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Sheogorath
October 4, 2008 4:05 AM
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*Throws money at the problem*

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yikz
October 4, 2008 4:12 AM
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I would love to have a cruise ship, and then invite cruise ship VP's, and treat them the way I think they should be treated. Then maybe they would reconsider some of their stupid ideas.

Really, I think you have executives who are out of touch with reality. When people go on a cruise, they're looking for fantastic service, fantastic food, and relaxation. When in port, they want to shop for trinkets, jewelry, or lay on the beach. They do NOT want to have to worry about whether the food they want has a surcharge.

The genuises that offer these brilliant ideas need to get a real job and deal with real people. Wait tables, serve drinks in a bar, or work as a cashier in a retail store. Let these idiots listen to real people instead of paying some market research firm several million dollars per year to tell them stupid ideas.

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RamV10: The Axeman Returneth
October 6, 2008 12:46 PM
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@yikz: I also want to take a bottle back to my room with me and get rip roarin' drunk.

They won't let me do that, and it makes me sad.

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JustThatGuy3
October 6, 2008 11:53 AM
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@yikz:


Cruises target various price points. Want high-end food included? Go with one of the luxury lines, line Seabourn, Silversea, or Crystal, but be prepared to pay the price. Want to pay less for your cabin? Go with a midrange line, like Royal Caribbean - less will be included, but you'll have the option to pay more to get more.

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nsv
October 4, 2008 4:20 AM
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How much for a side of norovirus?

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parrotuya
October 4, 2008 4:23 AM
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Does Samantha Brown come with that?

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shorty63136
October 4, 2008 4:33 AM
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You want me to pay extra for steak that should be included in the price? Give me Kobe beef and we can talk. That (if prepared properly) would be worth it.

If not - kick rocks.

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TracyHamandEggs
October 4, 2008 4:41 AM
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So customers demanded something new (and more expensive) and the company opted to add it with a surcharge so other customers don't have to subsidize it?

Sounds like a solid idea to me.

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Raiders757
October 4, 2008 2:34 PM
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@TracyHamandEggs!:


I've never heard of an \"all-inclusive\" cruise. Everyone I know had to pay for their cocktails/mixed drinks and beer at the end of the trip. That's hardly \"all-inclusive\".


\"All-inclusive\" is like those resorts where the food and the booze is included in the price. No surprise $1,000 bar tab at the end of the vacation, like you get on a cruise.

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SBR249
October 4, 2008 9:56 PM
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@Raiders757: I think by \"all inclusive\", they meant basic necessities like food and room and such. A person can go without booze for survival, but going without food is generally considered detrimental to one's health. One is a good thing to have on a vacation, the other is a must for any sort of trip. A distinction between the two must be made in the \"all inclusive\" definition.

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mspink98
October 5, 2008 4:42 PM
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@undefined: Going without FOOD is detrimental to one's health. Going without strip steak has never once, to my knowledge, caused any health concerns.

This is a little nickel and dime-y for my liking, but I still don't imagine ever going hungry on a cruise ship. Not gonna happen.

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cf27
October 4, 2008 12:42 PM
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@TracyHamandEggs!: Customers did not demand something new. Steak is a standard part of cruise fare.

This is a significant step because generally all the food on cruises is included. The concern is that the next step will be the lobster, then the chicken, then the pasta, then the appetizers.

And, all that is fine by me as long as passengers are aware of it *before they book.* If after I book a cruise,you tell me \"Oh, by the way, we just decided to make you pay for all your food,\" there's going to be a problem. Just like the airlines trying to charge baggage fees to people who have already booked.

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sleze69
October 4, 2008 11:22 AM
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@TracyHamandEggs!: Last time I was on a cruise (April - Carnival), they had prime rib one night and new york strip another night.


The biggest draw of cruises is the affordability built in because they are all-inclusive. This slippery slope is either not going to last or will kill the cruise industry.

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SBR249
October 4, 2008 8:18 AM
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@TracyHamandEggs!: That argument is heavily dependent on the actual level of demand and whether the steak with the surcharge is replacing an option that used to be without a surcharge or merely being added as an additional option.

If a significant portion of customers want the \"all natural\" steak choice, then the decision is sound as the customers would be happy to pay. Similarly, if the steak is being added to the menu alongside other previously available options (which presumably included just regular steak) then that's also fine as those who don't want to subsidize the pricier steak can just get the cheaper variety.

