Cookies now cost $2 plus 20%

[terrydtx]

17 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

I am so glad I only stay there in suites. Wouldn’t book anything else there 

 

Last year we were in the suite on the top floor and the view of the Caldera was spectacular. It is in the middle of Thera and there over 50 bars and restaurants within a 3 block walk. We got to see and laugh at all the cruise ship passengers fighting to get on the lift to the city and at night the city gets so much quieter with all the cruise ship passengers gone. There are a lot of full suites hotels at pricing up to $2K or more per night, my TA recommended the Asha Suites. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by terrydtx

[leyland1989]

I wonder if anyone would actually pay $2 for the cookie. 

[terrydtx]

31 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

News release from Celebrity: 

 

"We have noted the overwhelming response by our veteran passengers to a varriety of small fees and changes to certain amenities. This level of enthusiasm demonstrates our passengers' unqualified support for our revenue raising efforts designed to enhance our reknowned quality.

 

"To thank our passengers, we will soon (at an undisclosed time with no notice) begin adding a percentage-based surcharge to all payments made when passengers complete Final Payment.  We believe the anticipation of this surcharge, to be called "Special - Charge - Randomly -  Enhancing- Wonderfulness," will eliminate the boredom in waiting 90 more days with nothing to get excited about until embarking. To make it even more fun, the amounts to be charged, and the passengers paying it, will be completely random. (We do suggest pax using credit cards ensure a safe cushion in their  credit lines.)"

 

"We are so excited about S-C-R-E-W!"

I nominate you for the best post of the day award!!!!😁

[lostchild]

On 8/24/2023 at 9:47 AM, terrydtx said:

I was reading a post on a cruise media site that talked about how RCL was going to start charging for the Pizza on their ships. Before they did this, they sent out questionnaires to get an idea of how their loyalty members felt about this. The responses were 10 to 1 against charging for pizza and RCL backed down and decided not to change.

That's not smart.   Okay so they want to charge for the previously free pizza because they want more money, okay fine.  What not smart is why sent out surveys?   What did they expect?   "YES!  We would love to pay for things that were free before!"   I also want to know who is that 1 person out of 11 that says, yeah you should charge for it! 😆

[Roneill76]

Superior food and NO nickle and diming confirms my choice to sail with Virgin rather than Celebrity any more 

 

 

Celebrity might have better ships but the experience of Virgin can't be beat and their desserts are amazing.

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, leyland1989 said:

I wonder if anyone would actually pay $2 for the cookie. 

$2.40.  I almost never see anyone at the gelato case.  They must give away more to those with status yet then they sell, yet X keeps that around

[Cap_D]

They must have let go their marketing and consumer PR staff.  I do think RC did a so so job at socializing new MDR menus because they owned up to it, and seemed to even encourage press.  But months later to do the survey is a head scratcher, and not indicative of a company that wants to present itself as working day and night to give the best vacation experience.  Meanwhile, Celebrity is operating in an entirely different universe where they went to the Jos A Banks school of advertising (urgency and same price different gimmick) while inching higher, the Captains are a comedy act or aspirational traveler (see anything from Captain Kate during her 3 months off, still on the ship, doing excursions and unboxings), and there's nothing much about the onboard product.  While in reality, they are doing all of the cutbacks, etc. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by Cap_D

[terrydtx]

19 minutes ago, Roneill76 said:

Superior food and NO nickle and diming confirms my choice to sail with Virgin rather than Celebrity any more 

 

 

Celebrity might have better ships but the experience of Virgin can't be beat and their desserts are amazing.

Looked at Virgin, too many 7-day cruises and too many Carribean cruises, we no longer like any cruise shorter than 10 days and are done with boring Carribean cruises. Looking at Oceania and some HAL cruises going forward for their longer and more interesting itineraries.

