Fox News -Is Cruising still a good value?

[grand isle joe]

FWIW, I have far less concerns about my cruise dollar than I do about my airfare dollar. You want to talk nickels and dimes? Try flying.

 

Bing Bing Bing....Give that man a cigar!!!!!!:)

[Goodtime Cruizin]

Value is a BIG word. Value is also in the eye of the beholder. If you're not happy with RCL, then quit sailing with them. It's really quite simple.

 

I'm currently on a biz trip traveling across the country and checked into a Comfort Inn Suite for $95/night plus city, state taxes. It offers a window view, a coffee maker, fridge, microwave, a desk & king bed, full size shower. I could have got a room two buildings down for $59 but chose not too. Why not save the $36? I'm not a big spender, but I'm also not a penny pincher. I felt there was value at the Comfort Inn. Others, maybe not.

 

Look, I'm pretty sure that somewhere RCL has skimped a bit. But guys, IMO you simply can not find the same 'value' than what RCL is offering. I currently have three booked cruises with JS accommodations for less money than my balcony cabin cost me in 2013. The prices have gone up but there are good cruises w/ great itenaries out there if you look & study.

 

As far as Smoked Salmon goes, I personally have never booked a cruise based on this need. What I have done is to stop buying excursions via RCL. I've applied this savings on other goodies such as the beverage packages and two nights per cruise at Specialty Dining. That's my value. Yours may be different. So whatever it is, enjoy your cruise. :)

 

Good luck.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Goodtime Cruizin

[riclop]

It's still the best bang for your buck.

[Setting sail for fun]

The drink prices have just recently gone up. Maybe everyone hasn't experienced this yet. A basic Bloody Mary $11 plus 18% gratuity.

 

I think a cruise is still a good value if you don't need to add all the extras.

[Paul65]

The drink prices have just recently gone up. Maybe everyone hasn't experienced this yet. A basic Bloody Mary $11 plus 18% gratuity.

 

I think a cruise is still a good value if you don't need to add all the extras.

 

Somebody posted a list of bar prices a while back, after the recent increases. There are still a lot of drinks under the $10 mark. They have all gone up, but some people seem to be thinking the everything is $12 or more, which is not the case. The previous time I cruised, as mojito was $6 in the Viking Crown lounge, so going from $6 to $8 is still a 33% increase, but that's a good ways below $12.

 

So, I'm not exactly saying "Yay! Higher prices!," but pointing out it's not as bad as some people think.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Paul65

[Setting sail for fun]

Somebody posted a list of bar prices a while back, after the recent increases. There are still a lot of drinks under the $10 mark. They have all gone up, but some people seem to be thinking the everything is $12 or more, which is not the case. The previous time I cruised, as mojito was $6 in the Viking Crown lounge, so going from $6 to $8 is still a 33% increase, but that's a good ways below $12.

 

So, I'm not exactly saying "Yay! Higher prices!," but pointing out it's not as bad as some people think.

 

Didn't see the under $10 drinks on our cruise, except for "Drink of the Day".

 

May have missed them or didn't drink them.

[VRUNNER]

I live by the Jersey Shore, a week down here, renting a house/condo in OC, the boardwalk and food for a family of four will set you back 4-5k if you are on a budget... You want a ocean view? 8-10k. Disney?? Crazy expensive... We did a overnight trip to Great wolf lodge, 5 people, room, food, skiing and all the nickel and dime crap... 1400.00!! So we booked a 9 day caribbean cruise for four, balcony for 3600.00. We have a 200 OBC and figure we will spend another 1500.00 on everything else, excursions, tips, drink package for the kids. (We rarely drink) and we are 5100.00 all in for 9 days. Not bad in comparison to the other trips we have taken.

Edited April 14, 2015 by VRUNNER

[grandgeezer]

The cruise itself is a good value even though we feel the quality and service has slipped. All the nickel and dime stuff is where the cost increase has come.

