ZandZ

RCI is handling this exceptionally well!!!!! Sorry your vacation is not what everyone hoped it would be, glad to read that RCI is trying to make it up to you guys!

Safe travels home!

Still waiting anxiously to hear about the "two heart attacks" reported, hoping they were panic attacks...

Nah. That one is not on our cruise. (S)he's still bitter about the Snowstorm Jonas cruise.

Yep, I realized that, and that's what shocked me. In the same breath talking about RCI cutting corners and sending you guys into an active storm on purpose to save money AND making a complaint about a previous cruise itinerary change - also to cut corners. Also wrong bread was served at a specialty restaurant. i can't, just can't.

Thank you for level headed unbiased updates during this.... Having lived through Sandy on land, I can imagine what you went through.... I know the feeling of not being able to go to sleep in the middle of the night. The good news is everyone seems to be ok, you are still on vacation AND you don't have to do the clean up. Trust me that one sucks :)

I was thinking the same thing.:D

it is going to take me some time to get over this one..and i hardly ever post, but just couldn't hold back here :)

Various reasons. I thought it was extremely cheap of them to only gave us a small shipboard credit for one night lost - we paid more for that one night than the credit. Not to mention the enormous itinerary change and the decisions they made around that. Also because of Jonas, the supplies were missed and they had to pick up supplies at other ports so when we ate at Chops, a paid restaurant, they served us sub par steaks and wheat bread (this was towards the end of the cruise so they probably were running low on supplies). My last 2 nights I tried ordering salads at Silk and the vegetables were old and slimey.

 

I love cruises and we are diamond members with RC, also we were on the Quantum last year and have always had wonderful expiriences, however this particular trip it felt like they really cheaped out.

wait, are you complaining about itinerary change in this discussion? that would actually be funny, but its not. :eek:

Not a whole lot of experience here but we have done oceanview-balcony-oceanview. Next 3 cruises are all oceanview. We tend to spend a lot of time in the cabin (although all our cruises so far have been without the kids, lol), and I feel like I need the natural light. The balcony was very nice but as some people mentioned, i would rather cruise more than have the nicer/bigger cabin.

Next 3 cruises are with the kids so no balcony for sure.

We chose MTD. If I know the plan for the day, I will call and make a reservation to ensure I don't have to wait. Generally I find that even tho it's MTD we get seated in the same area with the same staff who always remember what we like, so it's still somewhat traditional. We ask for a table for two so there is no interaction with other pax, but that's my choice.... So, other than that, there is not much of a difference from traditional...

went to cancun when i was pregnant with my second kid. kid and i were ok. husband contracted swine flu. which turned into pneumonia. which caused him to lose his lung function and essentially become an invalid with chronic pain due to the subsequent surgery and without an immune system. sure wish there was a warning, i would have canceled my trip. unfortunately the warning came months later. he had to be one of the first cases...

reading all this.. i am trying very hard not to judge. but i would never take the risk.

Thank you for a very nice review. Doing a 7 day on the Navigator next year and will make sure to remember the tour company!

or you could have taken a minute to look at the deck plans for yourself and see where your room was!!!! One of the dumber posts I've seen in awhile!......:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

A first time cruiser might not be aware or informed I agree that a bit of research would have been beneficial but this could be someone's first time and they might not know all the right questions to ask..

So I often read through these discussions feeling that I have no right to comment as I haven't cruised long enough. This thread gives me justification to do so based on the fact that people are comparing service within the last 10 years or less...

I've posted a comment here and there but my first cruise was on the Majesty in 2012. I cruised the same itinerary again this Summer and there is absolutely a difference. The WJ food is the same - bleh if you as me but I am not a fan of buffet style eating in general so have no real right to comment. The MDR service was enthusiastic but somewhat inept and the food choices felt like Groundhog Day, only after 3 cruises. Had a nasty confrontation with an employee because I did not want to have my picture taken as we were walking off in Key West. Real nasty and completely unprovoked. Made me feel like I was back home taking the subway to work ;) The pax were rude and obnoxious at elevators and food lines. No dress code of any kind was enforced in the WJ. A wet bathing suit with a wet [barely]cover all is not proper attire.

I don't think I am ready to give up cruising. It's still less of a hassle than a land vacation for me. I have two cruises booked out for 2016. I have decided that I will try to avoid the shorter cruises in the future assuming they attract a different crowd.

I also think that maybe, although I am only in my [very] late 30s, I would do better on a more formal cruise line....

So yes, there are changes. However, I get that a lot of people are still happy with the product, and honestly, for the difference in price with fancier lines, I am probably still happy enough as well. Or maybe I just had one off experience.

i am on firefox and the site does not work. haven't tried today but yesterday was a hot mess.

i cant get through all this, but in case someone wants two cents' worth of opinion...

i am a refugee from a communist country and i have no issue with visiting Cuba. and it's not because my moral compass is off or because I am somehow less of a patriotic American. and let's not talk politics because it has very little to do with it. i am a conservative..

it's because i understand that my money will benefit the very people that are suffering under the regime.. and because i look at my travels as an opportunity to learn.

"Hello [MY TRAVEL AGENT NAME],

I am sorry to bother you, but I believe RCI is having another sale and I would love to check how my current booking(s) look, unfortunatelly their site is not usable.......

