Cookies now cost $2 plus 20%

[Cap_D]

12 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

but the celebrity product BEFORE included the standard cookie. That hasn’t changed. Sure, everyone would like the best product available included in the price they paid. But if a company is getting plenty of bookings, why would they source a higher priced product for free? I’ve thought celebrity was a rip off for some time now and haven’t booked post covid. But a $2 cookie has nothing to do w that

Eden Cafe on Edge Class ships open for 1.5 hrs or so on days at sea had cookies that appeared higher quality than other locations on the ship. 

 

They were likely baked onboard before being set out, but it was not evident the dough was made onboard or even by Celebrity. 

 

My strong guess is the dough is the standard frozen product sourced from Gordon Food Service from which Celebrity purchases items as seen on product labels around the ship, and most commonly cooking spray.  The math would come to about .37 cents USD a cookie if paying published prices, which would be surprising for Royal as a whole.

 

Somewhat related reminder, this is the cruise line that is perfectly fine with a cheese and cracker plate being comprised of deli sliced non-aged cheddar and a few saltines.  So, even with what was a high crew to passenger ratio, the best they could do was deliver saltines.  

Edited August 27, 2023 by Cap_D

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, HMR74 said:

 

 

My analysis is that I shop at Costco not for the samples  or BBQ chicken or cheap lunches) hot dogs just went from 1.50 to 1.99-think about that vs a $2 cookie), but that Costco has fantastic management and operations.

 

Who wants to compare RCL/X management to Costco's.  Not just the management but shoreside operations including the website. eg, its not easy to compare say Sky suite, to Aqua prices.

 

Do you have a source of the costco hot dog going up in price?  Costco's founders reportedly told the CEO: "If you raise the [price of the] effing hot dog, I will kill you.".  Also Sams Clubs actually lowered theirs to $1.38

[hcat]

3 hours ago, MISTER 67 said:

Holland America has cloth hand towels in the public restrooms and has had them before there was a Celebrity Cruise company.

cloth towels use up laundry resources.. .. rather have disposable recyclable

 

Celebrity can still fix  all of this.. stop all the BS,  improve  food quality and staffing. Give what was promised at time of  booking. Let the  new lady make her mark on Coco Cay..

 

The  beautiful ships are wasted on a no frills product!

[MISTER 67]

45 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Thank you for that piece of information, I've never sailed Holland so I didn't know that. Have you sailed Holland recently? How do they stack up against Celebrity? 

After being very loyal to HAL for years we are down on them right now, food budget has been cut, they were portioning out butter and cream cheese on our last cruise, I like Lox and bagels but the lox were horrible and gray in color, one morning I asked for scrambled eggs in the buffet and lo and behold when I sat down to eat them they were frozen, someone forgot to heat them, entertainment budget has been cut and actually before the pandemic. Cabin service is only in the morning. The ships are classy and very clean and at one time very well maintained but they’ve had issues with some of the older ships.

[crusinthrough]

5 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Someone please explain to me why a person would pay $1000s for a cruise, yet complain about a $2 cookie?

The extra 20% gratuity was more of the insult to me.  Why would a cruise line diminish its reputation for $2.40?  These cookies wouldn't have generated enough revenue to move the needle much on the bottom line.  

 

Gratuities were just raised.  The revenue wasn't going to be used to pay crew more,  The consumer picked up this tab.  

[WestLakeGirl]

And what of the gluten-free cookies? And the no sugar added cookies? They were ignored in the kerfuffle

[terrydtx]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

I think its ironic that instead of removing the fee and giving their guests a higher quality cookies which costs them very little, they just remove the better cookie

Buy the Doubletree chocolate chip cookie recipe or pay a royalty. I would pay $2 for them; it makes the decision between booking a Doubletree and non-Doubletree hotel a very easy one. Doubletree bakes them every 30 minutes in the afternoons when people are checking in.

Edited August 27, 2023 by terrydtx

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

They liked the Celebrity product BEFORE they offered the premium cookie for a fee; just give us better cookies for free as the free ones aren't anything to write home about

I have always liked the regular cookies, they call to me every time I pass Cafe Al Bacio, and I usually respond.

Edited August 27, 2023 by jelayne

[MamaFej]

23 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I have always liked the regular cookies, they call to me every time I pass Cafe Al Bacio, and I usually respond.

If they call to you, it would be downright rude to ignore them.

 

Manners are important. 

[awhcruiser]

1 hour ago, crusinthrough said:

The extra 20% gratuity was more of the insult to me.  Why would a cruise line diminish its reputation for $2.40?  These cookies wouldn't have generated enough revenue to move the needle much on the bottom line.  