We've changed our needs from a cruise. We now see cruises as just three hots and a cot, just like it was in the service. We do not spend one extra penny on the ship, no drinks, no specialty restaurants, no casino, no shops, and no extra gratuities. We spend our money in the ports where the value is better. We also avoid most of the promotions. The only one of value is the prepaid gratuities, everything else is a waste of money. We now enjoy our cruising as much as the next person, the only difference is we spend a whole lot less than most.

[TM38Rob]

“When you look at everything that a cruise includes – wonderful cuisine, outstanding entertainment, and your hotel-- and you look at the price you pay on a per day basis,” explains Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales for Royal Caribbean, “you couldn’t find a better deal on land.”

And she balks at the idea that the lines have begun to “nickel and dime” their customers or – worse – lower the quality in the dining rooms in order to encourage guests to eat at the for-a-fee specialty restaurants.

“You can fool your consumers once, but they won’t come on board again,” explains Freed. “If they don’t see shrimp or smoked salmon, they won’t be fooled. Today, consumers have the power of social media, and they’re smart. They’re savvy.”

 

 

While comparing a cruise vacation as a better value to a land based one, it's comparing your last cruise to your previous cruises is where the "nickel and dime"-ing come in. More like "Twenties and Fifties".

(Cruise) Luggage Tags used to be included and sent with your printed cruise documents. With eDocs, you could still have the luggage tags mailed. Then they started charging a fee for printed documents, but continued to include the luggage tags by mail for no extra charge with eDocs. Now you have to pay $35-$50 to get printed luggage tags with printed cruise documents (if not Pinnacle or a Suite guest), or spend your own nickles and dimes to print them yourself with your ink and paper, then bring a stapler or tape dispenser to attach them (or Spend a few dollars more and get luggage tag holders from the Cruise Critic store like I did).

Used to have a nice steak in the MDR, until they added the option of ordering a steak from Chops Grille (even on ships without one) in the MDR at Chops full price, but without the Chops experience. That's when the quality of the "complimentary" MDR steak went down. Now the MDR steak is barely edible.

Just two examples to show the part highlighted in light blue is true. Add in price increases to Johnny Rockets (originally "complimentary" when first introduced), Chops Grille and other specialty restaurants, drinks (soda was once included in the price of the cruise a number of years ago I hear), cruise fares, shore excursions, etc.; Cruising no longer offers the same value as less is included and costs more.

Does a cruise vacation still offer value compared to an all-inclusive? Yes, but the gap is quickly closing in.

Edited April 14, 2015 by TM38Rob
Text is black when typing, Blue when posting, added "light" to blue highlight reference

[Paul65]

Didn't see the under $10 drinks on our cruise, except for "Drink of the Day".

 

May have missed them or didn't drink them.

 

I didn't "see" the under $10 drinks, either. The bar menus mainly just list a few specialty cocktails which are the more expensive ones. But if you just order something like a gin & tonic or rum & coke (or someone mentioned jack & coke on another thread) you'll see a lower price on the charge slip. These drinks also went up. Again, I'm just saying that some people are exaggerating the increase. The drinks that used to be $9-10 are now likely to be $12. The ones that used to be $6 are now likely to be about $8.

[ERIE 13]

Is she also in charge of the web site.

[Paulette3028]

Is she also in charge of the web site.

 

In most companies that I have come across in the last 20 years of business, yes 'website development/sales presentation material/sales process via the web' are all within the Sales and Marketing Dept. and usually that VP has it under their hat of responsibility.

[jr1946]

Somebody posted a list of bar prices a while back, after the recent increases. There are still a lot of drinks under the $10 mark. They have all gone up, but some people seem to be thinking the everything is $12 or more, which is not the case. The previous time I cruised, as mojito was $6 in the Viking Crown lounge, so going from $6 to $8 is still a 33% increase, but that's a good ways below $12.

 

So, I'm not exactly saying "Yay! Higher prices!," but pointing out it's not as bad as some people think.

 

 

On Allure in March a mojito and whiskey sour (bar whiskey) was $26 on embarkation day. No more $8 mojito.

