Herded around like cattle

I wonder how long people will accept being herded around like cattle on Royal Caribbean ships ?

Back in the day it was all a bit of a novelty. Amazing ship, waiter, assistant waiter, sommelier, head waiter and bar staff running around during dinner making you feel special, loads of activities, huge shows and so on.

These days the dining room is stripped down to the bare bones with staff doing everything in their power just to ensure meals are delivered in time. The ships are getting ever bigger but so are the numbers. Gone is the captain's welcome aboard drinks party replaced by a scrum in the promenade where you stand shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to catch a glimpse of someone in a uniform.

As we left our ship a couple of weeks ago at 9.30am we felt guilt for being the last people to collect our luggage. When did it become the norm to get turfed out of bed at 7.00am by someone checking the in suite mini bar! How would you react if a land based resort said you had to be out of your room by 8.00am ?

Loud hailers are the norm as you queue to get on board - actually Southampton were superb mainly because they concentrated on getting the job done rather than earning tips and security isn't measured by the length of the queue. Lets face it you are just one of 50,000 people being pushed through the system that week.

We are loyal to Royal. As diamond plus cruisers we keep coming back and last time brought 19 people on board. But the magic does wear off. Prices seem to be moving ever higher during periods where those with children can travel to the point where last year we went totally the other way and booked a Seabourn cruise for Christmas & the new Year.

This year we have done the same. Greeted by name as we went in for breakfast on the first morning, dining when ever you want and with whoever you choose, everything all found onboard and I do mean everything. Champagne (not fizzy wine) and caviar included! No fighting for sun loungers, drinks brought to you when you wanted. Truly living the dream.

This Christmas we looked around and would you believe it Seabourn was actually cheaper then Royal Caribbean when we priced up a suite. The standard cabin on Seabourn Sojourn is somewhere between a Junior and a Grand Suite.

I'm not looking to stoke up an argument or troll for responses but genuinely asking the question, how do others feel about being herded around like cattle and fighting for sun loungers ?

Henry :)

The only time I feel herded is when you get off in a port and the stairs and elevators are crammed trying to get off the ship. That and the final disembarkation. The rest of the time, I have enough cruises under my belt to find my own space and my own time. The DW and I have gotten to where we usually dine alone together, and since we dine out regularly at fancy restaurants at home, don't really need to pomp of special dining room moments, that and the fact we have done about 1/2 specialty restaurants means that the MDR experience means less to us today than it did 18 years ago on our first cruise.

jc

As a frequent cruiser I am happy that there are many options. One can select a line or ship with "bells and whistles" or can select a more intimate slower paced environment.

Glad you are enjoying the change.

M

Henry

I can not quite recall me your description of a cruise - of course I can see that there has been a change since my first 1996 Sovereign of the Seas cruise, but not quite as bad as described.

The problem is that competition is increasing and the level of service is one of the areas for savings.

But I still believe that Royal deliver an acceptable product.

We started cruising in the mid 1980's and have seen many changes, both from the cruise line and from the customer base. Cruising was a luxury vacation, not for everyone. Now, for better or worse, it is mass market and many are able to enjoy a cruise vacation. Many mass market cruise lines have adjusted their formula. As an example, those who cruised in early days recall that dinner was served in the dining room. There was a place to get sandwiches if you didn't want a standard dinner, but the extensive buffet was a change to accommodate a new mix if passengers.

There are numerous examples, but the OP compared a mass market line to a premium/luxury line. Again - I am glad we have choices.

M

Ive only been cruising 6 years now but the only time I felt "herded around like cattle" is from being told what time I have to I have to eat in the dining room. I hate the buffet. The food is boring and people are just plain nasty. I use the Windjammer to get breakfast ONLY because I can get cooked to order fried eggs. Other than that I try and avoid the place. Im not one to frequent a lot of specialty dining places either.

Thank God for MTD and now Dynamic Dining.

Never had to fight for a sun lounger. Dont use them.

Id say if you are no longer happy with RCI and can get a cabin on a luxury ship for as cheap, then by all means go for it. Sailing on a small ship with 800 people in a very formal atmosphere is not my cup of tea. The included alcohol and the wonderful food sure is nice though I bet.

