SteelersNationVA

What they really should do is have a QR code on each sign which would show you the ingredients and allergens. That way they could cover all bases without running out of real estate.
 

There has been lots of feedback regarding the new menu - both positive and negative.
As someone who eats meat (less and less beef), chicken, and seafood in addition to fruits and vegetables, it is fine.  I will find plenty of options.  4 of 7 in my family are vegan.  The options are almost non-existent. 1 choice and that is it.
The feedback I have read are that they are not nutritionally balanced all the way to inedible.  One Vegan entre includes honey which is not plant based - how rude.  Nobody has raved about the quality of the vegan choices on Facebook or this board.  Since one can not order off menu, a vegan is stuck with bad food, the Windjammer with no labels of what is vegan and what is not or suck it up.   It appears that the vegan options were an afterthought and not even considered as an integral part of the menu themes. 
There are hundreds of vegan cook books, thousands of plant based restaurants, and hundreds of celebrity chefs who focus on plant based cuisine.  BUY ONE OF THE COOKBOOKS, EAT AT PLANT BASED RESTAURANTS, OR HIRE ONE ONE OF THE CELEBRETY CHEFS AS AN ADVISOR.  IT DOESN'T APPEAR THIS WAS DONE FOR THE VEGAN PORTION OF THE MENU.
The regional themes are great.  There are excellent vegan options within these themes.  The French have savory vegan tarts.  The Caribbean Islands and England have lots of vegan curries.  
Plant based diets are a growing part of the US and global population, especially among those who are younger and have disposable incomes. 
As prices of food have increased and health issues become more in the news, even meat eaters have migrated to eating more vegetables and plant based meals.  The demand is there if the options are appealing.   
I hope this part of the menu will be upgraded by the time we sail to Alaska in July 2024. We booked this cruise thinking that there was a separate vegan menu.  I knew this change, but come on man.  No choices?
@Matt does RC even read posts like this to get feedback or is it a waste of hot air?

We are sailing on Radiance OTS in July 2024.  If we arrive in Seward early enough in the day, can we drop off our luggage and then explore Seward as long as we get back in time for boarding?  There are 7 of us and plan on booking a private van from Anchorage to Seward.  This should be cheaper than the bus or train.  

Hi! 
 
We booked a cruise in July for our honeymoon. Does anyone know if Royal Caribbean does anything special/complimentary for celebrating an occasion like that?

Our family is taking our 1st cruise and going to Alaska.  DW, DD1 + Fiancé + triplets who will be 27 and have disabilities.  We will spend a week in Alaska going up to Denali before the cruise.  Lots of stuff to plan.  Places to hike and things to see.  Anyone else going?  

We have hiked in "remote" trails in the Tetons and Yellowstone and carried bear spray.  Park Rangers did not require it but strongly encouraged it and provided training.  We are going up to Denali and other parts for a week and will carry it.  We will hike in ports like Skagway and Ketchikan.  Hiking with "a million of your best friends" is not our idea of adventure.  Do we we need bear spray if we are hiking on our own?  Can we turn in the bear spray for safe keeping when we embark and retrieve it at the ports and then hand it back when we get back on?  We want to follow the rules, but also be safe when hiking.
Thanks in advance.

We have hiked in "remote" trails in the Tetons and Yellowstone and carried bear spray.  Park Rangers did not require it but strongly encouraged it and provided training.  We are going up to Denali and other parts for a week and will carry it.  We will hike in ports like Skagway and Ketchikan.  Hiking with "a million of your best friends" is not our idea of adventure.  Do we we need bear spray if we are hiking on our own?  Can we turn in the bear spray for safe keeping when we embark and retrieve it at the ports and then hand it back when we get back on?  We want to follow the rules, but also be safe when hiking.
Thanks in advance.

