Contact Royal Caribbean about this charging for pizza

[RCIfan1912]

19 minutes ago, teddy said:

I guess they can charge all they want for pizza as long as the the included Sorrentos is replaced with another decent included food.

I happen to like the pizza from Sorrentos/Cafe Promenade and not having a place to grab a quick, included in my cruise fare bite to eat after the Windjammer closes would definitely make me reevaluate continuing to cruise with Royal. 
 

See, for me it’s not paying for pizza, it’s the loss of an included eating option. 

Could not take says it better! 

[tonyfsu21]

I wouldn’t pay for the crappy pizza but I could see paying for the return of the midnight buffet! I could actually logic this fee especially if they resurrected the chocolate fountain and the elaborate ice sculptures. 

[Lovetocruise2002]

22 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

I could actually logic this fee especially if they resurrected the chocolate fountain and the elaborate ice sculptures. 

Oh I miss those days!!! 

[Montemy2419]

@tonyfsu21We went on the President's cruise on the Symphony and they set up a smaller version of the midnight buffet in the Windjammer.  It was just beautiful and just like before they let you take all the photos you wanted before it was opened.  We didn't even stay around to eat because there were so many people we knew it would be attacked and torn apart.  I thanked the crew members that were standing there because they worked hard to set up a beautiful display.

 

[A and M]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:00 AM, RCIfan1912 said:

I guess you are the only one on my side on this. The rest think we should just wait for to happen and then piss and moan. And then they will say, brat is complaining about 10 bucks for pizza when they just spent thousands on a vacation, they can afford it. 

I didn't get the survey and sent an email to the executive team just to voice a resounding "Dont Charge".   I wanted them to hear.  I did receive a response that it was passed to operations and thank you for email.  The response was actually nicer than how I just stated, and probably a generic response, but at least I voiced an opinion.    So, I'm on your side, voice an opinion.  

[Allen2]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:26 PM, Starrynight0154 said:

I get what you’re saying. When you spend thousands on a vacation, expectations are high, and rightfully so. I have 4 cruises booked, and it’s frustrating that more changes are possibly coming, further reducing the value and experience.

CEO Jason Liberty made it clear what his priorities are, and they’re just getting started with increasing profits. Great time for customers including myself to reevaluate future decisions in regards to booking cruises, and consider other options. 

 

We are D+ and have 360 nights cruising - but we are looking around and have already booked six other cruises that in the past would have been on Royal.  I feel the frustration mentioned in this threat.

[JFCruise]

I'm probably way off - but do RC have any sort of grab-and-go food that costs money? I can't really think of one, but I'm not as experienced as others so I might be off.

I doub that the model for Sorrentos is made for charging. Lines can get long at certain hours and charging upfront would make lines even slower and longer and more annoying.

They may be thinking about charging for "create your own" pizza, or even they are feeling out if they might want to add a paid pizza option - hopefully with better quality - that is additional to Sorrento's.

I don't think they are that dense. I can't imagine too much people lining up to pay for very meh pizza.

[RCIfan1912]

I also don't want to beat up Sorrento's, we like it. It's a good, quick bite to eat. The kids love it, it's a treat. The unfortunate talk of charging it has brought out the negativity. 

[Pattycruise]

7 hours ago, Allen2 said:

We are D+ and have 360 nights cruising - but we are looking around and have already booked six other cruises that in the past would have been on Royal.  I feel the frustration mentioned in this threat.

This is the type of direct communication that needs to go to Royal.  They should be concerned they are losing customers to other lines

[Pattycruise]

3 hours ago, JFCruise said:

I'm probably way off - but do RC have any sort of grab-and-go food that costs money? I can't really think of one, but I'm not as experienced as others so I might be off.

 

I don't think they are that dense. I can't imagine too much people lining up to pay for very meh pizza.

Starbucks/specialty coffee, the cupcake store. Not exactly a grab n go but close.

as for lining up for meh pizza. It’s the only late night food.  Do pay or don’t eat would be the only 2 choices if they go to a “pay for pizza”

[Va4fam]

10 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

This is the type of direct communication that needs to go to Royal.  They should be concerned they are losing customers to other lines

When the profits are rolling in, the message is probably not heard.     As long as someone is willing to pay $4000 for a cabana or $80k for a suite, loyalty sometimes takes a backseat.

[JFCruise]

11 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Starbucks/specialty coffee, the cupcake store. Not exactly a grab n go but close.

as for lining up for meh pizza. It’s the only late night food.  Do pay or don’t eat would be the only 2 choices if they go to a “pay for pizza”

Not to sound pedantic, but coffee isn't food. The cupcakes well, yeah I forgot about that.

I do, disagree with the "it's only late night food". There's usually always some people in there at all times, and even I go there for a slice at a random afternoon time once or twice per cruise.

