Comments on: Royal Caribbean starts charging for late-night service

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 07:57:19 +0000

Whilst I am convinced that this is purely a revenue-raising ploy by RCI, I hope it leads to less of those pizzas with one bite taken out of them and trays of hardly-touched food you see along the corridors some mornings. The waste is shameful. Perhaps RCI have identified that much of this waste originates during these hours when people come back after a few drinks with the munchies and order way too much, or just fall asleep before they can eat it. Personally, I am unlikely to be affected, as we don’t use room service all that much. In future though, when I do, I won’t be giving the usual cash tip (at least $2) to the waiter, as RCI are telling me that they are now including this in the charge. Come on cruise lines, cut out the compulsory ‘gratuities.’ Pay your wait staff a proper wage and then they wouldn’t have to be subsidised by us.

By: Kaye

Kaye — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:02:56 +0000

Nothing is free on a cruise, you pay for it in the fare. It drives me crazy to read that certain venues or food is “free”.

The surcharge doesn’t bother me at all, I’m always asleep then anyway. Since it does include a gratuity and most people tips $3-5 for a delivered meal on a ship, what is the really big deal anyway???

I also get weary of the term “nickel and diming”, it’s all a choice people make to spend any money whatsoever on a cruise ship. That you can add up all your drinks onto one tab is perhaps different from another type of vacation, where you may pay cash and not see the total staring you in the face at the end of the trip.

Just like the steak charge, it is a choice, people can either pay it and enjoy or eat something else. No one is forcing them to spend one more dime than they choose to.

RCI gets the bad press because, who knows. I’ve cruised on 7 different lines and they are all pretty much the same with extra charges that I incur.

By: why god hates me » Royal Caribbean To Levy Late-Night Room Service Charge [Royal Caribbean]

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:41:30 +0000

[...] Royal Caribbean starts charging for late-night service [Tripso] PREVIOUSLY: Royal Caribbean Levies $14.95 Steak Surcharge (Photo: Miguelángel) [...]

By: Janice Hough

Janice Hough — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:16:47 +0000

Hi Skip, I edited to make it clearer. The surcharge applies during midnight and 5am, for now, between 5am and midnight room service is still free. But I am with you and Carlo, I just can’t see them not expanding this if they don’t have a revolt.

Re the issue of kids wasting food, if that were the issue there are other ways around it, like requiring an adult to order or verify an order during certain hours. Although I have also seen a lot of adults waste food at night, especially on the late night buffets..

By: Skip

Skip — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 23:07:52 +0000

The limits of surcharges are bound only by the imagination of the cruise line executives. The question is, will the other cruise lines follow suit?

I would tip a fiver to the room service attendant but I’m not the norm. You’re right, though, this does remove incentive since passengers will now eschew tipping altogether after being nickel & dimed repeatedly. The cruising I’ll take from here on in will likely be sailing or other smaller ships. We are done with Carnival, RCI, Norwegian, HA, Celebrity, etc.

Janice, did you mean “between midnight and 5 am”?

By: Frank

Frank — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:08:44 +0000

ROOM SERVICE?….WHAT’S ROOM SERVICE!!!

Ohh, yeah, that phone number you can call when you’re HUNGRY.

………..forgot about it after my 21 PERCENT paycut.

By: Carlo

Carlo — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:16:41 +0000

If I thought it would stop here, I would agree with JohnF and say this is reasonable. But I don’t think it will stop here. I think they are testing the waters, just like with the infamous “steak fee.” They want to know how strenuously people will object to it and how quickly the objections die down to determine whether the fee stays or not, and then later, whether they can expand it to other things, other hours.

By: The man who notices things

The man who notices things — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 16:04:47 +0000

Go look at comments from others about the cruise surcharges and ala carte pricing that you can expect, most were pretty humorous, and there were all sorts of fancy thoughts about possible sources of revenue. But NO ONE ever thought they’d go to charging for late night room service.

As to the comment for teens ordering late – I’m curious – how much is their fare for the separate discounted because they are teens? Are they not entitled to the same service as adults? You pay your money you are entitled to the same service as anyone else- and now – everyone else is jammed on the service -

Gee – where is the fuel surcharge discount now ? Yeah,right.

By: Snoozeman

Snoozeman — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:13:09 +0000

I have no problem with this at all.

Hopefully this will keep teens & pre-teens from those wasteful room service orders that are are known to make during those hours.

By: John F

John F — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:49:28 +0000

Hey if you can’t handle no eats for 5 hours in the middle of the night—come on. I think this is reasonable and I hate the nickel and diming.