I hate these things about a cruise

There are a lot of things to love about a Royal Caribbean cruise…and there are some things that are decidedly not my favorite. My list of things about a cruise I could totally do without on today's video!
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[@onthegowithyolo]

Crew are ppl who like you are working to support their families. Don't be rude, treat them the way you demand to be treated.

[@jimtorode9330]

My pet peeve is observing other passengers being rude to cruise staff members. We're always in a fabulous mood the moment we board the ship. My wife and I go out of our way to compliment the wonderful service we receive from everyone. Heck, we find that the very act of giving out compliments while making positive eye contact and smiling with crew members heightens our joy even more. I'm a retired hospitality pro who knows how hard it is to maintain high standards each and every single day...RCL folks always bring their "A" game from my perspective.

[@chrisanderson4044]

I’m always fascinated at the quality of workers RCL employs. I think in the 8 or so cruises I’ve been on I’ve never once met a grumpy employee or even someone that didn’t seem like the absolutely loved their job.

[@Gregory-Masovutch]

Bidet sprayers can be installed on all toilets and then little need for any toilet paper. Works well in Japan & many parts of the Philippines. We have them in all 3 of our conference rooms.

[@rmel8139]

LOL...your toilet paper comment. Just got back from a cruise with my mom and she came out of the bathroom and commented "well, there is nothing Royal about that toilet paper!" 😂

[@FrancisSiuChock]

Matt, you are 110% right about the post-cruise survey. When you are not TRULY able to provide your honest insight and really only provide a '5 out of 5' then they are really missing the boat (pun intended). The reason I believe they do this is ease and simplification of data collection. They should be putting more resources into data colletion and mining, otherwise just do away with the surveys. I prefer to provide details specific to to the good and bad, be it service, food quality etc.

[@jonathanm71]

Totally agree. Frequently, I hear the managers berating the staff about these points out loud. I marvel that they are more a part of the problem than making things better for the passengers.

[@Carrusing4us]

I absolutely hate ppl being crappy to the staff 😡. My wife has to pull me back when I start getting into it with the passenger being an 🫏. Be nice to the ppl taking care of you!!!

[@gbea070]

I hope royal Caribbean is nice to it's crew member ships looks nice but do we know how they treat their crew? It's not fair what the crew member is treated on royal ships . Terrible company

[@sf3413]

At the end of the cruise those punks made me get off the ship while I was having the time of my life!!!!! I HATE that part about cruising!!!!! 😡

[@junkboxxp]

I came here to say that too

[@billcook4768]

I hate when they deliver luggage tags to your room just to remind you that you are being kicked off soon.

[@dianericciardi5186]

I thought that was going to be his last line! Hahaha!

[@lindak1768]

That’s the worse day!

[@Pavelpetuniablue]

IKWYM as i've experienced that myself too. They could have at least driven me home!!!!!

[@MJ-kr3bs]

I hate not finding chairs in the pool deck and 90% of them being saved. I wish they would enforce the "don't save chairs" and create e good culture.

[@whatitis8785]

What happens if you move someone's stuff? If you can't save, they can't be too upset right? And if they're upset so what?

[@MJ-kr3bs]

@@whatitis8785 The rule says Royal Caribbean will pick up stuff left behind. They never do. I had something on a chair and someone said nothing was there when they showed up. Then, the staff at the towel station said my stuff was brought in by someone who found it on the floor. If you go and move someone stuff, and they see you, they will say there were just gone 10 min and people can get annoyed. Do you want to deal with that in the cruise? Thats were you dont want to deal with it because if they cross the line, are you going to let them... snow ball..

[@marymcmahan5603]

Yes!!!! We once moved items off deck chairs….put them very neatly on another empty chair. No regrets.

[@marymcmahan5603]

I’ve seen passengers saving deck chairs the night before for the next morning.

[@Pavelpetuniablue]

If you walk around and see a chair (or chairs) with a towel on it but no person......i learned to simply remove the towel, put my own down on it and sit or lay down. I've seen people leaving their towels for hours and hours and expect it to still be their chair while they were eating lunch or whatever for hours and hours. I used to be so timid....but i'm not anymore!

