If you could change only one thing on the Royal Carribean Ships what would that be?

[gmerick]

Marketing department must be high-five-ing, and breaking out the champagne.  The hottest topics for improving the brand is late breakfasts with bacon and waffles, and the never-ending winging about tips.  Does no one thing BIG anymore?  Is there no dreams? 

OK, one more change to the fleet - Oasis scale catamaran.  Imagine the theme park that could host.  It could have it's own fleet of yachts docked on board for use as tenders or excursion boats.

[CruizinSusan70]

Eliminate the "Dynamic Pricing" policy regarding the prices of the drink packages and excursions.  On every other cruise line, an excursion costs X amount or a drink package costs Y amount.  It's not flexible depending upon which ship you're on or when you sail. 

[ReneeFLL]

Have a Coastal Kitchen on all ships.

[ScottishRobbie]

On 12/13/2023 at 7:53 AM, doghog said:

Do away with allowing smoking in the casino. 

Come down to Australia. No smoking on the casino's on our ships

[ScottishRobbie]

The onboard currency is whatever currencies used where the ship is homeported i.e. Euro in Europe, AUD in Australia etc

[Mum2Mercury]

14 hours ago, travisma81 said:

I think Johnny Rockets should be included with the price.  Better yet, like someone else said.  Replace it with Waffle House and keep it open an hour after the bars close.   

Let's get into the way-back machine:  Johnny Rockets used to be included in the sailing price, but Royal claimed it had become a hang-out for teenagers, who'd claim a table and sit all afternoon.  I personally never saw this.  So they added a fee -- something like $4.99/person.  And the fee has increased and increased.  I'd have more respect for the choice if they'd just said the truth:  We want this to become a revenue-generating item, and we're going to add a fee.  Don't shoot us some BS line about teenagers.  

 

If I were going to choose a burger place to put onboard, I'd go with Five Guys.  Those are some good burgers.  

10 hours ago, Ashland said:

They only seem to care about how they "look" not taste and that's why you see so many one bite desserts left on the table.

As a baker with decades of experience, I can tell you the problems:  They whip the desserts -- over-whip the desserts; this incorporates more air /less product.  And/or they incorporate geletin (generic word for Jello, but no taste version) to provide stability.  And many of their desserts are pre-made /frozen.  

This isn't new -- they've been doing it as long as I've sailed Royal, and dessert has never been their thing.  

10 hours ago, Morecruisesplz said:

...could change only one thing!

Eh, I rarely follow the rules.  

[doghog]

5 hours ago, ScottishRobbie said:

Come down to Australia. No smoking on the casino's on our ships

You do, do it right down under. Or cruise with Celebrity. 😉

[vjmatty]

2 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

As a baker with decades of experience, I can tell you the problems:  They whip the desserts -- over-whip the desserts; this incorporates more air /less product.  And/or they incorporate geletin (generic word for Jello, but no taste version) to provide stability.  And many of their desserts are pre-made /frozen.  

This isn't new -- they've been doing it as long as I've sailed Royal, and dessert has never been their thing.  

Eh, I rarely follow the rules.  

As a vegetarian I find this disturbing. It never crossed my mind that some of the desserts would have gelatin, other than the obvious ones. I live near a major culinary school so I’m spoiled with quality desserts anyway, but this just makes it worse. 😕

[Wheels Up]

18 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Do you want fries* with that? 

 

* i.e., a $15-$20 pppd surcharge

I understand what you’re saying, that even if they give it away for “free” that we will actually all pay for it with increased fares. I’d truly rather book one all-inclusive price.

