What ever happened to certain Cruise Special Touches?

[CruisinRoxy]

Like for example, Ice sculptures, carved fruits and foods at special buffets, towel animals?  I imagine some of these cuts are simply due to the times we live in, financial factors and cutbacks.  I'm sure a lot of it has to do with being "sustainable", everyone's favorite word.  Waste, preserving the oceans?  But I noted this on our last cruise on Celebrity.   We had never been on Celebrity, so maybe they never had these things?   I checked my last photo album, from RCL Allure, and yes there were the fancy carvings and sculptures, and towel animals.

I am simply curious if anyone else has noticed this trend, and interested in your thoughts.    Thanks, All!  

Edited February 27, 2019 by CruisinRoxy
correction

[paul929207]

Not towel animals, but I see the others on Princess 

[sverigecruiser]

45 minutes ago, CruisinRoxy said:

Like for example, Ice sculptures, carved fruits and foods at special buffets, towel animals?  I imagine some of these cuts are simply due to the times we live in, financial factors and cutbacks.  I'm sure a lot of it has to do with being "sustainable", everyone's favorite word.  Waste, preserving the oceans?  But I noted this on our last cruise on Celebrity.   We had never been on Celebrity, so maybe they never had these things?   I checked my last photo album, from RCL Allure, and yes there were the fancy carvings and sculptures, and towel animals.

I am simply curious if anyone else has noticed this trend, and interested in your thoughts.    Thanks, All!  

 

I didn't saw any ice sculpures or carved fruits on MSC Divina last week but we got a new tower animal every day.

[SantaFeFan]

Celebrity used to have special buffets with ice carvings and carved fruits. Originally done at a midnight buffet, it was eventually changed to a lunchtime buffet on a sea day due to the fact that since it was just a few hours after dinner, most people were already full and the midnight buffet seemed more of a photo opportunity than a dining opportunity so most of the food was wasted. We experienced both on Celebrity. The midnight buffet was in early 2009, so the change to lunch was sometime after that. Our last Celebrity cruise in early 2015 still had the special lunchtime buffet.

 

Towel animals were not a staple of Celebrity when we cruised with them. We did receive a pair of swans once, but that was for our anniversary. 

Edited February 27, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[jocap]

Thinking back, I've seen them on cruises with several sea days- an added attraction to the activities. Ice carving is usually an event outside if it's warm enough to stand around; carved marrows etc were inside on our last (cold) cruise.

[lenquixote66]

Towel animals were on my recent  RCI and NCL cruises .I would prefer just getting extra towels.

[leaveitallbehind]

42 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Towel animals were on my recent  RCI and NCL cruises .I would prefer just getting extra towels.

Just ask and your stateroom attendant will provide all you want.

 

 

[Velvetwater]

Didn't they do away with midnight buffets due to wastage? Seems sensible to me.

 

I think part of it (for main cruise lines) is spending their money on time on what the current market wants. Cruise lines have been targeting certain age groups for a little while now and their money will go on starbucks on the ship, a rollercoaster round the deck etc instead of chocolates on pillows and flaming desserts.

 

 

[BlueRiband]

Many (but not all) cruisers today are looking at the lowest price per person per day.  Cruise lines competing for the budget traveler will be more expensive it they provide these traditional amenities.  Give this group a choice of either having these extras or of spending $5 ppd less they'll take the later. 

 

Whenever somebody here asks if there is a line that is still traditional, I recommend the one that I sailed.  Their response?  "Too expensive."

[ldubs]

3 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

Celebrity used to have special buffets with ice carvings and carved fruits. Originally done at a midnight buffet, it was eventually changed to a lunchtime buffet on a sea day due to the fact that since it was just a few hours after dinner, most people were already full and the midnight buffet seemed more of a photo opportunity than a dining opportunity so most of the food was wasted. We experienced both on Celebrity. The midnight buffet was in early 2009, so the change to lunch was sometime after that. Our last Celebrity cruise in early 2015 still had the special lunchtime buffet.