"

Is how all my emails to my TA start. And no, I only have over 17 years of experience in IT, so it's not my computer. lol.

I would love to go, but not at this price and not on those terms.

Lol. Would love to. She wont do it. Something silly about not going on there since she cant see where her death bed would be.. got a sense of humor on her....

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

We typically drive to Fl and i like to spend some time with my mom who lives there so sometimes a 4 day is the only option

Sent from my SM-N910C using Tapatalk

We were on her in August. She is in good shape and i didn't see much to complain about, in terms of maintenance. We did the 4 day as well and it's a nice cruise. Although we were not in a suite we managed to snag a cabana on Coco Key and honestly, I don't know how I am going to not have one in the future, lol. The food was fine in the DR, I don't like WJ and I don't like buffets in general but I went a few times, its fine. I did decide that going forward I should avoid 4 day cruises (of course I have one booked for next year, lol).... I can't put my finger on it, it's not that it was a party atmosphere, but I just felt like it wasn't the same experience as a longer cruise... And you can see from my history, I am still a newbie... Like it was too causal for my taste. Bathing suits with barely a cover up in the WJ, shorts in the DR.... People pushing and shoving to get on an elevator.. We still had a great time, and I would still go on her again at the right price, but I am looking forward to being able to take longer cruises...

My grandfather became a vegetarian for health reasons in 1948. Way before it was "in" and waaay before it was accommodated as widely as it is now. He turned 95 this year. He isn't a true vegan but through the years he has gravitated toward it more. I believe the only non-vegan item on his menu still is cottage cheese. None of us have ever felt burdened by his choice. He has lived in 3 different countries (including Israel btw) and never felt that his died choice hinders him.....

My point is: there is NO REASON for the OP to feel this way while on vacation she paid for!!!!

Actually, the online section you linked to mentions several things they will accommodate, but vegan is not among them. But, as you say, the OP's past experience has been better. And, if she contacted them at least 45 days in advance, and they said they would accommodate her, then she certainly should expect it.

Yes, you are correct that vegan is not listed. However, "special requests" cover veganism, among a myriad of other diet restrictions. Should not have been an issue. The OP's prior positive experience is not due to luck. It's due to compliance with policy which, in his case, is being ignored.

It clearly states "We will TRY to accommodate to their best of their ability"

 

That shouldn't mean ones expectation is to ABSOLUTELY be accommodated.

If by ABSOLUTELY you mean 100%, I agree. However, since the notification was compliant with their time frame, accommodations, based on their own statement, are expected. What the OP is describing is nowhere near acceptable. She does not come off as an unreasonable person and I am sure she would have been happy with repeats and such, as long as it a real meal. Not some broccoli thrown on a plate, more than once.

That is exactly what they are supposed to do- if they can prepare halal, kosher, they should be able to prepare vegan foods. That is what they DO for a living- cater. It's not being demanding, just asking for her dietary requirements to be met. They could even look up some menus on the internet if they run out of ideas.

http://www.peta.org/living/food/two-week-vegan-meal-plan/

 

Broccoli and carrots, steamed, are no one's idea of a main course..

Exactly this!

Kosher onboard is extremely easy for the cruise lines. It's a TV dinner, heated up, served unopened with plastic ware.

 

Fully kosher charters or partial charters will kasher a kitchen and bring in all new pots, dishes, utensils etc. After the charter the stuff gets put into regular rotation.

I see your point although if its the prepackaged stuff Im sure its nowhere as good as fresh made...

Hooey.

 

If the customer has requested or been offered the vegan dishes then he should expect it promptly and what he ordered.

 

You see, it's not about being vegan or not it's about follow through to make the customer happy.

 

The ship and staff should take responsibility for what they offer. The poster who said, " put up with the consequences of being a vegan" I paraphrase, is wrong. Believe me, if any of us would go on a cruise under certain agreed conditions and then the cruise line faltered...we would be screaming bloody murder. I know, I see it all the time in here.

 

lol.....so chill and give the OP the support he deserves.

I was going to underline your first statement... Than the second... Than I realized - you are 100% ON POINT here.

OP, I am sorry you are having a hard time and I am sorry some people think your life choices are frivolous.

On the topic of Kosher or Vegan, knowing enough about both, I am surprised that Kosher would be easier to accommodate!

As far as OP's expectations, they were inline with 1.previous experience 2. RCI's online statements. A simple google search brings me here:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&faqId=322&faqSubjectId=335

This page clearly states :

Special meal requests that are received less than 45 days of sailing (90 days for European/South American itineraries) are dependent on the ship's product availability. We will try to accommodate to the best of our ability.

Based on that, my expectation is to absolutely be accommodated if I contacted them within that time frame.

What's more, it looks like the OP's presence in the dining room continuously "fell through the cracks" sort of speak. No reason to sit there for an hour only to find out that nothing is being done at all.

I have never purchased insurance but now I am thinking about it.

I agree that I would never fly in the day of the cruise but I don't fly anyway. I drive and arrive days early as my Mom is within 3 hours of the Florida ports. Not everyone has the luxury of time so I could see how arriving the day of is sometimes necessary.