CRZR58

Captain Sweatpants in the MDR? Should cause a lot of dinner chatter and maybe he won't even be let in.

These kinds of threads are public services. Keep them coming folks, because they help people set the right expectations for their cruises.

If you set your expectations by the advertising or the 'cheerleaders', you're bound to be disappointed because the reality rarely matches the hype. If you set your expectations by the 'Eeyore's', you're bound to be very happy.

I read these threads and decide which, if any, of the complaints matter to me. Singers weren't as good as they used to be or the cabin steward didn't chat with me? I don't care, because those things don't matter to me. Food wasn't good or service levels have slipped below the point that at least some folks care about... I'm listening, because those things do matter to me.

Tip from someone who uses anytime dining... Use the online system to make a reservation for the first 2 nights if you don't want to wait a while.

I always find it funny when people pile a ton of food on their plates in the buffet then complain that it wasn't hot enough. Take a bit and go back for more. That's what a buffet is supposed to be all about.

As for the original question. Quality beats quantity every time for us. I'd rather have 3 good courses than 4 or 5 mediocre courses. A good small steak over a larger lower quality one.

A small menu doesn't have to mean very little choice because the menu can change from day to day. It doesn't have to be more expensive to provide better food. Just take the savings from the bigger meals and apply them to better, smaller, meals.

Food is one of the biggest things for us on a cruise. We don't want plentiful burgers, hot dogs, soft serve ice cream, fast food pizzas or chain restaurants. We're not looking for the 'Olive Garden At Sea' experience. We're looking for the good restaurant at sea experience. That doesn't exist in the RCI, Carnival or Celebrity world anymore, unless you are willing to pay large up charges. Even then...

I am not one to reply randomly to a post but felt compelled to do so in this case. When you boarded the ship, did the person who offered you the drink package know that you had already taken care of it? You could have been a first time cruiser who did not know about this. You did not have a sign around your neck saying you had everything you needed and to not annoy you. When you are asked how you are doing, are you annoyed? You probably say you are fine and walk on. Why not do the same to the countless people who offer those add ons. Just say no thank you and walk on. I agree that it can be challenging to wade through the throngs of fellow vacationers to get to the show. When that happens again why not try an alternate route. Why do you continue to cruise when you are apparently dissatisfied? Just a question, not a judgement. There are endless things in the world that can be annoying but you can’t let them rule your life. On my upcoming cruise I plan to decline all of the requests for upgrades with a polite response and a smile on my face and continue to enjoy my vacation.

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Most if not all of the offers are on the website, which most folks, newbies included, look at before they go.

The card tells them what level of drink package you have or if you have one at all, so no, they don't have to ask everyone who boards.

I do say no and walk on, then I say no to the next guy, then no to the next girl, then no at each bar for the first couple of days until the staff gets to know me. Horrendous or ruins my trip? Nope. Unnecessary and annoying? U bet.

It's not walking thru fellow vacationers that's the issue. It's getting thru the sidewalk sale that has spilled out of the stores into the walkways. If there was a way to get to the show that didn't go thru the nightly sidewalk sale, I'd certainly take it, but we both know it doesn't exist.

For me, it's not about profit. It's about being annoyed on Vacation. It's annoying to be 'offered' 'upgrades' over and over. Guess what? I already chose the 'extra's' that I wanted. It's annoying to have to wade thru a sidewalk sale to go to and from the show.

I use an ad blocker in my browsers, on Facebook etc because I don't like to be annoyed when I'm online. I'm on the no call list because I don't like to be annoyed by telemarketers. I have a 'No Ads' sign in my mailbox so I don't get annoyed by unsolicited flyers. I unsubscribe from all emails I don't want and set up those where the unsubscribe doesn't work to my junk so I only have to deal with each of them once.

I wish there was some way to block the on board annoyances.

Well duh!!! I never thought of that🤔 Thanks for the reminder.... looks like either a late night or early morning run. We're bringing our two with us from home but I'd like a couple bottles of bubbles too.

Bring all your bottles from home unless you want a BC specific wine. Wine is way cheaper in the US than in Canada due to our taxes.

Cheers!

To the OP... We had much the same experiences on Celebrity that you had on RCCL, so I wouldn't suggest trying it as an upgrade. If you go to the Celebrity board, you will see that lots of people are also complaining about the MDR food and the downgrades in pretty much everything, so it's not just us. Not surprising seeing as RCCL and Celebrity are the same company.

