dollar. I know for some people, they may not be able to cruise if they don't budget their trip. But it also means less revenue for the cruise line. The cruise lines have gotten wise to that, and now they are really marketing to the people who are willing to pay extra for a better experience than just the bare minimum "all inclusive" cruise experience. It's not realistic to expect to book an inside and get upgraded to a suite for pennies on the dollar yet it is known to happen, and these days it's not realistic to expect to get the best of everything without spending a dime above and beyond the cruise fare and fees, unless you pay extra by booking with a luxury line. The cruise lines are just trying to remain viable, and last I knew all "for profit" businesses were in it to make a profit. If not, the next thing you know they're not in business anymore.

Times change, and seldom will you find anyone willing to give you more for less in the world of business.

Lorie

Okay, then Carnival has ten ships without a steakhouse.

Your logic escapes me.

I am 100% in favor of more/specialty options. Will gladly pay upcharges.

On another note, why do the ships not offer shoe shine service?

Here's the new room service menu everyone is talking about :)

Thanks for this. Looks yummy. I am sure we will indulge in some of the new items.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So, is your left side or right side covered in asparagus?

Depends on which way I turn the plate! :)

I think this is a bad idea. I am not happy at all with this. Once they start charging for a few added items it won't be long and room service will no longer be free. A long time ago when I first started cruising coffee, tea , ice cream ect. was all free. Now you can only get them free in the dinning room. They try to pressure you in to purchasing a drink card or coffee card,or ice cream card. When I' m on vacation, I don't want to be approached to buy some thing. If I want some thing I will ask . I don't like feeling as though I'm cruising with a bunch of salesman. I find carnival and princess are very bad about this. I didn't see it so much with royal cribbeian, or holland america.

I think this is a bad idea. I am not happy at all with this. Once they start charging for a few added items it won't be long and room service will no longer be free. A long time ago when I first started cruising coffee, tea , ice cream ect. was all free. Now you can only get them free in the dinning room. They try to pressure you in to purchasing a drink card or coffee card,or ice cream card. When I' m on vacation, I don't want to be approached to buy some thing. If I want some thing I will ask . I don't like feeling as though I'm cruising with a bunch of salesman. I find carnival and princess are very bad about this. I didn't see it so much with royal cribbeian, or holland america.

I think they are simply testing the waters, so to speak, to find out what customers are willing and unwilling to pay extra for. My guess is that they are slowly adding extra cost items and dropping included ones until they find their profits or bookings drop. Vote with your wallet.

This should not surprise anyone. Many years ago, a cruise used to be all inclusive. However, in an attempt to expand the cruising market, the cruise industry (with Carnival leading the way) decided to try to keep prices low, cut back wherever possible, and to add surcharges on virtually anything they could.

We just completed a cruise on the Allure of the Seas, and there is a surcharge, on top of a surcharge for a "super premium steak" in the steakhouse!

In the near future I would not be surprised to see surcharges for:

1) Eating in the main dining room

2) Having the room steward make up your room everyday

3) "Select" seating near the pool.

4) Eating "optional lunch", basic dinner and breakfast will be provided

5) Broadway type shows.

Where will this end?

When enough individuals decide that they would rather pay up front for a quality cruise instead of being having a surcharge for virtually everything on the cruise.

Don't be surprised if lines like Carnival begin to offer "All-Inclusive Cruises" in the near future for a substantially increased passenger cost.

Things in the cruise industry are changing dramatically, but it's comforting to see that nothing ever changes around here. 😋

Things in the cruise industry are changing dramatically, but it's comforting to see that nothing ever changes around here. 😋

:D No doubt !! :D

Tom

You know, back during the "Love Boat" days going on a cruise was as expensive as a new car, if you wanted to a seven day. Carnival earned its reputation as a "party" cruise line because its ships were a lot cheaper.

Go to YouTube and look at Carnival's commercials from the eighties. With Kathie Lee Giffin. They always ended with offering three or four day cruises for about a hundred dollars a day. In the eighties that was a LOT of money.

The industry has kept the price relatively stable because the only way to sustain growth is by keeping it affordable. As the fleets expanded it became necessary to change the business model. This happens in virtually every industry. Airlines and hotels do it every day and no one bats an eye.

Maybe it's time to go back to class-based cruising. The Titanic folks were all-inclusive also, you just paid for whatever service you were expecting. Then we could all be segregated to our own "class" according to whatever vacation experience you want to pay for. I do know this: if I am going to save for a vacation all year long, making payments along the way and socking my spare change aside, I am going to go on a nice vacation. That means paying an upcharge for certain items. "Oh but the sushi used to be free on the cart." Then go get it from there--it wasn't on the room service menu and sometimes I would happily shell out to NOT have to put on pants and go find the cart if someone else could bring it to my stateroom.