What would make this decision bad is if only a small segment of customers wanted \"all natural\" steak and in response, the cruise line is replacing the regular \"non-all natural\" steak with the newer, pricier option because of the \"demand\" thus forcing all customers who just want to eat a steak to pony up. In effect, cruise lines make more money while customers get shafted.

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segfault
October 4, 2008 4:43 AM
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Never been on a cruise. Does all inclusive mean that I can go to the bar every night, and order as many drinks as I want? Room service is included? Sounds pretty cool.

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Raiders757
October 4, 2008 2:37 PM
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@segfault:


Like I mentioned in another post. \"All-inclusive\" means no bar tab. A cruise is hardly \"all-inclusive\", and shouldn't called as such.

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amillians
October 4, 2008 3:41 PM
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@Raiders757: There are indeed all-inclusive cruise lines, but some are more inclusive than others (e.g., all alcohol is included, vs. select wines/cocktails). Some that come to mind: Silversea, Regent/Radisson and Seabourn.

There are even synthesized all-inclusive packages on non-all-inclusive boats (e.g., The World via boutique travel agencies that put together wine cruises).

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Rachacha
October 4, 2008 12:50 PM
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@segfault: I have been on one cruise (Carnival) and alcohol was an extra charge. Sodas were extra, but you could purchase a \"Soda Card\" for something like $15 that gave you unlimited sodas for the duration of the trip. At the high prices they charged for their soda refills it was a good deal if you were going to drink more than 7 sodas over the course of 5 days.


The \"sit down\" dining room meal was included, or you could opt to eat in the cafeteria for the same price.

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fordpickup
October 4, 2008 5:21 AM
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@segfault: The two cruises I've been on had room service included.

Regarding bars...there's a reason people smuggle booze aboard.

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jennj99738
October 4, 2008 5:19 AM
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@segfault: All mass market lines, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, NCL, Celebrity, HAL, etc., are inclusive of food only. Bar service (booze and sodas) isn't included so you're out of luck on that. Room service is generally included but you may not be able to order the entire dining room menu.

Also, most of the mass market lines have pay restaurants also where you get better food and service for an upcharge.

The steak that is referred to here is an experiment on 2 cruise ships now, not all of them. Secondly, there may be a regular, non-natural steak available at no surcharge. It's unclear if this is still the case. The menu may not state the \"free\" steak is available but you may still be able to order it. I still don't agree with any surcharge in the Main Dining Room. If RCCL needs more revenue, raise the fares $15/day and leave it at that. However, many (most?) people choose the cheapest fare regardless of what the actual cost is when all the fees are added. We see it with the airlines and now, we're seeing it with the cruise industry.

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cf27
October 4, 2008 12:43 PM
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@jennj99738: A \"non-natural\" steak? You mean an \"artificial\" steak? I'm not sure that sounds appealing.

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jennj99738
October 5, 2008 5:53 AM
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@cf27: That's what the rep from Royal told the editor from Cruise Critic, where Consumerist got the post from. I think it means no hormones. Organic means the cows can only eat organic feed. \"Natural\" doesn't mean that but does mean no hormones. Oh, I don't know. I just regurgitate. :D

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lihtox
October 4, 2008 5:12 PM
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@cf27: They're working on growing muscle tissue in the lab, so we could all end up eating artifical steak. Which would be great, if it tastes all right: all the meat and none of the guilt (and they might be able to tweak it so tht their steak has the nutritional profile of, say, fish or turkey).

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lordargent
October 4, 2008 8:36 AM
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@jennj99738: non-natural steak

Exactly what constitutes a 'non-natural' steak :P

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Veeber
October 4, 2008 3:31 PM
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@lordargent: All natural means that there are no chemical preservatives, artificial flavoring or coloring.

www.beeffoodservice.com/CMDocs/BFS/Beef%20Choices.pdf

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PercyChuggs
October 4, 2008 4:47 AM
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Steak?

Money's too tight for steak.

Steak?

....sure, steak.

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2 replies
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alysbrangwin
October 4, 2008 2:14 PM
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@PercyChuggs: Pork chop night will now be chub night.

