Maraprince

Not a fan of dynamic/freestyle dining. We booked with RCCL because of the MDR allowing us to select 2nd sitting and being able to eat with the same people, same wait staff. Like that after 1st meal wait staff automatically learns our preferences.

Also, what is the point of doing away with traditional dining and then having to make a reservation to dine -- seems a little counter productive.

If I wanted freestyle, I would book with NCL! Between having to reserve seats for the shows and dining to avoid being waitlisted, seems that the buffet will end up being the dining choice for many. :(

I can understand RCCL wanting to get as revenue from each and every sailing via speciality restaurants, charging a higher rate for the cabins, but when is enough enough!

Not happy about this change. Seems I will only be able to go on the smaller and older ships to avoid this dynamic dining.

MARAPRINCE

You can have windows on deck 3...other ships in their fleet have.

The menu on the Explorer was confusing as to what could and could not be ordered. We had to explain it to our tablemates who were on the ship for the first time.

Updated menus with more healthier options would be a step in the right direction. The Promande Cafe has such a limited menu that if you sail over 8 or 9 or 10 days, it starts to get a little old. Starts out good at first, but then it is the same stuff over and over. Lots of Asian food on the buffet and it could also be expanded to include other types of food since the bulk of the passengers are no longer from the US.

Many directions for the food could go. Maybe a revamp of room service menu and elimination of surchage after midnight.

More variety in the type of speciality restaurants would be a welcome addition. Perhaps some of the changes along what has been done with Celebrity which they also own.

MARAPRINCE

This is true.

 

I hear on television that the economy is better.

But what I see is that it is better for people who were never actually affected.

In NYC, affordable housing is considered $2,500 or more per month for a studio apartment! Meanwhile there is a large segment of the population only making minimum wage.

Lots of foreign money pouring into NYC especially in the housing market. Rentals/condos are the hot thing now instead of owing a home. Fine if you work in a well paying job in the finance sector.

MARAPRINCE

Any update on if Carnival will ever come back to NYC and sail all year? 2015, 2016? I waited along time for them to come, only to be removed. I read here for all the reasons why they are no longer sailing all year out of NYC. But just thought there might be a slim chance they will return. I really don't want to sail the other cruise lines.

 

Dorene

I really don't think it is a permanet situation. Remember they stopped sailing from Norfolk for awhile as well. Now they are once again sailing from Norfolk.

My personal belief is:

• by moving the Splendor around to different ports they may be testing the "waters" to see where the greater bookings/interests lie
  
• they are still having to update their ships to the new standards
  
• Splendor is one of the first ships to have the Dr. Seuss on board and it was done on a sailing out of NYC
  
• Splendor was one of the first ships last year to get upgraded menus and other 2.1 upgrades.
  

MARAPRINCE

Depending on where you live, the economy can be in the toilet. Not everyone gets a year-end bonus of $168,000.00 or more. Not everyone works in an industry that is doing well, etc.

Prices for everything have risen at a much faster pace than salaries. Unless discretionary monies were put aside for vacations, not everyone is in the position to book multiple sailings and spend loads of money on board (where most of the sailing's revenue comes from) on drinks, shopping, photos, and shore excursions. You have to have people on board to spend money regardless of whether or not they were fortunate to win a free cruise.

Considering everything that Carnival was hit with last year, this is not unexpected. The stock market is a gamble and stocks do go up and down and reflect what is going on in the marketplace.

When the price of a stock is down, it is a great time to buy!

MARAPRINCE

Switched our booking from Quantum to Splendor. Do not need to pay a higher price for bumper cars, etc. that I will not be using anyway! Ports for Quantum are nothing exciting.

As with the Oasis, some passengers just want to say they sailed on the ship, no interest in the ports since they do not leave the ship.

Me, I rather wait until they get all the bugs out and the pricing comes down. With Quantum, they are being so super secret while all their competition has released more information on ships that will not debut until 2016 or 2017! Don't get it.