If anything, it seems like to me the mass market cruise lines are getting AWAY from people being "herded around like cattle". There are so many options for everyone.

As someone relatively new to cruising I definitely get the herded feeling. We took a cruise on the Disney Fantasy and the feeling of being treated like cattle drove me nuts. There is a preset time to do everything, thank goodness it's looser than it used to be or I probably would have tried to swim home. We are trying another cruise, this time RCI, and hoping it is better, If it is not then it will be the last cruise for us.

I believe that people have forgotten what spontaneity can be like. Do people ever go on vacation and wake up feeling like doing something different?

Ryano - just a quick note to remind you that you can also get the cooked to order fried eggs in the MDR for breakfast.

M

As someone relatively new to cruising I definitely get the herded feeling. We took a cruise on the Disney Fantasy and the feeling of being treated like cattle drove me nuts. There is a preset time to do everything, thank goodness it's looser than it used to be or I probably would have tried to swim home. We are trying another cruise, this time RCI, and hoping it is better, If it is not then it will be the last cruise for us.

 

I believe that people have forgotten what spontaneity can be like. Do people ever go on vacation and wake up feeling like doing something different?

Hmmm... I believe all OTHER kinds of vacations allow for spontaneity and last minute choices... cruising is (or was) special in that you didn't have to plan ahead, choose a restaurant, make show reservations, etc... just show up and enjoy what was provided, or sit in a nice deck chair and read... talk about limitations, it used to be that breakfast and lunch were also ONLY at set times in the mdr, and if you missed your time... No food! For all that folks complain about the buffet quality, I'm glad it's there for when you want to sleep in, dress down, or make your own schedule...

Now with random dining times, it's harder to plan on shows, etc... used to be you were assured of getting served in time to enjoy the evening's event, now with reduced dining room staff, less experience/training, even with fixed dining you're lucky to make the show for your assigned seating...:eek:

If you REALLY dislike have a preset schedule, try a different vacation or different cruise line... I believe ncl and some of the premium lines are famous for no set dining times, no dress requirements, etc.... you might prefer one of those.

There's plenty of room for spontaneity in modern cruising, just please leave some traditions in place for those of us who actually enjoy la difference!!;)

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

We've cruised with RCCL since 1986 and it is certainly not the same. That said, IMO it is still the best bang for the vacation buck. Can't say that we've ever felt like we were being herded like cattle. If I want to feel herded like cattle, I'll fly somewhere.

If you REALLY dislike have a preset schedule, try a different vacation or different cruise line... I believe ncl and some of the premium lines are famous for no set dining times, no dress requirements, etc.... you might prefer one of those.

Cruising is the different vacation this year. We've been doing different vacations for years and woke up one day and said let's try that, so we are. We'll see if RCI does better than Disney. We have the MTD, so no dining time, it's well established that there are no dress requirements, so well see what happens.

, how do others feel about being herded around like cattle and fighting for sun loungers ?

 

Henry :)

Several new ships being built, the present ships sail at 104.5% capacity, and the stock price at a high, you be the judge. 75% of the income comes from cabin sales

I have cruised for many years now. Cruising has changed dramatically as you have said. I have found Celebrity (which is owned by RCCL) to still have a more personal touch that you are describing. I am pretty sure your diamond status would transfer to the highest status level at Celebrity. Lets face it though, ships these days are just huge. I remember years ago jaws dropped with the Sovereign of the Seas. At the time, it was the largest in the world and could hold 2800 passengers. It was a game changer and the popularity of the ship led toward other lines making their own massive ships to compete. Fast forward to today and the Oasis holds 6300 passengers at full capacity. Personal service as you described simply wont exist at that size of the a ship. Sure you cap tip a bartender a $20 and he will remember you the rest of the cruise and make sure your drinks are strong, but you almost have to make effort like that to get personal service for crusies these days. Consider taking a 7 day cruise to Alaska on Celebrity. The ship will be smaller and the personal service you remember will return for a week.

I'm not looking to stoke up an argument or troll for responses but genuinely asking the question, how do others feel about being herded around like cattle and fighting for sun loungers ?

 

Henry :)

Well, I suppose I need to be actually treated like cattle, and actually fight for a seat before I can tell you how I feel about it.

that's my genuine answer.

