RBRSKI Posted March 16, 2017 Report Share Posted March 16, 2017 Not that I want to give RCCL any ideas but we should and have to look into the Crystal ball to see what's down the pipe line for more charges that we will incur on future cruises: Window Seats in the MDR First two towels no charge any additional $5 dollars per towel Your choice of one roll at dinner each additional $1.50 First ride on Flow Rider, Water Slide, Rock Climbing wall etc Free each additional $5.00 I know I am poking some fun at these topics but god help us if they ever impose them on us. J_Keeble 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 The new menu looks like a vast improvement over the previous one... I could see those wings being a huge revenue generator when combined with the drink package late night. Vast improvement? I wouldn't go that far, but I'll agree that it is an improvement and I am intrigued by the possibility of getting eggs to order delivered in the morning. And for a family of 3, that's only $2.65 a person. I do think there will be more complaints, however, for cold food and slow service particularly now that people are paying for it. I also wouldn't expect many to tip additional. Time will tell . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 $3.35/hour for a high school job??? I made $0.75/hour for my first one........a true "senior citizen" !! :) LOL. My first car was also $6199. Had that one until 2008 and it was still going after 22 years when I finally sold it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLA Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 Vast improvement? I wouldn't go that far, but I'll agree that it is an improvement and I am intrigued by the possibility of getting eggs to order delivered in the morning. And for a family of 3, that's only $2.65 a person. I do think there will be more complaints, however, for cold food and slow service particularly now that people are paying for it. I also wouldn't expect many to tip additional. Time will tell . . . I was referring to the non-breakfast menu... it is a huge improvement. Breakfast... all I ever ordered was coffee and fruit anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I was referring to the non-breakfast menu... it is a huge improvement. Breakfast... all I ever ordered was coffee and fruit anyway. I know you were referring to the "main" menu. Vast, huge . . .? There's still a lot of the old crap. A few improvements, but nothing that knocked my socks off. The most appealing thing to me was salmon. Other lines offer a Philly complimentary via room service without a charge and some even allow you to order from the MDR menu during dinner hours without a charge. Again, time will tell and I know I'm being too critically before everything is laid to rest, but the chicken wings and quesadillas just didn't impress me. I suspect I was expect a slightly more expanded menu. I know . . . my bad. I should be happier and gleeful given that my Spring Break just started . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 Well, this topic really got the juices flowing, so to speak. I guess what it boils down to, like so many other things, is personal choice. If you like room service, then order it. If you don't, then don't. If you don't mind paying for it, then do. And if you do mind paying for it, then don't. Be mad, don't be mad. The choice is yours. You have the right to feel anyway you want about this and you are not wrong. This is just one of the many choices you'll have while on a RCCL cruise. Happy cruising all! DocLC, whenismynextcruise and SFLcruiser 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 Related, but off topic slightly. Just curious if anybody knows what kitchen room service comes from? The MDR I presume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNorris0107 Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 If they didn't want a PR hit they would just up each person's rate by $1 or $2 to cover it. I think the real reason this is being done is to cut out as much room service as possible. Maybe i'll do it once per cruise and if I'm ordering for the entire family. If I just want something, I'll just huff it down to the buffet haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 Related, but off topic slightly. Just curious if anybody knows what kitchen room service comes from? The MDR I presume? I believe so Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 If they didn't want a PR hit they would just up each person's rate by $1 or $2 to cover it. I think the real reason this is being done is to cut out as much room service as possible. Maybe i'll do it once per cruise and if I'm ordering for the entire family. If I just want something, I'll just huff it down to the buffet haha. I'd prefer this, but I do understand why they aren't. Risk doesn't want to price themselves too much higher than the competition. This is why Sheridan Airlines, according to their CEO in an interview years ago, said they started charging for baggage, preferred Sears, etc. By doing so, they could come in cheaper on flight search engines rather than getting pushed to the bottom. There are quite a number of people who buy on price alone which is why we have low cost television manufacturers, off brand phones, generic brand grocery items, etc. While I ultimately understand why they're doing it--they're a company that has to make money and be responsible to shareholders--I don't have to like it. monctonguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerel Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I dont like it because it further discredits the term 'Included' by adding yet another exception. I do really think this will improve quality, but I doubt that's their intention, more of a byproduct in my opinion. THIS IS CROWD CONTROL (sorry for yelling). People order the entire kitchen. Not sure how this dish will taste? Order it in addition to your five plates and find out. If you don't like it, oh well. I'm not trying to shame anyone, I do it to, but this creates an insane amount of work for the staff. They