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GoVegan
October 4, 2008 5:00 AM
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Should be $1,000.00

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5 replies
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RedwoodFlyer
October 6, 2008 8:00 AM
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@GoVegan:

I'm a vegetarian and usually don't have a problem convincing people to make compromises that make sense, like free-range eggs (not perfect, but better than the alternative) and organic milk....then you come along and make those posts and make all of us look like nutjobs...way to go.

What's next...you'll be telling use to make ice cream out of breast milk? Oh wait..

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Paperclippe
January 12, 2009 8:21 AM
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@GoVegan: I'm a vegetarian and I don't even get a choice - I can't digest meat that well due to an enzyme imbalance, but I'm lucky because I prefer veggies anyway. I, however, have a ton of vegetarian friends who go out to eat with my fiance and I a lot. NONE of them rag on my fiance when he orders chicken for dinner, because it's a choice. All of them recognize the fact that we wouldn't have gotten very far as human beings if we hadn't stabbed a couple of woolly mammoths. It's a CHOICE, and a GOOD one, in my humble opinion, but forcing your views on meat-eaters is JUST as bad as forcing any other kind of belief, religious, political, or otherwise. So how about stop being a hate monger and letting people eat what they want.

And that's coming from a vegetarian.

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GoVegan
October 9, 2008 5:14 AM
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@RedwoodFlyer: lets see, I write \"should be $1000\" and nothing else. Yet you fly off the handle and talk about nut jobs? I could have said something like your \"free range\" eggs are a joke and there is not one shred of evidence that \"free range\" chickens are treated any better then hens in battery cages. I could have also said that your organic milk is a joke as it does not address the treatment of the cows making the milk and that many companies such as Wal Mart insists that organic does not have anything to do with the feed given to the animals which may still contain antibiotics and pesticides. I could have also pointed out that it takes 11 lbs of grain to make 1 lb of meat and that many more people in this world could have more to eat if we adopted a vegetarian/vegan diet. I could have also made a comment that meat production in this country is terrible for the environment and it causes more pollution then all modes of transportation combined. Hey and I haven't even begun to talk about the health effects of a meat based diet to include the constant recalls for salmonella and e coli or even addressed how the animals are literally beaten and tortured before they are turned into our meal. No. All I said is that it should be $1000. Considering all of the effects that steak has on our environment and our children's environment, I would says its a pretty reasonable figure. If you with to make compromises or have ice cream made from breast milk (I prefer soy myself) then have at it.

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mugsywwiii
October 4, 2008 4:19 PM
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@GoVegan:
The Consumerist should have a $1000 trolling surcharge.

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Kajj
October 4, 2008 7:16 PM
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@mugsywwiii: I don't understand why GoVegan was attracted to Consumerist in the first place. There aren't that many food-related posts. Shouldn't he or she be annoying people over on the Food Network boards instead?

And GoVegan, someday maybe you'll understand that people who don't listen to you aren't WRONG OMG MURDERERZ. They just think you're annoying.

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P41
October 4, 2008 5:39 AM
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Does this mean before now people should have expected a partial refund if they DIDN'T order steak?

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bwcbwc
October 4, 2008 7:11 AM
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If they have to put up a surcharge, shouldn't it at least be for the price differential between the steak and whatever the \"standard\" entree is? At $14.95, either the default entree is Chicken McNuggets or they are overcharging for the steak.

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RedwoodFlyer
October 6, 2008 8:02 AM
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@bwcbwc:

$14.95 isn't too much, but the thought is that whatever you would have ordered in lieu of the steak, unless it was McNuggets, would have cost $10+ anyways, so if anything, they should just bill you for the differential. That being said, next time I set sail, I'll be more than happy to invoice them for all the meals I didn't have onboard during ports of call, so that they can cut me a check...

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mugsywwiii
October 4, 2008 4:21 PM
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@bwcbwc:
$14.95 is overcharging for a steak? Seriously?

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e.varden
October 7, 2008 9:38 PM
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@mugsywwiii:


RTA.


That's $15 ON TOP of the price of a regular steak (look up: \"surcharge\").

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GTI2.0
October 4, 2008 4:27 PM
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@mugsywwiii:

That costs them $5? Yes. If they're going to upcharge, they should be upcharging for the cost of supplies.

A 10-oz strip is not very big.

