No Lobster On Voyager

We just returned from our 6 night Dec 18 pre Christmas cruise and there was no lobster served in the dinning room at all. When we asked our waiter about this he just said that the Head Chef was nervous about having enough food for the following weeks 10 day Christmas cruise. Sounds like they were saving our lobster for the next cruise since they were on for 10 days. Royal Carribbean has become very poorly managed since we first sailed the Explorer 3 years ago. They don't really give a darn about your vacation experience. There's a take it or leave it attitude. We spent $5000 on this cruise and and they could have at least had a lobster night. To be out at sea for 6 nights on a cruise ship with no lobster is inexcusable and just plain lazy and cheap in our minds. Our next cruise will be on Princess which I have read on their boards has lobster on many nights.

Sorry - We're on the last day of the 10 day cruise on VOS - We had lobster last night and it was wonderful! In fact, the food was much better than the last RCCL cruise that we were on last summer!

We were on the Navigator on the 12/18 6-day cruise and we did have lobster on the last night. My dh noted that RCI saved themselves a bunch on lobster because he was so full from eating all week that he just couldn't eat more than one tail. ;) I chose the rack of lamb that night. I guess since we live near seafood country, it really doesn't matter to me whether or not we have lobster on a cruise.

I don't know why people make such a big deal about this. The critter that they serve on "lobster" night doesn't look or taste anything like what we here in New England call lobster.

Heheh... and even then, we're getting all excited about eating a bug! :D

 

As it is, when this was first brought up I seemed to remember a discussion a few months back that indicated that RCI does have a lobster night for all seven-night (and longer) cruises. For shorter cruises, sometimes yes, sometimes no.

The Captain on Navigator told us that they keep 30 days supply of food on board at all times, so I can not imagine that feeding folks for 10 days would be a concern for anyone in the galley.

We just returned from our 6 night Dec 18 pre Christmas cruise and there was no lobster served in the dinning room at all. When we asked our waiter about this he just said that the Head Chef was nervous about having enough food for the following weeks 10 day Christmas cruise. Sounds like they were saving our lobster for the next cruise since they were on for 10 days. Royal Carribbean has become very poorly managed since we first sailed the Explorer 3 years ago. They don't really give a darn about your vacation experience. There's a take it or leave it attitude. We spent $5000 on this cruise and and they could have at least had a lobster night. To be out at sea for 6 nights on a cruise ship with no lobster is inexcusable and just plain lazy and cheap in our minds. Our next cruise will be on Princess which I have read on their boards has lobster on many nights.

I am sorry you did not have that on your sailing, but IMHO, If you are basing your $5000 Cruise on the fact they didn't have any Lobster, you might be better off having lobster in your favorite restaurant and picking another reason for Cruising. :)

I am sorry you did not have that on your sailing, but IMHO, If you are basing your $5000 Cruise on the fact they didn't have any Lobster, you might be better off having lobster in your favorite restaurant and picking another reason for Cruising. :)

 

Really! You know how many really GOOD lobster I could buy for 5 thousand bucks? :rolleyes:

dixiediva761;

I am not basing my cruise on the lobster but on the attitude of cruiseline. I have sailed Voyager twice and Explorer once so I am quiet aware that I was not really missing much anyway. Royal Caribbean is free to do as they please but fortunatly I also have choices.

You are missing the point. Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and stopping at beautiful beaches naturally puts you in the mood for lobster dinner. Evey shore and beach town I have ever visited has had all seafood and lobster restaurants. Thats what people do on vacation after spending the day on the beach or in the sun in the caribbean. Yes I can have lobster a restaurant in my hometown but it wouldn;t be the same. I also can go rock climbing, iceskating, rollerskating, pay miniature golf, see shows and eat at the local hometown buffet restaurant and save $5,000. Of all these offerings, I would choose having a lobster dinner after a day on the beach above climbing a rock roll or iceskating. The prices for Dec. 2005 same week we did in Dec 04' on the Voyager is gone up a couple of thousand dollars, way overpriced for my budget anyway. Caribbean Princess has a great itinerary and much better prices for the same week and our balcony we booked is 9' by 5' and they serve gourmet lobster dinner with your own private waiter on your balcony. I'll let you know how it is next year this time.

I find it hard to swollow that the Head Chef was "nervous" about not having enough food for the next cruise! Weather its Lobster,steaks, eggs or cheese they get provisions each week and have more than enough on board for one week.

 

If I were given that reason, I think I also might of been upset, what difference does it make if you are on a 6 nt- 7 nt- or 10 nt cruise? It shouldn't make any difference. Lobster night is a little over rated IMO but a passenger should not be told that there won't be enough and are saving it for the "next cruise".

 

 

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Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and stopping at beautiful beaches naturally puts you in the mood for lobster dinner.

