$3.95 Service Charge for Room Service starting

[Morecruisesplz]

Well you know, sometimes people are promoted to managerial positions just to keep them insulated from the customers who are the life blood of any company.:p

 

Yep. It has to be The Peter Principle in action! On day on the floor dealing with customers and they would close up shop.

[rednancy1]

..... And people like yourself that wants ultra service and prices to match, go on a more snobby line, lie there and just let them pour the food into your mouth, why bother to get up? :p:rolleyes:

 

 

Ha Ha. :D:D:D

This cracks me up as I eat very little so the cruise lines make tons of $ on me. Good one. :cool:

[joethepeach]

This is just nonsense. There are those like yourself that want low fares and everything free. As a former business owner I know that just does not work. So if they just raise fares overall, does that mean I have to start eating and drinking extra all times of the day and order room service ( which is raare for me) just because it is included? No, I am not paying for things I did not use, simple. And people like yourself that wants ultra service and prices to match, go on a more snobby line, lie there and just let them pour the food into your mouth, why bother to get up? :p:rolleyes:

 

Well, I'll count you as the first person to sign up to happily pay the extra fee for others then!

 

Thank you for your genoristy!

[beachbuddy]

Ha Ha. :D:D:D

This cracks me up as I eat very little so the cruise lines make tons of $ on me. Good one. :cool:

 

LOL.........this thread is kind of entertaining at times! :D:D That was a good one - I love it!!

 

Patty

[joethepeach]

I figured rather than just post my comment thanking the genoristy of those who like to see yet another additional surcharge, I should perhaps more thoughtfully explain my point of view.

 

When I go on a cruise I like the idea that you shop around for the best itinerary on the cruiseline most-suited to your likes/dislikes (size of ship, class of service, amenities offered, quality of food, etc...) combined with the best value.

 

I like the idea of paying for the experience and then being done - to then truly enjoy what you've paid for.

 

What I see happening with the cruislines is an increasing trend towards nickel-and-diming for services.

 

Granted, topline rates have come down, so those who defend the surcharges say "they are making it up in other ways."

 

But to me this kind of ruins the cruise experience. I sometimes feel like you're in Tijuana with the approach the cruiselines take -- that they are always looking for a way to sell you something else while you're on the cruise. But that's not very relaxing to me.

 

I don't like feeling "on guard" as to figuring out what it is they want me to do and what it will cost.

 

But when you stop and think about it (and I'm not disputing that they shouldn't charge for some of the following services - just want you all to think about the multitude of ways they are trying to constantly "upsell") you run into some of the following when you start your cruise:

 

*You pay for your alcoholic drinks as you go along. (Which you should - don't get me wrong). So they want to try to get you to buy their drinks.

*You pay for a soda if you want one.

*You are frequently encouraged to try one of their additional charge restaurants "at least once".

*They want you to buy pictures of your cruise experience. (Which is nice to have the option, again don't get me wrong).

*They want you to buy the cruise experience DVD.

*They want you to book a cruise excursion through them.

*They want you to buy a glass or bottle of wine with dinner.

*They want you to try their spa services at least once for the experience.

*They want you to try the casino or their bingo game.

*They want you to go to their art auction (and will often entice with a glass of champagne, or piece of free art).

*They want you to go to their jewelry sale or other similar shop promotion.

*They want you to book another cruise while you're on board (and try to entice with a discount that in many cases ends up being less than what you'll pay if you wait till you get off your cruise and go online to a myriad of travel agencies).

 

So, I feel like there are plenty of opportunities for them to "up-sell" as it is.

 

Then you get off the boat at your ports of call and you have a whole cast of people who now want to sell you something else :D

 

 

I just don't like to see the trend towards finding more and more ways to sell something else. It cheapens the cruise experience for me.

 

Maybe that makes me a bad person in the eyes of some. I really don't care.

 

My attitude is if you enjoy paying more for more and more of the cruise experience, than great - have at it! If you also then want to speak out about how everyone else should enjoy it too, well then you'll get a snarky response from me (as you've seen) where my attitude will be: great, you can go and pay for mine and others too since you're so excited.

