Turn Down Service is going away - will daily room service be next?

[retird]

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

If I’m paying $400+ per day for a ship or hotel I damn sure better get daily cleaning/towels!!!     ~Nancy 

But remember that your $400+ is covering room, breakfast , snack, lunch, snack, dinner, nite snack as well as complimentary activities throughout the day and performances at night.    I do like bed made each day, and towels changed as needed, but I have no problem turning down my own bed each night while I await my additional free goodies through room service.   And with daily planners migrating to electronic format we dont even need them dropped at the room each night.   We shouldn’t  always expect champagne service on beer prices.

[Florida_gal_50]

4 minutes ago, retird said:

But remember that your $400+ is covering room, breakfast , snack, lunch, snack, dinner, nite snack as well as complimentary activities throughout the day and performances at night.    I do like bed made each day, and towels changed as needed, but I have no problem turning down my own bed each night while I await my additional free goodies through room service.   And with daily planners migrating to electronic format we dont even need them dropped at the room each night.   We shouldn’t  always expect champagne service on beer prices.

I can’t wait to see those beer prices.  Who the heck eats that much food?  I never go to see the shows nor activities through the day. I use the gym, that’s about it.

[retird]

12 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I can’t wait to see those beer prices.  Who the heck eats that much food?  I never go to see the shows nor activities through the day. I use the gym, that’s about it.

But those services were there for you and they cost the cruise line money.  It is not their fault you did not avail yourself of them.   Others did.   Its not a la carte cruising .in order to make it somewhat affordable they have to price accordingly

[oakridger]

37 minutes ago, retird said:

But remember that We shouldn’t  always expect champagne service on beer prices.

I agree with Pete!  If guests accept lowered service and quality then don’t be surprised by what becomes the norm. Beer prices? Carnival cruises are beer prices in my book but the guests still get a minimum level of service. My cruises could buy a whole bunch of beer and I expect a certain level of service!  If not, I move on!  Geez!

Edited October 12, 2022 by oakridger

[retird]

25 minutes ago, oakridger said:

Beer prices? Carnival cruises are beer prices in my book but the guests still get a minimum level of service. My cruises could buy a whole bunch of beer and I expect a certain level of service!  If not, I move on!  Geez!

HAL  is one of the Premium mass market cruise lines and you should not expect the same level of service as say Luxury lines such as Seabourn, Silversea or Regent.  And their prices reflect the anticipated service.   Pick an itinerary and compare those cruise lines with the premium lines prices.You get what you pay for.   

Edited October 12, 2022 by retird

[fatcat04]

On NS 2 weeks ago, when we got to our room our steward gave us a little list with checkboxes next to items/services we could request from our room stewards along with a few lines to write in requests. I wanted a note pad and pen as none were in the cabin. When we came back that evening, we had turn down service and our requested items. We had our 4 year old with us so towels animals were every day (she had fun guessing what they were and we would set them above her bed at night.) Pillow chocolates were on "gala" nights only. In a cabin for 3+ with a bed that has to be pulled out every evening and put back every day, turn down will remain necessary. I wouldn't even try to figure out those hide-away sofa beds. 

[WriterOnDeck]

6 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

What happened to wine stewards?   HAL experimented by pulling them away - not enough people complained - and they are gone forever.  

 

On my current cruise, the 51-day Westerdam, the "wine tasting" didn't feature any of the wines from the packages. I'm not a wine connoisseur, so I really wanted some help in picking a package, and got none at dinner. Last night, I ordered the pinot grigio bottle from my package. The MDR waiter brought me two other bottles, as they didn't have mine. One was from a cheaper package. The other was unknown to me, and the waiter (actually, I think it was the assistant waiter) had no idea about the wine. Meanwhile, everyone at our large table was waiting to order dinner. Very disappointing.

 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

2 minutes ago, WriterOnDeck said:

On my current cruise, the 51-day Westerdam, the "wine tasting" didn't feature any of the wines from the packages. I'm not a wine connoisseur, so I really wanted some help in picking a package, and got none at dinner. Last night, I ordered the pinot grigio bottle from my package. The MDR waiter brought me two other bottles, as they didn't have mine. One was from a cheaper package. The other was unknown to me, and the waiter (actually, I think it was the assistant waiter) had no idea about the wine. Meanwhile, everyone at our large table was waiting to order dinner. Very disappointing.

 

Thanks.    I hope that enough people have complained for them to rethink this. Since the restart  I have always had the beverage package so wine selection wasn't really available.   On my next cruise it will be back to buying bottles and I fear that the well intentioned waiters will try their best but fall short.  

[WriterOnDeck]

16 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Thanks.    I hope that enough people have complained for them to rethink this. Since the restart  I have always had the beverage package so wine selection wasn't really available.   On my next cruise it will be back to buying bottles and I fear that the well intentioned waiters will try their best but fall short.  

