Consistency Across the Fleet

Hi,

What's the consistency across the fleet, especially with regards to food? I just got back from a sailing on the Enchantment and while the entertainment was in line with what I remember from my last RC cruise on the Oasis, the food quality was not. Not sure if my memory is fuzzy, but as an example, I thought the quality of the meat in the dining room and in the buffet was better on the Oasis.

I sailed the Oasis almost 5 years ago so I'm not sure if this is due to a old vs new ship or is this the direction RC is taking in the food department?

You different experiences are more to do with the fact that 5 years have passed and less to do with the ship. That being said there are still differences between ships.

Yes, the quality of the food has gone done. I really don’t think it has anything to do with the ships class. It’s more a royal cutting back cost

Thanks for the response :D

I was also really surprised that mineral/sparkling water like Pellegrino was not included in the deluxe package!

That’s one of the things I really enjoy on Celebrity.

Thanks for the response :D

 

I was also really surprised that mineral/sparkling water like Pellegrino was not included in the deluxe package!

That’s one of the things I really enjoy on Celebrity.

Pellegrino is included in Royal's Deluxe beverage package.

Pellegrino is included in Royal's Deluxe beverage package.

Really!?! Now I’m mad. I asked in several bars and was told no :mad:

Really!?! Now I’m mad. I asked in several bars and was told no :mad:

Well, they don't really specify the brand name, but they do say bottled sparkling water is included, and it's always been Pellegrino for us.

Well, they don't really specify the brand name, but they do say bottled sparkling water is included, and it's always been Pellegrino for us.

Another Royal cutback??

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Hi,

 

What's the consistency across the fleet, especially with regards to food? I just got back from a sailing on the Enchantment and while the entertainment was in line with what I remember from my last RC cruise on the Oasis, the food quality was not. Not sure if my memory is fuzzy, but as an example, I thought the quality of the meat in the dining room and in the buffet was better on the Oasis.

 

I sailed the Oasis almost 5 years ago so I'm not sure if this is due to a old vs new ship or is this the direction RC is taking in the food department?

It would be difficult for any large cruise line to have consistency with their food across their fleet, considering that ships sail out of and are provisioned from many ports around the world.

Our friends drank Pellegrino all the time and they only had the Refreshment Package. This was Freedom in January...

 

Another Royal cutback??

I'd be surprised if they did cut it out, I more suspect bad bar staff training.

I actually do think food and service vary from ship to ship. I've had some where it left something to be desired, others it was terrific. Explorer of the Seas in August was some of the best food we've ever had on a ship in the past ten years. Of course, we had the award winning chef of the fleet as our Executive Chef. I also think people complain too much about the food in general.

The answer for me is common sense. You won’t find the same service and food on the Adventure Vs Symphony. Based on my experience food is always better and the crew are A+ in the newest ship.

Can’t quote it bc I don’t remember where I read it but royal will try at all cost not to hire new employees on their newest ship instead they pick the best from the rest of the fleet.

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The answer for me is common sense. You won’t find the same service and food on the Adventure Vs Symphony. Based on my experience food is always better and the crew are A+ in the newest ship.

Can’t quote it bc I don’t remember where I read it but royal will try at all cost not to hire new employees on their newest ship instead they pick the best from the rest of the fleet.

 

 

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You sound like my husband lol. He said they same thing about new vs old ships. I thought there had to be some consistency but I guess not.

Now Symphony is definitely a ship I would like to try :D

Food is a very subjective thing, so this certainly is only my very subjective opinion and experience and we shouldn´t forget how we can read a stellar review about a cruise and the next one is a "worst cruise ever" review for the same ship same week.

In my experience the food quality can vary a lot and it does not necessarily refelcts cost cutting. I´ve seen ups and downs in the food department from ship to ship over the years, when the menus had not changed at all and where not much time had been in between those cruises.

In my experience it has more to do with the chef and crew onboard. They all have the same menu and same recipes to follow, but there will be differences and the same dish could be fantastic on one ship and a desaster on the next ship a week after.

As for the new vs. old ship one of my worst cruises service and food wise was on their at the time newest ship and I had fantastic service and excellent food on one of the older ships.

