Windjammer...any cutbacks?

[Bluewake]

Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere on CC.  Given the reductions in the offerings in the buffet - particularly for the dinner hours - that are being implement by Celebrity, we've been wondering if Royal Caribbean is following suit in regard to the Windjammer.  We were last on Royal (Independence) in February 2022 and the Windjammer was pretty much "as always".  However, as we make plans for a Fall cruise on Mariner, it would be helpful to know if Royal also has "cut back".  Much appreciated.

[Longford]

Can you be more specific, about what the other cruise line is doing or proposing.  It's not easy to comment if we don't have the same information you do.  Thank you.

[neverbeenhere]

Windjammer: good, many times has a better selection than the MDR. Theme nights still happen in the Jammer. 

[ONECRUISER]

4 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

Windjammer: good, many times has a better selection than the MDR. Theme nights still happen in the Jammer. 

Agree. No issues I've seen last few months

[Crazy planning mom]

There are multiple threads on the Celebrity Board.  Celebrity has scaled back the buffet in the evening to just 3-4 entrees, one food station, salad and dessert.

[Longford]

7 minutes ago, Crazy planning mom said:

There are multiple threads on the Celebrity Board.  Celebrity has scaled back the buffet in the evening to just 3-4 entrees, one food station, salad and dessert.

Rather than ask readers to search what you are referring to, it's customary to provide a link to those discussions.  You've asked for our comments, please provide the context by posting a way to read the information ... without having us do the legwork.  Thank you.

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Bluewake said:

We were last on Royal (Independence) in February 2022 and the Windjammer was pretty much "as always".

It should be about the same. 

[Longford]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

It should be about the same. 

I was on Serenade for its 11/5/2022 sailing.  First cruise, ever.  I took all my meals in WJ.  Wide selection of food, good tasting, great staff, outdoor seating if I wanted it.  However, I have nothing to compare it to.  We read a lot of speculation in various discussions, not always factual.  We don't know what the OP is referring to, so how do we comment ... about a different cruise line's food offerings?  Thank you.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Longford said:

We don't know what the OP is referring to, so how do we comment

The OP has an RCI reference sailing from just 11 months ago - other than ship specific changes, not much has changed in those 11 months. 

[Sunshine3601]

WJ on Anthem December sailing seemed to have a better lunch selection than I remember.

 

[Longford]

Ok.  Since the OP has not provided a context for the discussion ... I will.  I've taken the time to search the Celebrity forum for buffet postings and find this:

 

 

Maybe someone who cruises, also, on Celebrity has some comparisons to make.  As for me:  whether or not the couple who started the discussion and posted the interesting video can speak for that cruise line experience ... across the breath of the fleet ... is questionable ... but, I disliked the attitude of the woman who did virtually all of the complaining. 

 

I find the whining about a room service charge late-nite a bit silly, entitlement-like.  But maybe they paid a lot of money for their room ... more than I paid for mine.

 

I would not have been satisfied if RCI's WJ offered so little at Dinner ... but learning from the narrator that Breakfast and Lunch offerings were extensive ... leads me to believe so few passengers patronize the buffets for Dinner the cruise line has responded by offering less at that hour.  There were other Dinner dining options, if they were so displeased with the buffet.  In the video they shot very few people were seen in the buffet dining area.

 

Look at the video and complaints, and decide for yourselves.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Celebrity have made the decision to reduce the dinner buffet offerings by 80% across the entire fleet. That’s the context. Period. Op was asking if RCL have made any indication of doing the same. Pretty straight forward IMO. 
 

Additional changes include an increase in drinks package pricing, gratuities, MDR menu cutbacks and the implementation of room service charges.   Again, straight forward so I won’t be including any links to discussion on the celebrity board. Suffice it to say, frequent patrons of the Celebrity product have indicated they are abandoning ship. 

Edited January 19, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[crzndeb]

Op mentioned Celebrity, but asked about Royal Caribbean. Leave Celebrity on the Celebrity board. 
I travel solo, and eat a lot of dinners in Windjammer. I was on the Wonder TA and Navigator New Years cruise. I saw no cutbacks, and plenty of options. I think the choices there are better than MDR IMHO.

[Georgia_Peaches]

4 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Op mentioned Celebrity, but asked about Royal Caribbean

A perfectly logical thing to do given RCL is the parent company to Celebrity. Op wanted to know if anyone experienced or knew of cut backs like those going on with Celebrity as she plans her next RCL cruise. Again, perfectly logical. Sheeesh… tough crowd. 

[baldilocks]

2 hours ago, Crazy planning mom said:

There are multiple threads on the Celebrity Board.  Celebrity has scaled back the buffet in the evening to just 3-4 entrees, one food station, salad and dessert.

