Is Princess charging room service fees fleet wide or only on the Regal?

[mycruisedirector]

Just got off the phone with Princess and this is the first they had heard of it! The agent I talked to put me on hold and consulted with her supervisor with the same result. I don't know how this stuff gets started, but it does.

I hope there is no truth to it. We are Elite and have never had a room service charge. However, if people don't tip for the service, I am sure they will be charging something down the road. We sail next week on the Star, hope there are no changes without notifying us.

[bhopal21]

Just got off the phone with Princess and this is the first they had heard of it! The agent I talked to put me on hold and consulted with her supervisor with the same result. I don't know how this stuff gets started, but it does.

 

This was no rumor.

 

You need to read the Cruise Critic message boards as it started on the Regal unannounced and was to spread fleet wide.

 

Mike:)

[IECalCruiser]

If they eventually charge for Alfredo's on all ships then I have to believe they will have to expand the menus like they have on the Royal and Regal. I still like the pizza by the pool better any way so I would have no reason to go to Alfredo's unless they had an expanded menu. And yes they do now charge $3.00 for a pizza delivered to your stateroom. I have never heard of a room charge for delivering from 1 to 5 am. But then again I'm not up then anyway. :)

The pizza only Alfredo's on the Grand and Sapphire (and offered on some days at Sabatini's on the Coral and the Island) is not not the same as the expanded menu at Alfredo's on the Royal and Regal. Not the same value for the money IF a cover charge is eventually reintroduced.

[mycruisedirector]

Another thread is now saying that the Regal has now "pulled" the charge. I just find it interesting that the Princess administration doesn't seem to know a thing about it to begin with.

[4cats4me]

Just got off the phone with Princess and this is the first they had heard of it! The agent I talked to put me on hold and consulted with her supervisor with the same result. I don't know how this stuff gets started, but it does.

I hope there is no truth to it. We are Elite and have never had a room service charge. However, if people don't tip for the service, I am sure they will be charging something down the road. We sail next week on the Star, hope there are no changes without notifying us.

 

It was STARTED by someone who is ACTUALLY on the Regal's inaugural sailing and who has first-hand knowledge. :rolleyes:

 

It goes to show, we are usually the first to get the news here on CC and Facebook before Princess's own employees.

Princess went on to admit on FB on Friday that the surcharges were being implemented on the Regal. By Saturday, the Princess representative on FB stated that these charges would be rolled out fleet wide

Edited May 26, 2014 by 4cats4me

[pablo222]

Guess it gives new meaning to their new slogan to "come back new"

 

Come back broke.

 

Sorry, I haven't worked out the catchy jingle, yet.

[shredie]

I just find it interesting that the Princess administration doesn't seem to know a thing about it to begin with.

They knew all about it. Read a few pages of this thread. They even had an "explanation" of sorts about it posted on Facebook. This is not some silly rumor. The administration knew exactly what they were doing when they sprang the charges on the unsuspecting passengers currently on the Regal. Now they are backtracking and calling it a "trial," when they also posted (in their official capacity) on Facebook that they intended to take the "trial" fleet-wide. If it all seems too outrageous to be true, that's because it is. Outrageous. And true.

Edited May 26, 2014 by shredie

[waltd]

The pizza only Alfredo's on the Grand and Sapphire (and offered on some days at Sabatini's on the Coral and the Island) is not not the same as the expanded menu at Alfredo's on the Royal and Regal. Not the same value for the money IF a cover charge is eventually reintroduced.

 

Exactly, That's why I said they would have to expand the menu on the other ships for the ten dollars to be worth it.

[san diego sue]

Would not be worth the cover charge even with an expanded menu. On the Royal last September we did like their salads. Warning, they have to go to another kitchen to get anything except the Pizza. We had long waits for the other items. One day we ordered the dessert waiting for it and the coffee, took so long and we wound up just leaving.

[Astro Flyer]

Another thread is now saying that the Regal has now "pulled" the charge. I just find it interesting that the Princess administration doesn't seem to know a thing about it to begin with.

 

One of the problems was that the Princess administration didn't share these changes with their reps who answer our phone calls nor did they tell travel agents about it. Someone who knows a hotel manager on another Princess ship was not aware of this change either. It'd be prudent for those in the Princess ivory tower to ask staff who are doing the job about any proposed changes.

[Colo Cruiser]

Another thread is now saying that the Regal has now "pulled" the charge. I just find it interesting that the Princess administration doesn't seem to know a thing about it to begin with.

 

They know, they just don't let the minions know. :rolleyes:

[IECalCruiser]

Would not be worth the cover charge even with an expanded menu. On the Royal last September we did like their salads. Warning, they have to go to another kitchen to get anything except the Pizza. We had long waits for the other items. One day we ordered the dessert waiting for it and the coffee, took so long and we wound up just leaving.

I hadn't heard that. Poor design.