I am still trying to understand the reason RCCL changed Main Dining Room dinner menus in 2023 that I ( and assume countless others based on comments I have read on line) have enjoyed, and looked forward to,  for many past years on their cruise ships. 
- 
RCCL's online main reason was that people were complaining that dinner took too long so they had to reduced the number of items offered.
- Old menu starters = 9 including 5 Classics vs new Menus starters = 6 , no Classics
- Old menus entrees= 9, including 4 Classics vs  New Menus entrees=6, no Classics
- Old Menu desserts = 9 including 6 Classics vs New Menus desserts= 6, no Classics
One may think that the reason dinner service took too long was that RCCL cut MDR serving and kitchen staff to save money. Then they poll the guests for consensus which of course results in negative comments. This sets up a business case for RCCL to spin to the future cruisers and to support the reduction in dishes they need to prepare and offer to guests ( brilliant?- but nice try!). If the speed of eating dinner is an issue for guests, then one could argue that there are other " fast food" options available throughout the ship, such as the Windjammer buffet, pizza, hamburger and hot dog grills . One may assume that the reason that you want to have a sit down dinner is to have it at a relaxed pace, socializing with others at the table,  not at "take-out" mode frenzy. Alternatively, if one has to hurry through dinner because they started late and would miss their theatre reservation, perhaps they could have planned their earlier activities and choices better to accommodate their schedule.  
Another possibility is that RCCL wants to drive guests to the specialty restaurants, which of course are at additional charge (more RCCL profit), assuming that the service is any faster. 
It is disappointing that RCCL may be marring their reputation for good service , quality food and a good food selection which their customers have come to rely upon over the years. Based on other cruiser comments, the aforementioned are  some of the main reasons for selecting a cruise line.
I understand that RCCL is a business and has responsibility to its shareholders,  and employees to be profitable. I understand that the pandemic was financially catastrophic for them ( and many other businesses and individuals) and I give them  credit to have survived  and to continue to offer great cruise experiences. If recovering lost income is their goal, i would prefer that they increase the price of the cruise rather that compromising quality, selection and service.
I hope that RCCL reconsiders and do not change the dinner menu.
I would be interested in hearing others' thoughts on this subject
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thank you all for your honest feedback.  On Facebook pages (RC Dining) if you criticize the food you are a picky eater and on the vegan page everyone hates the new menu.  I am skeptical. 
We are going to Alaska on Radiance July, 2024.  4 of the 7 are vegan or vegetarian.  DW hates eggplant and portabella mushrooms. That is 3 of the 7 vegan entrees she will not eat.  Since they will not allow any substitutions, what do we do?  Can my DW order an appetizer and just a plate of vegetables of the day?  Or does this fall into the mandate of NO SUBSTITUTIONS?  The vegan menu is extremely limiting.  Why not include a daily vegan Indian Curry with the same sauce as the curry of the day?  
Plenty of options for the rest of us (our 2 sons and me).  Our sons will be 27 and eat a lot.  DS2 will often have 3 - 4 helpings at dinner and burns off every calorie and is under weight  He has Autism and ADHD .  If they can order only 1 entre at a time, the waiter will be wearing out the carpet going back to the kitchen. 
The consistency of the food is a huge concern.   I want my food hot.  This is a food safety issue as well as taste.  2 servings of the same dish do not always taste the same when served at the same time.  Staffing and supply chain issues are real.  But quality is a management and training issue.  Don't blame the wait staff.   
I have messaged RC.  Hope it helps.  I also spoke with my travel agent who indicated she would talk to her contacts at RC. 
There is more to a vacation than food, but come on man.

There has been lots of feedback regarding the new menu - both positive and negative.
As someone who eats meat (less and less beef), chicken, and seafood in addition to fruits and vegetables, it is fine.  I will find plenty of options.  4 of 7 in my family are vegan.  The options are almost non-existent. 1 choice and that is it.
The feedback I have read are that they are not nutritionally balanced all the way to inedible.  One Vegan entre includes honey which is not plant based - how rude.  Nobody has raved about the quality of the vegan choices on Facebook or this board.  Since one can not order off menu, a vegan is stuck with bad food, the Windjammer with no labels of what is vegan and what is not or suck it up.   It appears that the vegan options were an afterthought and not even considered as an integral part of the menu themes. 
There are hundreds of vegan cook books, thousands of plant based restaurants, and hundreds of celebrity chefs who focus on plant based cuisine.  BUY ONE OF THE COOKBOOKS, EAT AT PLANT BASED RESTAURANTS, OR HIRE ONE ONE OF THE CELEBRETY CHEFS AS AN ADVISOR.  IT DOESN'T APPEAR THIS WAS DONE FOR THE VEGAN PORTION OF THE MENU.
The regional themes are great.  There are excellent vegan options within these themes.  The French have savory vegan tarts.  The Caribbean Islands and England have lots of vegan curries.  
Plant based diets are a growing part of the US and global population, especially among those who are younger and have disposable incomes. 
As prices of food have increased and health issues become more in the news, even meat eaters have migrated to eating more vegetables and plant based meals.  The demand is there if the options are appealing.   
I hope this part of the menu will be upgraded by the time we sail to Alaska in July 2024. We booked this cruise thinking that there was a separate vegan menu.  I knew this change, but come on man.  No choices?
@Matt does RC even read posts like this to get feedback or is it a waste of hot air?