can't just keep running crazy amounts of food all over the ship at all times, they also make THOUSANDS of meals a day aside from this service. That's a pretty big deal when you think of it. I am upset about the charge but also understand that this service is being abused. By adding this cost it will help maintain the crowds at a manageable level. widallas, FManke, RestingBird and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 Which is a better value, a $10 steak or a $15 hamburger? It depends on the steak and the hamburger. It's all about price point and perceived value. If the food and service get better, people will be more than happy to spend the $7.95. If the posts about room service here are honest and I believe they are, the fact that the room service was free or included, might be one of the only reasons people ordered it. People like free stuff, even if it isn't very good. If it's free, it's for me and give me three! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I dont like it because it further discredits the term 'Included' by adding yet another exception. I do really think this will improve quality, but I doubt that's their intentions, it's more of a byproduct in my opinion. THIS IS CROWD CONTROL (sorry for yelling). People order the entire kitchen. Not sure how this dish will taste? Order it in addition to your five plates and find out. If you don't like it, oh well. I'm not trying to shame anyone, I do it to, but this creates an insane amount of work for the staff. They can't just keep running crazy amounts of food all over the ship at all times, they also make THOUSANDS of meals a day aside from this service. That's a pretty big deal when you think of it. I am upset about the charge but also understand that this service is being abused. By adding this cost it will help maintain the crowds at a manageable level. Totally agree! This is one way to weed out the people who abuse the system. A certain percentage cruisers will not be willing to "pay" for room service anymore. Everything has a cost, one way or another. The question is just whether you are willing to pay the price. Remember, there's no such thing as a free lunch! At least not anymore. Jerel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I still think there will be abuse Uber the new system. To justify the charge, why not just order more. Instead of an $8 hamburger, order four entrees so that it's only $2 each? I'll admit that I could be wrong and I do recognize some people will never order room service as they are unwilling to pay anything for it. But among some of those who will, I could see then ordering more than they normally would to maximize the value. Playing devil's advocate about waste, how would you feel if the charge a $5 fee for ordering an extra entree in the main dining room? Wouldn't this also reduce waste and reduce the workload for the crew? widallas 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I still think there will be abuse Uber the new system. To justify the charge, why not just order more. Instead of an $8 hamburger, order four entrees so that it's only $2 each? I'll admit that I could be wrong and I do recognize some people will never order room service as they are unwilling to pay anything for it. But among some of those who will, I could see then ordering more than they normally would to maximize the value. Playing devil's advocate about waste, how would you feel if the charge a $5 fee for ordering an extra entree in the main dining room? Wouldn't this also reduce waste and reduce the workload for the crew? I agree. You will always have people who are trying to "beat the system" or get as much as they can. You will never be able to totally control it, unless you start to fully charge for room service. Then watch the people ordering two and three meals each from room service fall off. You will have to price the greed out of them. Jerel and DocLC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerel Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I still think there will be abuse Uber the new system. To justify the charge, why not just order more. Instead of an $8 hamburger, order four entrees so that it's only $2 each? I'll admit that I could be wrong and I do recognize some people will never order room service as they are unwilling to pay anything for it. But among some of those who will, I could see then ordering more than they normally would to maximize the value. Playing devil's advocate about waste, how would you feel if the charge a $5 fee for ordering an extra entree in the main dining room? Wouldn't this also reduce waste and reduce the workload for the crew? First off Kris, I don't waste my second entrée, let's get that straight :) Secoldly, you may be right about still having massive orders under the fee system, I can see people 'getting their money's worth'. But I can still see less people ordering on the whole, the fee should be a insensitive to eat elsewhere for most. You can buy a beer for the cost of getting your own food. DocLC and FManke 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 First off Kris, I don't waste my second entrée, let's get that straight :) Secoldly, you may be right about still having massive orders under the fee system, I can see people 'getting their money's worth'. But I can still see less people ordering on the whole, the fee should be a insensitive to eat elsewhere for most. You can buy a beer for the cost of getting your own food. Nor do I. Taking a line out of the Hochberg Playbook, it's all in the name of research. :) I was just using this as an extreme example. As I said before, even though I'm being super critical on something I rarely use, this MAY end up being the best thing Royal ever did IF service and quality DOES IMPROVE. Being able to order a hot, made-to-order breakfast could be very appealing. I actually have a cruise coming up on the MSC Seaside. And while they seem to nickel and dime a lot, I going onto that cruise expecting it. For example, they have beverage packages that only work in the MDR but not in specialty