We haven't tried Viking yet, but have done Windstar. The small boat experience is quite different from the mega-boats. The MDR food is amazing, the service is wonderful, and the boat is beautiful. No kids. No yard sales. Small boats get to ports that the big ones can't and almost no waiting in line for anything including the tenders. Downsides can be not much happening after dinner, no 'Vegas' shows, climbing walls, bumper cars, ice rinks, etc.

Cheers!

The 10 day cruises we've been on on Celebrity, the average age was 'needs a scooter'. Well older than us and we're 60. My FIL and MIL felt right at home in their 80's. Not much to do at night after the 2nd show. We found that we are in our cabin by 10:30-11:00. The 2 silent disco's were the highlights of the nightly entertainment for the 'younger' crowd.

Can't say that there is much in the classic package that's any better than a mid-level restaurant's 'house' wine. Still, we don't go 'premium' we just pay the extra to get better wines. Would also bring a couple of nice wines on board if you have enough time to pick them up before boarding.

Cheers!

Yup, it's usual. It's a standard business practice to use 'Bait and Switch' tactics in the cruise industry.

Wow. Some folks around here really don't get it.

The OP is simply saying it's not ethical to change the price after agreeing on it via a contract, and I agree with them.

The amount doesn't matter. Who it goes to or doesn't go to doesn't matter. How hard or long they work doesn't matter. The fact that a small percentage (Likely less than 5%) of folks 'Stiff the Staff' or 'Screw the Crew' doesn't matter or mean that most folks will end up paying the increase.

The fact is that Celebrity changed it's pricing after the fact, at Christmas when most folks focus isn't on their cruises, in hopes that no on notices. Legal? Sure. Ethical? Nope.

Because it takes all of the same things that you enter on the booking engine while calling it a fake booking and claiming that you should be able to get a complete and accurate total cost before you put all the required data in.

I'm not claiming that you should be able to get a complete and accurate total cost before putting in the required data, but you already know that, don't you?

I'm claiming that you shouldn't advertise a 'From Price' that no one can ever book at. Not even the cheapest steerage, interior, that the cruise line picks for you, that no one else wants, comes in at their advertised price. If the 'From Price' doesn't exist, then it's deceptive. Pretty simple concept. I hope you understand it now. ;)

And now you say that you should be able to add almost all of the things that the booking engine already gives you the chance to enter to get a complete costing of a cruise. Why would a business owner spend the money to replicate the same thing that is already there to do the very thing that you want a new thing to be able to do?

Not saying that either, but as long as you asked...

The website as organized makes people fill in the same information over and over again when they want to price multiple scenarios. Put all the relevant info at the top of the first screen and users get exactly what they need to correctly price their trips and to compare multiple scenarios. Save the info the first time it's chosen in your account so you never have to type it again unless it changes.

Making things easier for your customers is good business. Eliminating all the information that your customers don't need like cabins they'd never book anyway based on the info they provide is good business. Providing the all in price quickly and easily is good business. If you have the best price/quality proposition in the industry, then providing the all in price for comparison to other cruise lines is very good business indeed.

It's funny to suggest that folks don't know what I'm asking for, because I put it in my original post. It's simply a realistic price that you could actually purchase on the main page.

Maybe an example would help... I just went on to Carnival's web site. Clicked on deals. Chose a week. Clicked on the big red best price option of $309 for 7 days. Great deal eh? Add in $111 for port fees and $90 for tips and the cost is now $511 PP (unless you're travelling solo), about 65% more than the original price. From $511 per person doesn't sound as good, but it's the actual price you're going to pay before drinks, specialty restaurants, shore excursions, etc.

It's child's play to give users choices at the beginning of the search instead of after they click on a choice. A check box for the 'Full' price instead of the unrealistic cabin price would be a great start. While I'm at it, ask for # of Adults, # of Children, # of +55, minimum cabin type once at the beginning of the search process so I don't have to re-click on them each trip I want to price.

FTR: I'm not suggesting that every price or a complete breakdown be shown on the front page. I'm not suggesting that flights or hotel or anything else that the cruise line isn't selling be included.

Everyone who has cruised before knows that tips are extra. Newbies don't, because other vacations don't break the tips out into a separate line item.

Everyone who has cruised before knows that there are port fees on top of the price. Newbies don't and a 35% fee isn't the same as a 10-15% hotel tax.

Is what they are doing legal? Sure. Is it deceptive? I think so.

Your comparison to an all inclusive is just wrong. You do not necessarily get the "bottom line, this is it" price for an all inclusive either. I've seen plenty of offers that don't include air fare. Even the ones that do could end up charging extra based on the weight and number of bags.