[MamaFej]

27 minutes ago, lostchild said:

That's not smart.   Okay so they want to charge for the previously free pizza because they want more money, okay fine.  What not smart is why sent out surveys?   What did they expect?   "YES!  We would love to pay for things that were free before!"   I also want to know who is that 1 person out of 11 that says, yeah you should charge for it! 😆

 

I think if you read through this thread and others about concerns with the changing product, elimination of previous inclusions, and unexpected charges, you'll see who those folks are. 

 

My observations:

 

Many people don't like it, but understand and begrudgingly support raising cruise fares while keeping the product the same.

 

Some people don't like it, but understand and begrudgingly support lowering quality and charging extra for previous inclusions, while keeping the cruise fares the same.

 

A few people are big fans of lowering quality and charging for previous inclusions, while simultaneously raising prices. 

 

Different people look at the same situation differently. 

[Ocdublin]

I sent an email to the executive offices, they called and basically said it is a pilot program and they will review at a later date to determine if the will enforce on all ships.  So, really the only thing you can do is let them know you are not happy with the new cookie program!  That will determine if we have cookies or not!

 

Celebrity did mention that this pilot is similar to the vaping one.  So, many complained they decided not to enforce!

[terrydtx]

18 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

It just gets so nasty....!  Why would a hotel guest laugh at ANYONE in their struggles, from the heights, from an elegant hotel which  presumably would entertain elegant guests, or from anywhere.  BTW...you are/were a cruiser and presently a CC poster.  Could you imagine how many may laugh at you on occasion?  Sometimes I wonder how much of the CC posts are actually true or written to enhance their supposed standing.

That was written tounge and cheek. I guess you missed that, no need to personally attack me either. 

[bnurick]

Here is the post on the cookies and report from the Equinox.

   

[NutsAboutGolf]

59 minutes ago, lostchild said:

That's not smart.   Okay so they want to charge for the previously free pizza because they want more money, okay fine.  What not smart is why sent out surveys?   What did they expect?   "YES!  We would love to pay for things that were free before!"   I also want to know who is that 1 person out of 11 that says, yeah you should charge for it! 😆

 

 

Source: https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-ceo-addresses-pizza-fee-controversy/108893

[HMR74]

4 hours ago, mayleeman said:

 

Not speaking ill of my mother' cooking...but she told her friends that us boys seemed way too eager to get back to the dorm dining rooms.

she like other mothers did not understand the party aspect of college. I was there in the mid 60's. The drinking started the first day of registration , and back then we went to the sports complex basket ball  ball arena to get our punch cards for the classes that were required, at the times we wanted.

Pot parties started my Sr year when I had to be serious.

[HMR74]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

You are not the first to think this way, we are most likely done with X after our 2 January cruises on the Edge.  A lot depends on how the butler team handles themselves on our Apex cruise next month.

I have said it before but we canned late spring  cruises on Beyond and did an extended land tour of Greece and Italy. It was so good my better half wants me to plan one for next year to Spain and Portugal.

We are older so we will do this for as long as it is wise to do so. Then probably return to cruising where there is less wear and tear on us.

 

[HMR74]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Are they still hot chocolate cookies after they sit out for an hour? Do they throw them out? or "One moment Sir, while I put your cookie in the microwave to make it hot and fresh"

hell, our car dealers have "complimentary bagels and smears and coffee etc in the morning and hot cookies  and juice or milk in the PM. And thats even if you only bring the car in for a free car wash.

 

X is cheapening its brand name whichleads to goodlill and premium stock prices if you do it right.

[Bo1953]

4 hours ago, steve ch said:

That would be Isle of Wight 1970  all over again!

sc -did you attend that festival???

 

bon voyage

[SbbquilterUT]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:09 PM, helen haywood said:

Are there still cookies at the ice cream station in the Oceanview Cafe (Buffet?)

Not on Solstice a couple weeks ago.

[kwokpot]

5 minutes ago, HMR74 said:

hell, our car dealers have "complimentary bagels and smears and coffee etc in the morning and hot cookies  and juice or milk in the PM. And thats even if you only bring the car in for a free car wash.