There has been lots of feedback regarding the new menu - both positive and negative.
As someone who eats meat (less and less beef), chicken, and seafood in addition to fruits and vegetables, it is fine.  I will find plenty of options.  4 of 7 in my family are vegan.  The options are almost non-existent. 1 choice and that is it.
The feedback I have read are that they are not nutritionally balanced all the way to inedible.  One Vegan entre includes honey which is not plant based - how rude.  Nobody has raved about the quality of the vegan choices on Facebook or this board.  Since one can not order off menu, a vegan is stuck with bad food, the Windjammer with no labels of what is vegan and what is not or suck it up.   It appears that the vegan options were an afterthought and not even considered as an integral part of the menu themes. 
There are hundreds of vegan cook books, thousands of plant based restaurants, and hundreds of celebrity chefs who focus on plant based cuisine.  BUY ONE OF THE COOKBOOKS, EAT AT PLANT BASED RESTAURANTS, OR HIRE ONE ONE OF THE CELEBRETY CHEFS AS AN ADVISOR.  IT DOESN'T APPEAR THIS WAS DONE FOR THE VEGAN PORTION OF THE MENU.
The regional themes are great.  There are excellent vegan options within these themes.  The French have savory vegan tarts.  The Caribbean Islands and England have lots of vegan curries.  
Plant based diets are a growing part of the US and global population, especially among those who are younger and have disposable incomes. 
As prices of food have increased and health issues become more in the news, even meat eaters have migrated to eating more vegetables and plant based meals.  The demand is there if the options are appealing.   
I hope this part of the menu will be upgraded by the time we sail to Alaska in July 2024. We booked this cruise thinking that there was a separate vegan menu.  I knew this change, but come on man.  No choices?
@Matt does RC even read posts like this to get feedback or is it a waste of hot air?

If every fast food restaurant can get it, I am sure the developers on RCL can do it or they can buy the software and configure to fit the RCL app. 

I can order from Panera, drive from my office (10 minutes), and the hot items are hot.  It can work.  This was being done pre-pandemic.  
If the RCL app doesn't work and that inhibits the customer experience, they need to hire folks to fix it. Or is time not the issue, that the only issue is food cost.  Do not BS the customer.

If every fast food restaurant can get it, I am sure the developers on RCL can do it or they can buy the software and configure to fit the RCL app. 

If every fast food restaurant can get it, I am sure the developers on RCL can do it or they can buy the software and configure to fit the RCL app. 

We are going to Alaska.  July 2024.  1st cruise ever.  So excited

We are going to Alaska in July 2024.  We are doing a self guided land-based tour + the cruise from Seward.  We selected a travel agent who could do both.  I was very impressed with her background and understanding as I have never planned such a huge vacation.  We also have adult children with disabilities.  She was cool with meeting our needs.
So the cruises to Alaska were getting released last week.  Where was she.  Ireland on a long delayed vacation.  
Kathy Geiger from MEI Travel made sure our needs were met while she was out of the country.  HUGE shout out to Kathy.  I am even more confident that when we need her while in Alaska, she will be there for us.  Thank you.  

We are going to Alaska.  July 2024.  1st cruise ever.  So excited

This may explain some of the issues with food quality.  Hiring that many people requires huge investment in training.  Not everyone gets the training perfect on day 1.  In any job, there is a learning curve. 

I assume the bridge has multiple internet connections.  There must have redundant communication systems to ensure close to zero failure option just like airplanes and trains.  

We are going to Alaska.  July 2024.  1st cruise ever.  So excited

We are going to Alaska.  July 2024.  1st cruise ever.  So excited

Just to set some expectations (not trying to scare anyone), here are some examples of typical mundane and/or annoying things that you may experience on just about any cruise:
- Billing errors onboard 
- Long lines at embarkation, customer service, shows, etc.
- Unable to find deck chairs around the pool; chair hogs
- One of, or a combination of, loud/annoying/unpleasant/drunk/rude passengers
- Passengers smoking outside of designated smoking areas
- Below average service from some crewmember(s)
- Changes/cancellations to shows/itineraries
- Maintenance/repairs on the ship, requiring an area/attraction to be closed
- Maintenance/repairs needed in your cabin, or a neighbor's cabin (noise)
- Various unpleasant odors on occasion
- Kids running in the hallways outside staterooms
I expect at least one of the above to happen on every cruise, but no big deal.  The crew can handle some of the above.  Don't sweat the small stuff on vacation, and enjoy!

Don't book any more until you know if cruising works for you. 
Too much research ahead of time can lead to unrealistic expectations that can be hard to achieve in real life.  Just go and see if it's your thing without spending endless time over analyzing and researching endlessly.    Too many you-tubers and bloggers over hype the experience and often they don't cover the mundane stuff like packed elevators or waiting in queues to board and for entertainment or dining. 
Cruising isn't for everyone and there is nothing wrong with that.   You've booked one, now see for yourself if it floats your boat (ship).

We are going to Alaska.  July 2024.  1st cruise ever.  So excited