 

I go to an all inclusive resort in Mexico where alcohol, tips, all meals, and Wi-Fi are included for $5,000 per week for two. Price varies by which week, of course. But it’s one price to consider different dates, book, pay for, and you’re all done. I would be less attracted to the resort if it was $2,500 for the week for two people plus $1,000 for two drink packages, plus $500 for the good restaurants, plus $500 for tips, plus $300 for Wi-Fi, even though that would come out cheaper in the end. Especially if the prices of extras vary wildly (in RCI’s case ship to ship and between itineraries) and I have to keep an eye on the app because dynamic pricing and “sales” means I could end up paying more than $5,000 if I don’t book the extras at the right time or I picked a ship where DBP and Wi-Fi prices are never low.

 

And that’s not a major gripe that would cause me to abandon RCI. I like Royal Caribbean. Free Wi-Fi is just my one thing I would change if I only got one wish. Even if it was built into the fare… for that matter I’d prefer they do that with tips too.

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, Wheels Up said:

I understand what you’re saying, that even if they give it away for “free” that we will actually all pay for it with increased fares. I’d truly rather book one all-inclusive price.

 

I go to an all inclusive resort in Mexico where alcohol, tips, all meals, and Wi-Fi are included for $5,000 per week for two. Price varies by which week, of course. But it’s one price to consider different dates, book, pay for, and you’re all done. I would be less attracted to the resort if it was $2,500 for the week for two people plus $1,000 for two drink packages, plus $500 for the good restaurants, plus $500 for tips, plus $300 for Wi-Fi, even though that would come out cheaper in the end. Especially if the prices of extras vary wildly (in RCI’s case ship to ship and between itineraries) and I have to keep an eye on the app because dynamic pricing and “sales” means I could end up paying more than $5,000 if I don’t book the extras at the right time or I picked a ship where DBP and Wi-Fi prices are never low.

 

And that’s not a major gripe that would cause me to abandon RCI. I like Royal Caribbean. Free Wi-Fi is just my one thing I would change if I only got one wish. Even if it was built into the fare… for that matter I’d prefer they do that with tips too.

All-inclusive pricing?  What if I don't drink?  What if I don't use the Internet?  What if I didn't like the service?  What if I don't like specialty restaurants?  I want to pay for what I use, what is top-notch service, what is good quality, and on and on.  I've never done an all-inclusive land-based resort for those reasons and others.

[Another_Critic]

Just now, Ret MP said:

All-inclusive pricing?  What if I don't drink?  What if I don't use the Internet?  What if I didn't like the service?  What if I don't like specialty restaurants?  I want to pay for what I use, what is top-notch service, what is good quality, and on and on.  I've never done an all-inclusive land-based resort for those reasons and others.

But you book "all inclusive" Star class.  🙄

 

BTW, I agree that I'd rather pay as you go.

[reallyitsmema]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

As a vegetarian I find this disturbing. It never crossed my mind that some of the desserts would have gelatin, other than the obvious ones. I live near a major culinary school so I’m spoiled with quality desserts anyway, but this just makes it worse. 😕

 

Gelatin is used in many of the desserts instead of using a lot of cream to stabilize a mousse.  It is also a lot cheaper.  We have noticed that some of the desserts they had been putting gelatin in don't have it anymore, they have switched back to better ingredients.  It is easy to tell when you put your fork through the dessert, if it just glides through, it is likely thickened with cream, but if you are cutting it and the structure stays, it is likely thickened with gelatin.

[Morecruisesplz]

4 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

Let's get into the way-back machine:  Johnny Rockets used to be included in the sailing price, but Royal claimed it had become a hang-out for teenagers, who'd claim a table and sit all afternoon.  I personally never saw this.  So they added a fee -- something like $4.99/person.  And the fee has increased and increased.  I'd have more respect for the choice if they'd just said the truth:  We want this to become a revenue-generating item, and we're going to add a fee.  Don't shoot us some BS line about teenagers.  

 

If I were going to choose a burger place to put onboard, I'd go with Five Guys.  Those are some good burgers.  

As a baker with decades of experience, I can tell you the problems:  They whip the desserts -- over-whip the desserts; this incorporates more air /less product.  And/or they incorporate geletin (generic word for Jello, but no taste version) to provide stability.  And many of their desserts are pre-made /frozen.  

