What are your cost cutting observations

[GetToLivin]

9 minutes ago, Ryder101 said:

The ship were contracted to be built pre pandemic, when the cruise lines were in the black. To cancel those orders costs more than completing them. As I understand it as of 2025 there are no more scheduled going forward.

That makes complete sense, I was sincerely starting to question their methodology here. I love RCL and want them to succeed!

[FionaMG]

26 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Not sure what ship you are referring, but they had trays of cheeses and meats on Anthem and Oasis.

What I miss at lunch in the WJ is the pre-made deli sandwiches and wraps.  

 

WJ on Odyssey and Anthem this past summer in Europe. But they did have trays of cheeses and meats at the breakfast buffet in the MDR on Anthem.

[DaniDanielle]

I have to say not everyone can afford a suite so I wish people would stop with the “Just book a suite”

Families, I am sure look for the best price they can afford.people should be able to get decent food etc. without booking a suite and yes, we can afford a suite but many cannot.

Edited February 27, 2023 by DaniDanielle

[paulco]

Spent 4 weeks on Royal last year Explorer and Enchantment,  I’m so happy when I have a dining steward and a cabin steward!

[Morecruisesplz]

8 hours ago, UnregisteredUser said:

Its stupid of any business to do this since it would just lead to more waste. It is counterproductive to get customers to take things they dont want since they will probably take more and throw more away.

It is lazy

[ShillyShally]

19 minutes ago, paulco said:

Spent 4 weeks on Royal last year Explorer and Enchantment,  I’m so happy when I have a dining steward and a cabin steward!

This.  Add in the sunsets at sea and I'm happy!  

[BND]

1 hour ago, nelblu said:

The best buffets that Royal ever had was the Tutti salad for breakfast and lunch in the MDR on Oasis and Quantum classes.  The first time I saw the Tutti was on Quantum and was impressive as you entered American Icon and seeing a chocolate fountain surrounded by 2 kinds of ice cream and many varieties of cakes and other sweet desserts.

 

Plus, I'm not even going to mention Dynamic Dining concept on the Quantum and Anthem.

We loved the Dynamic Dining menus our first time on Anthem. We rotated with our waitstaff and had no issues with that.  

 

 

[DaKahuna]

1 hour ago, GetToLivin said:

Anyone ever wonder why they're building new ships if they're struggling to get back in the green? I'm surprised they don't break from that and work on improving the overall product and experience of what they already have going 🤔

 

 We had the Captain join our Izumi Hibachi Lunch on Harmony last week, two of his neighbors were having lunch at the same station, and he said that if you wanted a ship built you had to order now in order to get one that started building in 2026.  The demand for ships, not just cruise ships, is very high and there are only so many shipyards in the world that can build ships of the size and capacity that is being demanded these days. 

 

[Morecruisesplz]

15 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

This.  Add in the sunsets at sea and I'm happy!  

We all enjoy that part of cruising but those are things they can not cut back on. This thread is real experiences of cutbacks.

[ShillyShally]

Just now, fredmdcruisers said:

We all enjoy that part of cruising but those are things they can not cut back on. This thread is real experiences of cutbacks.

I'll know more when I cruise later this year, but it's all subjective so it's completely based on what I may value.  Now hearing of some recent water packages being no-name bottles does have me concerned, but until I go I won't know how it will impact me. Doesn't mean I can't comment until then.

[Morecruisesplz]

6 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

I'll know more when I cruise later this year, but it's all subjective so it's completely based on what I may value.  Now hearing of some recent water packages being no-name bottles does have me concerned, but until I go I won't know how it will impact me. Doesn't mean I can't comment until then.

No, I didn't mean to say you can't post. Water is being effected by the supply chain. From cans to various random branded products we have seen it all on recent cruises. If it matters I would suggest packing a case. You might also ask a bartender if he has your brand in the back. That worked for us. We used our leftover free drinks plus a $5 bill and he gave us the case.

[Baron Barracuda]

In 4q '22 Royal's total food cost per person per day was $18.30 vs $13.00 in pre-covid 2019.   Fares have rise much more than this yet food quality suffers.