 

Gratuities were just raised.  The revenue wasn't going to be used to pay crew more,  The consumer picked up this tab.  

Thank you for your response.

[sanger727]

1 hour ago, crusinthrough said:

The extra 20% gratuity was more of the insult to me.  Why would a cruise line diminish its reputation for $2.40?  These cookies wouldn't have generated enough revenue to move the needle much on the bottom line.  

 

Gratuities were just raised.  The revenue wasn't going to be used to pay crew more,  The consumer picked up this tab.  

Why? They charge the 20% gratuity in nearly every on board purchase. We were charge a gratuity on group classes at the gym. Pretty sure they also charge it on minibar purchases.

[ChucktownSteve]

On 8/25/2023 at 8:36 AM, HMR74 said:

Which ship is the test ship for new and exciting things?

 

At one point it was the Titanic. 

[terrydtx]

7 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

Why? They charge the 20% gratuity in nearly every on board purchase. We were charge a gratuity on group classes at the gym. Pretty sure they also charge it on minibar purchases.

Yes I believe mini bar is plus 20% tip

[kwokpot]

3 hours ago, awhcruiser said:

Thank you for the explanation.

Isn't it great when we can all have a civilized back and forth discussion? 

As I had said in previous posts as someone who had done this professionally as a career it didn't seem to be a well thought out test. This may not be popular thing to say but from a Business analyst's and process improvement perspective Celebrity's changes to the Butler program for Sky Suites, along with the reinforcement of the Sky Suite mini bar policies was a prudent and wise decision and are changes I could see myself recommending  if I was in that position at Celebrity.  

 

[hcat]

12 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

Isn't it great when we can all have a civilized back and forth discussion? 

As I had said in previous posts as someone who had done this professionally as a career it didn't seem to be a well thought out test. This may not be popular thing to say but from a Business analyst's and process improvement perspective Celebrity's changes to the Butler program for Sky Suites, along with the reinforcement of the Sky Suite mini bar policies was a prudent and wise decision and are changes I could see myself recommending  if I was in that position at Celebrity.  

 

 

.I was thinking  that many of the changes were not the result of any studies or thought out at all! 

 

Seems like someone looked at a list of items and said let's try to cut this and that,  we can always reverse course...

 

If it was well thought out there would  have been a much  better implementation program with proper notice of the roll out.

 

Anyone who lost the Butler should be given token OBC ..maybe $200..and asked to complete a short survey of how things worked out at the end of the cruise..make them part of the "Change Team"

 

 Similarly..notify that due to  supply issues or whatever excuse, the mini bar rules will need to be Strictly enforced..and give a $50 OBC for any inconvenience!

 

Instead..they seem to have no insight into custoner relations or just do not care! Run by robots??

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

 

At one point it was the Titanic. 

 

For those who care about trivia.  The RMS Titanic wasn't special nor did she bring any new innovations as she's a clone of her sister ship, the RMS Olympic.  She was #2 of 3 in her class which was a luxury Ocean Liners and she didn't even sail full on her maiden voyage.  The Olympic, was like the X Edge and The Titanic was like the X Apex; about 99% the same

[kwokpot]

25 minutes ago, hcat said:

 

.I was thinking  that many of the changes were not the result of any studies or thought out at all! 

 

Seems like someone looked at a list of items and said let's try to cut this and that,  we can always reverse course...

 

If it was well thought out there would  have been a much  better implementation program with proper notice of the roll out.

 

Anyone who lost the Butler should be given token OBC ..maybe $200..and asked to complete a short survey of how things worked out at the end of the cruise..make them part of the "Change Team"

 

 Similarly..notify that due to  supply issues or whatever excuse, the mini bar rules will need to be Strictly enforced..and give a $50 OBC for any inconvenience!

 

Instead..they seem to have no insight into custoner relations or just do not care! Run by robots??

I will agree the implementation of the Sky Suites changes weren't properly done. I was commenting solely on whether on face value I saw merit on the changes they chose to make. 

 

OT: As I had mentioned I was a Business Analyst and process improvement specialist for a major bank. This was after a long career working in bank branches for the same bank (TBH the one and only company after college).

The irony of this was I worked on a complex staffing modeling that provided the bank branches data to reduce headcount yet provide the same optimal service. Little did I know my own position would be eliminated! This was back in 2004 ,which is the last time I was employed. In hindsight being severanced out of my job forced me into early retirement and circumstances has allowed my husband and I to stay in retirement and travel on all these wonderful cruises! 