 

Towel animals were not a staple of Celebrity when we cruised with them. We did receive a pair of swans once, but that was for our anniversary. 

 

Holy cow, I remember those midnight buffets.  They were beautiful.  More of a photo op than for eating.  

[Heidi13]

Experience is mostly with Princess, who until our last cruise with them in 2015, still provided all points listed by the OP, except towel art. Cabin Stewards now have more cabins, so for about the last 20 yrs we have only seen it on special occasions - birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

[jagsfan]

Princess still does the chocolate in the pillow every night, and once in a while we get a towel animal. 

I’m not fond of them because we have to move it somewhere to sleep and feel guilty if they fall apart. 

[OCruisers]

Yes, Princess still leaves good quality chocolates on the pillows at night.  

[navybankerteacher]

Things which have gone from Holland America for example: fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh flowers around the ship, live music in the MDR in the evenings, multiple venues with music at night, superior quality food - very well served in the MDR (not matched by what is now available in alternative restaurants),  fresh whole eggs for all breakfast dishes, waiters and assistant waiters in the MDR who took time to provide good service, assistant cabin stewards (perhaps not necessary - but it meant that your cabin was made up as soon as you left it, and not hours later as often happens), more food venues open at more hours. attended libraries with good collections of books, new puzzles distributed daily —- the list goes on.  None of these changes are important in themselves, but taken together they have contributed to a devaluation of the experience.

Also gone is the ability to bring aboard as much wine as you wanted to for drinking in your cabin with no limit or corkage.

 

 

 

Yes, it is nice that the cost of a cruise has not gone up as much as many consumer items— but at the end of the day cruising is no longer as special and enjoyable as it once was.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 28, 2019 by navybankerteacher
Missing item

[Texas Tillie]

7 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

 

 

 

 

Yes, it is nice that the cost of a cruise has not gone up as much as many consumer items— but at the end of the day cruising is no longer as special and enjoyable as it once was.

 

 

 

 

 

Actually, all those things are available plus included gratuities and included beverages (alcoholic and not) on the luxury lines. If you look at what was paid on a per day basis in 1975 and what it costs today for a luxury line, you will find that when considering inflation, nothing has changed. Of course in 1975 there weren't all the people cruising who do it today. At least quality cruising is still available if you choose to pay the price.

[K32682]

Yes I've noticed and appreciate the dispensing of archaic and meaningless "cruise traditions."  Cruises are much improved without onboard silliness such as formal nights, set meal times, dining with strangers, ice sculptures, towel art or servers parading through the dining room with "flaming" desserts. 

[BDRebel]

And yet  some of us enjoy those cruise traditions. Just because you find it silly does not mean that everybody else does, or even should.

[Texas Tillie]

41 minutes ago, K32682 said:

Yes I've noticed and appreciate the dispensing of archaic and meaningless "cruise traditions."  Cruises are much improved without onboard silliness such as formal nights, set meal times, dining with strangers, ice sculptures, towel art or servers parading through the dining room with "flaming" desserts. 

 

Silly to you, not to everyone. Some people wouldn't know culture if it bit them on the bottom. Fortunately, it's still there for those who want it.

[navybankerteacher]

1 hour ago, K32682 said:

Yes I've noticed and appreciate the dispensing of archaic and meaningless "cruise traditions."  Cruises are much improved without onboard silliness such as formal nights, set meal times, dining with strangers, ice sculptures, towel art or servers parading through the dining room with "flaming" desserts. 

Actually, “dining with strangers” was to many one of the attractions of cruising.  It was a social situation not experienced anywhere else: an often random group put together at the end of the day, several days running, with the opportunity to share ideas and experiences.  Of course, with the loss of the art of conversation, it is perhaps something unlikely to work today.

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, K32682 said:

Yes I've noticed and appreciate the dispensing of archaic and meaningless "cruise traditions."  Cruises are much improved without onboard silliness such as formal nights, set meal times, dining with strangers, ice sculptures, towel art or servers parading through the dining room with "flaming" desserts. 