[bplazo]

I do not mind paying for what I use but I do draw the line at paying for what someone else uses. If you are not interested in paying extra it is your choice not to.

[rednsassy]

My opinion, for what it is worth, is that the room service is so sub-par that it is not worth $3.95. I have no problem paying a small fee, if I would subsequently enjoy it, but generally I find that it takes too long for the RCL room service and it is not very tasty. I live in New Orleans, so I am probably spoiled by the great food here.

 

I always tip the room service waiter if I order something for my kids or my husband, so I have absolutely no issue with part of the fee going to the staff. Many times we give more than the $1. 75 which will now go to the server, but I am afraid some people will decide not to tip more because of the cruise line's portion of the fee.

 

I do not believe that it will really decrease room service consumption, but will result in many people ordering vast quantities of food at 11 pm just in case they get hungry later during the midnight to five period. Maybe I am incorrect, but we will see!

[abridalmaven]

Well, I'll count you as the first person to sign up to happily pay the extra fee for others then!

 

Thank you for your genoristy!

Nope, I will just pay for what I use, not things I do not use.:rolleyes:

[beachbuddy]

This post can go on forever and ever.

 

Abridalmaven,

 

This could lead to other charges according to the way you look at things. For instance, I have friends that don't go to any of the shows.........do you suggest that those that want to see the shows should pay admission so that those that don't take advantage of the shows won't have to pay for those of us that do??? Get the point???

[bplazo]

I think everything should have a charge and then you can pick and choose what you want to pay for.

 

A room service charge is a great idea. I am sure that there are alot of people who order room service so they can "get there money's worth". I have seen this comment so much about people who will order three or four entrees, desserts, and appetizers.

[abridalmaven]

This post can go on forever and ever.

 

Abridalmaven,

 

This could lead to other charges according to the way you look at things. For instance, I have friends that don't go to any of the shows.........do you suggest that those that want to see the shows should pay admission so that those that don't take advantage of the shows won't have to pay for those of us that do??? Get the point???

I think you are thinking gloom and doom. I do not see what you are predicting. And just how would they implement a charge for the show? And as others have said, if you want all inclusive go on a line that is. I was on a booze cruise last year and the waste left in the halls by the partiers from room service was disgraceful.

 

And you know what, if then they lower the price to $99 for my cruise and then charge for all I use, I think I woud still come out ahead. On NCL they charge extra for many of the restaurants ( and the main ones were just barely acceptable) and charge for the spa pool area. So I would not use that. I do not think it will ever come to charging for every little thing because as a former business owner, I also know that it would involve more paperwork and manpower, so not worth the headache.

 

I vote with my money, if service becomes unacceptable, I look elsewhere to spend my money. But as it stands I am still happy with RCI. Since those who are not have stated such, they should just go somewhere else. I still go to disney and they nickle and dime everyone to death, but I onlly buy what I want.

[beachbuddy]

I think you are thinking gloom and doom. I do not see what you are predicting. And just how would they implement a charge for the show? And as others have said, if you want all inclusive go on a line that is. I was on a booze cruise last year and the waste left in the halls by the partiers from room service was disgraceful.

 

And you know what, if then they lower the price to $99 for my cruise and then charge for all I use, I think I woud still come out ahead. On NCL they charge extra for many of the restaurants ( and the main ones were just barely acceptable) and charge for the spa pool area. So I would not use that. I do not think it will ever come to charging for every little thing because as a former business owner, I also know that it would involve more paperwork and manpower, so not worth the headache.

 

I vote with my money, if service becomes unacceptable, I look elsewhere to spend my money. But as it stands I am still happy with RCI. Since those who are not have stated such, they should just go somewhere else. I still go to disney and they nickle and dime everyone to death, but I onlly buy what I want.

 

Personally, I could care less about whether they charge for room service or not.......I don't use it. Do I think it's fair???? NO........I don't think it's fair. If someone wants room service during the day, they don't have to pay so why if someone wants it at night do they have to pay? Doesn't affect me one bit but I don't think it's fair at all. And I'm not a former business owner, but I do have a lot of common sense!!

 

I guess this thread is pretty much dead so might as well put it to sleep! And I think you missed the entire context of my post.