[@ChrisLoeppky]

I took a spring brk cruise on the Explorer of the Seas out of Miami last month. Every time I walked past the Guest Services area some dude or lady or group was letting one or more GS staff members have it and were being extremely rude and angry. At one point I had to get some change for going to shore the next day, I asked one of the GS attendants how they dealt with the challenge of rude passengers (cause I witnessed it just before it was my turn in line) and she was so professional about it, said that she loved people and that sometimes guests were difficult but there are very pleasant interactions with guests as well and that would make it all worth it. I was AMAZED at this response. Great work by the Guest Services team on Explorer of the Seas.

[@HarryVonhoene]

On a recent O of Seas cruise, there were 10 kids at a table in the MDR with no adult supervision. Parents ignored the rowdy behavior, I was told by the grandparent to get the hell off their ship when I made a comment.

[@Aviation129]

Yeah been there before, I was running through the casino on symphony of the seas trying to see a show, some women threatened to slap me because I was running through the casino, yes sure, not totally supposed to do that but you can threaten people, like that, she was probably drunk.

[@joeo7693]

Get off “their ship”… so were they arrogant, entitled, or just oblivious to the children’s behavior?

[@HarryVonhoene]

@@joeo7693 their response was the children were on vacation and they were free to do what they wanted to do to have fun!

[@Aust-NZ-SPandtheworld]

To remember all those great onboard crew who make your cruise fantastic, either jot their name on a pad but even easier, take a photo of their name badge on your cell phone, obviously with their approval. We do this all the time and it makes filling out the cruise survey so much easier.

[@debbiekeltz-wolk7691]

I absolutely agree with you about the survey. Instead of the rating system, I would like to be able to type in suggestions to improve the cruise experience or say what I enjoyed about the trip.

[@keyman6689]

Gratuities should simply be a part of the cruise fare, and if you feel like going over-and-above, that's your call. They shouldn't even call them gratuities. It should all happen behind the scenes, like Europe or Australia.

[@karenjensen2345]

I agree with gratuities should be part of the cruise fare.

[@donacameron728]

I wish they would add the gratuity too Matt! And I also wish they get rid of the Jones’ Act foreign port requirement. I live on the west coast and honestly, Ensenada and Victoria are two places I’ll just stay back on the ship. Especially Victoria where the stop is literally a few hours just to make that requirement! Thank you for all you do!

[@SaraMc-ez2mv]

Agree about rude people!

[@rmca2]

I totally agree with all you said.Regarding the survey, i was on the Odyssey for a TA cruise and my survey had disappeared by the time I was home in Florida and was told by RCL that i wouldn't be able to submit it . There were crew members that went above and beyond that i wasn't able to compliment.

[@mercyrodriguez5780]

It happened to me too, on the contrary Celebrity sent me a reminder because I had forgotten! Same company , different ways!

[@cherylw445]

I got vert very sunburnt on my transpacific cruise to Australia. The Asian folks I was sharing a table with said to use vinegar. Dab it on, not wipe, and the next day the pain with be gone and everything will start to heal. GREAT NEWS - IT WORKED. That's my tip... vinegar on a sunburn.

[@kimchicouple3424]

We tip on purchase and also tip the crew members in cash, the staff is always incredible and well deserving on RC!

[@j.wilson1000]

I hate the post cruise survey too. I usually tell our servers, stateroom attendants, etc. that we've got them when it comes to a "perfect score" once we reach about halfway through the cruise. (Of course that is if they have been good, which most of the time they are.) That way we don't have to listen to them ask for perfect scores and we, and they, can relax.

[@papierdolls]

Sailed on Wonder last week...outstanding staff! One thing I really HATE is when other passengers stick their used beverage container/water bottle right up to the water refill station disregarding the signs. I did observe a few individuals using a cup to pour the water into their container (which is ok to do). One crew in the WJ (kudos!) stopped a lady and had her use a cup for refilling her used water bottle.

[@craigbuehler8573]

disorderly disembarkation - some cruises getting off the ship is a big free for all, waiting forever on the stairs, other people cutting in line, others taking the elevator and bypassing hundreds of people waiting on the stairs

[@3CruiseTips]

I hate it when there is almost always some group of kids that ride the elevators all day. they sit on the floor and mess with the buttons. If you are a parent please tell your children not to mess with the elevators.

[@Pavelpetuniablue]

I've witnessed that as well; they hit all the buttons, punch old people in the stomach and then they show up in the buffet where several beautiful cakes were on open display and they poked their fingers into all of them. No parents in site but eventually i found out who they belonged to.....a couple in a bar, drunk as hell and without a care in the world.

