Room service charge official on ncl ... Hope rci doesn't follow

[Dinkachu]

We travel with 2 disabled cruisers and 2 elderly cruisers, who often found eating in the room a plus as getting out to eat every meal every day was daunting, if not impossible on bad days. One of our favorite things about RCI was that you could order from the dining room menu through room service at no charge; we always tipped the person bringing the food.

 

A few years ago, those of us in balcony rooms could only order from a limited room service menu and there was a late night charge. Okay, we couldn't get prime rib delivered to the room any more, but found the salads, soups, sandwiches and honey stung chicken enough to make the disabled travelers content.

 

We are just hoping that RCI does not follow NCL plan of charging 7.95 per room service order. We are already paying for the meals we can't get to the dining room to eat. Here's hoping RCI leaves room service alone.

 

Here is the information about NCL's plans::confused:

 

Dining changes onboard Norwegian Cruise Line continue. Here are the latest updates:

 

Room Service

As of tomorrow, May 1, the new room service menus currently being tested onboard Breakaway and Getaway will be rolled out fleetwide -- along with a $7.95 charge for each order placed (excluding morning coffee and Continental breakfast selections).

 

According to Norwegian, the new menu offers an expanded selection for breakfast, in addition to a wider variety of options available 24 hours a day. Room service orders remain complimentary for passengers booked in a suite or The Haven.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Dinkachu

[Clarea]

I believe Royal is already charging by the item for certain room service selections on Quantum and Anthem.

[Retired LEO]

I believe Royal is already charging by the item for certain room service selections on Quantum and Anthem.

 

It'll be fleet wide soon enough.

[cincicruisers]

It will be a bummer if they start charging for room service. There is no other place to get food other than park cafe at night.

 

If they are going to charge a fee,they should keep another dining option for late night/early morning.

 

Just seems like lately we are getting nickeled and dimed taking away the cruise "all inclusive' of years past.

[Cigar King]

There were some room services charges on Quantum, I don't recall the details though. We typically just ordered a pot of coffee, and I don't think we were charged for that.

 

That being said free room service seems like it's days are numbered.

[georgigirl]

If NCL has to make a charge, why don't they do a reasonable charge for OFF hours, like after midnight. Why for the normal folks who just want a cup of coffee. Not good.

[SteveH2508]

If NCL has to make a charge, why don't they do a reasonable charge for OFF hours, like after midnight. Why for the normal folks who just want a cup of coffee. Not good.

 

They used to - then along came a new management team who started to ramp up charges and introduce new ones. There are a lot of unhappy (ex) NCL customers out there due, in part, to these changes and their poor implementation/communication of them.

[Philly Steve]

It'll be fleet wide soon enough.

 

Will baggage fees be next? :(

[Diplomacy]

I usually order a lot of room service, after I get sick of eating at the Windjammer. Makes me feel like I'm sailing in a nursing home with all that soft food and I can't stand the formal dining room.

 

I think I've eaten more hamburgers on the two cruises I've been on, than the entire rest of my life combined... And that's not meant to be a tribute to the quality of the food from Room service.

 

In all honesty, I would be fine paying a service charge for room service (I believe there already is one applied during certain hours?) If it meant having a decent selection of food, and especially some decent appetizers; sandwiches, breads and pastries, and/or desserts...

Edited October 1, 2015 by Diplomacy

[cruisefrost]

One of the reasons we no longer cruise. Cruising was at one time a great bargain but not any more. Pay thousands for the cruise to begin with and then get taken to the cleaners for the rest of the vacation. 25 cruises and not counting

Edited October 1, 2015 by cruisefrost

[Ocean Boy]

Will baggage fees be next? :(

 

Not likely as the holdouts will then dump the formal clothing and RCI will then loose out on all those overpriced photos from formal night that people buy.

[3CatsInMA]

They will continue to add charges as long as people keep paying them. Who would've thought that they could start adding additional fees in Chops?

[SheehanDJ]

As long as ships keep filling up, up-charge activities and items are going to become more and more the norm.

 

When the Oasis class was launched, I thought a new ship that holds 6000 people would help lower the price on the older smaller ships, wasn't the case. They are still filling all their ships (104% occupancy is a number often thrown around) and they keep building more.

 

Free food and entertainment are ALWAYS going to be a part of cruising as it is the backbone this particular style of vacation is built around. That being said, it wouldn't surprise me that in the future the Windjammer is free and the MDR became an up-charge, initially the food would be much better and "worth" the extra money, eventually dropping in quality to what is available today. Same with some of the entertainment, the majority of the shows will be free, but every cruise will start having an up-charged entertainment event, probably a very desirable professional one with named celebrities, eventually declining to what is available today.

[Cigar King]

One of the reasons we no longer cruise. Cruising was at one time a great bargain but not any more. Pay thousands for the cruise to begin with and then get taken to the cleaners for the rest of the vacation. 25 cruises and not counting

 

I feel that compared to a land vacation, cruising is very reasonably priced. That being said, I am not a fan of being nickeled and dimed. I'd rather they just raise the prices and be done with it.

[Diplomacy]

I feel that compared to a land vacation, cruising is very reasonably priced. That being said, I am not a fan of being nickeled and dimed. I'd rather they just raise the prices and be done with it.

 

I feel that you cannot compare the two... Cruising would be better compared to a land-tour vacation, and those also tend to be very reasonably priced.

[Ocean Boy]

As long as ships keep filling up, up-charge activities and items are going to become more and more the norm.

 

When the Oasis class was launched, I thought a new ship that holds 6000 people would help lower the price on the older smaller ships, wasn't the case. They are still filling all their ships (104% occupancy is a number often thrown around) and they keep building more.

