TwoMisfits

So, Wonderland does NOT have a dedicated allergy fryer?

Is that true for all specialty restaurants on all ships?

How about the Main Dining room?

If so, it makes eating a healthy diet on the cruise WAY easier and cheaper for me...

2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Yes, but on a cruise you've already supplemented a good amount of the food cost with your cruise fare.  Similar food on cruises should be lower than on land based locations.

Agreed.

In theory, you've supplemented 3 full meals plus snacks in your cruise fare.  So, additional food should be incredibly work-intensive, severely supply-limited, and/or gourmet quality to be charged for.

None of those apply to BBQ in any form.

For the Op, probably a non-Diamond member, it might be useful to actually document what drinks are free and where/when.  

Tap water is always free, but what might be included better than that?  Is milk always available and if so, what type (to include non-dairy ones)?

28 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Eh, doesn't impact me, but I can also see this likely reduces waste (those self serve soft serve were not pretty!), and parents likely appreciate the opportunity to decide to buy or not buy. 

Nah, parents HATE charged ice cream, just like they hate charged popcorn and hate charged pizza (which did not happen).  Parents want kids to eat free on a cruise b/c they paid for them and kids like cheap foods anyway.  Charging for the cheap kid foods is like sticking it completely to the parent who already paid for 3 square meals a day for the kid, but all they end up eating is the extra charge pizza, popcorn, and ice cream (which is the hallmark of almost all kid birthday parties, if you add cake, too)...

35 minutes ago, Carlos A. said:

What's interesting is the new phrasing used here:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/mex/es/faq/questions/what-are-the-benefits-of-the-key-program

 

"Access to the fast lane at onboard activities (activities vary by ship)and private time at the Flowrider"

 

Has anyone experienced this? It seems that there's no longer a "private" time for Key guest, now is a "fast lane" anytime.

 

 

I have noticed the language...and I am a fan.

I don't want singular set activity times for my kids.  I want them to go anytime, but not wait much in line.  It seems the Key price increase is to accommodate this new model b/c it will be more popular, if theme park fast passes are any indication..

I went to check my Mem week cruise on Symphony - it's sold out for Interior and Oceanview, so you can imagine what current pricing is for that cruise...

I went ahead and paid my balance in full a few weeks ago b/c I knew it would never get cheaper.  Now, I guess I'll have my room if they oversold the cruise...

Edit to Add: I think this is one time that my Key purchase will pay off.  It's gonna be a mob scene cruise if they are already this sold out this far out...

1 hour ago, cruisegirl1976 said:

Should be included, like Guy's is on Carnival.

I agree.  I'm not sure why folks ever paid for this, when food is part of their cruise fare.  This is not expensive food for Royal to provide.

Edit to Add: I mean, why would anyone pay $4 for a side?  Those sides are cheap and provided on the boat elsewhere gratis.  I forsee another Johnny Rocket's ghost town coming - or one where the only folks there are those not paying directly, like UDP and free offers.

3 hours ago, cublet said:

Hello,

 

JR, on Anthem, acts as a pool of stand-by waiting staff for Coastal Kitchen that seems to be permanently short-staffed. They do rather spoil the 'feel' of CK by waiting in their white JR aprons - surely some black ones could be made available.

 

Re JR being made free again, I was told that charges were introduced to keep out the kids that would take-over the venue leaving little or no space for adults.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

And that concern ever mattered - why?  It's not fine dining at JR's.  You'd think they'd rather kids congregate there than at Chops...

And if you hate congregation, you remove the chairs and tables and make it takeout.  Problem solved.

13 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Did they step up the quality of JRs when they added the initial cover charge and further stepped up each time they increased the cover charge?

Honestly, they should consider changing Johnny Rocket's to a free location with only a cover for milkshakes/beverages.  If the board's experience is to be believed, it tends to be a ghost town after breakfast, and I'd assume the only folks who eat there for lunch and dinner are the ones not paying directly (either with free meals or AYCE plans), and it's a location that could easily be a 24-7 meal server, along with Sorrento's.

13 minutes ago, PlanetX said:

Per MB on FB:

 

https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBayleyRoyalCaribbean

Hopefully, this brings about a larger conversation about the need for RCCL to improve the availability and content of its free food offerings, especially post-dinner.  If you lose the food battle on a cruise, you're gonna lose the war for customers, no matter how much entertainment you bring on board, especially for families with kids.

