Increase in prices in some Speciality restaurants

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

Not happening for my Wonder cruises...  sure you still want to move near PC? 🤣

For a while the 6 cruises from Galveston to coco cay were my most expensive cruises. Harmony is doing 6 next year. Cost was more than wonder ... people from texas cant wait to go to coco cay. Wow what a great itinerary. My cabin was pushing $4k, wonder was only $3,400. 

 

That central park balcony gty now is only $1539 pp .. was $1739 .. cheapest date. Going to exotic coco cay from texas. ..and that's the cheapest date. Some dates well over $5k but for such a itinerary how can you say no. 

 

Down over $200 pp for a central park balcony

 

[nimbex1970]

19 hours ago, Seville2Cabo said:

Last 2 cruises on Radiance.  Last August Alaska and April Panama Canal  - We really liked the Brazilian Steakhouse - but it was empty

On WOS, it was a challenge to book dining in advance.  Two of my party had the 3 night package and at least got into what they wanted, not the times.  On the fourth night we were able to get in for night 4 through seven by calling each day and being flexible.  This was this May and the specialty restaurants were full.  Not sure about lunch though, as we were doing park cafe or the solarium. 

[Jerseygirl1416]

19 hours ago, Plum Happy said:

The price for those wings are not outrageous, check the cost at Wing Stop, boneless for 10 costs $15.99.  

 

You all have to take into the fact that suppliers are charging more, so you think that they are going to absorb the prices and not pass the costs along to you?  ☺️

 

Don't eat out.

But on a ship your cost of food was already factored into your fare so while you’re eating those wings you’re not eating the same amount of food already factored into the fare.

[Arzeena]

On 8/26/2023 at 2:13 PM, RyderJ201 said:

On Wonder in May none of the specialty restaurants were full on the nights we were there. Not even 50% full.

We noticed that in August.

Nothing available to reserve from the app but if we went there it was empty( With the exception of Mason Jar) and we were always seated. I don't know why everything came up booked.

[Arzeena]

On 8/27/2023 at 2:39 PM, OCSC Mike said:

 

Not happening for my Wonder cruises...  sure you still want to move near PC? 🤣

Too late! in my case.

[time4u2go]

7 hours ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

But on a ship your cost of food was already factored into your fare so while you’re eating those wings you’re not eating the same amount of food already factored into the fare.

So true.  This is what people fail to consider when they compare the cost of a specialty restaurant to the cost of a land-based restaurant.  They have already paid for a meal on the ship.

[Pandamonia]

On 8/27/2023 at 7:04 PM, Plum Happy said:

The price for those wings are not outrageous, check the cost at Wing Stop, boneless for 10 costs $15.99.  

 

You all have to take into the fact that suppliers are charging more, so you think that they are going to absorb the prices and not pass the costs along to you?  ☺️

 

Don't eat out.

suppliers? LOL

 

20 double wings in the UK is £2.10 up from £1.90 before inflation. That’s retail price. Not wholesale. 
 

people make excuses for corporate greed because they don’t want to feel like their are being conned. 
 

my brother got off anthem in school holidays max capacity with 1200 over double occupancy and the speciality were begging people to dine offering discounts on the booking. Kids eat free and $20 per adult in Jamie’s. 
 

The food is just not worth these prices. It’s not even high street restaurant quality. The menus are stale and boring and never really change. Even the chefs table just offered steak from chops and the dessert from wonderland. 
 

royal just proves that there are plenty of suckers who will pay their prices. 
 

but the gravy train is running out of track and there is consumer weakness showing in America and Europe so let’s hope that royal feels that as badly as they need to. 

[Norwich Cruiser]

Servers were trawling the bars most evenings on our recent Anthem cruise offering discounts of 50% for all restaurants.

 

They were still never full even at those prices.

[Pratique]

52 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

So true.  This is what people fail to consider when they compare the cost of a specialty restaurant to the cost of a land-based restaurant.  They have already paid for a meal on the ship.

In theory, yes.

 

Royal is counting on people willing to pay any amount to avoid the MDR and WJ as the variety and quality in those venues declines.

 

That is why I eat in the specialty venues and then go stuff myself in the WJ, or take food back to the cabin for a midnight snack, so I can "feel" as if I am getting my money's worth. 😃

 

Fine with me if the specialty venues are less than full, makes for a better experience.

 

EDIT to add: I've been pricing out Disney Wish and it makes RC look like a bargain.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Pratique

[jamon]

Were there any increases in Chops for lunch or dinner????????

[MommaBear55]

7 minutes ago, jamon said:

Were there any increases in Chops for lunch or dinner????????

I didn't see any increase for Chops on this announcement 

[Pratique]

8 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

I didn't see any increase for Chops on this announcement 

The fixed price restaurants might vary per sailing, check the planner for "sales." The a-la-carte prices were the ones mentioned above.

[PACrew]

The “value” position is just not there at these prices. We love royal but just booked two cruises, one with NCL and another MSC. 