Sorry, koolcruiser, but being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and stopping at beautiful beaches naturally may put you in the mood for lobster dinner, but being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and stopping at beautiful beaches naturally puts me in the mood to kayak and swim. (I don't know where you live, but I can't kayak and swim in my hometown in the middle of winter.) Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean also puts me in the mood for a massage (especially after a day of kayaking and swimming, not to mention hiking and rock climbing), and although there are places I could get a massage around my hometown, none are as convenient to my private quarters as that available to me on a cruise ship.

 

Hmmm.. this is fun! We really need a "Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean puts me in the mood for..." thread!!! (I'll go start one in the Floataway Lounge.) Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean puts me in the mood for watching the sun rise. ... for morning coffee on the balcony. ... for laughing and having fun. And if we need to pin it down to food: Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean puts me in the mood for fresh fruit, especially fresh tropical fruit and watermelon.

 

YMMV, of course, and that's really the point. There is going to be a shaking out, in the industry. It just doesn't make sense for any cruise line to try to be all things to all people. It really doesn't make sense for any corporation to own two separate cruise lines (RCI and Celebrity, or Carnival and Princess), and put them into competition with each other for the same patronage. I think we're seeing a clear indication, at least with respect to RCI, which brand is going modern, and which one is going traditional.

Never quite understood the big deal about the lobster dinner on cruises. :confused:

..."I think we're seeing a clear indication, at least with respect to RCI, which brand is going modern, and which one is going traditional.

If you are referring to RCCL vs Celebrity I would consider Celebrity more modern and RCCL more traditional. I have a feeling you have it backwards. Ice skating, rollerblading, minature golf sound more like traditional activities while Celebrities new Cirque De Soleil is more modern entertainment. Dinning venues are also more modern than the HomeTown Buffet style meals aboard Voyager cruises. The other activities you listed I'm sure can be accomplished aboard any cruise line, kayaking, swimming, massage, sunset, coffee, fun, laughter, etc. Wouldn't it be great to watch the sun rise, have a cup of coffee, go kayaking and swimming, get a massage, watche the sun set, have some tropical fruit along with your lobster and then watche a Cirque de Soleil performance.

Ice skating, rollerblading, minature golf sound more like traditional activities

Oooookay. (Backing away slowly...)

 

:D

dixiediva761;

I Being on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean and stopping at beautiful beaches naturally puts you in the mood for lobster dinner.

 

It's been a long time since I took a Psych course but I'm sure I missed that day.

 

-Monte

Okay, we have two posters from the same cruise. One says no lobster, the other says there was lobster. :confused:

 

In any event, I like lobster night, but it wouldn't be worth complaining about if they didn't have it at all as far as I'm concerned.

 

Two questions. First, how many people were sailing for that $5000? Sure it's a lot of money, but the amount you paid shouldn't have anything to do with whether or not you missed the lobster.

 

Second, how can they keep food for 30 days? I know they have refrigerators and freezers, but I thought they loaded fresh provisions at the beginning of each cruise.

Okay, we have two posters from the same cruise. One says no lobster, the other says there was lobster. :confused:

Thank you! I was beginning to think I was the only one who noticed that.

Hstrybuf: OP was on Voyager, the other poster was on Navigator. I did the same thing, but went back and read it again! :o

I don't know why people make such a big deal about this. The critter that they serve on "lobster" night doesn't look or taste anything like what we here in New England call lobster.

I have to second that one!! :D I wouldn't eat a warm water "lobster" after growing up on Maine lobster!! :)

 

Chrissie

Hstrybuf: OP was on Voyager, the other poster was on Navigator. I did the same thing, but went back and read it again! :o

Oh! Oops! I certainly misread it too. :o

Oooooooh, I see! Next best guess . . . they don't serve lobster on 6 day cruises.

I don't know why people make such a big deal about this. The critter that they serve on "lobster" night doesn't look or taste anything like what we here in New England call lobster.

 

OB is dead on. Once you have a succulent, tasty, juicy New England Lobster, those undersize, tough, often-tasteless mostly Asian waters lobster tails on the cruise lines become less a “must have" and more a curiosity. IMHO of course.

Thank you! I was beginning to think I was the only one who noticed that.

I noticed it too. Well I love lobster but I love cruising better. And since I'm going to all these wonderful ports that have really great lobster. If I needed it that badly I would have a few in port. What are vacations for? Spending money. Sorry the original writer feels that way.

Oooooooh, I see! Next best guess . . . they don't serve lobster on 6 day cruises.

The navigator that week was a six day cruise as well as the Splendour departing ing tampa on a 6 night cruise. Both had lobster. Passengers should be offered consistency. The quality of the lobster is another topic. If everyone starts making excuses for poor service and quality while paying higher prices all your accomplishing is fattening the wallets of the Royal Caribbean execs while settling for an inferior product. If you ordered filet mignon in a restautant and they brought you out sirlion but still charged you for the filet I don't think you would just accept that because you liked the restaurant. You would probably go to a restaurant that served you what you ordered and payed for. If you looked forward to your massage after kayaking but then they told you they were giving you a manicure instead whether you wanted or not I think you would be a little dissapointed too.

They're surely not charging specifically for lobster. They're charging about $10 per person per day for food.