You can say that again. We just off the Celebrity Constellation. The choice of food seemed to be more limited and not what we expected. We were in Aqua class, so we had the Blu dining room. We ordered a couple of nights off the MDR menu. The buffet had about the same thing as the dining rooms. There seemed to be a lot of lamb and Asian dishes being served. Not out cup of tea. Back to Royal from now on.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, baldilocks said:

You can say that again. We just off the Celebrity Constellation. The choice of food seemed to be more limited and not what we expected. We were in Aqua class, so we had the Blu dining room. We ordered a couple of nights off the MDR menu. The buffet had about the same thing as the dining rooms. There seemed to be a lot of lamb and Asian dishes being served. Not out cup of tea. Back to Royal from now on.

Yikes!  We are on Connie next May and as this current situation continues to unfold, the stories are becoming more depressing. Furthermore, the cuts didn’t go into effect until Jan 1 so those who sailed as recently as 3 weeks ago are reporting a completely different experience. We actually turned to Celebrity after  our kids outgrew the kid venues on Royal. Looks like we may be heading back to Royal. 

[cruiseboy89130]

3 hours ago, crzndeb said:

 I saw no cutbacks, and plenty of options. I think the choices there are better than MDR IMHO.

You are joking - right?

[cruiseboy89130]

Wait until the new MDR Menus are all set - THAT is when the WJ will be next!

Guessing some time in March.

[bucfan2]

We just came off the Serenade.  Walking through the trough, it appeared to us to be fully stocked....nothing different than what was offered 5yrs ago.  RC really does a nice job w/ food options/presentation...we just feel there's less of a chance getting plowed over elsewhere.

Edited January 19, 2023 by bucfan2

[nelblu]

12 hours ago, Longford said:

Ok.  Since the OP has not provided a context for the discussion ... I will.  I've taken the time to search the Celebrity forum for buffet postings and find this:

 

 

Maybe someone who cruises, also, on Celebrity has some comparisons to make.  As for me:  whether or not the couple who started the discussion and posted the interesting video can speak for that cruise line experience ... across the breath of the fleet ... is questionable ... but, I disliked the attitude of the woman who did virtually all of the complaining. 

 

I find the whining about a room service charge late-nite a bit silly, entitlement-like.  But maybe they paid a lot of money for their room ... more than I paid for mine.

 

I would not have been satisfied if RCI's WJ offered so little at Dinner ... but learning from the narrator that Breakfast and Lunch offerings were extensive ... leads me to believe so few passengers patronize the buffets for Dinner the cruise line has responded by offering less at that hour.  There were other Dinner dining options, if they were so displeased with the buffet.  In the video they shot very few people were seen in the buffet dining area.

 

Look at the video and complaints, and decide for yourselves.

What I found odd with this couple was that when Royal introduced a charge for room service, it spread like wildfire on this board.  Sounds odd that these experienced travelers were in the dark.

Interesting, which I did not know was that Celebrity has a standard 20% gratuity in place.

[nelblu]

14 hours ago, neverbeenhere said:

Windjammer: good, many times has a better selection than the MDR. Theme nights still happen in the Jammer. 

Are the themed nights more indicative of the theme or weak as illustrated in the new MDR menus.

 

[The Fun Researcher]

12 hours ago, crzndeb said:

Op mentioned Celebrity, but asked about Royal Caribbean. Leave Celebrity on the Celebrity board. 
I travel solo, and eat a lot of dinners in Windjammer. I was on the Wonder TA and Navigator New Years cruise. I saw no cutbacks, and plenty of options. I think the choices there are better than MDR IMHO.

I think it's perfectly valid for the OP to be asking about potential changes to the Windjammer based on what's happened with Celebrity. 

 

Celebrity is owned by Royal Caribbean Group after all, so it stands to reason that these changes may end up being implemented corporate wide.  I hope not, but I've been wondering the exact same thing as the OP.  We have a Celebrity cruise booked on the Equinox the week before Christmas but fortunately the dinner buffet scale back won't impact us because we eat our dinners in the MDR.

Dan

[moposh]

From what I saw, no one went hungry on my cruise.

[neverbeenhere]

1 hour ago, nelblu said:

Are the themed nights more indicative of the theme or weak as illustrated in the new MDR menus.

 

A mixed bag, on some ships they have still been decorating in the theme with up to half the buffet in the theme style. Others, they are more limited.

[Zach1213]

10 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

You are joking - right?

 

I personally agree. Can't stand the MDR. Every time we go, the food comes out fairly mediocre, and the "experience" is a waste of time to us. At the buffet, we often find the food to be somewhat better than at the MDR, with a much broader choice of selections and a much more relaxed atmosphere. Hey, to each their own, but we usually hit the MDR once on a cruise, remember how mediocre it is, and then do the buffet if we're not doing specialty.