[robmtx]

3 hours ago, BND said:

We learned something interesting on our cruise on Jewel last Nov from a fellow guest who is a chef in FL at a resort.  The food supply company that Royal used went out of business during the pandemic because the bulk of their business was cruise ships.  They had to find a new one for restart and there have been food quality and supply issues.    There are different tiers of quality with food suppliers which means different costs.  You'd be paying a lot more for your cruise if they went with the highest tier that top restaurants use.  For  example, we have a really good local restaurant group (3 locations) that the food has been consistent since day 1 (20+ years) and that's because they buy the highest quality they can.  But, the prices reflect that and portion sizes have shrunk some.  It's just the nature of the economy right now. 

Which food supply company ran out of business? Royal uses many depending on location, contracts, season, etc. Sherwood and ICFH are probably the biggest in Miami and both are still operating.

[John&LaLa]

5 hours ago, Cayman1 said:

I agree with you. LOL Well except the strawberries. I am in the Produce world and these are on the West Coast this time of year coming out of Plant City. The berries have been beautiful this year so far. 🙂

 

 

 

FYI, most people probably think of the west coast as California, not the Tampa side of FL😉

[John&LaLa]

15 hours ago, firefly333 said:

I noticed the lack of honeydews last dec. Missed them. Dont like blue cheese so didnt notice.

 

I want sliced fruit like watermelon not little pieces. They hardly ever had it by itself. I had to take a saucer with 3 kinds of fruit when I just wanted watermelon.  

 

Best fruit I've had in ages was on Serenade this month. And it was slices. They seem to hold up better than soggy cubes.

 

Don't believe they had honeydew though. Just watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupe 

[Husky1987]

39 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Best fruit I've had in ages was on Serenade this month. And it was slices. They seem to hold up better than soggy cubes.

 

Don't believe they had honeydew though. Just watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupe 

My wife commented on Voyager last month that it was the best pineapple she's had in awhile.

[ShillyShally]

1 hour ago, fredmdcruisers said:

No, I didn't mean to say you can't post. Water is being effected by the supply chain. From cans to various random branded products we have seen it all on recent cruises. If it matters I would suggest packing a case. You might also ask a bartender if he has your brand in the back. That worked for us. We used our leftover free drinks plus a $5 bill and he gave us the case.

Thanks, when I heard it may be Dasani, I may have to pack my own!  I count it as part of my break even for the DBP but as of yet I can't yet justify the cost.  For me though, I have to have regular access to water and this has gotten easier in some ways on board and harder, so there is huge value in bottles in my room too!  Good tip on extra tipping lol!  I'm trying to be gracious about all things right now that may be supply chain and while I have some concerns with the new menu and other reports I've seen, I'm reminding myself it is a trip away without purpose, much needed!  

[Morecruisesplz]

9 minutes ago, ShillyShally said:

Thanks, when I heard it may be Dasani, I may have to pack my own!  I count it as part of my break even for the DBP but as of yet I can't yet justify the cost.  For me though, I have to have regular access to water and this has gotten easier in some ways on board and harder, so there is huge value in bottles in my room too!  Good tip on extra tipping lol!  I'm trying to be gracious about all things right now that may be supply chain and while I have some concerns with the new menu and other reports I've seen, I'm reminding myself it is a trip away without purpose, much needed!  

After 50 cruises with Royal, we have no plans of stopping. We have 5 weeks booked. I discuss the cutbacks but would never let anything so far stop us from cruising ... like you, we love those sunsets, no one has to drive and being waited upon. We rarely get off at ports any longer, preferring playing king of the mountain on a nearly empty ship. I always tell younger cruises to learn the power of a cash tip. It might get you free wine in a specialty restaurant, a double pour by your favorite bartender, or like our last cruise when I asked for a double scotch to take to the cabin to use my last 2 vouchers he disappeared for a minute and came back with the coke cup and filled it with scotch. Said he didn't want me to spill it. The cup was valid for 4 weeks and we were on for 3. I know that I'm giving away secrets but only you are listening.

[bonsai3s]

4 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

I just want a meal that tastes good in the MDR.  It doesn’t have to be stupendous and the servings don’t have to be big.

My sentiments...exactly. Thank you.