Either way, I really hope they have some good sense about it.

[tonyfsu21]

This has morphed into Pizzagate! By 1/1/24 the lines at Sorrentos will be very short. I wish the company focused efforts on mitigating the chair hog issue which is an actual issue and could be turned into a profitable chair reservation system for revenue. 

[Ampurp85]

30 minutes ago, JFCruise said:

Not to sound pedantic, but coffee isn't food. The cupcakes well, yeah I forgot about that.

I do, disagree with the "it's only late night food". There's usually always some people in there at all times, and even I go there for a slice at a random afternoon time once or twice per cruise.

Either way, I really hope they have some good sense about it.

You missed her quote, she said "it's the only late night food." That mean it's often the only option for late night and the choices would be to pay or not have anything to eat.

[Ampurp85]

I do understand the principal of the uproar. But I still consider this a data mining experiment. Do I think Royal is bold enough to charge for pizza? Yes. But I also don't think they are stupid enough to do it on the older ships. I think they are trying to determine WHAT they can charge for and what would bring the most revenue when it comes to the newer ships. The precedence set by the new MDR menus and change in housekeeping don't apply to this, imho. Based on the fact that so many didn't receive the survey. The other changes, I feel like are the cost of doing business. Which may lead to the loss of D+ and pinnacle cruisers because they probably want things to be the way they were before things changed. 

[JFCruise]

23 minutes ago, Ampurp85 said:

You missed her quote, she said "it's the only late night food." That mean it's often the only option for late night and the choices would be to pay or not have anything to eat.

That's what I get for replying before finishing my coffee

[DDaley]

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

I think they are trying to determine WHAT they can charge for and what would bring the most revenue when it comes to the newer ships.

This was exactly how I read it, they’re not gonna make you pay for your trash midnight snack but they might make you pay for a nicer pizza on a future new ship and leave the trash pizza for the WJ. I have definitely had pizza in the WJ and it looks like the same stuff.

Since I've never had a slice of Sorrento’s I’m not too up in arms about this but I seriously doubt they're gonna take away the only complimentary late night food without at least replacing it with something else. 

[RCIfan1912]

16 minutes ago, DDaley said:

This was exactly how I read it, they’re not gonna make you pay for your trash midnight snack but they might make you pay for a nicer pizza on a future new ship and leave the trash pizza for the WJ. I have definitely had pizza in the WJ and it looks like the same stuff.

Since I've never had a slice of Sorrento’s I’m not too up in arms about this but I seriously doubt they're gonna take away the only complimentary late night food without at least replacing it with something else. 

You make a lot of sense, and I hope you are correct but they did specifically ask about a charge for Sorrento's pizza. Who knows why though? 

[bobroo]

My honest opinion? Their thought is not to charge for Sorrento's, but rather; they are asking "would passengers pay for pizza?" Meaning: on a new vessel instead of Sorrento's, they just have a venue with a different name say... Luigi's Pizza.  It will be sit down and you order a 10" personalized pizza from a bunch of ingredients. They will have a natural gas fired domed brick oven. 

I am sure there are other national large franchises, but this idea is basically your local MOD Pizza. For reference, my local MOD Pizza gets about $13 for a 10" pizza. 

 

Perhaps.....the name Liberty Pizza is more appropriate???

 

[Xaa]

1 minute ago, bobroo said:

My honest opinion? Their thought is not to charge for Sorrento's, but rather; they are asking "would passengers pay for pizza?" Meaning: on a new vessel instead of Sorrento's, they just have a venue with a different name say... Luigi's Pizza.  It will be sit down and you order a 10" personalized pizza from a bunch of ingredients. They will have a natural gas fired domed brick oven. 

I am sure there are other national large franchises, but this idea is basically your local MOD Pizza. For reference, my local MOD Pizza gets about $13 for a 10" pizza. 

 

Perhaps.....the name Liberty Pizza is more appropriate???

 

That certainly makes sense in combination with the do you eat at Sorrento's question.  Gauging if they can ditch Sorrento's completely.

I would sit down and pay for some Liberty Pizza at least once.

[bobroo]

Think of it this way. A Liberty Pizza requires a pizza chef, a couple pizza assemblers, in total a crew of 4 or 5....all first contract employees! The ingredients are all items they probably purchase anyway. Because this style of pizza is flash fired at oh! 700 degrees; from the time you order, assembly, cooking time, and table delivery...10 to 15 minutes. Also, this style of pizza is eaten off the aluminum pan they serve it to you on with some additional napkins. 

Have the girls in the design department make the space look trendy and cool however it's still casual. So... the higher ups don't have to feel guilty about taking away a free food venue away from the lowest dollar generating cruisers. But can simultaneously feel good about taking in $12, $13, $14 for each pizza made-- at a cost not a lot higher than a Sorrento's venue. Of course the marketing department will have an easy sell since this food fits all kinds of individual needs and will look great in the press package.

