$7.95 Room Service Charge

[lucymorgan]

I've never been a fan of room service (on land or at sea) - it always seems to be luke warm at best and not the same quality and choice. I've only ever used it to ensure I wake up in time for an early excursion.

 

However, I understand people who have already booked and paid being upset by this change. It is not what they paid for.

 

IMO RCI should have announced this with a much longer lead time and with details of what they were going to provide instead. For example more food options late at night and better options such as trays and covers for transporting food back to rooms by guests and special consideration for sole parents or people with a disability. Able bodied people with more than one adult in a room would then be able to go and get their family exactly what is required/desired without taking up space in the windjammer if they prefer to eat in their room.

[Lafayette Cruiser]

Yes, you can grab food in WJ and take tray back to room.

 

That is IF the WJ is open. Next move by RCCL will be to restrict WJ service hours even more so you will be forced to order room service if you are hungry outside of ever decreasing service hours.

[rimmit]

IMO RCI should have announced this with a much longer lead time and with details of what they were going to provide instead. For example more food options late at night and better options such as trays and covers for transporting food back to rooms by guests and special consideration for sole parents or people with a disability. Able bodied people with more than one adult in a room would then be able to go and get their family exactly what is required/desired without taking up space in the windjammer if they prefer to eat in their room.

 

Thank you! This is exactly right. Most people would still be angry, but they would not be livid if there was some lead time and thought into the decision. I think to go trays with lids for WJ if you want to eat in your room would have been a great start so you could eat in your room when WJ is busy. Some kind of staggered roll out, and maybe a free meal or two based on if you were platinum, emerald, diamond, etc. I think a coupon for room service for Platinum and above, and you get more free meals would have been enough to satisfy some people and curb demand, to where this wouldn't be the firestorm it has become.

[Moltar]

So you can't understand why people who already paid for something and are not getting what they paid for are pissed. What a jerk.

 

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What I can't understand is that you live in a capitalist society and then bitch and moan about capitalist society. The only goal of our society is to make more money and that is the goal of companies and corporations in a capitalist society. Reasons like this are why I voted for Bernie Sanders for compassionate capitalism

[dixieva]

Sorry if this has been asked and answered but is Grand Suite the only full suite that will not pay for room service? What about Royal Suite, Royal Family Suite, President's Suite etc??

[Clarea]

Sorry if this has been asked and answered but is Grand Suite the only full suite that will not pay for room service? What about Royal Suite, Royal Family Suite, President's Suite etc??

No one has any direct experience with this yet, so it's all speculation. My guess is that Grand Suite and above will have "free" room service, but we won't know for sure until this is put into practice.

[dixieva]

That was my thought also. Just wondered if anyone had seen it spelled out yet.

[ashley@cruisecritic]

Hi guys. Here are the new room service menus, sent over from the Royal Caribbean PR department this morning.

 

 

 

[Clarea]

Hi guys. Here are the new room service menus, sent over from the Royal Caribbean PR department this morning.

 

Don't see anything. Is this possibly linked to Facebook?

[grandmarnnurse]

That's the same policy as NCL has. No big surprise.

 

 

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[caribill]

As another member stated, next time we will be charged a surcharge for the main theater shows, and to use the rock wall, or play mini golf on a whim. After that it will be ALL FOOD!

 

 

"This was introduced to manage the high demand [for room service]," Royal Caribbean representative Lyan Sierra-Caro explained.

 

I guess they can say the same to eliminate the high demand for the main theater shows.

[kernow]

Hi guys. Here are the new room service menus, sent over from the Royal Caribbean PR department this morning.

 

 

 

Thanks for posting these, I can see them.

 

For me there is nothing worth paying $7.95 for there, I think I would rather nip up to the Windjammer and bring something back.

 

I'm disappointed that there is no Smoked salmon plate on the American breakfast, I thought they would offer something more exciting than previously if we were paying.

 

Julie

[widallas]

With the abysmal food quality and wait time for room service, I actually hope the up-charge improves the service over time. Didn't understand why people were upset, but I get that a gradual introduction would have probably made things smoother in terms of passengers. From the business standpoint, I'm guessing they've hedged their bets that no one will cancel a cruise for a $7.95 service they barely use, and that they can quickly implement and move on. Will be interesting to see if this is an issue in a month....

 

But this along with the constant up selling on board, MDR quality going down in favor of specialty dining, and cuts in service...,just makes a person start looking at other options. People will still cruise but some of the hard-core, cruise more often clients might look at other options. Personally would love to see less mega-ships and better quality and upgrades in the already existing fleet.