MARAPRINCE

The brunch situation had already changed on all ships, no more comedy brunch on any ship as far as I know, just regular brunch, Dr. Seuss is in the other dining room so it does not interfere with the regular sea day brunch. And it lasts about an hour.

Another question, are they still giving out the free drink coupons to be used at the regular (formerly comedy brunch) brunch? My cousin and I only used this coupon at the brunch for speciality coffee since neither of us consume alcohol.

Thanks.

MARAPRINCE

They actually had two separate dining times and we attended the late "9:00 am" , but I cannot actually say if there was anyone there who didn't have kids, but I don't see why anyone couldn't attend, I mean it is just a themed breakfast. No reason everyone cant have a little fun... :)

 

Actually the comedy brunch does not exist anymore, it has returned to the normal breakfast / lunch , too many people did not like the way it worked, and they went back to the old way.

 

So, the Dr. Seuss breakfast HAS replaced the comedy brunch. How long does the Seuss breakfast last? Is it held in only one of the dining rooms? When does the regular breakfast start in the dining room?

 

They menu did include steak and eggs done any way you liked , I had that, completely low carb. And I tasted both the deserts and they technically were not high sugar, ingredients were yogurt and fruit topped with a little sweet stuff. The pancakes and waffles would not be a low sugar option :)

When is the Seuss parade held? Is it open for anyone to attend the show in the lounge or just for parents with children?

MARAPRINCE

Does the Seuss brunch replace the Comedy Brunch? We will have 4 sea days on our 5/28 sailing and definitely would want to try this at least once.

How much of the offerings are very high in sugar? My cousin is a diabetic and she is very good at watching her sugar intake.

MARAPRINCE

Greetings,

 

My friends in event management tell me that when an invitation says "space is limited" that means to RSVP instantly. An event like this is so hot it was bound to fill up very quickly and those who responded first got put on the list. They also said that one of the reasons why RCL may have selected a smaller venue was because it is centrally located in NYC, within walking distance from a major transportation hub and has a public parking lot next door. I guess RCI chose convenience over size of venue.

Can't overlook the cost factor in this..smaller venue, less people.

They could have chosen any number of mid-town hotels for this event. Plus, having it on a Wedsnday (which is matinee day and brings in loads of people and their cars) tells me they really don't know NYC.

Unless they plan to decorate the venue to replicate being on a ship, what are they going to offer...various small samples of food from the various restaurants on board, little speeches from the different department heads, drawings of the different types of cabins?????

I too am starting to lose interest. My friends and I were considering the 12/1 sailing but as it was stated, we have already been to these ports for considerably less than what RCCL is charging. Now, we are rethinking. We still have to deal with the shuttle to the ship. We would be boarding on deck 9 and are realizing how steep the gangway will be! Our cabin would be on deck 12.

We are a little concerned that some of the earlier sail dates before ours may be pushed back. Add in a crew that is still getting used to the ship and we have more than a few concerns.:(

MARAPRINCE

I think Royal Caribbean needs to replace more than their advertising agency :eek:

 

If RCCL was a new company then yes you could expect mistakes etc but geez you would think by now Royal would know how to do things.

Seems more likely that they were afraid of not getting enough people willing to attend the event. Then panic set in and as an afterthought, less invite the next level...just in case!:confused: Now, they are having to turn people away!. Heard that the venue only holds 250 people...and they were worried?????

They really need to be more in touch with their clientel. Very sloppy.

MARAPRINCE

Wow that is not fair...especially when you did your RSVP in plenty if time.

 

I wonder....did they send the invites to each PC & DP member couple...so then each member could then take along a guest.

Therefore two invites to one couple actually means 4 acceptances and they hadn't counted on that happening ?

The venue where the event is being held is not a huge space. If they had enough of the Pinnacle members who accepted, they would not have invited any other levels. So it seems it was never meant to be a large scale introduction to the ship.