I also wanted a soda with my late lunch out by the Lido Pool. I haven't seen a beverage steward come around the pool in the week I've been here. I stood at the Lido Bar, with my lunch in my hand, waiting on someone to take my order. Took a few minutes. Then 10 minutes (I timed it) for my drink to come. Wished I could have removed the 18% tip.

 

I guess you caught me on a grumpy day, Pete. By and large I'm loving the cruise and the crew is great.

[richstowe]

7 hours ago, oakridger said:

If I’m paying $400+ per day for a ship or hotel I damn sure better get daily cleaning/towels!!!     ~Nancy 

I'm paying the equivalent of $50 US a day for my upcoming balcony cabin in a good location .

Nuts I know. At $400 I'd get real fussy . 

[tunafish]

1 hour ago, WriterOnDeck said:

On my current cruise, the 51-day Westerdam, the "wine tasting" didn't feature any of the wines from the packages. I'm not a wine connoisseur, so I really wanted some help in picking a package, and got none at dinner. Last night, I ordered the pinot grigio bottle from my package. The MDR waiter brought me two other bottles, as they didn't have mine. One was from a cheaper package. The other was unknown to me, and the waiter (actually, I think it was the assistant waiter) had no idea about the wine. Meanwhile, everyone at our large table was waiting to order dinner. Very disappointing.

 

I did not see the drastic difference in the quality of wines offered through their tiered wine packages. It is actually more about what type of wine you prefer and surprisingly I found lowest level had the best selection (2 french reds, sparkling asti and white that we liked). All their wines are $10-20 bottles so there is really nothing to talk about about them being exclusive in any stretch of imagination. we never had an issue getting a wine from a package up if the one that we wanted from ours is not available. You just have to refuse the offered substitution and ask which one you want.

 

[12cruise2]

Re wines and availability, once in awhile we order a bottle of wine.  Now the rates are $30-$40-etc. for the "less expensive" wines.  Of course they often don't have the wine listed on the menu.  Also, I've gone to the cabin and googled how much the wine would be at home at our supermarket.  Without fail, the very same wines that we've found on the ship for $40 are $7-$8 at home at our market.  That's great news for when we get home as usually we enjoy the wines, but the markup is amazing!  And every year the price for the same wine on the ship has gone up by $5-$10 per bottle.  I'm just saying.

Edited October 12, 2022 by 12cruise2

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, richstowe said:

I'm paying the equivalent of $50 US a day for my upcoming balcony cabin in a good location .

Nuts I know. At $400 I'd get real fussy . 

What's your daily casino spend on average?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

10 minutes ago, 12cruise2 said:

Re wines and availability, once in awhile we order a bottle of wine.  Now the rates are $30-$40-etc. for the "less expensive" wines.  Of course they often don't have the wine listed on the menu.  Also, I've gone to the cabin and googled how much the wine would be at home at our supermarket.  Without fail, the very same wines that we've found on the ship for $40 are $7-$8 at home at our market.  That's great news for when we get home as usually we enjoy the wines, but the markup is amazing!  And every year the price for the same wine on the ship has gone up by $5-$10 per bottle.  I'm just saying.

I don't mind the mark up - because you are paying a premium for the service, ambience and good advice.  Part of the premium is also supposed to pay for inventory costs to maintain a wide selection of wine at the ready.

 

But - when they don't have the inventory, don't have the wine advice, don't have good wine service - then the premium for the wine gets harder to justify.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

1 hour ago, tunafish said:

I did not see the drastic difference in the quality of wines offered through their tiered wine packages. It is actually more about what type of wine you prefer and surprisingly I found lowest level had the best selection (2 french reds, sparkling asti and white that we liked). All their wines are $10-20 bottles so there is really nothing to talk about about them being exclusive in any stretch of imagination. we never had an issue getting a wine from a package up if the one that we wanted from ours is not available. You just have to refuse the offered substitution and ask which one you want.

 

I have also observed little correlation between the street price of wine and the tier assignment.   It almost seems random.   I now get the least expensive tier and have been happy with what they have offered. 

[12cruise2]

3 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

I don't mind the mark up - because you are paying a premium for the service, ambience and good advice.  Part of the premium is also supposed to pay for inventory costs to maintain a wide selection of wine at the ready.

 

But - when they don't have the inventory, don't have the wine advice, don't have good wine service - then the premium for the wine gets harder to justify.

What good advice?  There isn't any reliable, AND I'm paying 18% tip for the service, so that's on top of the already highly inflated price of a bottle of wine.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Just now, 12cruise2 said:

What good advice?  There isn't any reliable, AND I'm paying 18% tip for the service, so that's on top of the already highly inflated price of a bottle of wine.