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dougp26364
October 4, 2008 10:16 AM
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We've sailed Royal Caribbean 7 times in the past. As evidenced by the statements and their corrections, their land based service really sucks. No one apparently has a clue what's really going on and we've learned that we shouldn't rely on anything from the land based component of RCI.


On the other hand their ship side service has always been great. Once at the pier and onboard the ship it's been a fantastic experience. Our only issues/problems have come when we've had to deal with RCI's land based employee's. Unfortunately, it seems to be that way with most of the cruise lines.

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alice_bunnie
October 4, 2008 11:14 PM
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@dougp26364:

I have to agree with this. I've been on 3 RC cruises and have always had a wonderful experience. I'm going on another in December.

One thing mentioned in the linked article is the question about people not knowing about the available other steak if it's not on the menu. I know that most likely your waiter is going to mention it for your information. There have been plenty of times I've expressed that I didn't like anything on the menu and the waiter has offered something else that's not there.

Also, talk about a misleading headline. :/

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parnote
October 4, 2008 11:19 AM
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With the economy tanking, who the hell can afford a cruise???

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Ryan Duff
October 4, 2008 11:28 AM
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@parnote: Unfortunately, I have 2 booked between now and July 2010...

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timx
October 4, 2008 11:28 AM
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Having recently taken a cruise with Royal, I'd GLADLY pay the steak surcharge in exchange for not paying for drinks. All-inclusive is meals only.

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Raiders757
October 4, 2008 2:39 PM
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@timx:


Then it isn't \"all-inclusive\" now is it?

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chiieddy
October 4, 2008 12:07 PM
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Norwegian's been playing the 'cover charge for specialty restaurants' game for awhile. They then don't serve the best food in the main dining area.

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RedwoodFlyer
October 6, 2008 8:04 AM
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@chiieddy:

All of them are doing that now...even Disney. We were on a Princess ship that didn't do the premium charge BS (but still had alternate dining choices) and the food was good everywhere...with NCL..to be honest, the food is terrible unless you cough up more $$.

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chiieddy
October 7, 2008 6:44 PM
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@RedwoodFlyer: I miss the set dining times with set people every night they used to do on cruises. You got a lovely meal and were often assigned to sit with people who were the same age as you and met some really interesting folks that way. Really met them because you were dining with them for 3 - 7 meals.

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heathenkitties
October 4, 2008 12:10 PM
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Does anyone else notice the terms they used, \"all natural\" but \"not organic\"? What the heck is that supposed to mean? Also, with that \"surcharge,\" fuhgetaboutit!

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lihtox
October 4, 2008 5:15 PM
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@heathenkitties: Hmm, well I was taught in chemistry class that \"organic\" means \"containing carbon\". So if it's all-natural but not organic...made of rock, maybe? :)

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Parapraxis
October 6, 2008 5:26 PM
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@lihtox: Silicone.

They just don't feel as natural in the mouth.

Or the hands... *sigh*

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Parapraxis
October 6, 2008 5:27 PM
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@Parapraxis:

yeah, I know the element is SILICON, but it's funnier that way.

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mugsywwiii
October 4, 2008 4:27 PM
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@heathenkitties:
To be called organic, livestock may not be fed anything that is not organic. No pesticides, GMO, etc. \"All-natural\" refers to the things they do to the animal after it's dead, e.g. preservatives.

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homerjay
October 4, 2008 1:43 PM
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@heathenkitties: I don't see what's so confusing about that. \"All natural\" means that the steak comes from nature and \"not organic\" means it doesn't come from nature! DUH! :)

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dancing_bear
October 4, 2008 1:04 PM
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@heathenkitties: I love the non-natural steak, it is engineered from recycled tires, chewy, but tastes great with a little 30 wieght!

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CountryJustice
October 4, 2008 12:39 PM
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I just took a weekend jaunt last month with RCCL and it was fantastic.....except for the beef they served in the dining room. The first night, the missus ordered prime rib, medium, and it came out well done. The next night I ordered a strip, medium rare, and it came out just shy of well done.


I don't care what kind of beef they serve; I'd gladly pay an upcharge just to make sure it's cooked right.

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alice_bunnie
October 4, 2008 11:18 PM
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@CountryJustice:

Should have tried Chops if they had it on your ship. The best damn steak I've ever had, better than Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Fleming's. Well worth the $20 upcharge, considering to get the same dinner at one of those restaurants i mentioned it would have been close to $70 each.