In the meantime, they are getting killed by all the commercials that NCL is running as well as Carnival in the NY area! And their competition is not even bringing out a new ship in the NY area! Sounds like their advertising agency needs to be replaced.

MARAPRINCE

We are considering the 12/1 sailing and we told we would be boarding on deck 9! Just trying to figure out how steep the gangway at Bayonne will be! One of my little group heard that and said no way will she be able to make up the gangway!

The shuttle has been a thorn in my side since we first sailed out of Bayonne with Celebrity. In 2012, we did 2 sailings on the Explorer and the worst part was the shuttle. We were held in the terminal with many unhappy passengers. The one person who was somewhat in charge of calling the numbers for the shuttle was so overwhelmed and in such a bad temper he was yelling at everyone something to the effect...if you didn't hear me call your range of numbers, do not get on the shuttle line. Because if you do, I will just turn you away.

I am at the diamond level now so I get a quicker check in but when it comes to the shuttle, everyone is treated the same.

MARAPRINCE

Sounds like a lot of the invitees are turning it down due to having to travel a good distance to attend.

Sorry, but RCCL should have sent invites to those who could easily get to the event.

What good is an invite if you cannot get there without flying...just to say, "Hey we invited you, but you declined!" :confused:

MARAPRINCE

How different from what Princess did when the brought the Crown Princess out! They waited until they actually had a ship here in Brooklyn,NY. We were invited to attend a tour of the actual ship which includes the different types of staterooms, the public facilities (spa, gym, speciality restaurants), the show lounges and then we were served a full course dinner. We were invited to a dinner, cocktail hour and a tour of the ship on a Saturday that started around 5 PM and ended around midnight.

This was done just ahead of the intro sailing (2-3 days long) that was offered to TA's.

Also, when NCL brought out the Sun, their invite was for tour of the ship, lunch, and snippets from their production shows. TAs received a gift bag. There were people on the ship that were sailing later that same day. TAs could recommend certain types of cabins based upon their set up for families, couples, etc. And it was interesting to hear the comments as we went from cabin to cabin types!

Why would RCCL try to introduce a new ship without being able to actually have the ship here is a little strange. Does sound like they at least will be feeding the attendees. With this taking place on a Wednesday, the worse day for traffic in Manhattan since it is matinee day, it should prove interesting for anyone driving their own car to the event!

You would think they would at least invite guests from the local areas who could easily come in for the event without having to incur airfare!

Should be interesting.....:D

MARAPRINCE

You could always count on a Carnival ship to be different from the competition! They never followed the crowd and just kept pushing out the same ship over and over again. That really set them apart from the other lines.

People always had something to say about their ships -- be it good or bad -- it really had people talking.

MARAPRINCE

Definitely makes you want to book an NCL cruise.

 

Great selling & marketing on there part both for the Breakaway and Getaway ships. Great commercials with great music...

Plenty of celebrities to hype for their ships and the godmothers Radio City Rockettes and Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders.

 

""Cruise like a Norwegian""

 

 

Wonder when we can see and here more of "Cruise like a Royal"...

The only RCCL commericals running make no mention of Quantum.

At this stage of the game, they cannot still be worried that the competition will try to steal their design! NCL has chosen a different path for their new ships and their marketing campaign is a good one covering all types of media. This is one area where RCCL has fallen behind since the Quantum will not be a copy of their earlier new ships but a more traditional ship as far as the back of the ship.

MARAPRINCE

Well probably not because Norwegian Gem will be there that day. Just checked the schedule.

Denise

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

The big reveal may not be held on a ship in NY harbor but at a near by hotel or what they call "a pop-up" storefront. If I am not mistaken, last year RCCL did some type of marketing promotion in midtown in one of these "pop-up" locations.

Quantum will not even be enroute to this side of the Atlantic in March when this event is scheduled to take place.