That's my point - exactly

[12cruise2]

1 minute ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

That's my point - exactly

While I think about it, in August on the Eurodam, we found a wine steward--waxing eloquent, loudly to folks at the next table in the Tamarind.  Oh, the pitch went on and on and they were eating it up, so to speak, while we were trying to have a nice dinner.  We had to ask the maitre d' there to please have the wine steward lower his voice; we weren't paying a premium to have dinner there to listen to a sales pitch.

[sergel02]

6 hours ago, RICHARD@SEA said:

Any cutbacks..err i mean changes are most likely to be profit driven.

 

I would like to see the bonuses for HAL & CCL Corporate Executives this year.

 

I laugh when a store asks me to contribute to a  cause(whether I believe in that cause or not) when in reality I already purchased goods at the store which earned said store a profit...let the store make a donation out of their profits.

 

Business plans today have no consideration for  their customers...at any cost.  Think the now defunct CRYSTAL CRUISE LINE...

 

I have sailed on HAL since the late 1970's when they were a first class operation,,,now sadly its just turning into a floating HOLIDAY INN.

I do agree overall it’s all profit driven, which is a shame. Obviously that’s the goal but it shouldn’t be the only goal. I am always looking to see what the bonuses for higher ups are. I recall some company struggling during the heart of the pandemic, laid off many staff, and their CEO got a multimillion-dollar bonus. 

 

That said, comparing HAL currently to a holiday Inns seems a bit silly and ignorant, making me wonder when you last slept at a Holiday Inn. The service on HAL is still better than nearly any hotel I’ve stayed at bar some resorts. 
 

Also it should be noted Holiday Inns in the US are different than ones outside. The ones overseas are much nicer IMO, especially in Asia. 

[Beejay4016]

11 hours ago, lyndarra said:

I've never really understood why we need a "turn down" service. Is it really that hard to get into a bed?

Daily fresh towels? Don't do it at home so why on a cruise? I'lI hang my towel up after use or leave it on the floor if, as suggested, I want it replaced.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Beejay4016

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, richstowe said:

I'm paying the equivalent of $50 US a day for my upcoming balcony cabin in a good location .

Nuts I know. At $400 I'd get real fussy . 

I’ve never seen a price anywhere near that, more like quadruple that if not much more for the cheapest balcony.  While some may pay “beer” prices many of us are not.

[FlaMariner]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

’ve never seen a price anywhere near that, more like quadruple that if not much more for the cheapest balcony.  

 

Richstowe is correct.....

 

7 night Nieuw Amsterdam, 11/27.....price today from the online big TA.....Mariner rate is $384 for balcony.....so that is $55 a night. 

 

Go book a cruise everybody...it's go time!

[richstowe]

35 minutes ago, FlaMariner said:

 

Richstowe is correct.....

 

7 night Nieuw Amsterdam, 11/27.....price today from the online big TA.....Mariner rate is $384 for balcony.....so that is $55 a night. 

 

Go book a cruise everybody...it's go time!

Exactly . Add in that my TA is offering 50 + OBC plus $100 shareholder benefit and you are  well under that . My point is that it doesn't surprise me that HAL is trying to cheapen the cruise experience as they are willing to drop their pants on prices hoping to make it up once people are on board . This is a mistake but I'll take the cheap deals . 

[Minoushka]

No service will increase health outbreaks covid or noro …not a good idea ..keep cleanliness priority

[Hlitner]

11 hours ago, retird said:

But remember that your $400+ is covering room, breakfast , snack, lunch, snack, dinner, nite snack as well as complimentary activities throughout the day and performances at night.    I do like bed made each day, and towels changed as needed, but I have no problem turning down my own bed each night while I await my additional free goodies through room service.   And with daily planners migrating to electronic format we dont even need them dropped at the room each night.   We shouldn’t  always expect champagne service on beer prices.

It is a slippery slope to accept constant cut backs.  Consider that we are currently cruising on the MSC Seashore.  The ship is near full with about 4500 passengers.  Here in the Yacht Club (think Club Oranage on steroids with a small suite) we are paying less than $400 a day.  We have our own restaurant with no add ons.   Lobster is about an 8 ounce lobster which is broiled with lots of flavor.  Everyday items include a decent Fulet Mignon (better than what we get in the Pinnacle).  Our private sun deck has loungers with 4 inch thick cushions.  Stewards are in our suite three times a day.  New Production show every night.  Yacht Club Lounge (private enclave) has entertainment from 6:15 to midnight.  Yacht Club includes any drink up to $15 without daily limits.  And there are no movies or documentaries except on cabin TVs.  Nobody here talks about cutting back cabin service.  The OJ is still Fresh Squeezed, included Champagne actually French, etc.  And this is supposed to be a budget line.  For those who want cheap they can book inside cabins for less than $80 a a day (with a lot less amenities).

 

I post this because not every line is cutting back.  Perhaps this is why our ship is near full.

 

Hank