Just now, The Fun Researcher said:

Thinking about the this…

 

Once the buffet closes (which isn’t very late) many Royal ships ONLY have the complementary pizza and finger sandwiches to offer went out and about around the ship. Can you imagine having the only complementary offering being finger sandwiches in Cafe Promenade? The whole idea of this is ludicrous when you really think about what it would be like.

 

I'm amazed there is no sweet and salts area for snacking around til midnight near multiple bars.  It's CHEAP, it's easy, and it would make people wildly happy. 

I'll start with it depends on the child.

That said, for a 10 year old, I'd let them walk from place to place on the ship with check ins when they arrive (or if not possible, returns to me every hour) during the daytime, like 7am-7pm.

After dark, I'd be accompanying the child.  Passenger alcohol levels tend to increase throughout the day, peaking at night, and it's that risk that would make me accompany one that young then.  You don't want the child to unknowingly set someone off or walk into a situation they aren't prepared for and don't know how to leave.  No one goes on the cruise ship to make scenes or commit crimes, but intoxication can ruin the best intentions for a few.  And while your child would likely still be fine, it's not something I'd want them to remember.  As an adult, we all know how to spot something going south and find another way - the younger kid, less so.

18 hours ago, George C said:

Why don’t you buy now, if price goes down you can cancel and rebook with the lower price. Glad we are diamond plus so don’t need to buy since we get 5 free drinks .

I actually disagree.  Don't buy if you don't like the price.  If folks all book at the high price, it will never be further discounted, so you'll never get to cancel and rebook.  However, if RCCL has no one buying the package, then it will be forced into a further discount.

Get the crowd into a "no buy" stance and you win the pricing game.  Give in and have the crowd do the same, and you lose.

52 minutes ago, nferr said:

 

Unfortunately, that's not the way inflation works. Just about everything has gone up. Has the quality of gas gotten better, quality of food in the supermarket? Houses that were $250,000 a few years back are now $400,000 for exactly the same house, and borrowing costs have gone from 3% to 7%. And the cruise lines have gotten hit with the same inflation costs and were shut down for 18 months on top of that. Have to be realistic. 

 

And everybody who keeps talking about land based vacations, I have to laugh. Cost of gas? Hotels? restaurants? Admission to attractions, etc?

There are a lot of ways to save on those types of vacations, especially with a party of 6, like my crew is, that are not available as savings for cruises.

For a similar driving vacation (which my future cruise in 2024 and my land based vacation in 2023 was), I can price all the different components for land based and get best value.  For a cruise based, I'm getting all the pricing from one company for all the components, so it's harder to get best value.

For the record, my 2024 cruise vacation will be my most expensive vacation of the past few years (aka - post Covid), and that includes a themepark vacation (Universal) to Orlando (with air) in 2021, a trip to Las Vegas (with air) in 2021 (with 2020's vacation money), a trip to Colonial Williamsburg/Busch Gardens in 2022, and a Myrtle Beach vacation in 2023. 

But the cruise was at least close, and being close, I find a lot of value b/c I wanted to give my kids the experience b/c they like going international and they like being on a boat as a change of pace vacation where the fun is brought to them vs going to the fun.  It's our 1st cruise since 2018 (where we had cruised 5 of the previous 7 years then) just b/c we waited for pricing to match value and convenience.

PS - Since the price of the cruise has more than doubled since I booked it, it would no longer be close, and thus in 2025, at this pricing, I would not book another.  I know I can find a better value land based vacation that will make my kids and my wallet just as happy.

13 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I am riding out the last two reservations I made over a year ago at much better prices than available now.

 

I have one for next year at a very good price.

 

I will only tolerate once a day room service and reduced menu options both in the Windjammer and Main Dining room if I can get an excellent price.

 

Considering that I used to do three cruises a year, I am already slowing down my cruise reservations and dollars.

 

I know the law of supply and demand. I am more than happy to let someone else demand a cruise at a higher price. I have my limits and will cruise less until I see a reasonable balance between excellent service and  price.

