If you were in charge of RCCL, what changes would you make?

[BrianB]

1. Appoint myself CEO/President of RC with both salaries. Direct deposit.

2. Have a huge staff to handle everything so I won't have to do anything. 

3. Name next ship 'Brian of the Seas'.

***Seriously, some of these comments are excellent! A lot of common sense ideas that can really improve everyone's cruising experience. 

Thanks @FSUFAN for starting this post and I hope it gets the decision makers thinking.

[Gilley]

Have unlimited beer and wine packages.

[27th Lady]

I would make more options on future ships with 2 bedrooms. We love to book 2 bedroom suites but there are so few of them. It seems like a cabin category that would be popular and appealing to families. 

[Rackham]

I want an investigation into why the bars have taps, but limited draft beer selection.

[ApexoftheSeas]

I would order new smaller ships

[PRMLVM]

1 hour ago, ApexoftheSeas said:

I would order new smaller ships

I wish there was a bigger "love" response for this!!!

Smaller ships that have more ocean views in public spaces and restaurants!! 

[smokeybandit]

2 hours ago, ApexoftheSeas said:

I would order new smaller ships

Let me guess. You'd name the first one Apex of the Seas?

[ApexoftheSeas]

20 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Let me guess. You'd name the first one Apex of the Seas?

I didn't even think about that. LOL

[Nebrets]

There would be Boba tea shops, on the ship. I know for certain my young kids would be all over that.

On their website, I would add ways to filter excursions by minimum maximum weight, and height, and ages. In addition, I would have a display sort button that would allow you to display the results either alphabetically, by price, and availability. This one in particular because I have children who will be aged 5 and 6. When looking at excursions, I have to click through each one to see which have a minimum of at least 5. It would be totally awesome if I could only see excursions that my kids could also participate in.
 

[FOB]

I would improve the search so if you have selected specific months you can then filter by start dates. It’s not great when you know you need to start a vacation between x & y dates due to school term times but you see loads of cruises that don’t fit your availability 

I would also add another filter to do ports in itineraries - that way you get to see which ships are sailing to the places you are interested in.  I am sure this was a possible filter in the past that has been removed in one of the “booking improvements “ made to the site

[smokeybandit]

1 minute ago, FOB said:

I would improve the search so if you have selected specific months you can then filter by start dates.

You can do this now.

The "date range" here would be the dates you'd want to embark.

 

[PRMLVM]

I would RENAME THE UNLIMITED DINING PACKAGE.   That name causes so much confusion and disappointment.  Maybe calling it the "Discount Dining Package" sounds too lowbrow for them, but it's way more truthful. 

[Rackham]

3 hours ago, PRMLVM said:

I would RENAME THE UNLIMITED DINING PACKAGE.   That name causes so much confusion and disappointment.  Maybe calling it the "Discount Dining Package" sounds too lowbrow for them, but it's way more truthful. 

Oooh, as long as we're talking dining packages, I want a Daily Snack [Attack] Package which works at the bars with food (ex. Playmakers, Vintages) and upcharge windows (ex. Johnny Rockets Express, Izumi in the Park, Basecamp). However, because it'd be a bad idea to give people unlimited access to upcharge food from a sharing and waste perspective, I'd expect a daily limit covered by the package. Maybe $30 in credit which can be used at any participating bar or restaurant and resets at 5 am each day of the sailing? 

[Ditchdoc]

Less emphasis on big and more on service.

 

Marketing toward cheaper by the dozen concept. The longer the cruise, the less daily expense.

 

End fluctuating rates. Figure out where break even point is, add 15-17% and implement across the fleet.

[AndrewPunch]

Raise prices eliminate set gratuities.

[dustfsu]

For me it's the little things.  I wish Sprinkles would be open just a tad longer like back in the day.  Sometimes I don't care for the dessert in the dining room or because I am too full.  So after walking off dinner and nice cone, or TWO would be nice, but they close it a like 6 . 

