Icon or IHOP of the Seas?

[Bombay1]

We just returned from a Western Med cruise on the Symphony of the Seas.  We had a great time.  We are Platinum, so we have been on several RC cruises over the years for comparison purposes. Our waiter and assistant waiter were wonderful, so this in no way is a reflection of the service that we received from them. We have read recent reviews about the decline in the food quality in the main dining room and had a similar experience.  Creme Brulee was "soupy" instead of firm and creamy, "Jumbo" shrimp that would only look jumbo if you were looking at them under a microscope (our waiter even warned us with a good laugh as we ordered them that they were the saddest excuse of a "Jumbo" shrimp that he has ever seen), ceasar salad with the smallest, saddest looking croutons you have ever seen, etc.  My wife ordered coffee with her dessert on the first night.  Normally I would expect to see a cup of coffee presented on a saucer.  Not this year, it is delivered in a standard cafe/truck stop coffee mug.  The kicker for me was when she opened the container with the sugar packets we found that it was mostly full of sugar packets from the International House of Pancakes ("IHOP")  !  Seriously, Royal Caribbean?  You think that you are paying for a "premium" mid-range cruse experience and they are serving sugar packets that someone pocketed while visiting an IHOP??  This really put me off.  I joked the rest of the cruise that they should change the name of their new ship from Icon of the Seas to IHOP of the Seas!  Come on, Royal Caribbean, you're better than that!

I did include this in my post cruise survey.

 

[twangster]

If their supplier couldn't provide the regular sugar packets but offered these instead would you rather there be no sugar packets on the ship?

What does this have to do with Icon?

It's sugar.  Not premium sugar, just regular sugar.  

[Xaa]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

What does this have to do with Icon?

I think the play on words with both IHOP and ICON sharing vowel placement was a joke on par with the croutons on his wife's caesar salad.  Small and sad looking.

[michaelp1446]

Looking at the almost full container I find it hard to believe that the approximately 10-11 I-Hop sugar packets were found in that container

Someone has a good sense of humor...

[smokeybandit]

Jumbo shrimp is an actual sizing of shrimp. And that doesn't necessarily mean they're big. You can have 30 shrimp in a pound and have them still be considered jumbo.

[Florz]

To those who write "jumbo shrimp is the actual sizing of shrimp" and "IHOP sugar packets are better than no sugar packets" I think you miss the point of the post and that is: RC is cutting costs all over the place. The shrimp apparently were tiny and the visual of an IHOP sugar packet on a $$$$ cruise isn't exactly encouraging. Frankly, the amount of people who have been mentioning how RC is cutting corners whenever they can is disconcerting to me since I will be sailing on RC for the first time this August. Then again, there are those who think Carnival is the Cadillac of cruise lines, so who knows what to think at this point. One man's microscopic shrimp is another's man's feast, I guess.

[Jill]

Jumbo Shrimp is an oxymoron but they’re a great minor league baseball team here in Jacksonville

[Bombay1]

That is my point exactly.  The cost cutting was evident to me in small ways that did not have a profound effect on my cruise, but they were noticeable and as a cruise consumer that is concerning to me.  It was also noticeable that the main dining room had a lot of empty tables as the week went on.  That should be concerning to the executives at RC.  There was one night that our waiter said he did not have one table occupied in his section for the 8:30 seating.  Yikes.

[Jacklynn]

We found IHOP sugar packets on our December Independence cruise on the last morning this last December. We chuckled, thought it was fun and assumed they just got them from the same supplier

[smokeybandit]

55 minutes ago, Florz said:

To those who write "jumbo shrimp is the actual sizing of shrimp" and "IHOP sugar packets are better than no sugar packets" I think you miss the point of the post and that is: RC is cutting costs all over the place. The shrimp apparently were tiny and the visual of an IHOP sugar packet on a $$$$ cruise isn't exactly encouraging. Frankly, the amount of people who have been mentioning how RC is cutting corners whenever they can is disconcerting to me since I will be sailing on RC for the first time this August. Then again, there are those who think Carnival is the Cadillac of cruise lines, so who knows what to think at this point. One man's microscope shrimp is another's man's feast, I guess.

A 30-count shrimp is pretty small. But it's still technically a jumbo shrimp.