[Colo Cruiser]

One of the problems was that the Princess administration didn't share these changes with their reps who answer our phone calls nor did they tell travel agents about it. Someone who knows a hotel manager on another Princess ship was not aware of this change either. It'd be prudent for those in the Princess ivory tower to ask staff who are doing the job about any proposed changes.

 

 

This goes for alot more then just this issue. :cool:

[mycruisedirector]

We leave a week from tomorrow on the Star. I will post if there are any such charges implemented on that sailing. If Princess does this Holland America and Celebrity won't be too far behind.

While I am thinking of it. I have ordered oatmeal and a "grande" orange juice on room service for the past 19 years and have gotten it. We tip $2-3 for room service every morning. I think a lot of people don't tip.

[caber]

We leave a week from tomorrow on the Star. I will post if there are any such charges implemented on that sailing. If Princess does this Holland America and Celebrity won't be too far behind.

While I am thinking of it. I have ordered oatmeal and a "grande" orange juice on room service for the past 19 years and have gotten it. We tip $2-3 for room service every morning. I think a lot of people don't tip.

 

Reading these boards is the first time I have heard that room service is not included in the auto tip. I presumed it was.

[Coral]

Reading these boards is the first time I have heard that room service is not included in the auto tip. I presumed it was.

 

First, I always tip for room service. I believe it is above and beyond.

 

Though, others have believed that it is included and have emailed Princess and Princess has confirmed via email to many who have posted here that the daily gratuities do include Room Service tips.

[Astro Flyer]

They know, they just don't let the minions know. :rolleyes:

 

This goes for alot more then just this issue. :cool:

Absolutely! It's only the bad things that "flow downhill" to the minions. :eek:

[caribill]

In my experiences on Princess, the only charge for room service is during the early morning house. I believe it is 1AM until about 5 or 6 AM.

 

That's on Royal Caribbean, not Princess.

[Woobstr112G]

First, I always tip for room service. I believe it is above and beyond.

 

Though, others have believed that it is included and have emailed Princess and Princess has confirmed via email to many who have posted here that the daily gratuities do include Room Service tips.

 

Ditto.....:):):)

 

Bob

[azgrandmax3]

Welcome to the "CLUB", many many of us have been beaten up for being misunderstood. Rather takes away from the warm fuzzy feeling of CC. Hang in there many are good people.

[dotty52]

This was the official reply to people who posted on FB from Princess

we've listened to our valued guests and Facebook fans, and based on the feedback, for the time being both room service and Alfredo’s pizzeria charges being trialed on Regal Princess will be halted. We acknowledge we need to provide our guests prior notification of any such changes to our onboard experience, and we promise to do this in the future.

[bhopal21]

This was the official reply to people who posted on FB from Princess

we've listened to our valued guests and Facebook fans, and based on the feedback, for the time being both room service and Alfredo’s pizzeria charges being trialed on Regal Princess will be halted. We acknowledge we need to provide our guests prior notification of any such changes to our onboard experience, and we promise to do this in the future.

 

Yes, everyone got the same canned response saying "Watch your back for what's coming next"

 

Mike:)

[Loonbeam]

Given that I have seen our assistant server from dinner delivering trays in the AM, I feel comfortable assuming they are part of the same staff and this part of the pool. Some of the MDR staff has a secondary dining duty (either room service, buffet, etc).

 

As I noted on another thread, I have no idea with the new pooling system if assigned duties affect distribution of tips.

 

Reading these boards is the first time I have heard that room service is not included in the auto tip. I presumed it was.

[PescadoAmarillo]

How quickly this thread fell off page 1. I guess it's a case of "Keep walking, folks. Nothing to see here."

 

I have to say this though, because I feel as strongly about it as others here apparently did when they complained about 1.) the new fees; and/or 2.) how they were implemented.

 

Princess was entirely within its right to implement these fees. It perturbs me, and I imagine that it has given some at Princess pause, too, that some of its loyal passengers would so quickly turn on them when it tries to implement new usage-based fees. We cruise Princess often enough and for long enough periods to know that policies change, and prices change, from one cruise to the next. We have never, and would never make a complaint about it. If Princess ceased to follow the Ts & Cs of its passage contract, I'd be the first in line to say so. But this situation was clearly different.

 

I think some people see Princess as a relationship in their life, and when Princess does something they don't like, it becomes a personal affront. We see Princess as exactly what it is - a corporation that exists only to make a profit for its shareholders. As a shareholder, I hope it continues to do so, for a long time in the future. As a realist, I hope we'll see these fees reappear somewhere soon; otherwise, Princess has no option but to degrade the cruise experience for all of us and I'm not looking forward to that.

[Ship's Wake]

We have thought about this issue for a few days and concluded that for us, it is not a big deal. When we do use Room Service our practice is to tip the room service steward $2-$5upon delivery. If we are assessed a room service charge we will simply stop tipping since we assume that Princess is properly compensating the room service steward.

 

Hank

 

$3pp today. Eventually will be $5pp, and then even higher. No doubt a 18% gratuity on top of the room service fee will be added.