Maybe a good sandwich shop that would do steak and cheese, chicken parm, hot Italian subs, etc.

[Catopalooza]

On 5/21/2023 at 10:56 AM, bobroo said:

There is one thing Royal Caribbean does worse than IT.......M-E-R-C-H-A-N-D-I-S-I-N-G!!!!

 

I can recover the $40B we are in arrears effortlessly over a few short years by implementing a merchandising program. 

 

It's entirely possible to revamp their retail. Take the accessories: They have a vast desert between the $$$$$ handbags and the (grossly marked up prices on faux leather) Nine West bags marked as BOGO on the last night. And offer some middle ground in jewelry between Effy and the questionable quality/taste things hawked on the tables in the promenade. Brighton jewelry, Tommy Bahama clothes, Brahmin bags to name a few middle ground brands.

Also, if Celebrity can carry Lilly Pulitzer clothes and accessories, it would be an easy sale on ships like Wonder.

[Catopalooza]

1) The smoke smell from the casino wafting into the front of the MDR is unappetizing at best. If Celebrity makes bank in their smoke-free casinos, make all RC casinos smoke free. Make the smoking sections far away from the pools. One section at one of the the top floor's aft section, far away from other venues and ventilated to the outdoors.

2) Make chair hogging financially painful- and make a big example out of some egregious chair hog behavior. $100 per hour of the "reserved" chair being unoccupied- and spell this out everywhere. Pay some crew to be chair "meter maids", and enforce the rules. The cameras/facial recognition can show who the jerks were that set up towels at 6AM and didn't show up until noon.

3) Part of the appeal of Virgin Voyages (who are very likely grabbing RC revenue) is the ability to enjoy a nice dinner without a  screaming child at the next table. Set up the seating arrangements so that families traveling with kids can use the port side or the 3rd floor of every MDR, and people traveling without kids/ couples who are enjoying their honeymoon/1st trip without the kids/anniversary can use the other area.

 Adventure Ocean could be expanded to include a nightly "Chucky Cheese" type (or multiple TV's like sports bars but they would play cartoons, plus McDonalds playground type venue) entertaining dinner for kiddos.

  We had an MDR experience on Wonder where a 3 year old with a very high pitched/shrill "outside voice"  screamed through the entire meal, crawled on the table, banged on the window etc, and his family didn't seem to pay attention to his antics. The next night, a family in Chops looked stressed when Mom & Dad were taking turns walking their toddler son around in Central Park, returning him to the table then repeating the cycle after he's start fussing again for 9 more times.

4) Yes, bring back the old MDR menus. Not everyone is a foodie or wants to have imaginative food.

5) End the hard sell approach to the spa. I adore a good spa experience, but I avoid the spa on ships because I'd rather not feel like I'm in a time share presentation after paying for a relaxing massage.

[PRMLVM]

14 hours ago, Catopalooza said:

1) The smoke smell from the casino wafting into the front of the MDR is unappetizing at best. If Celebrity makes bank in their smoke-free casinos, make all RC casinos smoke free. Make the smoking sections far away from the pools. One section at one of the the top floor's aft section, far away from other venues and ventilated to the outdoors.

2) Make chair hogging financially painful- and make a big example out of some egregious chair hog behavior. $100 per hour of the "reserved" chair being unoccupied- and spell this out everywhere. Pay some crew to be chair "meter maids", and enforce the rules. The cameras/facial recognition can show who the jerks were that set up towels at 6AM and didn't show up until noon.

3) Part of the appeal of Virgin Voyages (who are very likely grabbing RC revenue) is the ability to enjoy a nice dinner without a  screaming child at the next table. Set up the seating arrangements so that families traveling with kids can use the port side or the 3rd floor of every MDR, and people traveling without kids/ couples who are enjoying their honeymoon/1st trip without the kids/anniversary can use the other area.

 Adventure Ocean could be expanded to include a nightly "Chucky Cheese" type (or multiple TV's like sports bars but they would play cartoons, plus McDonalds playground type venue) entertaining dinner for kiddos.