I am sure there will be lots of on-board videos shown of the interior of the ship, public rooms, outside decks and perhaps even some of the different types of cabins. Probably some of representatives from the various pay for speciality food venues, the spa, etc.

MARAPRINCE

The good news is that when they plan to do a reveal in New York, they seem to like to do it big!

That means that they'll have toys for people to touch and interact with, and probably by then, the full reveal of the ship.

I wouldn't anticipate anything else big anything big after that.

By then, the ship will probably have sold out for most or all of the sailings that were opened up.

I would also anticipate an announcement of Summer '15 itineraries which will open up as well shortly afterwards.

Where is this big reveal taking place in NYC? Normally, RCCL sails out of Bayonne, NJ.

MARAPRINCE

Hi Liz

 

Nice talking to you again.. It has been awhile.. I have been doing Ok..

 

I have loved your posts..

 

I've been chatting with Mike on the Roll Call which I am on the 2 day Cruise to Nowhere in November...

 

It is unbelievable about what RCL doing this time around.... It is a big difference from when the Oasis and Allure came out..

 

There is no hype on the upcoming ship and not even any commercials on the new ship.. As you stated there is not even a deck plan for the Anthem.

 

They would get more people booking if they gave out more info..

 

NCL marketing this year has been great on getting their 2 new ship out there.. Especially the Breakaway for NY..

 

Well we shall see what happens in the coming weeks..

 

I see the RCL blog website is down today.. It states ""Oops looks like Royal Caribbean on vacation"' Maybe they are going to finally update the blog with information and let us know something about the Quantum soon..

Let's hope it is not about bumper cars...

 

Well keep posting..

 

Maybe one day we will see each other again on cruise.

 

All my best...

 

Lidia

Almost makes you wonder if there are delivery schedule problems or other issues which would impact the ship debut.

MARAPRINCE

Or less. It appears that lower end cabins (obstructed view) are up even more. I guess everything else sold out that they can raise those prices way above what they were initially

Not really. Don't forget there are TAs that work with RCCL who hold blocks of cabins which will not get released until after payment due date. You cannot see them unless you book with one of these TAs since they are no longer available through RCCL directly.

With the way the pricing is going up and with very limited information being released, we may have to back away and go with a competitor.

Also, it is wise to wait and see what problems the first sailings have and give the crew time to gel as a cohesive unit and learn their way around the ship. :(

MARAPRINCE

I have friends who are interested in the 12/1/14 sailing but there seems to be a big lack of information on the ship. Hard to make a decision without knowing what kind of activities (other than bumper cars) will be offered on sea days, what makes this ship different from others in the fleet, etc.

Pricing does not seem to have offers as yet -- no discounts apply! Guess they are waiting to see how the bookings go before offering anything. Also, what about Diamonds in December? Will that be offered?

Hard sell without some more details on the ship!:(

MARAPRINCE

Several years ago, both Carnival and NCL signed an agreement with the City of NY to maintain a presence in NYC for the next 10 years and upgrade the piers that they sail out of in Manhattan. So hopefully as more of the Carnival fleet is updated to meet the new requirements, ships start returning to NYC.

MARAPRINCE

In summary....what exactly would not make you book Carnival again?

Some how I missed the reasons in all your posting -- not critizing. Just a little confused.

Thanks!

MARAPRINCE

That info is from October. This article, Tom Dow, Carnival Cruises vice president of public affairs, seems to say that Seattle is first on the list?

 

Carnival plans to spend more than $180 million to install the scrubbers in its entire fleet. It developed the scrubbers as an alternative to switching to the higher grade of more expensive fuel.

 

While it’s not completely clear which ships will get the technology first, “clearly the prime candidates include the ships based in Seattle,” Dow said.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2013/10/09/alaska-cruise-company-to-meet-new-air.html?page=all

This would seem to be an on-going retro fit throughout the fleet. So, the NE may yet go back to year round sailings out of NYC once there is a ship that meets the new standards.

MARAPRINCE