Find a better cruise line!!!!

[jojoanddash]

ok just glancing at some of the many comments I don't have time to read all of them but as for sharing the room with my Mom being the issue that is completely wrong our family and my Moms best friend and her kids and their families have traveled together all of our lives and my hubby has been around my family for years before we were married and we all get along great. We all have a lot of places we want to see and things we want to do & my Moms hubby doesn't fly so she goes with us and we don't mind at all because my hubby prefers to relax for the most part of his vacation & I like to be doing something at all times & so does my mom so hubby gets to relax and not worry about me going off on my own. I just wish all families were as close as ours life is too short.

 

Now for the website small print would be fine but I booked on the phone with the vacation planner. If they don't know what to expect from a room by looking at the map of the rooms then that is another area of bad customer service :eek: lol.

 

Ok as for me supposedly saying Carnival is perfect and RCI is horrible I said that RCI had some things I liked that Carnival didn't but I am more about customer service. This is why there are so many lines out there because everyone has different preferences and that is fine.

 

I do love the fact that 1 post can get so many peoples panties in a bunch lmbo :D

[jojoanddash]

Bingo. Also the fact that some of her facts were wrong such as the charge for steak and lobster makes me think twice about some of the review. Hope she enjoys her future cruises on Carnival. Been there....done that and that ship sailed long ago.;):eek:

 

On our menu both elegant nights it said that steak & lobster was thirty some dollars I even asked about it & no one in the dining room had steak and lobster & I'm sure someone would have ordered it in our area if it was an option. But it is whatever you want to think you might know.

[critterchick]

On our menu both elegant nights it said that steak & lobster was thirty some dollars I even asked about it & no one in the dining room had steak and lobster & I'm sure someone would have ordered it in our area if it was an option. But it is whatever you want to think you might know.

 

For some reason, RCI doesn't serve lobster on formal night on many ships. They save it for a casual night and call it "fisherman's platter," little lobsters served with shrimp. My recollection from our handful of Carnival cruises is that they had prime rib and lobster offerings on formal night, but you had to get two full entrees to have a surf & turf - way top much wasted food there.

 

I think that you did what you could dealing directly with RCI. It's a shame that they don't look at the particular details of each cabin - if you had a chair (not a two-cushion loveseat) I'm guessing that your cabin connected to the one next door - there isn't room even for a loveseat in those cabins. That's easy enough to show on the website, but they don't.

 

However, I will disagree with you on the musical talent. All of the cruiselines have cut back on live entertainers, but IMO Carnival has done the most cutting. The "orchestra" on Inspiration is now a 3-piece combo backing up a singer who will be lucky to own vocal chords by the time she's done with them. And the other bands were second rate, far below RCI's caliber.

[gnocchi_mommy]

I can't read this. Paragraph breaks are our friends.

[gnocchi_mommy]

This teacher has thoroughly edited the OP.

 

Thank you!!!

[Merion_Mom]

On our menu both elegant nights it said that steak & lobster was thirty some dollars I even asked about it & no one in the dining room had steak and lobster & I'm sure someone would have ordered it in our area if it was an option. But it is whatever you want to think you might know.

 

Fisherman's Plate

 

Night 5 or 6

 

[bigque]

You do know that those are generic pictures, and if you go on the Carnival website, you'll also see generic pictures as well, so it won't be long before you are disappointed at Carnival because your cabin didn't look just like the picture. :rolleyes:

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Plus it also says - Stateroom images are representative only :cool:

[Cruising89143]

On our menu both elegant nights it said that steak & lobster was thirty some dollars I even asked about it & no one in the dining room had steak and lobster & I'm sure someone would have ordered it in our area if it was an option. But it is whatever you want to think you might know.

 

Please read the above post where the menu is shown. ;) Lobster on the menu. Just because it's not on the night that you expected, it was still served during the week.

 

I can understand your frustration with the room situation but I don't think that you gave CS time to look into to it. The other comments are all subjective which I don't agree with but that's okay. I just don't like to see misinformation posted and the upcharge items being the only steak or lobster available is not correct.

Edited July 10, 2014 by cruisingator2

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

We were on the Radiance of the Seas Alaska sailing the first week of June and did have lobster either day 5 or 6. I'm thinking it was on the formal night. And when our amazing waitress explained the menu that evening, she told us about the lobster.

[sky0000547]

I explained that it would be 3 adults my Mom, hubby & myself & that we needed the 2 beds put together and the SOFA bed with a balcony

 

 

This was an exact set up I needed on my Independence of the Seas cruise. Guess what, I had exactly 2 beds together, a sofa bed and a balcony. This was without the need to speak to anybody at all, it was all booked on RCI website.

[Cindy]

Fisherman's Plate

 

Night 5 or 6

 

 

On all my recent RCI cruises, the Fisherman's Platter has been served on the second formal night.