  We had an MDR experience on Wonder where a 3 year old with a very high pitched/shrill "outside voice"  screamed through the entire meal, crawled on the table, banged on the window etc, and his family didn't seem to pay attention to his antics. The next night, a family in Chops looked stressed when Mom & Dad were taking turns walking their toddler son around in Central Park, returning him to the table then repeating the cycle after he's start fussing again for 9 more times.

4) Yes, bring back the old MDR menus. Not everyone is a foodie or wants to have imaginative food.

5) End the hard sell approach to the spa. I adore a good spa experience, but I avoid the spa on ships because I'd rather not feel like I'm in a time share presentation after paying for a relaxing massage.

#3!!!!!!!!  I love, love, love that seating arrangement idea.  Love it.  So much love it.

[smokeybandit]

14 hours ago, Catopalooza said:

4) Yes, bring back the old MDR menus. Not everyone is a foodie or wants to have imaginative food.

 

I don't think there's anything "foodie" about the new MDR menus.

[Psycho and Barb]

On 5/22/2023 at 2:43 PM, PL8SWPR said:

Get rid of 70s night.  Anyone old enough to remember them are no longer in the target demographic. 

No WAY!!!  We are old enough to have lived the 70's and love 70's night...Demographic's be damned.  Its only one time per cruise and just about an hour.

[Psycho and Barb]

On 5/21/2023 at 10:19 AM, tonyfsu21 said:

Revamp the ENTIRE casino royale program (again) to better entice gamblers to spend more money. The comps are not great. 

Totally agree

[Psycho and Barb]

1.        Bring back Midnight meals!

2.       Include gratuities in the cruise fare

3.       Have coffee available 24 hours.  On our last Alaska cruise (2022) on the Radiance of the Seas, you could not get a cup of coffee anywhere on the ship before 0600 except for room service.

4.       Bring back skeet shooting and hitting golf balls.

5.       Bring back the old dinning rules! No ball caps, shorts and shirts must be collared in the dining room.  Royal use to strictly enforce these rules and Psycho was turned away one night and had to run back to the room to change his shirt.  He was notified discreetly and politely his shirt was not acceptable for dinner.  He was not upset and thanked him and said he would be right back.  But now RC is afraid of making the customer upset so just about anything goes in the Main Dining Room.

6.       Bring back the multiple levels of drinks packages…Give us more choices. Have the 10 drink cards available on day one and keep them available till day 7.

7.       Adjust the sensitivity of the new elevator’s buttons.  Wished we had a beer for every time we been in an elevator and someone rubbed up against the buttons and accidently selected just about every floor.

8.       Bring back the free drinks in Diamond lounge for Happy Hour…But keep the free drinks on the Sea Pass…Lol

[HeWhoWaits]

47 minutes ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Adjust the sensitivity of the new elevator’s buttons.  Wished we had a beer for every time we been in an elevator and someone rubbed up against the buttons and accidently selected just about every floor.

On a Holland America ship last year, it didn't even require brushing up against the selection panel. All you had to do was be within an inch of it and move.

[smokeybandit]

54 minutes ago, Psycho and Barb said:

Bring back skeet shooting and hitting golf balls.

Unless you mean computer simulators, this will never happen due to environmental rules.

[Psycho and Barb]

21 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Unless you mean computer simulators, this will never happen due to environmental rules.

Not entirely true.  There is Biodegradable, Water dissolvable and Eco friendly golf balls.  There is also zero-plastic shotshells with steel shot...No plastic wads.   They are all not cheap but possible.

[Fastfaller]

1) Chair hogs, obviously.

2) Financial penalties for parents who put their non-potty trained pooping kids in a pool.

3) wow bands for free

4) Free internet

5) Transparent pricing with Grats incl.

6) more food later.

7) more bar venues on the promanade.

8 bring back the cigar lounges

9) get rid of boarding times, they don't matter anyway.

I am sure I will think of more.