I don't even know how to look at our experiences to even come up with that position. :confused:

I have cruised for many years now. Cruising has changed dramatically as you have said. I have found Celebrity (which is owned by RCCL) to still have a more personal touch that you are describing. I am pretty sure your diamond status would transfer to the highest status level at Celebrity. Lets face it though, ships these days are just huge. I remember years ago jaws dropped with the Sovereign of the Seas. At the time, it was the largest in the world and could hold 2800 passengers. It was a game changer and the popularity of the ship led toward other lines making their own massive ships to compete. Fast forward to today and the Oasis holds 6300 passengers at full capacity. Personal service as you described simply wont exist at that size of the a ship. Sure you cap tip a bartender a $20 and he will remember you the rest of the cruise and make sure your drinks are strong, but you almost have to make effort like that to get personal service for crusies these days. Consider taking a 7 day cruise to Alaska on Celebrity. The ship will be smaller and the personal service you remember will return for a week.

RCCL Diamond, Diamond Plus and Pinnacle transfer to Elite on Celebrity.

Celebrity now has an Elite Plus (like D+) as well as a Zenith (like Pinnacle) but regardless of your RCCL points, these two higher categories are not included in the reciprocal.

enjoy

M

it's well established that there are no dress requirements, so well see what happens.

LOL. Judging by a few threads currently hovering around the upper half of the first page, that's not so well established :)

I wonder how long people will accept being herded around like cattle on Royal Caribbean ships ?

 

Back in the day it was all a bit of a novelty. Amazing ship, waiter, assistant waiter, sommelier, head waiter and bar staff running around during dinner making you feel special, loads of activities, huge shows and so on.

 

These days the dining room is stripped down to the bare bones with staff doing everything in their power just to ensure meals are delivered in time. The ships are getting ever bigger but so are the numbers. Gone is the captain's welcome aboard drinks party replaced by a scrum in the promenade where you stand shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to catch a glimpse of someone in a uniform.

 

As we left our ship a couple of weeks ago at 9.30am we felt guilt for being the last people to collect our luggage. When did it become the norm to get turfed out of bed at 7.00am by someone checking the in suite mini bar! How would you react if a land based resort said you had to be out of your room by 8.00am ?

 

Loud hailers are the norm as you queue to get on board - actually Southampton were superb mainly because they concentrated on getting the job done rather than earning tips and security isn't measured by the length of the queue. Lets face it you are just one of 50,000 people being pushed through the system that week.

 

We are loyal to Royal. As diamond plus cruisers we keep coming back and last time brought 19 people on board. But the magic does wear off. Prices seem to be moving ever higher during periods where those with children can travel to the point where last year we went totally the other way and booked a Seabourn cruise for Christmas & the new Year.

 

This year we have done the same. Greeted by name as we went in for breakfast on the first morning, dining when ever you want and with whoever you choose, everything all found onboard and I do mean everything. Champagne (not fizzy wine) and caviar included! No fighting for sun loungers, drinks brought to you when you wanted. Truly living the dream.

 

This Christmas we looked around and would you believe it Seabourn was actually cheaper then Royal Caribbean when we priced up a suite. The standard cabin on Seabourn Sojourn is somewhere between a Junior and a Grand Suite.

 

I'm not looking to stoke up an argument or troll for responses but genuinely asking the question, how do others feel about being herded around like cattle and fighting for sun loungers ?

 

Henry :)

able seaman, i do many cruises on royal and i love them all. i see things are changing but they are still wonderfull. IMHO, if i felt the way you do, i would run from royal and never look back. there will alway be another dia+ member to fill your seat in the concierge lounge. happy cruisin---

I like to think of it as moving a large number of people around proficiently rather than as herding. :D

LuLu

As someone relatively new to cruising I definitely get the herded feeling. We took a cruise on the Disney Fantasy and the feeling of being treated like cattle drove me nuts. There is a preset time to do everything, thank goodness it's looser than it used to be or I probably would have tried to swim home. We are trying another cruise, this time RCI, and hoping it is better, If it is not then it will be the last cruise for us.

 

I believe that people have forgotten what spontaneity can be like. Do people ever go on vacation and wake up feeling like doing something different?