And, really, you should have sent your food back if it wasn't done right.

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balthisar
October 4, 2008 3:15 PM
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@CountryJustice: You sent them back, of course? Overcooked beef is one of my major pet peeves. I usually have to tell the waitperson (for example), \"medium rare, and please let the cook know I know what I want, and promise not to send it back if it's too raw.\" If the waitperson does that, then the steak usually comes out okay, otherwise, the cook tends to never believe me, and I get an overcooked steak.

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OprahBabb
October 4, 2008 12:44 PM
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Kudos to the guy willing to bite into a raw steak. Blech!

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Bargaineering.com
October 4, 2008 1:17 PM
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What the heck is a \"natural\" steak? Like one made of beef rather than... pork? or chicken?

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Corporate-Shill
October 5, 2008 1:04 AM
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@pfblueprint:


Translation problem. Who actually owns Royal Caribbean?

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Git Em SteveDave loves this guy-->
October 4, 2008 1:49 PM
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How long till they send ANOTHER email saying that the steak is now Vegetarian and Natural?

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ZakariyyaLepidus
October 4, 2008 2:17 PM
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The CruiseCritic.com article does say that this is an additional steak option that guests can choose, in addition to the Black Angus Sirloin steak, which is complimentary. The cruise line has not replaced anything with the addition, nore cut anything out of the dinner menu. The cruisecritic.com article also states that this is only being tested on two of 21 ships in Royal Caribbean's fleet. This is not a fleetwide inititative. In all, guests on all of Royal Caribbean's ships always have a choice of 10 complimentary entrees as part fo the dinner menu each night in the ships' main dining rooms. The all natural New York Strip steak is an 11th choice only on Freedom of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas.

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TWinter
October 4, 2008 2:23 PM
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Getting meat certified as organic is hard; you have to make sure that every bite of food that goes into the animals mouth meets organic certification standards and that's hard to do on a large scale. I suspect the \"all-natural\" label means that it's mostly organic, i.e. raised in a field and not given any extra growth hormones or anything like that, but they don't quite meet the standards to get the official organic stamp from the government.

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jmessick
October 4, 2008 2:46 PM
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SegFault, room service actually IS included, at least the last timeI cruised on Royal Carribean. Alcohol, alas, is not included and is where they make a lot of their money, along with other extras like shore excursions, and of course the casinos. Wonder if you're allowed to bring booze aboard? I'm thinking probably not.

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RedwoodFlyer
October 6, 2008 8:09 AM
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@jmessick: Listerine bottles (the solid white tooth whitening ones work best..but you can just food color vodka if you put it in a clear bottle) are one of the best tools a cruiser can invest it.

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thekicker
October 4, 2008 7:47 PM
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@jmessick: Carnival allows one wine bottle per person to be brought on board. We bring huge bottles... they haven't said a word. We bring it with our carry-on bags and show them.

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TPK
October 4, 2008 4:34 PM
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@jmessick: Booze smuggling has been against the rules for many years, but after the George Smith case, their lawyers and their revenue folks got together and figured out that it would be a win-win if they really started cracking down. So lately, it is fairly difficult to smuggle booze on board. They will definitely take it if they find it in your luggage or carry-on, and the last I heard, the contract fine print says they can even kick you off (with no refund, of course) if you even try.

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baquwards
October 4, 2008 3:07 PM
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Most Royal Caribbean ships have a surcharge steakhouse, so why charge for a \"better\" steak in the dining room. It is said by some who have cruised recently that the free steak is omitted from the menu so that people will think that this surcharge steak is the only option.

My Carnival cruise last month offered Filet Mignon, Chateaubriand, Ny strip, and Prime rib (appeared 2 times on the menu), all at no extra charge. There was another steak offered every night as well for no extra charge.

The reason that Royal Caribbean is trying to nickel and dime as much as possible, is that they are heavily in debt from building these giant floating shopping mall/entertainment complexes, There next ship the Oasis, is the epitome of excess and is going to cost them billions to build, when a normal cruise ship costs around 500 million to build.

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DaddyMagicBritches
October 4, 2008 5:35 PM
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The wife and I are going on a cruise with Royal Caribbean next July; I am already starting to dread all the surprise charges. But that is yet to come. Here is how you afford a cruise.