Lot's for those in corner offices in Miami to like.

[Geezer Of The Seas]

GIVE ME PIZZA OR GIVE ME DEATH!!!!!!

Seemed like it was time for something noble............

[smokeybandit]

53 minutes ago, bobroo said:

My honest opinion? Their thought is not to charge for Sorrento's, but rather; they are asking "would passengers pay for pizza?" Meaning: on a new vessel instead of Sorrento's, they just have a venue with a different name say... Luigi's Pizza.  It will be sit down and you order a 10" personalized pizza from a bunch of ingredients. They will have a natural gas fired domed brick oven. 

I am sure there are other national large franchises, but this idea is basically your local MOD Pizza. For reference, my local MOD Pizza gets about $13 for a 10" pizza. 

 

Perhaps.....the name Liberty Pizza is more appropriate???

 

This could be. Note they did ask the Sorrento's question in conjunction with a question about various other types of restaurants.

[RCIfan1912]

56 minutes ago, bobroo said:

My honest opinion? Their thought is not to charge for Sorrento's, but rather; they are asking "would passengers pay for pizza?" Meaning: on a new vessel instead of Sorrento's, they just have a venue with a different name say... Luigi's Pizza.  It will be sit down and you order a 10" personalized pizza from a bunch of ingredients. They will have a natural gas fired domed brick oven. 

I am sure there are other national large franchises, but this idea is basically your local MOD Pizza. For reference, my local MOD Pizza gets about $13 for a 10" pizza. 

 

Perhaps.....the name Liberty Pizza is more appropriate???

 

Well now that's a different story. If, if there was a Luigi pizza that was good like the pizza at home I would pay for that. No doubt about it, but the question being Sorrento's pizza is disconcerting. If that's the real question I would pay for real good pizza like at home. 

[Ampurp85]

2 hours ago, bobroo said:

My honest opinion? Their thought is not to charge for Sorrento's, but rather; they are asking "would passengers pay for pizza?" Meaning: on a new vessel instead of Sorrento's, they just have a venue with a different name say... Luigi's Pizza.  It will be sit down and you order a 10" personalized pizza from a bunch of ingredients. They will have a natural gas fired domed brick oven. 

I am sure there are other national large franchises, but this idea is basically your local MOD Pizza. For reference, my local MOD Pizza gets about $13 for a 10" pizza. 

 

Perhaps.....the name Liberty Pizza is more appropriate???

 

I said this a while back. I was always under the impression that they were trying to determine what they could get away with charging on new ships. I was sent the survey and the Sorrento's' question was part of a lot of restaurant related questions as well as questions about the UDP. I get the feeling they want to try to introduce many more restaurants that are paid but options are both endless and limited. 

 

[Allen2]

18 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

This is the type of direct communication that needs to go to Royal.  They should be concerned they are losing customers to other lines

Have let Royal know - ignored!

[bobroo]

1 hour ago, RCIfan1912 said:

Well now that's a different story. If, if there was a Luigi pizza that was good like the pizza at home I would pay for that. No doubt about it, but the question being Sorrento's pizza is disconcerting. If that's the real question I would pay for real good pizza like at home. 

Better than Sorrento's...yes

Better than your all-time best favorite pizza joint back home....no, none of the RC restaurants are like that regardless of fare. Royal aims for not the best that they can do in the kitchen but rather, what is adequate.

 

I hope someday soon @RCIfan1912 you take a European cruise and stop at Naples. After a day in the birthplace of pizza with dudes who really, really know what they are doing.....you'll get back onboard and never look at Sorrento's the same way again. You'll never watch commercials of national pizza chains during football the same way. You'll particularly sneer at a grocery store that wants to sell you a half-baked pizza the size of a car tire. Life is too short for zero-integrity pizza.

[bobroo]

18 minutes ago, Allen2 said:

Have let Royal know - ignored!

Not ignored, just unacknowledged and it makes you feel rejected.

They heard you loud and clear, I promise. <wink>

[Ampurp85]

@bobroo I would slightly disagree. Naples had good pizza but I still prefer my neighborhood place in Chicago. But being from Chicago and having been to Italy, Sorrento's was and will always be some of the worse pizza only second to Scotland take on it.I love Scotland and their meat pies.

[tonyfsu21]

12 hours ago, bobroo said:

Better than Sorrento's...yes

Better than your all-time best favorite pizza joint back home....no, none of the RC restaurants are like that regardless of fare. Royal aims for not the best that they can do in the kitchen but rather, what is adequate.