[Mum2Mercury]

19 hours ago, mojomanny said:

These are observations, not necessarily complaints and certainly not whining, but the Royal Caribbean product is changing and I want to post my observations

Here are subtle but notable changes I've seen recently  (please add your own observations)

 

1. Salad bar "toppings" options greatly reduced
2. cutting down to three dressings on salad bar (no more blue cheese dressing)
3. Eliminating spinach on the salad bar
4. Fresh fruit is no long cut up, it is sliced but not cut up
5. No more strawberries and no honey dew melon on my last two cruises (not too long ago you could get mango, passion fruit, star fruit...)
6. Wedge salad doesn't include blue cheese crumbles (but does have blue cheese dressing)
7. Obviously the whole change to the main dining room menu
8. You may order as many items as you would like (starters, entrees, desserts) but they will serve only one at a time.
9. only 4-5 butter patties on the table when you sit down at a table of 6 (this was the norm, not an exception)
10. Harmony is going to once a day room cleaning/servicing rather than twice a day, with it moving to another ship soon and likely fleetwide
11. Sorrentos used to have other options in addition to pizza, no more
    
    What have you noticed?

- I haven't been upset with the salad bar toppings -- and I eat lots of vegetables. 

- I eat almost everything, but bleu cheese is at the tippy-top of the things I hate, so I wouldn't have missed it.  However, Honey-Mustard dressing is my favorite, and it was rarely available -- and I don't think it's an expensive item. 

- I don't think I had any strawberries.  They are more expensive than other common fruits, and they have a lifespan of about 5 minutes.  

- I really, really don't like that "one thing at a time" in the MDR.  That one's a sticking point for me.  

- Ditto for the once-a-day cabin service.  

- We did see a few pasta dishes at Sorrentos recently, but people didn't seem to be choosing them.  I wonder if they disappeared on other ships because of lack of interest?  

9 hours ago, Cayman1 said:

While I understand the need to cut is some places to efficiently run a business and turn a profit, especially after Covid, but the cruise industry has changed a ton over the years.

 

Who remembers when room service was free?

How about the midnight buffets and the ice sculptures and chocolate buffet?

Service throughout the ship used to be amazing regardless of which ship you were on.

There were no specialty restaurants and mostly all food was included.

 

Now we will be looking back at these things, as well as "remember when you used to get 3-4 lobster tails" or "remember when they used to clean the rooms twice a day".

 

Cruising is my passion. There is nothing in this world that I would rather do with my time and money. But I am also fearful that they keep taking away and not giving much back. Again, I totally understand that they are trying to run a profitable business, but all the taking away and the increased cost to everyting, as well as the nickel and dining, makes me concerned for the future.

I remember free room service -- well, free except for tip.  

Do people still order room service?  

I never cared about midnight buffets, ice sculptures and chocolate buffet. 

 

Agree that they're taking away a whole lot.  We have two cruises scheduled right now, and we'll see how those go -- then we'll decide whether we schedule more. 

6 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

... And there is zero need to go to a specialty restaurant. None. We have been sailing for decades, and as far back as I can remember, there was always at least one specialty restaurant. All of the food that I would ever need on a cruise is included. We never waste money on specialty dining. Drinks, we can live on our diamond vouchers. 

Agree. 

4 hours ago, nelblu said:

The best buffets that Royal ever had was the Tutti salad for breakfast and lunch in the MDR on Oasis and Quantum classes ... 

Oh, yes, the Tutti salad!  That was SO GOOD.  

4 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

I have to say not everyone can afford a suite so I wish people would stop with the “Just book a suite”

Families, I am sure look for the best price they can afford.people should be able to get decent food etc. without booking a suite and yes, we can afford a suite but many cannot.

Agree.  We can easily afford a suite, but we will never book one -- we just don't see it as a good value.  

3 hours ago, ShillyShally said:

I'll know more when I cruise later this year, but it's all subjective so it's completely based on what I may value.  Now hearing of some recent water packages being no-name bottles does have me concerned, but until I go I won't know how it will impact me. Doesn't mean I can't comment until then.

No-name bottled water wouldn't bother me in the least.  