This isn't new -- they've been doing it as long as I've sailed Royal, and dessert has never been their thing.  

Eh, I rarely follow the rules.  

Noted. 😃🎄😍

[Mick B]

Here's one just for fun.

Just for ships that have a Royal Promenade.

How about getting a on-board delivery service to bring whatever you want food and drink wise to your location via a cyclist dodging passengers during the 70s disco night. ie. bringing you some pizza from sorrento's all the way back to the champagne bar where you have set up residence for the night!

 

Seriously, I did suggest sometime back about either having an actual taxi service that ran along the promenade that could take guests from the MDR to the Theatre to save their legs a 5 minute walk.

I also suggested having lifts that moved horizontally along the inside of the promenade again to get guests from one end to the other but this time without having to run people over in the process.

 

Also, one cruise director once said over the tannoy that they had a new activity just for kids called diving for the propellers. I bet he wouldn't get away with that anymore!

 

Bring back the whiskey sampling outside the Duty Free shop - in fact bring back duty free (which is absent on many cruises recently) or at least duty free prices!

 

Mick.

 

 

 

 

 

[gmerick]

9 minutes ago, Mick B said:

How about getting a on-board delivery service to bring whatever you want food and drink wise to your location via a cyclist dodging passengers during the 70s disco night. ie. bringing you some pizza from sorrento's all the way back to the champagne bar where you have set up residence for the night!

Food delivery robot!

[3yorkies]

no children under 12

[budmeister]

26 minutes ago, 3yorkies said:

no children under 12

Can we bring our Yorkies? Sounds like a deal!

[Another_Critic]

43 minutes ago, 3yorkies said:

no children under 12

no adults that act like children.

[Jimbo]

On 12/13/2023 at 7:57 AM, little britain said:

 

 

Stop the waste of time having to sign $0.00 drinks bills 

 

 

 

 

 

You could tip a  dollar or 2  for a drink and make it worth while couldn't you?

 

Bar tender would appreciate it.

Edited December 14, 2023 by Jimbo

[vjmatty]

4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

You could tip a  dollar or 2  for a drink and make it worth while couldn't you?

 

Bar tender would appreciate it.

 

[lovesthebeach2]

4 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Gelatin is used in many of the desserts instead of using a lot of cream to stabilize a mousse.  It is also a lot cheaper.  We have noticed that some of the desserts they had been putting gelatin in don't have it anymore, they have switched back to better ingredients.  It is easy to tell when you put your fork through the dessert, if it just glides through, it is likely thickened with cream, but if you are cutting it and the structure stays, it is likely thickened with gelatin.

That’s probably why I won’t go near the desserts….they're all spongy, including the royal cheesecake. I ordered it on our last cruise during the “Cheers with an Officer” lunch and it was not the same.  It was spongy, and cheesecake is not supposed to be spongy. 

[Ret MP]

4 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

But you book "all inclusive" Star class.  🙄

 

Not always, maybe 60% of the time.

[Jimbo]

11 minutes ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

That’s probably why I won’t go near the desserts….they're all spongy, including the royal cheesecake. I ordered it on our last cruise during the “Cheers with an Officer” lunch and it was not the same.  It was spongy, and cheesecake is not supposed to be spongy. 

They have a lot of desserts  are not like they are suppose to be. Royal specialty is not desserts. I pretty much think all of us can agree on that.

[time4u2go]

4 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

BTW, I agree that I'd rather pay as you go.

To what end? 

 

This gets into a question of where the line is drawn as it relates to paying for things that a person might or might not use.  There are lots of things that we all pay for that some people use that others don't, such as rock climbing walls, pools, hot tubs, shows, musicians, etc.  When we start saying "I only want to pay for what I use", that's a complicated issue, in my opinion.

[MD_Dan]

Build smaller ships so they can sail out of Baltimore!!