 

Sorry if you feel your being "lied" to, but advertising a cabin price as just the cabin price is not a lie. It's exactly what it says it is, the price of the cabin. A hotel is also not lying when they advertise a room for $89 a night, then you book and it's $120 after taxes and fees. It's not lying when Verizon says $40 a month for phone and data, then you get your bill and it's $55 after taxes and fees.

 

Your right, comparing different cruises DOES take a lot of work. That's half the fun of it for me, and I'd guess for many others here as well. As I stated previously, I get where the OP is coming from, I just don't think it's something we should expect from cruise lines because the taxes and port fees are never a set price and can fluctuate. A small amount of research can get you a "final, out the door" price.

In Canada, most, if not all, all-inclusives include the flights and transfers.

We have a different opinion on hidden. I say if it's up front, then it's not hidden. Others say if it's in a mock booking or the small print then it's not hidden.

Port fees and taxes are set, otherwise, you wouldn't get the right price when you do the mock booking. Gratuities are set too.

You and I have different opinions on lying. Advertising a cruise for $199 or a hotel room for $89 or Verizon for $40 that I can't get for those prices is not true, IE a lie. The fact that everyone advertises something you can't get doesn't suddenly make it true. Just tell everyone what it costs up front, then no one has anything to complain about.

Cruise lines, Hotels and Verizon all know exactly what price you are going to have to pay for their services. It wouldn't take any effort to put the full price in their advertising, but they choose not to. If they didn't believe it gave them some advantage, they wouldn't do it.

To answer the OP's question. It will only end when enough people refuse to pay the extra costs and go elsewhere for their vacation.

It's disingenuous to advertise from $199 per person if you don't have any cabins that cost $199 per person. The 'From Price' should the cheapest cabin on the ship. No one would expect anything more than that.

Newbies don't know that they have to do mock bookings to figure out most of the cost of their trips. They take the advertising at face value then find out that the trip costs double or more than the advertised price, because lots of cruising costs are hidden until you do a mock booking.

Trying to compare one cruise to another takes a lot of work. Different amounts for taxes, frees, tips etc from cruise line to cruise line. Different drink package prices and inclusions. Different specialty restaurant prices. Different costs for flights, hotels, transfers, etc. 40+ different cabin types, some that you can't even get the advertised extras on. Basically, you need a spreadsheet with a ton of columns to do a real comparison, then you have to sign on to each cruise site and do mock bookings to figure out what the actual price is.

Comparing other travel options pricing like all-inclusives is pretty easy. Total cost is for an all in price airport to airport, booze and tips included. You even get a certain number of included specialty restaurants. You expect that's for the cheapest room in the place and that upgrades are available.

The 'Other Companies Lie To Me With Their Advertising' and the 'I Expect To Be Lied To' aren't good arguments for the cruise industry lying in their advertising. They are good arguments for better advertising laws so everyone stops lying to you.

I agree with the OP. The prices should show the entire price for the trip including port fees, taxes, gratuities, and the cost for the cabin. Extra's are things like specialty dining and shore excursions, not things you have to pay for to get on the boat.

It wouldn't be hard for the cruise companies to do this. They are already doing it when you do a fake booking. What's the matter with showing the real price up front?

Folks, you are complaining to the wrong people. CC people already know about the 'shady' advertising practices. It's the real media who need to write some stories on these practices to warn the general public.

'Shady Cruise Advertising Practices - Things You Should Look Out For' sounds like something a lot of folks would click on. If it got enough clicks, it might just motivate the cruise industry to make some changes.

A few of my ideas:

No yard sales like most cruises have outside their shops.

No 'Art' auctions or bingo or any other 'nearly dead' entertainment.

No 'Steerage Not Allowed' sections. One class system for everyone.

No motorized wheel chairs. If you're not mobile enough to walk on your own, you have lots of different cruise lines to choose from.

No ropes courses, mini golf, water slides, arcades. Don't need them if there aren't any kids.

No big 'Vegas' style show. Most have gone down to high school level of entertainment in the last few years.

All inclusive food and drink of high quality. I love the idea of multiple smaller MDR's.

One price to include insurance, tips and port fees.

No 'book price' that no one actually pays then giving 80% off 'deals'.

Several smaller venues with different entertainment that caters to different age groups. The 20 somethings and the 60 somethings listen to and do different things on vacation.

Active sports/entertainment.

Steel drums in the Caribbean.

A quiet pool and an active/noisy pool.