I think the essence of this argument comes down to those who think they are entitled to everything on board for their ticket v. those who expect certain a la carte options as you would get in a hotel or a resort. A cruise ship is not a Communist economy, even if the captain is a dictator. Eliminate the pay options and the obvious next step is to eliminate the shops, the Art Auction, etc.

With price being the most important factor in choosing a cruise, it should be no surprise that the consumer is responsible for most change. They want inexpensive cruises and then complain when there is an upcharge for some things. Shocking. :p

Have to love when someone answers back with an insult. I can actually carry on a conversation without resorting to that type of behavior. Sorry to disappoint.

 

Your whole theory of long range strategy is just that, a theory. Could be a true theory, who knows. The real world, outside of cruising, already operates on a "upcharge" for people who choose to divulge. I pay more for box seats than I do for upper deck at sporting events. I pay more at a restaurant to change one of my sides to asparagus. I pay more at the car wash to get wax. All of those have base packages but you have choices to pay more for extras.

 

I happen to like choices. I like that they are adding more choices to the room service menu. I like that they have added more options in the MDR and I don't have to make reservations and change restaurants to partake if I choose. I like that I can choose if I want to pay extra for something that is not on the base menus, but that I don't have to if I don't want to. I like having options and I see no reason to complain about anything that I'm not being forced to do.

Insult? LOL! Oh, I am now such a bad person!

It's difficult to figure out where to begin with your late posting.

Carnival cruising was it's own unique brand, inclusive, and style that didn't conform to anything with the 'outside' world. We loved that! Gone forever potentially.

Options are great, and they should be segmented out as specialties or included.

The scope of the discussion went from new RS menu, to a broader one about food and up charge trends on Carnival ships. It's not comparative to box seats to an event or anything non related to sustenance while on board a ship while your traveling for days or weeks at a predetermined inclusive rate and a status quo in place for decades that worked and was appreciated.

Choice is great. Inclusive is better.

In summary, you weren't forced to post on this thread but chose to, and opened by complaining.

Have a great day.

I understand what you're saying, but profits could actually be increased by selling at a larger volume vs a larger margin. My salary actually equates to roughly 25% of what our customers are charged and I feel I earn an acceptable salary. The company I work for would not be in business very long if we charged 8-12 times per hour what employees are paid. We are priced fairly and the company does very well on a lower per job margin, but at a larger volume. The main difference being that my employer is in a competitive market, not a captive one.

So the larger volume you company produces means that you are doing more work for less income?

And are you saying that CCL is not in a competitive market; that they are in a captive market? Are you saying that they are not priced fairly? Are you saying that if Carnival did a larger volume of business they could charge less? What would it cost them to get the capacity to do a larger volume? Would that cost be possible without keeping their current prices in place to pay off the expense of expanding so they could ultimately lower their margin? And in reality, could they really lower their margins because of all the additional assets that they have put on the books to increase their volume. Your company must be in a very low asset environment to pull off what you claim they are doing. It is my opinion that every single business, including your company, charge what they believe they can get from the market as it exists. If they didn't, they would not be in business. Lower margins with increased volume means someone has to work harder and longer at the same salary as if they were working regular hours. Otherwise, the bills will not get paid and the business will fail. That is Economics 201.

So the larger volume you company produces means that you are doing more work for less income?

 

And are you saying that CCL is not in a competitive market; that they are in a captive market? Are you saying that they are not priced fairly? Are you saying that if Carnival did a larger volume of business they could charge less? What would it cost them to get the capacity to do a larger volume? Would that cost be possible without keeping their current prices in place to pay off the expense of expanding so they could ultimately lower their margin? And in reality, could they really lower their margins because of all the additional assets that they have put on the books to increase their volume. Your company must be in a very low asset environment to pull off what you claim they are doing. It is my opinion that every single business, including your company, charge what they believe they can get from the market as it exists. If they didn't, they would not be in business. Lower margins with increased volume means someone has to work harder and longer at the same salary as if they were working regular hours. Otherwise, the bills will not get paid and the business will fail. That is Economics 201.

I think what the person in question is saying that is his company is not leveraged with the bills for cruise ships that cost six to eight hundred million each and he is basing their business model against a company that has to borrow billions in order to make money.

Wow, somebody certainly increased their post count over plate envy.

That coming from someone that has 30,000 posts?~~~!!!

It's a fun discussion. Up charged RS, up charged a la carte MDR dining, cruise economics, food quality, corporate and consumer strategies, etc..

:)

Charging for only some "new" items? Once the camel's nose is under the tent....

I have actually never heard that saying in my entire life. How does it end? The camel eats nothing but up charged a la carte food under the tent?