[@wondrafuladventures]

I said before the video began the Toliet paper 🤣 also how loud it is for the flushing toilet, it sounds like a jet engine.

[@SilverHonda0767]

221 more days and counting until Adventure of the Seas.

[@christopherkelly4459]

10 more for us ! Adventure

[@davidfence6939]

​@@christopherkelly4459under 30 days for mine.

[@johngriffith7315]

Great ship!

[@NoKingButChrist1689]

We went on our first cruise last week and it was absolutely amazing. Some of the things you mentioned were some of the things we hated as well. Appreciate all your videos. Keep them coming

[@mimihellmann9703]

Hi Matt ❤ ❗You Are So Right , Crew Members Work Too Hard ❗❗Back when we Cruised on The CARIVAL Fantasy WE TOOK a Tour of the Ship . I - 95 where they Showed All WHAT The CREW Does For EVERYBODY ❤ THANK YOU ALL ❤❗❗ OUR Travel Agent on our First Cruise on The MARNIER of the SEAS 2008 Said They ALL Work For Us , We ALWAYS Give Extra Tip to Our STATEROOM, Our Dinner Staff & who Ever we feel Did Over What Was Expected . You see People Being So Rude ❗ I was Always Taught to Treat People the Way You Want to Be Treated ❤❗ Thanks Matt For ALL YOU DO ❤❤❗❗

[@karenmutz1117]

Went on an excursion where we spent 3 hrs at a trinket shop and go 30 minutes at the site we went on the cruise to see.

[@Texas_Red_01]

My wife and I have been on 7 or 8 cruises, and will go again. We enjoy most of it, but really dislike standing in line. And you stand in line for everything! The buffet, the dining room, embarkation, disembarkation, everything! :-(

[@jacobcarr3940]

Go on a smaller ship! Never any lines

[@desireehall-bl6qt]

Matt, you go boy. I have been cruising with Norwegian 12yrs

[@timothypropst238]

I absolutely agree with the toilet paper. It’s like using sand paper.

[@sf3413]

baby wipes = no chafing + squeaky cleanness. 😉

[@julieb7882]

Dispose of them in the trash, even if flushable.

[@sf3413]

@@julieb7882 I think you're suppose to use the sanitary bags. Otherwise, I think the room cleaner has to handle them- they sort the trash. I could be wrong, but I think that's what they prefer.

[@julieb7882]

@sf3413 I believe you are correct. It is the polite thing to do. Also helps contain any odors.

[@suave-rider]

should one bring paper on a cruise?

[@AliAkbarDarth]

Wow. Today I learnt about the PVSA. That makes so much sense to me. I don’t have a Canadian visa and can’t do an Alaskan Cruise from US cause there is always a Canadian stop. I searched so much to find one and now it makes sense Thank you

[@FoxRob93]

Great video Matt

[@gigimoore948]

For me I love cruising so much these things don't bother me!!! However being kind to people and tipping is a must!!! As for the toilet paper, it's what needed for the plumbing system they have. I love venturing out on my own basking in the culture, people and the food so I haven't done a group shore excursion in quite sometime!! Thanks for the list Happy Cruising #LOYAL2Royal

[@katrinafarrar5816]

I definitely agree about tying gratuity into the cost of the cruise! Those very nice staff members work so hard.😊

[@user-lh6mv7ow6z]

Also, helps people who are not familiar with gratituity culture to pay adjust amount of gratituities.

[@ianwaldecker]

Excellent list! My wife and I agreed with most everything. Survey’s definitely need to be revamped. We’ve found that private tours are worth the cost. It would be nice if gratuities were part of the cost of your cruise fare. Now, how do we get the cruise industry to listen?!?

[@TravelonlineWalk]

Nice tour, our next cruise Destination is Lanzarote

[@DocPicklez]

I hate the disembark process. I think it could be reworked and smoother.

[@greasemunky25]

You hit the right note on the toilet paper. I hate 1 ply. Luckily my wife found portable bidets on amazon. I'll be trying it on our cruise in June

[@aprilsimmons5137]

Good list, I agree with many of these items. The thing I hate most is the end of my cruise. 😢

[@fredcooper7033]

Great points! I hate how small the toilet and shower areas are.

[@joeo7693]

Toilet paper…a solution would be to use the toilet paper initially, then use wipes, but don’t flush them. Put them in the little can next to the commode. I’ve done this, just not all the time.