[kooljamming]

I think you are thinking gloom and doom. I do not see what you are predicting. And just how would they implement a charge for the show? And as others have said, if you want all inclusive go on a line that is. I was on a booze cruise last year and the waste left in the halls by the partiers from room service was disgraceful.

 

And you know what, if then they lower the price to $99 for my cruise and then charge for all I use, I think I would still come out ahead. On NCL they charge extra for many of the restaurants ( and the main ones were just barely acceptable) and charge for the spa pool area. So I would not use that. I do not think it will ever come to charging for every little thing because as a former business owner, I also know that it would involve more paperwork and manpower, so not worth the headache.

 

I vote with my money, if service becomes unacceptable, I look elsewhere to spend my money. But as it stands I am still happy with RCI. Since those who are not have stated such, they should just go somewhere else. I still go to Disney and they nickle and dime everyone to death, but I onlly buy what I want.

 

If one stop for a minute and compare their grocery bill, dining out and extras to what is offered on a cruise, most are ahead of the game. RCCL has given those in need of a nice vacation a great product and others something to whine about. Not everyone is happy with the inside gty or travel during off peak but the opportunity for a affordable cruise exists, also on other comparable lines. I quit going to Disneyland when they lowered the adult paying age to 9. I was not going willing to pay the same price for an an adult as for a 9 year old.. We went to Knotts Berry Farm instead, not the same but it's a choice I prefer. I honestly don't see what the big deal is about since there are other comparable lines:confused:.

[Ocean Boy]

If one stop for a minute and compare their grocery bill, dining out and extras to what is offered on a cruise, most are ahead of the game. RCCL has given those in need of a nice vacation a great product and others something to whine about. Not everyone is happy with the inside gty or travel during off peak but the opportunity for a affordable cruise exists, also on other comparable lines. I quit going to Disneyland when they lowered the adult paying age to 9. I was not going willing to pay the same price for an an adult as for a 9 year old.. We went to Knotts Berry Farm instead, not the same but it's a choice I prefer. I honestly don't see what the big deal is about since there are other comparable lines:confused:.

 

That depends on what is important to you when you cruise. Until another cruise line has something that compares to a Voyager or Freedom class ship, for me there will NEVER be another comparable line. For others who prefer other classes of RCI ships it might be different. Everyone cruises for different reasons. People will be affected by some changes and others will not be. What it really comes down to is respecting those differences and trying to have some consideration for the fact that what bothers someone not at all does bother someone else.

 

The attitude that it doesn't bother me (which really means it doesn't affect me) so if you don't like it just go somewhere else gets really tiresome. And for the record, I am not directing that comment to you at all. The folks around here who that fits know who they are.

[bplazo]

I think that when you go Disney Land or Disney World the price should be HIGHER for a child. I do not do the "ride" thing so why should I have to pay more than my child when she is the one doing the activites. I used to go to an amusement park that one parent was allowed in free for every child they had with them, however, you could not ride the rides.

 

Why do people feel that they should have a reduced price because they have a child with them.

[Ocean Boy]

I think everything should have a charge and then you can pick and choose what you want to pay for.

 

A room service charge is a great idea. I am sure that there are alot of people who order room service so they can "get there money's worth". I have seen this comment so much about people who will order three or four entrees, desserts, and appetizers.

 

Well then, has it ever occured to you that maybe cruising, or at least RCI, is not the right vacation for you? Easy Cruise should be perfect for what you are looking for. It, however, is not what many of us are looking for. And since Easy Cruise already exists there really is no reason for RCI to morph into a nich that is already filled.

[Ocean Boy]

Personally, I could care less about whether they charge for room service or not.......I don't use it. Do I think it's fair???? NO........I don't think it's fair. If someone wants room service during the day, they don't have to pay so why if someone wants it at night do they have to pay? Doesn't affect me one bit but I don't think it's fair at all. And I'm not a former business owner, but I do have a lot of common sense!!

 

I guess this thread is pretty much dead so might as well put it to sleep! And I think you missed the entire context of my post.

 

Agree with everything you said. And it is amazing how far common sense can get you in this world!