A cruise vacation is the perfect form of vacation to wake up one morning and say, I don't want to visit Labadee today. I think an African safari would be what I want to do.:rolleyes::D

It would seem to me by definition a cruise vacation is going to be somewhat regimented. In port at 9am leave at 5 pm. Not really flexible because if you are standing on the dock at 5:30Pm there is an excellent chance you will get a new perspective on sailaway. :D I mean the whole world should be on my schedule which is not definitive.

jc

We are fairly new cruisers and I must admit we gradually go with ships with less and less passengers.

But not due to the "cattle herding", as we think the way cruise lines handle these insane amount of passengers has to be admired. To turn around sometimes 6000 people in a matter of a few hours with not too much bother for passengers is fantastic.

We too like a more intimate setting hence "down" sizing.

There really are cruises out there for everyone's taste and despite the tears of sorrow how it "used" to be, well, 20 years ago we did not even have mobile phones and when we were children, we used to play outside. ;)

I could not agree with this post more! Been cruising since 1971 and no doubt the luxury, the glamour, the elegance, and the exclusivity are long gone. Used to be you could enjoy all that on a "popularly" priced cruise line like Home Lines or Sitmar. Now you must cough up the big bucks or a Seabourn, Silversea, Crystal or Regent.

That said, my recent cruise on Oasis (was my 4th Oasis/Allure experience) proved to me enough is enough. There are too many nice resorts where I live here in Florida I can drive to and be treated in a personalized world class manner.

So just as I visited Las Vegas regularly for so many years and then 5 years ago said "enough is enough" and no longer go there, I am at the same place now with cruises.

Worldspan

135 cruises strong (and no more!)

Naples, Florida

I enjoy cruising, but am very sympathetic to Op's comments. After a few cruises on different lines, there are some strategies I use to avoid the things that bother me the most. At ports, especially if tendered, i avoid planning excursions when the initial crush of passengers are trying to get off. For dinner, waiting until a few minutes after they open the doors to seating keeps me out of standing in the crowd, or if my time dining then I eat first (shortest wait). If lines are too long for a show etc I just don't go. Disembarkation is awful I agree, but put up with it so I can have my cabin asap the next time I cruise :) However, when Celebrity's Reflection came out with decreased public space in favor of more cabins, I found myself avoiding that ship when shopping for my next cruise. So much depends on how much money you want to spend - yes premium lines are wonderful, but until I win the lottery I choose to go more often on the mass market lines. I know I can't 'have it all' so i take what I can get and make the best of it. Lots of ways to have fun.

We are fairly new cruisers and I must admit we gradually go with ships with less and less passengers.

But not due to the "cattle herding", as we think the way cruise lines handle these insane amount of passengers has to be admired. To turn around sometimes 6000 people in a matter of a few hours with not too much bother for passengers is fantastic.

We too like a more intimate setting hence "down" sizing.

 

There really are cruises out there for everyone's taste and despite the tears of sorrow how it "used" to be, well, 20 years ago we did not even have mobile phones and when we were children, we used to play outside. ;)

Well said. We are gravitating toward smaller ships as well. Our next two cruises are on small ships and we are really looking forward to the experience.

We love the big ships, such as Oasis and Allure. Looking forward to the Quantum. To us, the bigger- the better. There's more to do and see than a smaller ship. Love to stroll the promenade after dinner. Never feel crowded or herded, other when a show/parade takes place at the Promenade. We haven't gone to the Captain's reception in some 10 cruises as it is old news and we don't need the cheap champagne.

Someone mentioned the Home Lines--Yeah we cruised the Oceanic, a wonderful ship for its times. But it was small and there were upsides and downsides. The upsides was better variety and quality of food. Midnight buffet with all of the trimmings. Friendlier staff and a large cabin for an interior. The downside was paying for your reserved pool chair, no casino other than horseracing on pool deck and bingo, lack of activities as the entertainment was provided by the staff. MDR doors would be closed by 6:30 and you were out of luck, if late.

Yes, the bigger ships are a different dynamic. Fortunately, there are still smaller ships for those who prefer that experience.

We like both so we tend to just book on what ever suits our fancy at the time.

Tom