 

OP, your insistence that steak and lobster are ONLY available with an upcharge makes your entire post suspicious because it's simply not true. You can clearly see the always available steak under Classics whereas the upcharge items are listed under Premium Selections. The included lobster is listed under Main Courses.

 

Perhaps if you modified your list of complaints to RCI to exclude matters of personal taste or things that are false, you might get a prompt response. I have always had the experience of Royal Caribbean responding to me in a timely manner, whether my correspondence was to praise or to point out a weakness on a recent cruise.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Cindy
Formatting Issues

[time4u2go]

This was an exact set up I needed on my Independence of the Seas cruise. Guess what, I had exactly 2 beds together, a sofa bed and a balcony. This was without the need to speak to anybody at all, it was all booked on RCI website.

The problem is, the OP booked that too, but didn't receive it. They got a chair bed instead of the sofa bed. Even after calling several times to confirm the configuration.

Edited July 10, 2014 by time4u2go

[luckyprincess]

Please read the above post where the menu is shown. ;) Lobster on the menu. Just because it's not on the night that you expected, it was still served during the week.

 

I can understand your frustration with the room situation but I don't think that you gave CS time to look into to it. The other comments are all subjective which I don't agree with but that's okay. I just don't like to see misinformation posted and the upcharge items being the only steak or lobster available is not correct.

 

On all my recent RCI cruises, the Fisherman's Platter has been served on the second formal night.

 

OP, your insistence that steak and lobster are ONLY available with an upcharge makes your entire post suspicious because it's simply not true. You can clearly see the always available steak under Classics whereas the upcharge items are listed under Premium Selections. The included lobster is listed under Main Courses.

 

Perhaps if you modified your list of complaints to RCI to exclude matters of personal taste or things that are false, you might get a prompt response. I have always had the experience of Royal Caribbean responding to me in a timely manner, whether my correspondence was to praise or to point out a weakness on a recent cruise.

 

Perhaps OP could read the menu better if there were no spaces, breaks, categories or paragraphs? Lol jk! I couldn't resist!

 

I would be pissed about the CHAIR bed as well, seeing as how the catalog, website, phone operators AND travel agent all said SOFA bed to the many inquiries OP made about the configuration. I've slept on both and am only 5' tall and they are not the same at all. If they are going to advertise it as one thing than it should be that thing. That's just ethical. Believing anything else is just fan BS. Unless the cabin plans clearly state that a diamond = CHAIR bed and triangle = SOFA bed there is really no excuse for this. I mean, should I make sure my cabin has actual walls because it isn't listed in the name of good research? If I see that my room has a full size coffee pot specified should I think to ask the forum if it is actually full sized or 4 cup? Why on earth would you ask a question that has been answered and is not suspect.

 

Now I will say I am a research-a-holic so I would have seen it because I look up pictures of my cabin before I go. So I would have then posted questions about that. However, remember, not everyone is as batty as me.

 

And to OP, if your own mother thought she should go there because you (to her) were probably rude and angry to the customer service people that speaks volumes about the amount of class you approached them with. I've worked in member services and if you act like a classless loudmouth with a problem you'll likely still leave with that problem or at least take some extra time to get it fixed ;) More bees with honey...

[Beardface]

On all my recent RCI cruises, the Fisherman's Platter has been served on the second formal night.

 

OP, your insistence that steak and lobster are ONLY available with an upcharge makes your entire post suspicious because it's simply not true. You can clearly see the always available steak under Classics whereas the upcharge items are listed under Premium Selections. The included lobster is listed under Main Courses.

 

Perhaps if you modified your list of complaints to RCI to exclude matters of personal taste or things that are false, you might get a prompt response. I have always had the experience of Royal Caribbean responding to me in a timely manner, whether my correspondence was to praise or to point out a weakness on a recent cruise.

 

Just off the Oasis, this was the menu on the 2nd formal night for us (night 5).

 

I will say this, when I initially read the menu when I was on the ship, I was a bit annoyed and complained to others that the only lobster I saw on it was on the Premium list. My wife had to point out that the lobster was a part of the Fisherman's Plate. (side note, the Fisherman's Plate lobster is tiny... like, REALLY small. Our entire table ordered seconds because of how small they were - but being that everything in the MDR is comp'd as part of the cruise price, no big deal).

 

So I mean, I can see where the OP would be frustrated with this menu. It really isn't the most clear thing in the world (especially when you're used to the meals the rest of the night being named by what is being prepared). For someone who hasn't sailed on RCI before, she wouldn't have known to look for the Plate instead of "Lobster with Shrimp".

[dwjoe]

OP made a duplicate thread on the Carnival board

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2068317

 

And someone there parsed the massive wall of text into paragraphs as well.