 

 

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[ashley@cruisecritic]

Don't see anything. Is this possibly linked to Facebook?

 

Yes, they're housed on Facebook. I'll investigate the issue further with our tech team, but in the meantime, we've embedded the menus in our news story here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7647. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[rimmit]

"This was introduced to manage the high demand [for room service]," Royal Caribbean representative Lyan Sierra-Caro explained.

 

I guess they can say the same to eliminate the high demand for the main theater shows.

 

Or the flow rider or any of the sport options. I have waited quite some time for these activities. They literally can expand this line of reasoning to anything. It started with yoga and pilates, and has crept into everything RCI does to the point that it is intolerable. Cruising the main lines stopped being a luxury experience long ago, but now it is beginning to feel like a land vacation.

 

I have already started booking other lines. Was looking into fall cruises, and have booked an eight night on the Disney Magic where they have free pop and room service and nicer ships. First time I am venturing outside RCI in 4.5 years, but I just can't take it anymore.

 

RCI is the new NCL and CCL except pricier.

[ashley@cruisecritic]

Am I the only one who noticed that the charges are being implemented fleet wide, before the new menu rolls out to all ships? That really stinks for those people who are still being charged $7.95 for the old mediocre choices.

 

Just checked with Royal Caribbean PR. The charge will not go into effect on a ship until the menu has debuted on that ship, so there will be no charge for the old menu choices.

[rimmit]

From the business standpoint, I'm guessing they've hedged their bets that no one will cancel a cruise for a $7.95 service they barely use, and that they can quickly implement and move on. Will be interesting to see if this is an issue in a month....

 

 

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The issue is that you CAN'T cancel. It is implemented on all cruises starting Mar 27th, many of which were past final payment.

[Clarea]

Yes, they're housed on Facebook. I'll investigate the issue further with our tech team, but in the meantime, we've embedded the menus in our news story here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7647. Sorry for the inconvenience.

It's not your problem, it's my problem. Several of the facilities I use block Facebook. Thanks for letting me know.

[DaytonCruiser]

Just checked with Royal Caribbean PR. The charge will not go into effect on a ship until the menu has debuted on that ship, so there will be no charge for the old menu choices.

 

 

Is there a time frame for the rollout?

[rimmit]

Just checked with Royal Caribbean PR. The charge will not go into effect on a ship until the menu has debuted on that ship, so there will be no charge for the old menu choices.

 

Did they give any other info. Sometimes they give reasoning behind discontinuing a service. For example they state they got rid of the chocolates because they were wasting X tons of chocolate a year that was going uneaten. Just curious if they spouted some statistic that only 5% of cruisers use room service so most won't notice the difference or some other nonsense.

[ashley@cruisecritic]

Another bit of info from Royal PR: "Grand suites and above do not pay the service charge."

[renech]

I've never been a fan of room service (on land or at sea) - it always seems to be luke warm at best and not the same quality and choice. I've only ever used it to ensure I wake up in time for an early excursion.

 

However, I understand people who have already booked and paid being upset by this change. It is not what they paid for.

 

IMO RCI should have announced this with a much longer lead time and with details of what they were going to provide instead. For example more food options late at night and better options such as trays and covers for transporting food back to rooms by guests and special consideration for sole parents or people with a disability. Able bodied people with more than one adult in a room would then be able to go and get their family exactly what is required/desired without taking up space in the windjammer if they prefer to eat in their room.

 

I so agree with everything you've said here, particularly about the low quality of room service breakfast. The continental options are the only ones I order anymore. The scrambled eggs are...mysterious... at best.

 

Great point about people who are traveling as sole parents or who are disabled being given exemptions.

[Woodmnky]

Just checked with Royal Caribbean PR. The charge will not go into effect on a ship until the menu has debuted on that ship, so there will be no charge for the old menu choices.

Thank you for checking on this. Hopefully, the PR rep is correct. While many will still be unhappy with the charge it would be ridiculous to charge people the new price for the old menu.

[ace1zoe2]

Anyone notice that the Breakfast Menu states that the Continental Breakfast is complimentary? Only the American breakfast has the delivery fee. Works for me since I usually order the fruit/yogurt/pastries/cereal selection to enjoy on the balcony.

 

 

 

Hi guys. Here are the new room service menus, sent over from the Royal Caribbean PR department this morning.

 

 

 

[ashley@cruisecritic]

Is there a time frame for the rollout?

 

It will roll out to all ships through May, so within the next month or so.