Made a $1500 down payment, and still owe $1600; making payments.

Used Marriott Reward Points for hotel before and after cruise.

Bought airline tickets already, saved two months to afford them $800

We also have an envelope where we put any unexpected money. So far, we have $450 cash for the trip.

FWIW - I love steak, but I am not paying extra for it

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Geekybiker
October 4, 2008 6:32 PM
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I don't mind so much as long as the normal non-surcharge food isn't degraded. However we all know how this plays out. It gets accepted and then the \"free\" steak becomes worse and worse until the only real option for steak is the surcharge steak. Once the majority of people eating steak are on the surcharge steak they completely remove the free steak citing \"demand\" Repeat the same for lobster, and any other dish that is expensive to make.

I for one like cruises because of the (relative) luxury of the food, and not having to worry about the cost while I eat (I'm not a drinker) If all the good stuff goes to surcharges I'll have to think very hard about if I want to go anymore.

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mxjohnson
October 4, 2008 7:02 PM
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$15 seems high when $20 gets you into a specialty restaurant, where you get much better food all around, and better service to boot.

When they serve steak at the regular restaurants on a cruise, it's usually pretty small, and not particularly tasty. And yet people gobble them down -- for some people, taste is inversely proportional to cost. Maybe I'm the other way around -- I've had some great steaks in shipboard steakhouses.

I wouldn't enjoy cruising so much if we didn't eat most dinners at the specialty restaurants. We just add the cost of that into our budget when we're planning a cruise. And we never go to the regular restaurants when it's steak or lobster being served. It's a zoo. I just want to grab some of the hysterical people, shake them by the shoulders, and say \"Calm Down! It's really not that good!\"

But I'd hate to see them get rid of the steak/lobster nights.

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bagumpity
October 4, 2008 7:17 PM
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Never been a cruise, never plan to. They are floating vacuum cleaners designed for no other purpose to suck as much cash from your wallet as possible. They are so good at this that they have TONS of money left over to spend on advertising intended to convince you that losing all that cash is actually fun. Remember the first law of sales: the better a product is, the less advertising it needs, or stated another way, the harder they try to convince you of something the less likely it is to be true.

Cruises: Crap Floats.

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baquwards
October 5, 2008 3:04 AM
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@undefined:

That is a really uninformed post. You can cruise for $500 for seven days, and other than tips you don't have to spend a dime more on board if you don't want to. I took a budget cruise last year for $500 each including all taxes and tips, we didn't drink alcoholic beverages this trip, and didn't spend a dime on the ship. How else can you go to the Caribbean for 7 days for $500 total? If you choose the right ship and the right time of year, this can be done.

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CharityCaecus
January 10, 2009 6:03 PM
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@baquwards: How else? Stay at a hostel or with the locals and see what the caribbean is REALLY like, not just what the polished tourist district looks like.

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SabreDC
October 5, 2008 3:01 AM
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@bagumpity: Every company on the face of the earth exists to make money. I'd rather go on a cruise than go to an NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL/NASCAR event where it is designed to get to you drink as much alcohol as possible in hopes that you'll buy more ridiculously overpriced food or memorabilia. Don't forget to tack on the $30 surcharge for you to have the privilege of using their parking lot.

I've been on a cruise of the Mediterranean and it was the best vacation I've ever taken. It was an escape from real life where we met some fantastic people and ate some delicious food that we've never tried before. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

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howtragic
October 5, 2008 3:00 AM
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@bagumpity:

I could not agree with you more. Cruises always just looked like a really tacky floating hotel to me. Am I the only person who likes going on an INTERESTING vacation? You know, something sort of adventurous?

I could care less about people who get nickeled and dimed on a cruise. As far as I'm concerned, you deserve no less for being so lame.

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baquwards
October 5, 2008 3:13 AM
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@howtragic:

Cruises are a whole lot of fun, you get the chance to meet really interesting people and relax. I love cruises, but I also love other vacations, I enjoy cruises when I want to relax and be pampered.

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PageMagumbalee
October 4, 2008 9:10 PM
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You can still get a \"free\" steak in the MDR.. this is just something extra that's listed. Most people ignore it.

And yes, room service is free as long as you're ordering from the room service menu or the MDR.