[JohnGaltny]

OP I agree that your post was a bit difficult to read BUT with that said, I would have been unhappy with the room setup too. I think that speaking directly to Royal several times pre-cruise should have been adequate "research".

 

As for the negative posts, that's a fairly common experience here. On my last cruise I had an adverse situation, which I described on here and got about a 50% blast rate with all sorts of "ad hominem" attacks. That's just the way it is here and that crowd is an amusing diversion.

 

I will tell you that I wrote directly to RCI corporate and they responded promptly and quite satisfactorily. I am a loyal (but not a delusional) RCI fan and there are times when things go awry. I hope you get the same prompt and honest response from corporate that I received. If you hear from a guy named Fiaz, you'll be in luck. He is a terrific representative.

 

Best of luck.

[gadaboutgal]

In regard to the statement: ".....so I go to the guest services desk and I am told nothing could be done until an hour or so after we set sail. REALLY????"

 

At the time you first went to Guest Services, the Guest Services staff may have been considering changing your cabin-possibly even upgrading you. But to do so they must wait until after the ship sets sail to determine if there are any empty cabins. If you had been a little more patient, you may have been upgraded to a better, more acceptable cabin.

[gjt3rd]

Jojoanddash thank you for the complete and thorough post. Yes in the future break your paragraphs into separate thoughts, but I had no problem reading your post on a smart phone. I value and appreciate the description of your experiences on RCL. I have only traveled on Carnival. I like the Carnival experience. On the Triumph the 3 person band during Valentine week was outstanding and I had a picky listener with me. Customer service exceeded my expectations. Because I also want to go on Alaska cruise, your post gave me areas to be alert and proactive. The CEO of Carnival simply has a different viewpoint of cruising than RCL. Because of honest reviewers like you, I have planned excellent cruises for my family. The responses that give information have helped too. Thanks to all. Happy cruising.

[Big_G]

Ok ... see then that's my "bad." I didn't realize that the RCI forum was essentially just a fan group of the cruise line. While I certainly expected that there would be folks out there that loved this particular line I did think this forum was a place to post reviews/observations/questions good OR bad. Duly noted. I will keep this in mind as I read and post.

 

It was a rant. Most agree the bed was an issue but the rest was mostly off the rails. Once you starting making things up you're gonna' get push back no matter what cruise boards you're writing on. I had more sympathy for the OP for having three adults in an E1. :D

[poncho1973]

As for the negative posts, that's a fairly common experience here. On my last cruise I had an adverse situation, which I described on here and got about a 50% blast rate with all sorts of "ad hominem" attacks.

 

Be honest, man. The real reason you took such a beating was because of your pompous (paraphrased) "From one super duper important CEO to another super duper important CEO, let's chat old chum and I'll explain to you how running a business works!" approach. It had much less to do with you problems and more to do with the way you did it.

Edited July 10, 2014 by poncho1973

[poncho1973]

Jojoanddash thank you for the complete and thorough post. Yes in the future break your paragraphs into separate thoughts, but I had no problem reading your post on a smart phone. I value and appreciate the description of your experiences on RCL. I have only traveled on Carnival. I like the Carnival experience. On the Triumph the 3 person band during Valentine week was outstanding and I had a picky listener with me. Customer service exceeded my expectations. Because I also want to go on Alaska cruise, your post gave me areas to be alert and proactive. The CEO of Carnival simply has a different viewpoint of cruising than RCL. Because of honest reviewers like you, I have planned excellent cruises for my family. The responses that give information have helped too. Thanks to all. Happy cruising.

 

I'm so glad you are so pleased. Sounds like 2 peas in a pod.

Edited July 10, 2014 by poncho1973

[going2cruz]