 

We just bright in our car for the annual State Inspection Sticker this week. The company we go to, an independent auto repair shop, has a Keurig coffee system, Halloween sized candies, and Otis Spunkmeyer fresh baked cookies. They have this little branded oven, which looks like a little pizza oven, sitting in the waiting area. The employees will occasionally pop in some premade cookie dough to bake fresh cookies.   

[ISABELLA]

On 8/23/2023 at 6:55 PM, 1620rock said:

Really starting to regret that I booked the Equinox for October before I knew it was a test ship for vaping other additional charges, cutbacks and the terrible new MDR menu.  I saw Irish stew and liver and onions before as menu o[tions that I think thankfully are gone.

 

Seriously thinking about cancelling our 10-day cruise on Silly in January even though we got a great price by booking in advance.  We will definitely be checking other options before final payment in October..

 

Now charging for cookies!!!  Will free ice cream and toppings in the buffet be next??

 

The final straw for DH will be if they take away creme brulee from the MDR.

Next for X will be the following:

Cruise only price

Cruise with breakfast price

Cruise with Breakfast and dinner price

Cruise with ALL

[Ocdublin]

7 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

We just bright in our car for the annual State Inspection Sticker this week. The company we go to, an independent auto repair shop, has a Keurig coffee system, Halloween sized candies, and Otis Spunkmeyer fresh baked cookies. They have this little branded oven, which looks like a little pizza oven, sitting in the waiting area. The employees will occasionally pop in some premade cookie dough to bake fresh cookies.   

 

[Fly and Sail]

19 hours ago, Orator said:

Celebrity has charged for specialty items before. Remember hamburgers in the Mast Grill or aged steaks in the Tuscan Grilled? How did that work out?

 

I hope those burgers were something different than the inedible hockey pucks they serve these days.

[bnurick]

25 minutes ago, ISABELLA said:

Breakfast

Real or powder eggs? 😂 

[Fly and Sail]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

$2.40.  I almost never see anyone at the gelato case.  They must give away more to those with status yet then they sell, yet X keeps that around

 

Of course they do so they can sell that garbage as a "special" benefit for Elite/Elite Plus. Together with the laundry (aka paper shredder) benefit.

 

I noticed they often do popular flavors such as pistachio only as Gelato and not as ice cream to get people to pay.

[HMR74]

21 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

We just bright in our car for the annual State Inspection Sticker this week. The company we go to, an independent auto repair shop, has a Keurig coffee system, Halloween sized candies, and Otis Spunkmeyer fresh baked cookies. They have this little branded oven, which looks like a little pizza oven, sitting in the waiting area. The employees will occasionally pop in some premade cookie dough to bake fresh cookies.   

Yep, thats the set up at both dealers.

Amazing, one businesses enticements have become a small profit center for Celebrity.

 a test ship, i repeat, should  not be where major takaways are tested and minor add ons, like warm choclate chip cookies are tested. Furthermore, on the takaways its just bad business to have contracts with custoemrs where the company can change and devalue the product.

I can buy a package of nestles choc chip cookies for about 5 bucks at home and while thery are good, if teh food on a ship is like it used to be with the  choiceswe had, then you don't need no stinkn extra desert. If X thinks thats an improvement then it needs to have read these pages.

 

Its not a major issue.

 

But if they tested a concept as follows, I bet its a winner, From 9-mindnight haave a set up in the OVC for something.

Go grab a cup of coffee and a piece of pie or cake, and sit and smooze at a tabe or the outside portion of the OVC. like Bakers Square used to be.

 

Its a place big enough and throw in some simple food like the pizza or chicken wings.

 

Throw in a pianist with piano and it turns into a sort of adult quiet night club. Build on the concept, Turn down the lights a bit, and people can sit and read, play a game, etc.

Sometiems the places on 3 are just too loud to talk /converse unless you are in each others faces.