 

Free food and entertainment are ALWAYS going to be a part of cruising as it is the backbone this particular style of vacation is built around. That being said, it wouldn't surprise me that in the future the Windjammer is free and the MDR became an up-charge, initially the food would be much better and "worth" the extra money, eventually dropping in quality to what is available today. Same with some of the entertainment, the majority of the shows will be free, but every cruise will start having an up-charged entertainment event, probably a very desirable professional one with named celebrities, eventually declining to what is available today.

 

NCL tried that. It didn't work.

[Grandma Dazzles]

I usually order a lot of room service, after I get sick of eating at the Windjammer. Makes me feel like I'm sailing in a nursing home with all that soft food and I can't stand the formal dining room.

 

I think I've eaten more hamburgers on the two cruises I've been on, than the entire rest of my life combined... And that's not meant to be a tribute to the quality of the food from Room service.

 

In all honesty, I would be fine paying a service charge for room service (I believe there already is one applied during certain hours?) If it meant having a decent selection of food, and especially some decent appetizers; sandwiches, breads and pastries, and/or desserts...

 

 

Food is so subjective. Never thought of Windjammer as "soft food." Every ship I have sailed has had some type of carved meat at lunch and lots of salads, sandwich possibilities. Also don't have a problem with MDR. Don't normally eat in the Windjammer at night but lots of people seem to enjoy. Couldn't imagine room service (unless sick/handicapped and no choice) for the entire cruise.

[John&LaLa]

There were some room services charges on Quantum, I don't recall the details though. We typically just ordered a pot of coffee, and I don't think we were charged for that.

 

That being said free room service seems like it's days are numbered.

 

51 cruises and I can count the times we've ordered room service on 1 hand. And a couple of those were just to get some potato chips.

[LMaxwell]

NCL tried that. It didn't work.

 

Did anyone let NCL know that? Because their new ships are coming with more up charge entertainment options.

[MrsPete]

We travel with 2 disabled cruisers and 2 elderly cruisers, who often found eating in the room a plus as getting out to eat every meal every day was daunting, if not impossible on bad days. One of our favorite things about RCI was that you could order from the dining room menu through room service at no charge; we always tipped the person bringing the food ... along with a $7.95 charge for each order placed (excluding morning coffee and Continental breakfast selections).

$7.95 per order? That's insane! If I had special needs folks in my party, I'd just have someone walk to the buffet and bring the food back. No big deal.

 

My opinion: You said this is NCL charging $7.95? NCL wants to get rid of room service. They'll charge this overpriced fee, people will stop ordering room service, and then they'll drop it, saying, "No one was using it!"

One of the reasons we no longer cruise. Cruising was at one time a great bargain but not any more. Pay thousands for the cruise to begin with and then get taken to the cleaners for the rest of the vacation. 25 cruises and not counting

Disagree. Cruising has never been "a great bargain". It's always been a relatively expensive vacation.

Edited October 1, 2015 by MrsPete

[lv2bcruzin]

Disagree. Cruising has never been "a great bargain". It's always been a relatively expensive vacation.

Not sure how you cruise, but I've done a couple 7 nighters for less than $1,000 (one was less than $700) total for two people. That's definitely a great bargain. I've also spent over $10k on a 7 night cruise. How you cruise and what you spend your money on will determine if it's a bargain or not. But, it can definitely be a great bargain if you want it to be. It also depends on what alternative vacations your comparing cruising to. Plus, a bargain is relative to your spending habits.

Edited October 1, 2015 by lv2bcruzin

[psupa]

Watch what you wish for you just might get it. This started when people wanted more options to dine because they didn't like the dining hours or choices, etc., so now we have up-charge restaurants (no I don't use them) and the food in the MDR is just fine for us. We've used room service from time to time for morning coffee and danish and tipped. If they start charging for room service we will no longer use it. You can only be nickel and dimed if you let them do it. Having cruised for 30 years now we've been there, done that so we just go to relax and will eat at any of the included venues, MDR, buffet, Park Cafe, etc. Prices for photos have skyrocketed over the years to an average of $25 per photo, but we no longer need to purchase them. We rather cruise on the smaller ships due to a medical condition and easier to get around and I don't want to have to make reservations for dinner and for entertainment. Just my 2 cents opinion so no bashing please.

[rtazz17]

One of the reasons we no longer cruise. Cruising was at one time a great bargain but not any more. Pay thousands for the cruise to begin with and then get taken to the cleaners for the rest of the vacation. 25 cruises and not counting

 

No offence but if you no longer cruise (and turned off by it)why do you post on cruising forum?Odd

[lv2bcruzin]

Room service food is terrible anyway. Not really an issue for us as we don't order it. Didn't think it would take charging for it to get people to stop ordering. I figured the food itself would've done that.

Edited October 1, 2015 by lv2bcruzin

[703cruiser]

Not sure how you cruise, but I've done a couple 7 nighters for less than $1,000 (one was less than $700) total for two people. That's definitely a great bargain. I've also spent over $10k on a 7 night cruise. How you cruise and what you spend your money on will determine if it's a bargain or not. But, it can definitely be a great bargain if you want it to be. It also depends on what alternative vacations your comparing cruising to. Plus, a bargain is relative to your spending habits.

 

There are still bargains to be had. When Carnival rolled out the Sunshine, at one point they had a 13 night western med cruise that was as low as $650/pp for an inside. Had a deposit but had to bail on that one.

 

The folks and I are booked on the Harmony OTS TA next October. I booked during a WOW sale, my interior + virtual balcony came in at a flat $2000 with a $200 OBC. Considering we (I) picked that cruise because I wanted to check out what this whole mega-ship/floating resort is all about, that's pretty darn reasonable.