However, those supposedly archaic traditions took place on some really classic and very comfortable older ships, rather than the current crop of plastic, mega ships more resembling an amusement arcade.

 

While a few hundred people may have boarded a ship as strangers, many left as life-long friends. Didn't realise that dining and chatting with people I don't know is now considered an archaic tradition.

[SantaFeFan]

3 hours ago, K32682 said:

Yes I've noticed and appreciate the dispensing of archaic and meaningless "cruise traditions."  Cruises are much improved without onboard silliness such as formal nights, set meal times, dining with strangers, ice sculptures, towel art or servers parading through the dining room with "flaming" desserts. 

 

Well, now we know one of the low expectation customers the cruise lines are dumbing down the experience for.  Not only is he applauding the deterioration of service and amenities, he even ridicules the experiences many of us actually appreciate by calling them "archaic and meaningless" - all of them niceties that rise above what Denny's and Motel 6 offers. 🙄

Edited February 28, 2019 by SantaFeFan

[navybankerteacher]

11 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Well, now we know one of the low expectation customers the cruise lines are dumbing down the experience for.  Not only is he applauding the deterioration of service, he even ridicules the experiences many of us actually appreciate - niceties that rise above what Denny's and Motel 6 offers. 🙄

Yes - the people who want cheap cruising have gotten their wish: cheap experiences.

[lenquixote66]

13 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Things which have gone from Holland America for example: fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh flowers around the ship, live music in the MDR in the evenings, multiple venues with music at night, superior quality food - very well served in the MDR (not matched by what is now available in alternative restaurants),  fresh whole eggs for all breakfast dishes, waiters and assistant waiters in the MDR who took time to provide good service, assistant cabin stewards (perhaps not necessary - but it meant that your cabin was made up as soon as you left it, and not hours later as often happens), more food venues open at more hours. attended libraries with good collections of books, new puzzles distributed daily —- the list goes on.  None of these changes are important in themselves, but taken together they have contributed to a devaluation of the experience.

Also gone is the ability to bring aboard as much wine as you wanted to for drinking in your cabin with no limit or corkage.

 

 

 

Yes, it is nice that the cost of a cruise has not gone up as much as many consumer items— but at the end of the day cruising is no longer as special and enjoyable as it once was.

 

 

 

 

Something else that is gone ,the quality of entertainers on many cruise ships. In 2010 my wife and I were on a HAL cruise and got to enjoy a wonderful opera singer.

In 2013 we were in a local Italian restaurant and much to our surprise the singer was there.I approached him and told him how much I enjoyed his singing. He replied that the cruise ships prefer to use staff singers for their shows.

(i believe I was on a cruise with you sometime between 2008 and 2017 but I cannot recall which)

[DirtyDawg]

21 hours ago, CruisinRoxy said:

Like for example, Ice sculptures, carved fruits and foods at special buffets, towel animals?  I imagine some of these cuts are simply due to the times we live in, financial factors and cutbacks.  I'm sure a lot of it has to do with being "sustainable", everyone's favorite word.  Waste, preserving the oceans?  But I noted this on our last cruise on Celebrity.   We had never been on Celebrity, so maybe they never had these things?   I checked my last photo album, from RCL Allure, and yes there were the fancy carvings and sculptures, and towel animals.

I am simply curious if anyone else has noticed this trend, and interested in your thoughts.    Thanks, All!  

 

Travelling by sea is always changing. The movie 'Titanic ' was on the TV the other day and we watched a bit on it. Those were the good old days. Real fist class service. Everyone in Tuxedo's and evening gowns. Then the cruise industry developed, and those darn steerage passengers could now access the lido deck and start hogging deck chairs. 😡

 

 

[lenquixote66]

I have a menu from a passenger ship that sailed from Liverpool England to NYC in 1913.

The dinner choices were far superior to any on current cruises aside from the upscale ones.

On that ship every first class passenger was dressed in the best clothes that they owned.

 

I was on a Cunard ship in 1973. It was mandatory for men to wear a suit or a tux at every dinner and a suit for lunch on every sea day.

That was one of the best cruises I have ever been on.