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dachuckyb
October 4, 2008 11:41 PM
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I've taken several Carnival cruises. Carnival now has a fuel surcharge due to the cost of fuel at the moment. I don't see Carnival charging a steak surchage anytime soon. In the main dining room(s) there usually is a steak choice every night.


If you want a premium steak, on some of the bigger cruise ships there is a \"supper club\". For $30 per person you can have the best food available.

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Corporate-Shill
October 5, 2008 1:02 AM
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Blame low ball price advertising.


Cruise the world for $1 per day (+$1 for water to flush the toliet, +$1 for small personal toliet paper or +$3 for the deluxe package sufficient to actually wipe your arse, $1 for a single ice cube etc etc etc)


The surcharges are obnoxious, but they result from those stupid low ball prices that can not be supported.


My dad last year priced out one of those \"no-hassle, no-surcharge\" 7 day cruise with an actual bed and running water ..... for $19k... and that was the cheap, aka starting, rate. Same company was offering a steerage class cruise, what they call \"Deluxe Accomidations\", with a bedpan, half sized children's bed and no AC for $399 +this +that +everything else...


There ain't no way Dad is going to pay $19k for a seven day cruise and he sure as hell ain't going to share a bunk with three strangers below the waterline either.


How about something in between those two extremes? Can't happen. Companies have forgot how to price stuff for the reasonable person. It is either low ball and hope to gouge the $ out of the consumer or it is obnoxious to the point of absurd.

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baquwards
October 5, 2008 3:09 AM
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@Corporate-Shill:

I don't know of any cruise ship out there without a/c in every room. And there are no passenger rooms below the water line either. Inside cabins can be had for $500-$700 (low end) for 7 days, this includes a real bathroom, A/C, twice a day cleaning and turndown service. Carnival ships have high thread count bedding and fluffy pillows even in their cheapest rooms along with plush robes.

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Corporate-Shill
October 5, 2008 4:36 AM
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@baquwards:


Lighten up. You know nobody actually uses bedpans anymore. It was sarcasm.

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baquwards
October 5, 2008 6:23 PM
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@Corporate-Shill:

sorry I was tired I read it today and it's obviously sarcasm.

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Segador
October 5, 2008 2:58 AM
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LOL floating swines

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D0rk
October 5, 2008 3:09 PM
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I went on a 3 night cruise on RC this past spring break.

I skipped the dining room after the first night(being dragged there against my will by my friends). The food was lackluster. I did have a steak the one night I did go and it was decent.

Not $15 decent though. I could probably cook a better steak in my home microwave.

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JamesLaius
October 6, 2008 5:50 AM
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I was just on a RCCL cruise a month ago. The experience was great :) Neither my girlfriend nor myself are heavy drinkers (we probably had There aren't too many surprise charges:
- $10 a day per person \"fuel surcharge\"
- tips... honestly, the service we had was so great that we handed out >$100 in tips at the end of the cruise
- excursions for each stop will run $50-100 per person... it's unlikely you will be able to handle >1 excursion per stop... but they are EXPENSIVE.

$450 for two people on a cruise ship is NOT going to cut it, I'm sorry to say. All in all we spent a good $800 on the boat, and we didn't even drink much.

Have fun though! It was an absolute blast. Make sure you join some communities and research before you get on the boat - you'll be overwhelmed with things to do once you're on board.

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JamesLaius
October 6, 2008 5:54 AM
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Honestly... You haven't a clue. I was just on a cruise with Royal Caribbean last month, set me back about $4000 total for *TWO PEOPLE*, including airfare.

We had a room with a balcony large enough to do morning exercises, a big comfy bed (queen, eh, what can ya do), and a bathroom better than the one I had at home... This was a 7-day cruise on the Freedom of the Seas, FYI.

I have no idea how you can even price out a $19K 7-day cruise unless you're trying to rent the President's Suite.

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RStewie
October 6, 2008 1:15 PM
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Is that $14.95 EVERY time you eat steak, or just once?

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itrek
October 6, 2008 1:35 PM
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This is a great idea. This is an added option and they're not taking anything away that they already give us as part of the cruise price. I wouldn't buy the $14.95 steak but I'm sure a lot of people will. If this gives RCCL a way to get a few more bucks from those that choose to take the option and it keeps the cruise prices down for the rest of us I'm all for it. They can nickle & dime away as much as they want as long as they don't cut back on quality or what they're already including in the cruise price.

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