[@tamarar4387]

This is new for Matt. You love everything 😂❤

[@AronRoss72]

😂

[@billeger5565]

On our previous September cruise on Allure there were a great deal of Pinnacle-level guests. Most of them were very senior. Not a single one responded to me when I said “good morning” or just “hello”.

[@moonpupstr1]

The PVSA is by far the #1 on my list. Would love to be able to cruise up the west coast other than a repositioning cruise.

[@timm1328]

i agree about the post-cruise survey. on my last cruise, the food was sub-par, but the dining room staff was exemplary. the dining room wait staff is punished if you down grade the main dinig room. and there us no separate qustion about the food.

[@shinysideup9608]

I 100% agree about the satisfaction survey. I've always been happy with our service and always given 10s and specifically named our wait staff and housekeepers as being excellent because I KNOW what happens when they only get a 9. All that does is hide any actual problems. I've always had excellent service but I do feel pressured to give perfect scores for the staff who I came to be concerned for, if I didn't.

[@kellykorte2981]

I totally agree about the post cruise survey, I was just on a trans Pacific cruise from Australia to Hawaii. They were way too pushy about the perfect score on the survey. For one I'm on vacation and I don't want to be harassed constantly about this and second it's unrealistic to deny that there's always room for improvement. I always wear a rash guard on a cruise when I'm out on deck doing nothing by the pool and have never gotten sunburnt.

[@dankoehler3157]

Crown Loft actually had 2 ply toilet paper few weeks back! It was still thin cruise safe, but had that extra ply!

[@mjboyle691]

There is a simple solution to the PVSA issue you identified--Royal Caribbean, a company based in the United States, could reflag its ships with a US flag, as opposed to a flag of convenience in the Bahamas. RC, and all the other cruise operators, could fix this tomorrow, but choose not to.

[@PatrickWagz]

Exactly. It's all about the $$$$ and what the lines are able to then pay their staff and the hours they force them to work. Norwegian had this with the Pride of America, I think it is still sailing in Hawaii??

[@CallMeLani]

Looking forward to Icon of the Seas later this year! I still need to get an Insta360 to record all the fun

[@user-lh7dx5po3m]

Nice vlog

[@cruisecrazy7066]

I always wonder if "Gratuities" really go to the staff, or are they just part of the cruise ship profit.

[@Silvares1]

I am going to Alaska (Seattle round-trip).What I hate is that to comply PVSA is not that they are going to stop, but rather they pay lip service to the stop. We are arriving at 6:30pm on a Sunday night and leaving soon after. What is there to see in Victoria at that time...not much! Essentially it is a stop to comply, but they do not really allow us to experience the city. It is just a rush stop for legal purposes. I think that is wrong.

[@johnny_casual]

great video as always. and i agree 110% with you regarding the survey. i use to work at a restaurant years ago with the same issue. we were pushed constantly through out our shifts to give the sympathy spiel which wasn’t only humiliating but also yields ingenuous results. it defeats the whole purpose of the survey so what’s the point

[@MichelleMusial-qw2ng]

I hate how the lounge chairs are so close to each other making it hard to get on one and also leave no room to put any bags or drinks down.

[@nbajammer2]

Agree with your thoughts on the survey, but Royal is hardly the only company that has decided anything except a 10 is failure. To me, a 10 is perfect and going above and beyond. Normal good service is probably like an 8

[@danielgarcia474]

Norwegian pride of America is the only one that avoids the pvsa rule

[@Honolulu-Blue]

That's because it's considered American built

[@puppyp9299]

Only thing I hate about a cruise is being in a cruise..:D

[@StarWarrior91]

Chair hogs! Such a challenge for two of us to find empty seats without towels on the pool deck or solarium pretty much any day

[@melissavanzant3789]

I bring my own TP. I understand why it’s 1 ply but it’s rough, I have very sensitive skin and end up raw halfway through the cruise. There are other 1 ply options that are better quality and softer. Parents who let their children run free and do whatever they want is one of my biggest issues. It’s usually those parents who get drunk and end up arguing, causing a scene too.

[@betesantos8062]

This kind of behavior from parents and their kids also irritates me! As to the cabin attendents and waiters I always give them extra tips!!

[@mlyons7459]

Could you do a video on how tips work for my time dining. Since you don’t ever have the same servers, do they just pool all the tips?

[@brantthompson199]

44 to go till Anthem OTS to Norway!