And who cares where the sugar packet is from? Just because the random supplier in Spain or Italy gave them sugar packets with IHOP on the side doesn't mean they're cutting corners.

[Florz]

Smokey: I care. When is the last time you ate in a 5-star restaurant and your coffee was served with an IHOP package of sugar?  Part of the allure of sailing for me is the ambiance of the experience.  When I sit down for breakfast on a cruise that is costing me thousands of $$$$, I don't want to see a box of Eggos sitting in the Windjammer next to the toaster.  If I want the IHOP experience, I'll go to IHOP. If I go on a cruise, I don't want it to be a WalMart experience. I want to feel as though the cruise line cares about the product they are presenting to their customers. 

[mk-ultra]

Sorry.  That was totally me.  I steal coffee, tea and sugar packets when I travel.  Didn't know they'd get recirculated.  The IHOP ones should come with some vaguely Swedish crepes and lingonberries.  The crepes are hard to pocket though.  I can't imagine the horror of being served coffee without a saucer.

I'll alert the media.  Also: paragraphs are a thing.

[smokeybandit]

23 minutes ago, Florz said:

Smokey: I care. When is the last time you ate in a 5-star restaurant and your coffee was served with an IHOP package of sugar?  Part of the allure of sailing for me is the ambiance of the experience.  When I sit down for breakfast on a cruise that is costing me thousands of $$$$, I don't want to see a box of Eggos sitting in the Windjammer next to the toaster.  If I want the IHOP experience, I'll go to IHOP. If I go on a cruise, I don't want it to be a WalMart experience. I want to feel as though the cruise line cares about the product they are presenting to their customers. 

I'm sure RC would be flattered that you consider their dining to be 5-star.

[Ampurp85]

Just so you know, IHOP has branded sugar that they sell. Can you name another restaurant that has their name on the sugar? So Royal having sugar that says IHOP doesn't in any way diminish their brand. I was once a manager at IHOP, the sugar was sold to many a place because it was often cheaper than getting Domino's. 

[Geezer Of The Seas]

Cost cutting? That is deduced from a logo on a pack of sugar? Not a vendor trying to fill Royal's shopping cart anyway possible? Still supply chain issues out there. Not a simple mistake but if it's cane sugar inside, who the hell cares whose logo is on it? Only Royal knows for sure................

And yet the sun rose in the East this morning anyway........

[AshleyDillo]

5 hours ago, Bombay1 said:

The kicker for me was when she opened the container with the sugar packets we found that it was mostly full of sugar packets from the International House of Pancakes ("IHOP")  ! 

This isn't new. I sailed on Vision once and they used clear Chick-Fil-A cups for the fancy iced coffees. I just assumed it was a supplier error. It didn't make the coffee taste any different or dampen my experience. It just gave us all a good laugh.

[Bowen]

They are cutting costs, it’s evident and has been noted by many people. The glib comments brushing it off to make it sound like a You problem are weird to me. I’m glad people are posting about this, it lets everyone make a more informed decision.

[Pattycruise]

9 hours ago, Bombay1 said:

That is my point exactly.  The cost cutting was evident to me in small ways that did not have a profound effect on my cruise, but they were noticeable and as a cruise consumer that is concerning to me.  It was also noticeable that the main dining room had a lot of empty tables as the week went on.  That should be concerning to the executives at RC.  There was one night that our waiter said he did not have one table occupied in his section for the 8:30 seating.  Yikes.

I can understand your concern. Royal was put through the wringer during Covid. They need to pay back massive loans, and when you add in the cost of inflation it’s a recipe for disaster if they didn’t cut corners.  Overall demand for sailing is up.  Yes, the regular Royal patron will notice the difference and  may even vote with their feet but that’s not the current case.  The alternative was to keep spending as was and go deeper into debt, then what?  

I’ve been fortunate to sail almost monthly since the restart.  Sadly the food isn’t always up to par,. I was on Symphony during its transatlantic and had plenty of lousy meals.  However I’ve been on other ships and most meals have been good, with some exceptions., and I’m glad I’m not saying most meals have been bad, with some exceptions!   Perhaps give a different ship a try.  The smaller ships seem to have better quality/consistency of food.  