[Plum Happy]

On 8/28/2023 at 4:56 PM, Pandamonia said:

suppliers? LOL

 

20 double wings in the UK is £2.10 up from £1.90 before inflation. That’s retail price. Not wholesale. 
 

people make excuses for corporate greed because they don’t want to feel like their are being conned. 
 

my brother got off anthem in school holidays max capacity with 1200 over double occupancy and the speciality were begging people to dine offering discounts on the booking. Kids eat free and $20 per adult in Jamie’s. 
 

The food is just not worth these prices. It’s not even high street restaurant quality. The menus are stale and boring and never really change. Even the chefs table just offered steak from chops and the dessert from wonderland. 
 

royal just proves that there are plenty of suckers who will pay their prices. 
 

but the gravy train is running out of track and there is consumer weakness showing in America and Europe so let’s hope that royal feels that as badly as they need to. 

I just know you're a joke here with that price. 2.10 British pound equals $2.67 US and there's no where in the US would you find them at that price.  Not even uncooked chicken wings.

[nferr]

On 8/28/2023 at 9:39 AM, Jerseygirl1416 said:

But on a ship your cost of food was already factored into your fare so while you’re eating those wings you’re not eating the same amount of food already factored into the fare.

 Yeah, but it's not like they're ordering less food for the MDR because you're eating in a specialty restaurant. Not to mention extra service and nicer ambiance. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

On 8/27/2023 at 7:51 AM, mramella said:

Interesting to hear the specialty restaurants are not full... The best businesses continue raising prices until finally the consumer stops buying. Maybe that's starting to happen with Royal, at least for the speciality dining options, but not for the cruise fare itself...

 

Per the article above:

 

"The wings went up too: 12 wings: $10 to $13.99."

 

I'm not very good at math, but I think that's a 40% increase... Holy moly! That's gotta be nearly 4 or 5 times the rate of inflation. I need to run a business like that!

 

"Fries: $3 to $5.99."

 

Again, not very good at math, but I think that's a 100% increase. LOL.

 

 

For not being good at math, you do money percentages extremely well!

 

🤑😁

[Engineroom Snipe]

On 8/27/2023 at 12:53 PM, nimbex1970 said:

All I know is that for US, US, the MDR is now subpar and we will only dine in specialty restaurants.  We are factoring that cost like $400pp per 7 day cruise into our price point.  That has led to us booking virgin and NCL, lines we never would have considered prior.  This is disheartening as we love RCCL. I have two cruises yet to book for 2024 and with specialty dinning now in our price point, it's a tough choice to pay more.  These next two cruises on virgin and NCL will determine who we book with for those two cruises. 

 

Royal doubled down in the wrong way, IMHO. But they care little about our MDR concerns as they move forward... why be loyal?

 

I am in the same dilemma.

 

I still have four more cruises booked from 2022: two this year and two next year.

 

I am trying to keep an open mind but my last experience on the Oasis in September, 2022, before the announced dining and room service changes, was subpar.

 

I got a good price on the cruise and still felt it was a fair value.

 

I made more reservations at that time for 2023 and 2024 at what I felt were very good prices.

 

I enjoyed my Enchantment of the Sea out of Baltimore last April. MDR and Windjammer food selections were reduced and quality of food did not seem normal. I had problems for two days trying to even find my cabin steward. Still a good cruise.

 

Going on Oasis this weekend and only eating in Windjammer so I can make a full week of evaluations.

 

On the Jewel in November, 9 days. We have reserved second seating in MDR and will eat all nights in the MDR for over 9 days of evaluation.

 

These cruises are going to help me determine my future with RCI, especially if they keep future base cruise prices elevated from what I paid.

 

I am hoping for the best. I will have a good time no matter what.  I am now starting to ponder other cruise lines. I might have to pay more for those cruisers. I want to go back to an experience which includes more with the basic fairs and do not play games with add-ons.

 

This "a la carte" airline type of pricing is confusing and starting to affect my desire to cruise with RCI.

[Kiki and The Noush]

20 hours ago, Plum Happy said:

I just know you're a joke here with that price. 2.10 British pound equals $2.67 US and there's no where in the US would you find them at that price.  Not even uncooked chicken wings.

A quick check of Tesco's current ad in the UK shows chicken wings for £2.19 for a kilo.  I've spent enough time in the UK to know their grocery store prices are drastically cheaper than ours.  The price for where they live is correct.

[OCSC Mike]

38 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

Going on Oasis this weekend and only eating in Windjammer so I can make a full week of evaluations.

 

As a WJ fan, I'll be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

I had no issues with the WJ on Wonder in June but extended family treated us to a GS so I didn't eat there much. We will eat there a lot more once we're back to our usual routine on our upcoming cruises next Spring/Summer.

[Engineroom Snipe]

31 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said:

 

As a WJ fan, I'll be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

I had no issues with the WJ on Wonder in June but extended family treated us to a GS so I didn't eat there much. We will eat there a lot more once we're back to our usual routine on our upcoming cruises next Spring/Summer.