I also got my cruise for next year at a wildly low price compared to its current booking price.  And this cruise (a holiday week) I'd never book at its current prices, so I'm not planning on cruising in 2025 or beyond til the value (pricing meets benefits) links up to what I have for my 2024 cruise.  I went through a few dry spells in cruising and have switched between 3 lines, so I have no loyalty and no real loyalty benefits to lose, so it's very easy for me to find equivalent value or better land based fun.

Yeah, add me to the never paying group.  Of course, that's b/c with my allergies, I can't eat pizza.  But even if I could, I'm not paying for crappy food court pizza on a cruise ship.  Next, they'll want me to pay for the crappy hot dog, too.

My kids will adapt and find other food - or wait for the next day's breakfast and go to town.  Royal's choice, although some of those breakfast proteins can get pricey, especially compared to pizza slices.

So, the fast lane...does that mean for all open previous Key activities, my kids will get to never wait in line more than 5 minutes?

That would actually be a much bigger perk for them than the dedicated single hour per activity that doesn't tend to be when they might want...

Does anyone know what the currently included Symphony of the Seas Key-only activities and times are?  I'm sure it will change before my cruise, but I've tried google searching to get an idea, and everything is a Covid-era cruise, so I'm not sure it's on point.  Thanks if anyone has info!

12 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Interesting theory. That would imply that the food for both seatings is cooked at the same time, before the first seating. I would hope not.

Or they planned to heat and plate X dishes per hour, and had too many show up (or too many requested and eaten) the 1st few hours, getting behind and having to cut short full heating times for the later diners...

Thank you for this email...since I had to have it for personal peace of mind to avoid crowds for embarkation, 1st day lunch, and debarkation, I did jump on the Key.  More than I wanted to pay, but 1st sale since I booked (and it was a full 25% off), and looking at last year's Black Friday, not sure it will get better on an enormous new ship during a holiday week sale.

It helped the kids told me they couldn't believe we might live the week without internet when they have phones and boyfriends to talk to...and a spouse who also felt like he was gonna need to be connected.  Then, it wasn't just me avoiding all the mob scene crowds of the 1st and last day.

They are uber-excited, and we booked crappy cabins so I originally could get this for me - then we saw the original price ($44) and waited and waited...I just wish it was under $30/person/day and not $32/person/day...but if it was, maybe it would have sold out before I saw this post.  And selling out would have made my stress level for the vacation skyrocket.

PS - My daughter did make the point that if I waited for Black Friday, with inflation, it might not get any cheaper anyway, and it's not like her dad's salary goes up between now and then...I did also tell the spouse when we are old enough to go as a twosome, this will be much easier to buy.  Oh well...at least the kids will love skipping lines for the activities!

13 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I was precise and I'm not talking about those who choose gluten free. You can't put everyone's medical conditions as they relate to gluten in one bucket. All people are different. Even some diagnosed celiacs are more tolerate of trace amounts than others.

I think the preciseness is in RCCL labeling the area "gluten free."  If they do, they are guaranteeing zero gluten, not "small enough you won't notice" amounts of gluten.  So all folks can trust the food they are eating there, no matter the severity of their need to avoid gluten.

7 hours ago, qa4ever said:

The malt syrup contains barley which is a no go for celiacs or those on a strict gluten free diet.  I'm not sure about in the US, but in Canada, they do make a "gluten free rice krispies" made from brown rice that is safe.

Aldi's sells a "Crispy Rice" generic cereal that is fully gluten free...I'm betting it's that (or another generic version of the same)...

I tried to book the $199 UDP error, just to see.  It was impossible.  Ah well, I didn't need specialty dining, and now I probably will not book it on principle unless it gets that low again.

My price went back to normal ($260.99) a few hours after the error.

I'm hoping 1st night dinner was horrid b/c the kitchen never caught up after inspection, and that day 2 onward was much improved!

2 minutes ago, SuperPlanner said:

THank you for the very simple and straightforward response without the snippiness everyone else seems to have. I am happy to pay if that is the expectation/policy! 

And to give you hope, they do normally grow out of it.  Peels weren't vomited instantly around age 7...and now peels are happily eaten as a teen (although I still peel almost everything out of habit).  

But I had 2 picky eaters out of 4 (although only one insta-vomiter) - by age 10, most of the worst of it passed, and now they eat almost everything (although textures are still one reason they don't like things, which comes from my spouse, who won't eat raw bananas and tomatoes just for that reason)...