Edited August 27, 2023 by kwokpot

[hcat]

46 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I will agree the implementation of the Sky Suites changes weren't properly done. I was commenting solely on whether on face value I saw merit on the changes they chose to make. 

 

OT: As I had mentioned I was a Business Analyst and process improvement specialist for a major bank. This was after a long career working in bank branches for the same bank (TBH the one and only company after college).

The irony of this was I worked on a complex staffing modeling that provided the bank branches data to reduce headcount yet provide the same optimal service. Little did I know my own position would be eliminated! This was back in 2004 ,which is the last time I was employed. In hindsight being severanced out of my job forced me into early retirement and circumstances has allowed my husband and I to stay in retirement and travel on all these wonderful cruises! 

 I agree with your conclusions as to  merit..not my area of expertise.  .  Your  being  "released" from your job turned out to work in your favor! Something similar happened to me and I never looked back!...Enjoy!

[Kelownadon]

On 8/26/2023 at 3:04 PM, terrydtx said:

I would go for a fee to reserve a pool chair or lounger, that would end the Chair Hoggs or at least limit them.

That would just guarantee those with the most money get a good chair. Kind of like paying to skip the line. Not my idea of fairness to all.

[D. B.]

5 hours ago, WestLakeGirl said:

And what of the gluten-free cookies? And the no sugar added cookies? They were ignored in the kerfuffle

Still have gluten-free cookies and desserts on Summit as of today.

[ChucktownSteve]

2 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

For those who care about trivia.  The RMS Titanic wasn't special nor did she bring any new innovations as she's a clone of her sister ship, the RMS Olympic.  She was #2 of 3 in her class which was a luxury Ocean Liners and she didn't even sail full on her maiden voyage.  The Olympic, was like the X Edge and The Titanic was like the X Apex; about 99% the same

As you pointed out, after the Olympic’s maiden voyage in June 1911, slight changes were made to the Titanic’s design.  Wasn't the Titanic then touted as "Unsinkable"?

 

Here's a simile: White Star touted the Titanic as "unsinkable"..Celebrity touted itself as "Luxury".

 

So I guess Celebrity quickly nixed the $2 cookie test because they didn't want to go down as non luxury?  Pay no attention to the Resort Team behind the curtain.

Edited August 28, 2023 by ChucktownSteve

[HMR74]

1 hour ago, Kelownadon said:

That would just guarantee those with the most money get a good chair. Kind of like paying to skip the line. Not my idea of fairness to all.

Heck, at 77 YO, I would like to get a lounge chair thats spaced adequately from the  next lounge chair, so I do not have to find a way to throw myself onto the chair from the foot of the chair and likewise, try to get up from  the lounge chair by pushing yourself forward on the chair.

both can be done but it definitely is not a gracious  nor elegant move.

[HMR74]

6 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Do you have a source of the costco hot dog going up in price?  Costco's founders reportedly told the CEO: "If you raise the [price of the] effing hot dog, I will kill you.".  Also Sams Clubs actually lowered theirs to $1.38

Yeah, I saw the quote when it occured,

But the bigger comment ws that COSTCO is a very well run company, I do not think X  is. But it is  decentl well run company. That said , a farely expensicve vacation when you throw  in extras and airfare, hotels  etc, makes yo want to feel its agica if not "special.

[crusinthrough]

5 hours ago, sanger727 said:

Why? They charge the 20% gratuity in nearly every on board purchase. We were charge a gratuity on group classes at the gym. Pretty sure they also charge it on minibar purchases.

Charging for cookies was ridiculous to me.  Adding 20% on top of that is just greed.  Who actually benefits from the all the extra added gratuities? 

[HMR74]

1 hour ago, HMR74 said:

Heck, at 77 YO, I would like to get a lounge chair thats spaced adequately from the  next lounge chair, so I do not have to find a way to throw myself onto the chair from the foot of the chair and likewise, try to get up from  the lounge chair by pushing yourself forward on the chair.

both can be done but it definitely is not a gracious  nor elegant move.

and let me add another thought. I would like to get a drink and be able to put it down on the deck and not hold it and chugg it down just to get rid of it.

 

I speciifically speak of the S class pool area where you are in the shade and under the  walking track.

One aspect of getting a suite is to be in the  area that  they spread the  chairs, which I am not sure of on S class. That used to be a nice place, up front on the top level and second down) to find shade with space, But I am not sure if that justifies the upcharge for suites.