I do think it is true they put their best employees together to work on the newest ships, but that´s no guarantee. Sometimes those "older" ships just try much harder and in case of the smaller ones they give more personal touches which makes the experience so much better.

Last but not least, I think the Hotel Director plays a big role here.

I feel it definitely varies from ship to ship. I do think you are going to get better quality of food on the newer ships. I think RCCL will deny but it is the truth.

We have sailed Royal 10 times on 8 different ships since 2011 and the food has gone downhill in MDR over the years. I believe as someone posted all ships have the same menu to prepare the dishes yet the food is not the same. I have even noticed a difference in the Specialty restaurants from ship to ship. Some chefs know how to add "love" to their cooking and others not so much.

We were spoiled with years of Celebrity dining having sailed 15 times on 9 of their 10 ships from 2008 until 2016. I can not remember ever having a bad meal. We have been fortunate to sail in AQUA class and Suites thus eating in BLU and Specialty restaurants on most cruises. I can't speak for their MDR dinners but their lunches were excellent.

We actually spoke with one of the chefs on the Brilliance and explained our views on the downward spiral of Royal's food. While sailing on Majesty last month there were times I would have been embarrassed to serve what they called dinner. Also, the presentation leaves a lot to be desired. After a trip to Japan many years ago I learned food has to look good as well as taste good to satisfy most diners. Royal somehow no longer gets it.

You sound like my husband lol. He said they same thing about new vs old ships. I thought there had to be some consistency but I guess not.

 

Now Symphony is definitely a ship I would like to try :D

Btw I just found that the cruise director for the Symphony one she starts sailing from Miami will be Marc Walker, a cruise director that has been with Royal for over 20 years old. I continue to see a patten here

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Can’t quote it bc I don’t remember where I read it but royal will try at all cost not to hire new employees on their newest ship instead they pick the best from the rest of the fleet.

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I'm not quite sure that's the case. On my most recent trip on Oasis (which is now the oldest ship in that class) I spoke to several staff members that had been with Royal for 5+ years.

Obviously, with a new ship, just a like a restaurant/hotel, you're going to pluck some veterans from your staff to take charge and train the rest of the staff. That's not to say one ship is going to have ALL veteran staff members and one will have ALL new staff. For obvious reasons, there has to be somewhat of a balance.

The answer for me is common sense. You won’t find the same service and food on the Adventure Vs Symphony. Based on my experience food is always better and the crew are A+ in the newest ship.

Can’t quote it bc I don’t remember where I read it but royal will try at all cost not to hire new employees on their newest ship instead they pick the best from the rest of the fleet.

 

 

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Went on allure when it was new and crew told us they brought in the best from other ships and they all sure seemed great. Many probably get a hop in their step when joining a brand new vessel I would imagine.

You different experiences are more to do with the fact that 5 years have passed and less to do with the ship. That being said there are still differences between ships.

Exactly what Ken said!

After 20 days on Freedom earlier this month it was clear to us that the food in the MDR on the Allure in Sept 2017 and the Harmony in Oct 2017 was better in both variety and quality to the food on the Freedom.

I sailed the Oasis almost 5 years ago so I'm not sure if this is due to a old vs new ship or is this the direction RC is taking in the food department?

Food has been going downhill gradually, but I really noticed a decline in the last 3 years. My first RC cruise was in 2005.

And food as well as the restaurants will vary between ships.

After 20 days on Freedom earlier this month it was clear to us that the food in the MDR on the Allure in Sept 2017 and the Harmony in Oct 2017 was better in both variety and quality to the food on the Freedom.

My experience on Harmony and Freedom 7 months apart were the exact opposite of you with Chops being a disastrous disappointment.

So much for consistency, huh?

I don’t think the quality will ever improve which is blessing for me or else I would really gain so much weigh if it’s as good as Princess. I actually gain a few lbs when we cruise with Princess. My plate is always cleaned up bc I just love n finish everything on my plate. But that’s the only thing I love about Princess. My DH finds Princess boring unlike RC. Can’t have the best of both worlds. We are Royal loyalists, we love their promenade ships and of course the perks that comes with the ‘Suite Life’..just saying[emoji8]

Sonia