[@earlandtom7029]

Absolutely, Matt! Agree with all those points. Really wish they'd just include the gratuities in the overall fare to insure the crew get their due. Rudeness to any crew member is the absolute worst. That's my biggest pet peeve. We've also stopped booking group excursions... so many bad experiences on past tours, mostly with rude passengers.

[@user-yl8nr3rq9n]

If your tips are added into the cruise fare, your insurance will be at a higher price. Making the cost of your cruise higher too.

[@KetoFitChef]

I’ve noticed when I’m on any vacation is that the rude people come across as, “This is MY vacation and everything should be catered to ME!” It doesn’t matter to them that there are thousands of people that signed up for the same vacation, they believe that their experience is more valuable than everyone else’s.

[@reginarizer5797]

A lady did this on Indy last week. The nice person at the towel check out told her she needed to scan her card for the towels and the passenger said something rude and waked off without checking them out. I wanted to tackle her for the crew member. lol

[@704musicent]

What drives me up the wall is the people in the buffett who know the place is packed out but wanna walk right behind and past everyone in line just to snoop and see what all is available instead of just getting in line and choosing what they want as they go along. Also the people who are walking in group of people and all wanna walk side by side taking up almost a whole hallway. There's also the people that just stop suddenly and start looking around or just stand there when walking with no care as to if someone is walking behind them.

[@704musicent]

Also the people who camp out in the smoking section making it there hub for hours on in when they know there is very limited smoking seating and it gets packed out, often times leaving people to just stand and smoke

[@bztravel]

Hi Matt, we are on the Ultimate World Cruise we are covering all the ports in our channel. We do private, tours almost 100% for a fraction of the price of a Royal tour. there are many things that are not perfect but nothing is perfect.

[@stephaniepalmer3922]

Gratuities! Is so annoying! I also wish they would give you an option to add the drink packages aa part of the cruise fare and not pay separately.

[@kathytheurer9977]

I so agree with the gratuities- just add them into the fare!! I've gotten to the point that if something comes up in conversation with another guest about how they took them off, I just walk away from them. It angers me!

[@charmiesummers7451]

There's usually only one excursion per port that is listed for those with mobility problems. I get it-but it's still a bummer

[@ScottCooper136]

So, we are taking our first cruise next March on Royal Caribbean. I love rewarding good service! My family and I eat out all the time and I always tip at least 20%, even to the waiters that quite frankly do not deserve it. What should we tip and to whom? Maybe, there is a video on it but I have not personally seen it.

[@joeo7693]

Agree!!! You could have included line cutters under rude people. 😂

[@carolm1754]

I agree with you about the surveys. They need to tweek that. I hate that children are allowed in the hot tubs for unlimited time. Even for adults, I thought that there was a rule that you should only be in there for no more than 20 minutes at a time. It is nice when there is a solarium on a ship for adults only but it would be nice to be able to go in one out on the main deck on occasion without the little ones in there. I think gratuities should be included in price. I also always give more to my room steward, bar staff and occasionally extra to dining room wait staff if appropriate. I believe there should be more policing of saved chairs but with a reasonable time period, say at least an hour. Sometimes during the middle of the day you need to go grab a quick lunch or attend a event that shouldn't last more than an hour. It takes a few minutes sometimes to get to where your going. I was on a ship where they were ticketing chairs in the solarium and the lady had just moved away from her chair to run back to her room for something. They saw her get up but ticketed her chair anyways. Then she felt she couldn't leave.

[@s.n.e.8941]

At 5:22, which ship is this Guest Services on? Interesting space there with the blue swirl carpet.

[@Realtravel1]

The pricing should be inclusive taxes, fees and gratuities on all pages of the website.

[@eji9617]

Agreed! But this is part of their price gouging culture. They nickel & dime you to death to the point that you feel angry and irritated during the cruise.

[@s.n.e.8941]

Wow, i never had much thought about the toilet paper. LoL. Mot much of a big deal to me.

[@jacquelyns9709]

About toilet paper. It's not like newspaper; it is softer than that. There are plenty of restaurants that have the same quality. Years ago, I stayed for several months in a European hotel that had toilet paper that was similar to crepe paper. It was gray, thick, and rough. Cruise ship toilet paper is high quality compared to it. If your skin is sensitive, bring some cream. If you insist on bringing your own toilet paper never, ever put it in the toilet. Put it in the trash can instead along with your baby wipes, pads, and diapers. You do not want to clog up the plumbing!