Will do. If I find anything outstanding in a good or bad way, I will try to take pictures to allow readers to make their own opinions.

[bouhunter]

On 8/27/2023 at 7:51 AM, mramella said:

Holy moly! That's gotta be nearly 4 or 5 times the rate of inflation. I need to run a business like that!

 

 

 

 

Inflation is higher than the 8-3% bs you are reading in the media.  Have you been to the grocery or gas station lately?

[nimbex1970]

6 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

 

I am in the same dilemma.

 

I still have four more cruises booked from 2022: two this year and two next year.

 

I am trying to keep an open mind but my last experience on the Oasis in September, 2022, before the announced dining and room service changes, was subpar.

 

I got a good price on the cruise and still felt it was a fair value.

 

I made more reservations at that time for 2023 and 2024 at what I felt were very good prices.

 

I enjoyed my Enchantment of the Sea out of Baltimore last April. MDR and Windjammer food selections were reduced and quality of food did not seem normal. I had problems for two days trying to even find my cabin steward. Still a good cruise.

 

Going on Oasis this weekend and only eating in Windjammer so I can make a full week of evaluations.

 

On the Jewel in November, 9 days. We have reserved second seating in MDR and will eat all nights in the MDR for over 9 days of evaluation.

 

These cruises are going to help me determine my future with RCI, especially if they keep future base cruise prices elevated from what I paid.

 

I am hoping for the best. I will have a good time no matter what.  I am now starting to ponder other cruise lines. I might have to pay more for those cruisers. I want to go back to an experience which includes more with the basic fairs and do not play games with add-ons.

 

This "a la carte" airline type of pricing is confusing and starting to affect my desire to cruise with RCI.

On the Oasis, don't underestimate the park cafe in central park.  Order the roast beef sandwich, it's the closest to Buffalo's own beef on kimmiweck bun you will get.  On the WOS, the cut of beef was fatty, I declined it and had to ask for a "clean cut", I have fat issues with meat on my sandwich.  However their food is generally a solid alternative, although smaller than the windjammer. 

[karena1]

On 8/27/2023 at 12:53 PM, nimbex1970 said:

All I know is that for US, US, the MDR is now subpar and we will only dine in specialty restaurants.  We are factoring that cost like $400pp per 7 day cruise into our price point.  That has led to us booking virgin and NCL, lines we never would have considered prior.  This is disheartening as we love RCCL. I have two cruises yet to book for 2024 and with specialty dinning now in our price point, it's a tough choice to pay more.  These next two cruises on virgin and NCL will determine who we book with for those two cruises. 

 

Royal doubled down in the wrong way, IMHO. But they care little about our MDR concerns as they move forward... why be loyal?

My husband is totally happy with the food in the MDR, in fact, he thinks it is really good.  We never do specialty restaurants as it is a total waste of money for me.  I eat veggies and salads, maybe chicken once a week.  So to pay for a specialty restaurant for us, makes no sense.  In the MDR, I usually order a bowl of soup or a plate of veggies and I am good. He eats way more, usually at least 2 apps, then a main course.  On lobster night, I order one just so he can have 2, then he is good.  I eat his veggies off his plate and I am good.  Neither one of us are huge eaters, but we are not 40 anymore.  He is 79 and I am 66, so we both eat way less than we used to.  We would rather spend that money on the beverage package.  But that is why there are so many choices, something for everyone.

 

[OCSC Mike]

14 minutes ago, nimbex1970 said:

don't underestimate the park cafe in central park

 

Big fan for both an early breakfast snack (egg sandwich or bagel) and lunch/afternoon snack (weck or panini).

 

I grabbed a pre-packaged wrap (I forget what kind) to toss in my cooler in June and even that was a decent snack.

[nimbex1970]

3 minutes ago, karena1 said:

My husband is totally happy with the food in the MDR, in fact, he thinks it is really good.  We never do specialty restaurants as it is a total waste of money for me.  I eat veggies and salads, maybe chicken once a week.  So to pay for a specialty restaurant for us, makes no sense.  In the MDR, I usually order a bowl of soup or a plate of veggies and I am good. He eats way more, usually at least 2 apps, then a main course.  On lobster night, I order one just so he can have 2, then he is good.  I eat his veggies off his plate and I am good.  Neither one of us are huge eaters, but we are not 40 anymore.  He is 79 and I am 66, so we both eat way less than we used to.  We would rather spend that money on the beverage package.  But that is why there are so many choices, something for everyone.

 

I would never mean disrespect, but for folks like you, the MDR is perfect! It's cool to hear that some folks don't have to spend more money to enjoy their cruise, aside from those drinks, lol! 

 

We live in the bush in Alaska, and want a quality meal on vacay.  While I certainly don't have the same number of cruises under my belt as you do, I have noticed the cut backs.  

 

I'd imagine you have great stories to tell of your earlier sails.  Would love to sit and have a drink with you.  Fair winds and happy cruising to you and yours.