Edited February 27, 2023 by Mum2Mercury

[rorito]

I have experienced all of the changes with Royal since the shutdown. I have sailed on 10 ships since the start up and have always been pleased with my meals, service and overall quality of my cruises. If we were not seeing Royal make these adjustments, it would delay their ability to achieve profitability again after a $7B loss. Their flags of convivence meant no bailout money so they took on huge debt to stay afloat. And as stated, they struggle with staffing like almost every business has since the shutdown. I just retired after 30 years of management in the food business, and we all know it is a brave new world to make it these days. Add on huge inflation to food costs and fuel costs. All of that and Royal is still closer than their competition to a positive bottom line that will allow them to start adding some things back to our experiences. If their prices went up in ratio to the cost to fly these days many of us could not cruise any longer. And the airlines did get bailouts AND cut extras while increasing prices! I understand everyone's frustration to see these business adjustments. I hope Royal can continue to provide wonderful experiences as they navigate the current challenges!

[ShillyShally]

2 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

After 50 cruises with Royal, we have no plans of stopping. We have 5 weeks booked. I discuss the cutbacks but would never let anything so far stop us from cruising ... like you, we love those sunsets, no one has to drive and being waited upon. We rarely get off at ports any longer, preferring playing king of the mountain on a nearly empty ship. I always tell younger cruises to learn the power of a cash tip. It might get you free wine in a specialty restaurant, a double pour by your favorite bartender, or like our last cruise when I asked for a double scotch to take to the cabin to use my last 2 vouchers he disappeared for a minute and came back with the coke cup and filled it with scotch. Said he didn't want me to spill it. The cup was valid for 4 weeks and we were on for 3. I know that I'm giving away secrets but only you are listening.

This is us, I am so happy to not cook and not plan but which deck and when! And agreed on tipping, I have found that to be as beneficial as it is rewarding!

[ShillyShally]

1 hour ago, Mum2Mercury said:

 

No-name bottled water wouldn't bother me in the least.  

For me it simply depends on taste and I can deal with anything just have preferences. I’ve found some no name tastes far better than some more prevalent ones I don’t love. I drink so much water though so I’ve learned which I’ll choose over what but when choices are limited, I’m good with whatever is on hand! I did like the Evian though!

[nimbex1970]

I noticed more issues with staffing, whether its by choice or not.  The room steward and wait staff seemed frazzled, always kind and smiling, just frazzled.  Fewer folks walking around delivering drinks as well. Fewer bartenders, longer lines to get a drink at the bar. 

[Nunagoras]

16 hours ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 We had the Captain join our Izumi Hibachi Lunch on Harmony last week, two of his neighbors were having lunch at the same station, and he said that if you wanted a ship built you had to order now in order to get one that started building in 2026.  The demand for ships, not just cruise ships, is very high and there are only so many shipyards in the world that can build ships of the size and capacity that is being demanded these days. 

 

Let me to explain this here from Europe where most of those shipyards are from. The last big ships of the current before the pandemic building wave are set to be delivered by 2027, if my memory stands, some 2 ships for NCL, one or 2 for RCI, one or 2 for CCL group and one or 2 for MSC. Obviously that will only to be possible if no more supply chain delays are involved in the mix. Nobody knows, but shipyard delays are accumulating day after day. After those deliveries there are no cruise order books for the 2028-32 wave. It is expected that those will to pop up by late 2024, early 2025. Surely the shipyards are now more than full of cargo and tanker orders, but those require less working hours, less specialty work done... They end up less attractive to the shipyards. chances are there would be more military ships orders for the next years to come... Otherwise, without the cruise industry, shipyards will face a bad time, and Europe as whole will suffer afterward.

 

Ships need time to be designed and built. What's my prediction? Cruise lines will try to make their orders for the 2028-32 wave so that they don't loose their precious slots for other operators elsewhere in the market... But I believe we won't see Oasis/Icon ships anymore. All the ships will be on the smaller size, stabilizing on the 150k GT for mainstream, 125k GT for the premium, and 75k GT for the above the premium segments, with a new sustainable green energy segment on the below 50k GT to come with... But that will only to be possible if all goes for the best. Meanwhile I believe MSC will to "eat" one of the "big 3", we just need to know whom the heck will be. My projection points to NCL, time will tell. And CCL will perhaps to sell Cunard for some UK specialty business, and finish Costa... There are interesting times coming out of this enormous mess. And we will need to make compromises due to the crew shortage...