[bplazo]

Well then, has it ever occured to you that maybe cruising, or at least RCI, is not the right vacation for you? Easy Cruise should be perfect for what you are looking for. It, however, is not what many of us are looking for. And since Easy Cruise already exists there really is no reason for RCI to morph into a nich that is already filled.

 

Maybe you should be the one to find another cruise line since you are not happy with new policies.

[Ocean Boy]

Maybe you should be the one to find another cruise line since you are not happy with new policies.

 

Nope, I'm quite happy. You are the one who thinks EVERYTHING should have a charge. You are the one looking to turn RCI into Easy Cruise. That is clearly not RCI's policy. You are the one, it would seem, who is unhappy with the policies and advocating turning RCI into what it isn't. But that was a real good comeback.;)

[kyriecat]

I agree with Ocean Boy. Hopefully RC won't go to an a la carte system for everything. I mean the cruises could be really cheap, like $50 pp/night for a oceanview but everything else could add up quickly. Can you imagine the $15.95 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet? How about $3.95 appetizers at dinner and $8.95 entrees? Add another $1.95 if you want a salad and $2.50 for dessert. There can be $5 pool passes per day and $3 chair rental for 4 hours. If you want to visit a lounge, that's a $10 cover charge and $4 to see a show. If you want fresh towels, there's a $3 charge for that, an extra $5 to have your sheets changed. If you want to participate in any activities like trivia, scrapbooking, or ping pong tournament, that will be $5 each.

 

Personally, I like paying my cruise fare, my excursions, and anything else up front so I know all I have to deal with onboard is a few drinks and a souvenier or two.

[xpcdoojk]

I still find after hours surcharge on something mostly unnecessary to be a reasonable move for the business that is RCI to consider. I mean it is not like we are rolling on easy street in the economy right now. RCI makes no profit, we do not get to enjoy their great ships and wonderful holidays.

 

I choose to not draw this line in the sand to hasten something that is really against my interests... IE losing a great vacation option.

 

Again, I ask why is it only a one way street they keep giving us more with each new ship, and we never ever want to compromise anything that we had before.... That doesn't seem particulary reasonable nor common sensical to me.

 

jc

[FireIce0010]

This thread has provided for some good reading. Amazing that people will get upset over a $3.95 charge but spend five bucks for a beer and not blink an eye. Well not all. I guess we do have the booze smugglers and those that carry on as much soda and water as they can handle to keep from spending any additional money than the price of the initial cruise. Maybe Royal Caribbean should just merge with this cruise line.

http://www.easycruise.com/

I think that it would make many on Cruise Critic much happier.:rolleyes:

[EBFURR]

Wow. Here we go again. I only check in every few weeks now and there always seems to be an "extra charge fee" thread on the first page.

I am again disappointed to see the RCI has started to levy a charge for something that has always been part of the cruise fare for many, many years. We rarely, if ever, order room service during those hours. We do, however, often order room service breakfast to enjoy on the balcony. I suppose by next year that will also be extra, as the tendency has been to slowly expand the scope of these charges continuously over time. I am in the camp with those who prefer to know what my cruise will cost in advance. True, you never actually know exactly, but (way back when) RCI cruises were relatively free of these extra charges we could pretty well count on being able to estimate pretty closely. We have never (within reason) worried about expenses on board - we order or buy whatever we want because there was relatively little that you actually had to pay for. Nowadays, if you don't watch out, your seapass bill can cost more than your original cruise fare. I look at some of our older seapass bills (we keep everything in our scrapbook) they were less than 1/3 the amount of our recent ones and our consumption habits have not changed much. In fact, some of the older ones have shore excursions on them, which we do not really do any more. Inflation alone does not even begin to account for this. It is because of the new fees and the dramatic price increases and added "gratuity" charges for on board purchases.

The argument that “I don’t mind because I only pay for what I use” does not really hold water. For example, if you cruised last year and you paid $1000 for your cabin & did not use room service during these hours, according to that argument you did “pay for it” because there was no fee at the time, but you just chose not to use it. Additionally, had you chose to use the service, you would not have paid extra. If you cruise under the new setup and pay the same $1000 you will get no discount for NOT using the service, but you will definitely pay a fee if you do. You have given up the option to use this service for no fee and have not gotten anything in exchange. This one fee alone does not make the cost of cruising prohibitive, but the cumulative effect of all of these charges and cost increases over time surely does impact the cost/benefit of cruising – and not in a positive way.