[Babsy47]

I’m a bit lost here.  I do not think I have ever noticed the label on a sugar packet.  I cannot really think of anything other than white, yellow, or pink.  In short, if the package contains sugar, why would anyone care what the package looks like?

[ScottD]

Yeah...this is just a supplier issue. It was probably what the food supplier had available so it was this or nothing. Not really a big deal- it's the same sugar. Not a good comparison with the Eggo waffles, which are a brand of frozen waffles....sugar is, in the most part all the same.  

11 hours ago, mk-ultra said:

 The IHOP ones should come with some vaguely Swedish crepes and lingonberries. 

I think that would be more like  the Ikea sugar...and man, I would LOVE if some Ikea Swedish meatballs made their way on to the ship by accident! 

[tonyfsu21]

13 hours ago, Florz said:

Smokey: I care. When is the last time you ate in a 5-star restaurant and your coffee was served with an IHOP package of sugar?  Part of the allure of sailing for me is the ambiance of the experience.  When I sit down for breakfast on a cruise that is costing me thousands of $$$$, I don't want to see a box of Eggos sitting in the Windjammer next to the toaster.  If I want the IHOP experience, I'll go to IHOP. If I go on a cruise, I don't want it to be a WalMart experience. I want to feel as though the cruise line cares about the product they are presenting to their customers. 

There is absolutely no part of Royal Caribbean that is “5 star” from the interior cabins to the star class suites. If you are looking for a true 5 star experience then you need to book Regent or Ritz. Global supply chain issues (still) force large companies to source supplies from avenues they normally don’t go down. If an ihop logo on a sugar packet is a deal breaker then you need to cough up some more dough (like 10x) and sail premium lines because the mid tier is going to continue to disappoint you. 

[twangster]

I understand all of the 5 star Michelin rated chefs on board were outraged by the presence of IHOP sugar near their creation so all of the zero 5 star Michelin rated chefs on board left the ship.  All none of them.  

This probably explains the decline in the food quality some have noted.

[bobroo]

37 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

There is absolutely no part of Royal Caribbean that is “5 star” from the interior cabins to the star class suites. 

Bing! Bing! Bing! WINNER!!!

Absolute truth and agree 100%

Royal Caribbean is very much an elementary school for aspiring future 5 star patrons.

 

 

[smokeybandit]

8 hours ago, Bowen said:

They are cutting costs, it’s evident and has been noted by many people. The glib comments brushing it off to make it sound like a You problem are weird to me. I’m glad people are posting about this, it lets everyone make a more informed decision.

How does having IHOP branded sugar on board prove this? It just proves that's what their supplier had.

How does someone not knowing that a jumbo shrimp can be pretty small proves that RC is cutting corners?

[Ampurp85]

Let me just say for me I would never dismiss a valid concern. All businesses have raised prices and lowered standards but using the name on a sugar packet to prove this point is a no go.

It also proves another point.......not that the little things add up to become big things.......but that there are a lot of entitled folks out here. Also Royal is not perfect, I don't think it ever was. Yet I read about how much this has changed or that and I wonder if people have such rose-colored glasses, they can't see at all. The cutbacks on land are way worse than what is happening on cruise ships. 

[AlmondFarmer]

1 hour ago, smokeybandit said:

How does having IHOP branded sugar on board prove this? It just proves that's what their supplier had.

So we are ruling out that Royal planned a shore excursion for their crew to multiple breakfast locations in Florida with a prize for the member who brought back the most souvenir sugar packets? 
 

I think it is brilliant cross marketing.
 

Rumor has it there is an energetic lady singing “washy washy” in a South Florida IHOP lobby. 

[smokeybandit]

9 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:

So we are ruling out that Royal planned a shore excursion for their crew to multiple breakfast locations in Florida with a prize for the member who brought back the most souvenir sugar packets? 
 

I think it is brilliant cross marketing.
 

Rumor has it there is an energetic lady singing “washy washy” in a South Florida IHOP lobby. 

I mean do we have the official final tally of restaurants on Icon yet?  ICON IHOP has a nice ring to it.

[Geezer Of The Seas]

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

Let me just say for me I would never dismiss a valid concern. All businesses have raised prices and lowered standards but using the name on a sugar packet to prove this point is a no go.