[Aintnofun007]

i have two small kids, the amount of stuff we bring for the kids would sink me in excess baggage fees flying alone. so as long as i can drive to the cruise port i still think cruising gives us our best bang for our buck.

[Setting sail for fun]

The cruise itself is a good value even though we feel the quality and service has slipped. All the nickel and dime stuff is where the cost increase has come.

We've changed our needs from a cruise. We now see cruises as just three hots and a cot, just like it was in the service. We do not spend one extra penny on the ship, no drinks, no specialty restaurants, no casino, no shops, and no extra gratuities. We spend our money in the ports where the value is better. We also avoid most of the promotions. The only one of value is the prepaid gratuities, everything else is a waste of money. We now enjoy our cruising as much as the next person, the only difference is we spend a whole lot less than most.

 

Agree the basic is definitely a good value and we will continue to enjoy.

[molly361]

That seemed to be the going rate (before gratuities) for simple drinks like a mojito or gin & tonic on my sailing. Martinis and fancier cocktails tended to be $10 - 12.

 

Was this recent? I thought the same thing. We were on the EX the end of Feb and a basic Vodka and OJ was a bit under $8, can't remember if that was with or without tip.

 

As others stated it is not the same as it was but every time I think about doing a land vacation cruising comes out to be a better value for us on a per day cost.

[George C]

I think cruising is well worth the money they charge, yes all the major lines now have pay restaurants but the pay restaurant are still a bargain compared to what a restaurant on land will charge. Next month we will do NYC and I am sure the cost will be so much more than my GS will cost in 2 weeks.

[Setting sail for fun]

I don't know when the increases hit. But I believe it was March. We sailed 3/20/2015. You will not see many drink menus with prices - at least we did not in March.

 

Our last cruise prior to this one was 11/2014.

 

Oh, I think the non-alcoholic drinks (frozen) were like $4.95. (Going by my memory)

[Clarea]

I don't know when the increases hit. But I believe it was March. We sailed 3/20/2015. You will not see many drink menus with prices - at least we did not in March.

 

Our last cruise prior to this one was 11/2014.

 

Oh, I think the non-alcoholic drinks (frozen) were like $4.95. (Going by my memory)

I agree with regard to the timing. We first noticed the drink prices missing from the menus in December. Cruised in January and February and the drink prices had not gone up yet. By our cruise in March, the prices had jumped.

[Setting sail for fun]

I agree with regard to the timing. We first noticed the drink prices missing from the menus in December. Cruised in January and February and the drink prices had not gone up yet. By our cruise in March, the prices had jumped.

 

 

Yes, I think so.

[MOSusan]

We sailed the week of March 22nd. A glass of Moscato was $8 - comparable to any local restaurant. My husband's beer was less than that - around $6. As for the Virgin frozen drinks that my daughter likes...$4 before gratuity.

 

Since we could bring wine on board this time, we decided not to buy the wine package. Previously our waiter filled our glasses until we drank a bottle each night with dinner. Without the package we only had one glass with dinner. I probably wouldn't have been able to get another glass in a timely manner anyway the way our dinner service went this time.

 

Will we continue sailing with Royal Caribbean? Yes. Will we look for deals, sales and value? Yes.

[Setting sail for fun]

We will continue sailing RCCL as well. Just being very selective in the drink purchases now.

[Cruisin'4Us]

Explorer (March 2014) offered smoked salmon for breakfast every day.

[Susie51]

thanks for sharing the link.

[racerxspeedy]

Explorer (March 2014) offered smoked salmon for breakfast every day.

 

Jewel - March 2015 - no smoked salmon. I had a grumpy guest seated next to me at breakfast in the MDR. I asked him if he was enjoying his cruise. He responded "no - I can't find anything I enjoy eating- no smoked salmon!......I can't wait to get on my next Carnival cruise". He ate plenty for breakfast....

 

Just pointing out that there was no shrimp cocktail or smoked salmon on this cruise....not a huge deal for me, but it shows that Vicki hasn't been cruising recently.