[@BrianLandstrom]

I couldn’t agree more about the surveys. I have gotten to a point where I refuse to do them because I hate being hounded to do them, and to your point, to me a 10 means perfect and not everything can be perfect. If I give an 8-9 someone shouldn’t get in trouble for that. But just in general everything you do now wants you to go leave a Google review and so on. I recently bought a car and got 5 text messages and emails asking me to leave a review. It’s annoying.

[@shayj5124]

I agree about the TP…ouch! Also the lack of time allotted to complete the post cruise survey is questionable. Shame on you RC, you know that many of us need more time to complete it. However I disagree with you regarding the gratuities. Thank you RC for allowing us to choose how WE want to tip.

[@jwismar11]

The PVSA is even weirder than Matt describes. Like he mentioned, for a round-trip sailing out of a US port, a foreign-flag vessel needs to stop at a foreign port. (like Victoria, BC, on my upcoming Alaska cruise out of Seattle). But for a one-way itinerary from one US port to another, you have to stop at a DISTANT foreign country. That means that it wouldn't be sufficient for a 1-way LA-to-Seattle cruise to stop in Victoria, or for a Miami-to-NYC cruise to stop in Halifax. They'd have to go REALLY out of their way. It's amusing to see how cruise companies work within this framework. Some examples: Ovation OTS is (as I write this) en route from Honolulu to Vancouver, because they can't sail directly to Seattle, which is where they'll be based for the rest of the season. One-way cruises to Alaska all leave from Vancouver, not Seattle. Norwegian actually has one of the few US-flag cruise ships, Pride of America, specifically so they can do Hawaii inter-island cruises.

[@Mrs.HighMaintenance]

I just got off Virgin, and most of these issues aren't a thing. The passengers are amazing, gratuities are included and the toilet paper is great! I'll be on Utopia in August, and I know it won't be the same.

[@jeanhaka7636]

100% agree with your views concerning the Post Cruise Survey--they are really shooting themselves in the foot on this valuable resource. Also, someone commented about a table full of kids with NO adult supervision. We had that on one cruise and I hated going to dinner most every night. I complained all the way up to the highest-person-I-could and she said that basically her hands were tied and they are "guests" too. I told her--well, maybe your hands are tied but my mouth works fine and I'll address the "missing" parents. You should have seen the look-of-horror on her face! The parents that were sitting 20+ feet away didn't really care. We're pickier now about where we sit in the MDR--it we don't like it we move immediately! And finally--to get to my MAIN complaint. It's the tiny sinks in the bathrooms! And then--for some ships--they put in some "fancy" sink and it's even worse! I get it--the bathrooms are small but I'd like to fit my hands in the sink. Also, we're usually on the ship for a couple back-to-backs and wash/rinse out our clothes in them, too. I've got a system--wash in sink and rinse in shower--dry on balcony. (we bring extra beach towel clips to secure drying clothes and only leave out when we're in the room during our afternoon nap) After 100 cruises tho, I really can't complain--just love the ocean and cruising!

[@katcalico9142]

I absolutely hate the survey thing! I am a nice person, and my goal is never to get anyone in trouble or fired. Hence, I have definitely lied on the surveys because I don’t want to harm anyone, and often it was just a bad day. But it keeps me from giving honest feedback to the cruise line. Luckily, service is normally great, but I have definitely had a MDR experience that I would have given a two - but I give a 10 on the survey because I don’t to put anyone’s job on the line.

[@striker0103]

Used to work for large wireless carrier, NPS are false readings. As you stated nothing is perfect. For workers to feel pressure or get in “trouble” for not receiving 10s is bad business practice. To fix an issue , must need to know the issue.

[@Voorhell]

Crew being under so much pressure to only get "10's" and having to basically beg guests for that score was such a turn off on our first RCL cruise. We talked at length how uncomfortable it made us feel going into our 2nd cruise and talked about how to respond if it happened again (No surprise, it did!)

[@williamwatson689]

RCL is the worst about staff begging for ratings. I guess the line thinks the ratings will make up for the many downsides of cruising RCL.