It also proves another point.......not that the little things add up to become big things.......but that there are a lot of entitled folks out here. Also Royal is not perfect, I don't think it ever was. Yet I read about how much this has changed or that and I wonder if people have such rose-colored glasses, they can't see at all. The cutbacks on land are way worse than what is happening on cruise ships. 

True that. 2 of our  3 departures from Port Canaveral, we drove over the day before and stayed in a hotel in Cape Canaveral. This, despite the fact we live only an hour from PC. One stay at Radisson, the other at the Hampton Inn/ Home 2 Suites across the street. Both pricey because....because they can. Why? Because of a scheduled NASA moon launch that could have fallen on or near departure day, the other because SR528 was shut down nearly 10 hours for a police crime scene investigation a couple days prior to our departure on Jewel. 

Lived in Central Fl. 0ver 50 years, more than familiar with the nightmare SR528 can become with a crash, a brush fire, etc. With much $$$$ tied up in a cruise, what's  a 300 dollar "hedge" to insure we'll be at the port on time. Call me paranoid, but getting to the port stress free kicks traffic jam butt every time..............

[Ampurp85]

I have stayed in a ton of hotels post pandemic and the service is nonexistent. Staying more than one night?.........expect housekeeping every three days. These are 3/4-star hotels (Hilton, Sheraton, Merriott to name a few), at least $225+ a night with a deal. Go to a restaurant right now, most places are still newly/short-staffed, prices for inventory are higher and the food quality isn't quite there. So, to expect cruise lines, which have a ton of hoops to jump through when it comes to staffing, inventory etc., to be better than land-based venues is baffling.

Don't get me wrong I was on Grandeur when they first got the new menus, and the food was horrible. But months later on Freedom it was mostly good. However, I have never been a fan of the WJ or MDR, before the shutdown and especially after. There will be months of growing pains when you have to get new chefs and crew member up to snuff. Because that is what it is ........chefs not in their groove and crew who don't understand temperature and timing. If I saw IHOP branded sugar or Chick-fil-A cups, I be like wow product placement works, not say wow this "5-star" cruise line has really gone downhill, no more money from me. 

[barjpoe]

I remember just recently ( think last summer or fall), that a few of the cruise ships had run out of prepackaged butter pats, (supply issue?). They had to serve freshly slice butter on a plate. I think I read a few were upset because I guess they sometimes took the butter pats to use else where.  Then just on my last cruise on Radiance (the repositioning) they had run out of butter pats and we got the little tubs of butter (I think they were from Panama), I really like them cause the butter was soft and could spread on the bread/rolls nicely.

[Pattycruise]

9 hours ago, barjpoe said:

I remember just recently ( think last summer or fall), that a few of the cruise ships had run out of prepackaged butter pats, (supply issue?). They had to serve freshly slice butter on a plate. I think I read a few were upset because I guess they sometimes took the butter pats to use else where.  Then just on my last cruise on Radiance (the repositioning) they had run out of butter pats and we got the little tubs of butter (I think they were from Panama), I really like them cause the butter was soft and could spread on the bread/rolls nicely.

That occurred on Oasis last May.  I don’t use butter but my table mates were disappointed in the pats of butter saying it didn’t taste right.  I imagine it may have been an unsalted butter but I have no idea.  My concern was the one night I chose to have bread I could have knocked someone out with it.  

[WAAAYTOOO]

I find that they are being particularly stingy with the butter pats these days.  Back in the olden days the butter container would be filled with luscious butter pats....now, you're lucky if you get 2.  I almost always have to sneak over to an adjoining unoccupied able and snatch a few from theirs.

[barjpoe]

Yeah, they just put enough for everyone to have 1; even though the bread basket has 6-7 pieces in it.

[tjcruisers]

5 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I find that they are being particularly stingy with the butter pats these days.  Back in the olden days the butter container would be filled with luscious butter pats....now, you're lucky if you get 2.  I almost always have to sneak over to an adjoining unoccupied able and snatch a few from theirs.

So I should swing by Publix on the way to my next cruise to pick up a few sticks of butter, might end up being the most popular guy in the MDR

[AlmondFarmer]

5 minutes ago, tjcruisers said:

So I should swing by Publix on the way to my next cruise to pick up a few sticks of butter, might end up being the most popular guy in the MDR

Check IHOP first.