If it was just the people who complain who posted, then threads would look quite different. There seem to be as many of the positive folks who are sure that everything the complainers say is either made up or overblown as those who complain. It's the interplay of the 'Cheerleaders' and the 'Complainer's' that make the threads go on and on.

The biggest reason for the complaints IMO (I've been told that my Opinions aren't Humble ;)) is the constant reduction of services and quality in the travel industry in general and the cruise industry in particular.

A few thoughts:

This is a place for folks who love cruising, so I'd expect most to say it won't effect them, but the general public might be quite a different story.

There are thousands of people who have been directly affected by the Hurricanes. Cancelled trips have to be taken within a year, so there will be thousands of cabins occupied that the cruise lines won't be able to sell, which in turn will mean less availability for everyone else. Reduced availability doesn't equal reduced prices. In fact, it means the opposite.

People have pretty short memories. I suspect that the bookings will be down next year because so many folks we affected this year and those folks will have told all their friends and family how well or badly the cruise industry treated them. Once those memories fade, the industry should bounce back.

Islands that took the brunt of the hurricanes, will rebuild as quickly as possible to get the cruisers money flowing again. A lot of these places will likely be even better or at least newer than they were before, which will attract some folks. The beaches will probably be the last things to get back to normal, but that still leaves the rest of the things that are on all the Caribbean port stops... A bus trip, a shopping excursion, a zip line and a boat/snorkeling trip.

Horrible decisions by people trying to catch a cruise ship at the risk of loosing their lives. I'm sorry, but if someone says that I am going to loose $5000 unless I travel into a hurricane to catch a ship, I would stay away from the hurricane and battle for the $5000 from RCCL at a later point in time. I would be a fool to pursue the $5000 by showing up at an empty dock in a hurricane.

 

Blame RCCL for telling you to go to the port? If they told you to jump off a bridge, would you? Let me ask, who cares more whether you live or die? RCCL, me, or you? The correct answer should be you. As such YOU should make the decisions about your life and not blame RCCL. Your financial matters can wait for another day. You have access to the exact same information that RCCL does as it pertains to the weather, the port, the roads, hotels, airlines, etc. Take control. Buy the insurance. Don't blame others.

I've got no skin in the game. It's not my circus and not my monkeys. I wasn't told to go to a port in a hurricane, but I know it was a horrible decision by Royal to tell anyone to do that or risk losing all their money. It's unconscionable to tell your customers to head to a hurricane location. Period. Full stop.

It's not the customers who believed the company who are at fault here. Many of them likely had trip cancellation insurance that they couldn't use until RCCL finally got around to cancelling their cruise. It's the company who gave them the horrible information in the first place.

Trip cancellation insurance, doesn't come into effect until the trip was actually cancelled, which happened way later than it should have (Another horrible decision). Carnival had the same info as Royal, which is more than the average customer had BTW, but they made the right decisions in a timely manner which means they didn't affect their customers nearly as badly.

Note that anything you actually use isn't covered by trip cancellation insurance (I know because I had to use it once when my wife had a medical emergancy on Carnival). If you flew in to Houston, you used your ticket so it's not covered. If you got a hotel room before the trip was cancelled, those days aren't covered. What would be covered is the cruise itself, but (Stay with me as this is where it gets really fun) RCCL is covering the cruise because they didn't go anywhere anyway. In this particular case, Trip Insurance would covered the incidentals. That's it.

Medical insurance in this case would have been completely useless. It doesn't get activated unless you had a medical condition. Bringing it up in this situation is simply a red herring.

I totally get where company, the industry folks and the cheerleaders, would love to make this all about getting insurance instead of being about how shabbily RCCL treated it's customers. Turn the story into something that isn't the companies fault. Focus on what the customer could do instead of what the company should do. Lots of folks are happily going on and on about 'protecting yourself' and 'blaming others', but that's not what it's about in this case.

Getting insurance is an excellent idea but, RCCL's problems haven't been caused by insurance issues. They've been caused by horrible decisions followed up by horrible customer service.

Insurance doesn't even kick in until the cruise is cancelled unless you buy the special any-reason insurance which doesn't pay out 100%.

Agree with this. If you check out the boards for the other big cruise lines you will find plenty of threads about the overall quality of food declining. Even Celebrity, which has always been known for having great food, has been getting a lot of complaints. Maybe it's simply cost cutting, maybe it's a strategy for getting people to eat in the for-fee venues. Nonetheless, I've never gone hungry on any cruise and will continue to feed my cruise addiction ;)

Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean so they are making similar cost cutting measures and yes... the quality of their food has gone down drastically (IMHO).