restaurants, and others that only work outside of any of the restaurants. However, I expect this from them from my research and their much lower fares (except on this sailing). I may have trouble swallowing this as it's not something we tend to expect from Royal Caribbean. Yeah, I know NCL and Carnival do it, but they're NCL and Carnival, NOT ROYAL CARIBBEAN. I guess anything that makes them like the others just detracts from the charm for me. THE GOOD NEWS: I may have moved past denial and anger. I may be approaching bargaining. That means only depression and then I'll finally be at acceptance in my stages of grief. Life must be pretty good if the biggest concern of my week is that Royal is going to charge for room service. Jerel and widallas 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cs7077 Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I don't really mind this change. I never used room service much and if I did it was to order breakfast or a late night snack. There are better options for breakfast, especially because room service had a good chance of arriving cold. As far as the late night snack, just need to make sure you order enough to make it worthwhile. At least the menu seems to be improved. I think the bigger issue is that it's yet another thing that isn't included in your cruise fare. Each one is like a little thorn in the side to the typical customer. I think one of biggest advantages of cruising is its reputation for being very good bang for your buck. However, each "additional cost" item detracts from that perception. DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I dont like it because it further discredits the term 'Included' by adding yet another exception. I do really think this will improve quality, but I doubt that's their intention, more of a byproduct in my opinion. THIS IS CROWD CONTROL (sorry for yelling). People order the entire kitchen. Not sure how this dish will taste? Order it in addition to your five plates and find out. If you don't like it, oh well. I'm not trying to shame anyone, I do it to, but this creates an insane amount of work for the staff. They can't just keep running crazy amounts of food all over the ship at all times, they also make THOUSANDS of meals a day aside from this service. That's a pretty big deal when you think of it. I am upset about the charge but also understand that this service is being abused. By adding this cost it will help maintain the crowds at a manageable level. If by all accounts, the number of people on a cruise that order room service is rather low, isn't this more of a waste cutting move than a revenue generator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 If by all accounts, the number of people on a cruise that order room service is rather low, isn't this more of a waste cutting move than a revenue generator? It could well be. However, in the past, adding a fee has typically been to manage demand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 What about the idea of limited It could well be. However, in the past, adding a fee has typically been to manage demand. If demand drops, only those willing to pay the price will be left. Do we think that they are the people abusing the system, ordering half the menu, because it's included? If not, won't the drop in demand cut waste? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 17, 2017 Report Share Posted March 17, 2017 I dont like it because it further discredits the term 'Included' by adding yet another exception. I do really think this will improve quality, but I doubt that's their intention, more of a byproduct in my opinion. THIS IS CROWD CONTROL (sorry for yelling). People order the entire kitchen. Not sure how this dish will taste? Order it in addition to your five plates and find out. If you don't like it, oh well. I'm not trying to shame anyone, I do it to, but this creates an insane amount of work for the staff. They can't just keep running crazy amounts of food all over the ship at all times, they also make THOUSANDS of meals a day aside from this service. That's a pretty big deal when you think of it. I am upset about the charge but also understand that this service is being abused. By adding this cost it will help maintain the crowds at a manageable level. How would people feel about something like the Disney Dining Plan? You are limited to one appetizer, one soup, one salad, one entrée and one dessert in the MDR. This would surely cut waste. If you would like to "graze" (I know I do) that is what the buffet is for. That's why it's called the Main Dining Room. It's for dining. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razorrayy Posted March 18, 2017 Report Share Posted March 18, 2017 Gratuities going Up & Room Service This is one of the reasons I have started to included my gratuities when booking any future cruises, because at least I think once you have agreed to pay during the booking your price is locked in. Room Service I think this is a much larger move for Royal Caribbean to save money, by charging for room service less people will use the room service. This will allow them to have less staff in the kitchen and less waiter on hand for these deliveries. I do think that some ships in the fleet should still offer room service complimentary for added value. Jerel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestingBird Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 This is one of the reasons I have started to included my gratuities when booking any future cruises, because at least I think once you have agreed to pay during the booking your price is locked in. I just booked Oasis 2yrs out, but included gratuities in case they go up by the time I'm actually on board. FManke and DocLC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FManke Posted March 19, 2017 Report Share Posted March 19, 2017 I just booked Oasis 2yrs out, but included gratuities in case they go up by the time I'm actually on board. Seems like the smart thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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