For you a la carte cruise fans out there, you should be very happy. RCI is rapidly becoming your ideal line. For those of us that have enjoyed “mostly inclusive” cruising over the years, RCI is moving in a not so appealing direction. Please don’t bother telling us to go to Silversea or Crystal. We cannot afford $25,000 cruises. We can (could) afford RCI cruises if the service and product were kept consistent and the prices were nominally adjusted for inflation (as are most other consumer products).

The real culprit is the over building of ship capacity in the industry. The cruise lines must sail full, or nearly so, so they need to discount the fares to fill the cabins. They then have to recoup the revenue by hitting you (hard) in the wallet once on board. They apparently do not think they can fill the ships otherwise. The problem is that the onboard expenses usually more than outweigh any perceived discount or “bargain” fare. It is really no different than seeing an ad in the paper for a new car for a really great price and then finding out, once you are at the dealer, that you have to have $2000 down, plus $699 “doc fees”, plus $350 “acquisition fee”, etc, etc.

Finally, for those of you that think that “a small fee such as this is no big deal”, just wait a few more years and see how many more of these “no big deal” fees it takes before you start to question them as well. If you think that charging admission for on board entertainment, use of pool facilities, and items currently on the dinner menu for no fee (appetizers, desserts, coffee, etc) is beyond possibility, you are going to be in for an unpleasant surprise. But, hey, it’s no big deal, right?

 

 

One more thing:

 

"I think everything should have a charge and then you can pick and choose what you want to pay for."

 

I cannot believe you are serious. You want to pay your cabin attendant by the day, pay laundry fees if you want clean sheets, have a dinner menu with prices, pay admission to the shows, pay a "pool fee" and "towel fee", pay for the windjammer buffet, etc., etc. Just for kicks, how much do you think the base cruise fare should be? Are you happy paying what you pay now PLUS all of your eagerly anticipated fees? I am just wondering because my simple mind cannot comprehend that train of thought and I need to be enlightened.

[FireIce0010]

The argument that “I don’t mind because I only pay for what I use” does not really hold water. For example, if you cruised last year and you paid $1000 for your cabin & did not use room service during these hours, according to that argument you did “pay for it” because there was no fee at the time, but you just chose not to use it. Additionally, had you chose to use the service, you would not have paid extra. If you cruise under the new setup and pay the same $1000 you will get no discount for NOT using the service, but you will definitely pay a fee if you do. You have given up the option to use this service for no fee and have not gotten anything in exchange. This one fee alone does not make the cost of cruising prohibitive, but the cumulative effect of all of these charges and cost increases over time surely does impact the cost/benefit of cruising – and not in a positive way.

You paid the same rate to cruise one year later. Do you think that the cruise line paid the same amount for the food one year later?

[Ocean Boy]

I still find after hours surcharge on something mostly unnecessary to be a reasonable move for the business that is RCI to consider. I mean it is not like we are rolling on easy street in the economy right now. RCI makes no profit, we do not get to enjoy their great ships and wonderful holidays.

 

I choose to not draw this line in the sand to hasten something that is really against my interests... IE losing a great vacation option.

 

Again, I ask why is it only a one way street they keep giving us more with each new ship, and we never ever want to compromise anything that we had before.... That doesn't seem particulary reasonable nor common sensical to me.

 

jc

J.C., I don't really see it that way. I have no problem with RCI charging more to sail on a newer ship that has more options. This is not really about compromise or lack there of. This is far more about what expenses should, or would we like, included in our cruise fare that we all share in and what do we exclude and then give each individual the choice in whether they want to use that service and pay the expense.

 

RCI falls somewhere between Crystal and Easy Cruise. I do not feel that RCI should morph into either one of those models as some have suggested. I also do not pretend to know what the correct level of blending of those models is.

 

What I do believe is that the often times stated response to posters of "if you don't like it... leave" is pretty bogus.