 

I hope someday soon @RCIfan1912 you take a European cruise and stop at Naples. After a day in the birthplace of pizza with dudes who really, really know what they are doing.....you'll get back onboard and never look at Sorrento's the same way again. You'll never watch commercials of national pizza chains during football the same way. You'll particularly sneer at a grocery store that wants to sell you a half-baked pizza the size of a car tire. Life is too short for zero-integrity pizza.

Comparing American pizza to Italian pizza = apples to oranges. Personally I prefer American NY style pizza to the “pizza” they serve in Naples. Sorrentos is a low rent take on a NY style pizza and it’s decent for a cruise but on land it could be compared to Dominos. 

[CruisingNewb]

How much difference in revenue can charging for pizza make?  I really believe that charging for pizza at Sorrentos is on the level of nickel and diming.

I totally understand that RCCL can make a few bucks on charging for Sorrentos, IF it wasn;t already a free staple of the cruises.  Because it is an included venue in the cruise price, changing it to pay-to-eat will likely leave a bitter taste in existing repeat cruisers' mouths.  It may even lead to a decision to either revert to free or get rid of the amenity altogether.  Look at it this way, there are usually 3 or 4 people working Sorrentos late night.  If charging for pizza leads to even 30% decrease in foot traffic, the labor and overhead will eat up profit unless they are charging some obscene amount.

My suggestion is to get rid of the antipasti stuff at Sorrentos and offer only pizza.  Personally, I like having some antipasti from Sorrentos, but I have experienced that most people only get slices of pizza.  Cut the food cost from the salad bar and don't charge for pizza.  

Lastly, my personal opinion of Sorrentos is that when you are drunk, or if you are a kid, Sorrentos pizza is pretty darn tasty.  No need to compare to Naples or New York.  I think NY pizza is the best.  I also love me some traditional Naples pizza.  Doesn't mean I am not going to enjoy free Sorentos.  

[Jill]

[Matt]

As it turns out, it was just a survey question: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/08/17/fear-not-royal-caribbean-ceo-says-cruise-line-wont-charge-pizza

[GatorCruiser]

Pizza gate was Full of sound and fury and signaling nothing 

[Geezer Of The Seas]

If they aren't considering it then why was the question posed? Obviously to gauge customer response. The 25% that replied they might consider another cruise line was the dagger in the idea. But, not to worry, a whole vista of charges in waiting...................

[Xaa]

You're still assuming the intent of the question was to try and charge @Geezer Of The Seas when it was more likely to gauge how much it is liked.  Do you like it only for free or do you really like it.  I think they are considering monetizing that space differently than with pizza.

[tonyfsu21]

3 hours ago, CruisingNewb said:

How much difference in revenue can charging for pizza make?  I really believe that charging for pizza at Sorrentos is on the level of nickel and diming.

I totally understand that RCCL can make a few bucks on charging for Sorrentos, IF it wasn;t already a free staple of the cruises.  Because it is an included venue in the cruise price, changing it to pay-to-eat will likely leave a bitter taste in existing repeat cruisers' mouths.  It may even lead to a decision to either revert to free or get rid of the amenity altogether.  Look at it this way, there are usually 3 or 4 people working Sorrentos late night.  If charging for pizza leads to even 30% decrease in foot traffic, the labor and overhead will eat up profit unless they are charging some obscene amount.

My suggestion is to get rid of the antipasti stuff at Sorrentos and offer only pizza.  Personally, I like having some antipasti from Sorrentos, but I have experienced that most people only get slices of pizza.  Cut the food cost from the salad bar and don't charge for pizza.  

Lastly, my personal opinion of Sorrentos is that when you are drunk, or if you are a kid, Sorrentos pizza is pretty darn tasty.  No need to compare to Naples or New York.  I think NY pizza is the best.  I also love me some traditional Naples pizza.  Doesn't mean I am not going to enjoy free Sorentos.  

Even though PizzaGate 2023 is officially over, I think you are on to something re: get rid of the antipasti. This place should be devoted to pizza and only pizza! All useable real estate on Sorrentos display counters should have pizza. That place is a pizza making machine and there’s no room to clog up this operation with other offerings which should be housed at cafe promenade or the windjammer. 

[RCIfan1912]

4 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Even though PizzaGate 2023 is officially over, I think you are on to something re: get rid of the antipasti. This place should be devoted to pizza and only pizza! All useable real estate on Sorrentos display counters should have pizza. That place is a pizza making machine and there’s no room to clog up this operation with other offerings which should be housed at cafe promenade or the windjammer. 

I honestly had no idea they had Antipasti?

[smokeybandit]

And thus ends the Great Pizza Outrage of 2023.

[WAAAYTOOO]

I can just see Mr. Baileys face when some Junior admin reluctantly enters the room and sheepishly announces, “Mr. Bailey, we are looking at a potential Bud Light event over the pizza survey question.”.