I have been on 3 cruises now 2 with Carnival & 1 with Royal Caribbean. The only reason I went with Royal Caribbean was due to the destination, we were going to Alaska from Vancouver to Seward and then we were doing land ourselves for a week and Carnival didn't offer that itinerary. My cruise started off bad the moment we walked into our room and got worse. I booked that cruise the very first day it was available and I called to make sure I was getting the room I wanted....I explained that it would be 3 adults my Mom, hubby & myself & that we needed the 2 beds put together and the SOFA bed with a balcony & I was assured that my room would be exactly what I was wanting. I spoke with Royal Caribbean representatives many times for different questions and they always reviewed what my reservation was. So I was very surprised to walk into my room and see the big bed and a chair.....so I go to the guest services desk and I am told nothing could be done until an hour or so after we set sail. REALLY???? So I explained in detail that I booked this the 1st day it was offered and what I was promised so he goes and looks and the computer and a book with a bad attitude like I was asking for him to actually do something and tells me that the other bed was in the ceiling and our cabin steward would drop it down and separate the other bed so we would all have a bed. I was very upset at this point & explained that we were all adults and we were not sleeping in a bed from the ceiling & the idiot actually said then he can try to fit a cot in there. I said NO that is not what we were promised and not what we paid for and he simply shrugs his shoulders and tells me to come back an hour or so after we set sail. So I go tell my Mom & hubby & told them I was going to get on the website to try to get something done. While I was on the computer my Mom went down & tried to talk to them since I was so upset she thought I might have been rude and that was why I wasn't getting any help & she came back ticked off & said that there was several people complaining about their rooms being wrong too. So when I finished emailing Royal Caribbean a woman (another cruiser) asked me what was wrong so I told her and she told me the chair made a bed and how to do it....so I got better customer service from another guest. I was at guest services another time getting some pamphlets and I asked the guy which side of the ship would we see the most land and his response was "you will only see land when we port the rest of the time we will be in open waters" REALLY??? I have never been on an Alaskan cruise and knew that was wrong. We had a couple other issues with them and the people at guest services (they are called employees but none of the new the answers to anything so the guests on the ship could have done a better job) they always gave us the wrong info or just said I don't know and pretty much moved to the next guest. Our room steward Jeff and our waiter Rajesh and waitress Marian were the only employees we really enjoyed and had any confidence in at all. The some of the food may have been a little better but there was not as much variety offered and on elegant nights on the Carnival you got steak & lobster but on Royal Caribbean you had to pay extra for that & the desserts were way better on Carnival. Now lets talk about entertainment or lack there of....Carnival beats Royal Caribbean a million to one blind folded and hands tied behind their back. Some shows were soooo bad that we had to leave and one show the singing was soooo horrible it really did hurt my ears it was worse than nails across the chalk board, costumes were very generic and at times didn't even go with what was going on. We missed the comedy club every night like Carnival has. They had 3 so called comedians that I really felt sorry for because it was like dead silence and then someone would give them a fake pity laugh and one looked like he was 80 years old and drunk most the time I couldn't understand half of what he was saying and what I did understand didn't make any sense. If it wasn't for the spa I don't think we would have enjoyed much of the cruise (but I had to pay extra for the use of the thermal suite which it was ok but it wasn't all that). I did like the adults only pool and Jacuzzi that was open 24 hours but a lot of times there were kids and teens in there too. I never take naps unless I am sick but I think I took more naps on this cruise than I have my whole life just because there was nothing to do if you wasn't a drinker. My favorite entertainment was to go out where the glass elevators are and watch the drunks trying to dance in the center....sad huh? So yeah I could keep going but I am just going to say that from now on we will be sticking with Carnival unless I have my heart set on a destination that they don't go too and then I will think long and hard about that!!! Oh and 1 final thing I still haven't heard anything from Royal Caribbean about the poor customer service. I have sent 2 emails and took 2 surveys and all I have received is on of the surveys asking about how my complaint was handled....I was honest and told them is wasn't as of that date and still nothing. Now this may be just 1 cruise or a bad crew but first impressions are everything and theirs was a horrible first impression on all of us. I have even asked my hubby & Mom and they say the same things as me and my husband told me he will never go on any cruise with RC again I would have to go by myself lol and my hubby is very easy going and doesn't get upset hardly ever and he was not pleased at all.

 

 

I need a prayer :) WHAT DID I DO

 

SEE BELOW :eek:

Edited July 10, 2014 by going2cruz

[Langley Cruisers]

I need a prayer :) WHAT DID I DO

 

SEE BELOW :eek:

 

No, you don't need a prayer. You will have a fabulous time on your cruise. Don't let this affect you negatively - as you can see, most people on this board love RCI. If something comes up, you'll deal with it. Attitude is almost always everything. :);)

 

Have fun.

[luckyprincess]

I need a prayer :) WHAT DID I DO

 

SEE BELOW :eek:

 

I would say if you have any problem at all don't act like a jerk to customer service and be rude. That's probably your best bet. But you seem to be a seasoned cruiser so I would think you value customer service employees. I would also say check your cabin picture if you are expecting a sofa bed apparently lol!

 

And this is posted by someone who would be happy to try any line that is geared towards fun :D

[Merion_Mom]

Summary, in my viewpoint:

 

1. Some people need to read all of the posts before choosing to post. Repeating stuff is annoying. Just sayin'.

 

2. I completely sympathize with jojoanddash about the "chair bed". As I wrote in laurac's original thread, which I linked to earlier in this thread, Royal Caribbean simply should not HAVE this THING in any of its cabins. Yuck. Seriously. If they KEEP it, then there must be full and complete and up-front disclosure that it is there. This is a poor excuse for a "berth". YUCK. Did I mention.............YUCK?

 

3. Name calling. Jojoanddash did NOT start the name calling. SHE was called an idiot before she turned around and responded to that person in similar fashion.

 

All in all, this has been a very amusing thread indeed! ;)