[@sandishull2378]

I tell them not to ask and if they I will give a lower score. Shuts them right off

[@untamedopinion9263]

Private excursions are awesome. Did one in Panama and was worth every cent. We have 3 in our upcoming cruise in Italy. Great, especially with small kids I hate it too when I see anyone rude to any crew. Thankfully, its only been a few times over the 38 cruises I have been on. Usually, its just people upset over the dumbest things. Surveys is great for constructive feedback...if they are filled out honestly. When I worked with Marriott for 5yrs, getting an 8,9, or 10 was the goal. Then they changed it to only 9's or 10's. Much harder. Getting an 8 hurt our overall score even if the guest said they loved everything. Tips should just be built in to the cruise fare.

[@philpettit145]

I adamantly disagree with you regarding automatic tips. Unfortunately, we humans know that if things like tips are automatic, we tend not to work as hard. That being said, my wife and I go above and beyond to take care of those who take care of us and as diamond members we firmly believe that Royal Caribbean does it best. I appreciate that Royal Caribbean wants to get every crew member a nice tip but the back of house members who Royal hires for that job should be supported by a little higher wage paid by their employer because it's not a job that typically receives tips. Royal can easily handle that. With the cruise boom that's going on, it wouldn't be a problem. I love your channel and always agree with you.....but on this topic I'd have to agree to disagree. I'm sure you know what "TIPS" is an acronym for? "To Insure Prompt Service". Anyway thanks again Matt.

[@kenklingenberg4680]

Elevator hogs while I'm using my scooter. Hi Matt & Calista !

[@stantacker4821]

Food. I have some of the best and worst meals on RC. I know they are cooking for 1,000's, but could they at least season a little bit in the process? I could say more but won't bore you. Also, could they be bothered to add some to add some real sausage links in the breakfast selection in Windjammer? Chicken sausage doesn't cut it for me.

[@morganjoyce2789]

I hate having to come back to reality!

[@DonLekei]

If you prepay "gratuities" then you pay tax (eg. GST/HST/VAT) on them. The biggest insult about the way they are handled is that if you book specialty dining, they charge you 18-20% on top of the price but they do not refund the $6 for the MDR that you are not visiting.

[@sf3413]

Is tax not charged if you opt to pay gratuities after the cruise???

[@laughremixsquad]

@@sf3413Not if you go all cash. I find the gratuities an insult, as we all know the cruise lines are skimming. I always bring at least 200% of the gratuities in cash to give to the hardworking staff.

[@DonLekei]

@@sf3413 No if you pay gratuities in advance it is a service charge and subject to service tax. If it is bundled in an "everything included" fare then it is part of the fare and taxed as such. If you add a gratuity to the bill it is not taxed (and is in the jurisdiction it was incurred). To allow it to not be taxed, it must be "voluntary", hence you can remove it.

[@KS-cl8br]

you can remove the gratuities on most ships ... 18% plus auto gratuities are too much

[@Brittany86L]

I once experience a person on a cruise ship one time snapping their fingers at a crewmember to clear their table and they were so rude that they said inappropriate words to the crewmember time and time again which absolutely made my blood boil like it was the rudest behaviour I’ve ever witnessed in my life and I just thought it was just disgusting when I saw a person snapping their fingers I absolutely that and if anybody does that to this day and snapping their fingers, I personally just think it’s the most disrespectful thing ever like I understand that you paid for the trip you wanna enjoy your time and you just don’t wanna do anything because hey, you’re on vacation, but it doesn’t give you the right to snap your fingers at the crewmember. I hate it when I see people snapping their fingers at people, thinking OK will do your job. Do this do that and snapping their fingers all the time. I’m not saying everybody does it but I’ve seen some people do it and I just think it’s just disrespectful. People snapping their fingers. I just feel like sometimes I feel like breaking their fingers and just say quit being rude because these crewmembers work tirelessly around the clock to making sure our needs are met and when I see people being disrespectful and rude to crew members, it’s just not right, but then I have seen my fair share of crewmembers being rude to people, and some crewmembers that I have seen being disrespectful to people I kind of wonder if they need to be reevaluated, but snapping fingers and stuff no no not OK

[@Maydaymiss75]

I always tip extra in cash at the end. Makes me feel good and they certainly deserve it.

[@Gladiator1972]

How many power outlets do each stateroom have? I heard only 1?

[@janicestewart7546]

Hate the inadequate survey!

[@brianlapenta6478]

Question: if you pay for unlimited dining package should you adjust fixed gratuities since your not even going to the MDR

[@RoyalCaribbeanBlog]

No, because gratuities go towards back of the house dining staff too

[@vluv2travl]

We’ve been on over 60 cruises and I can honestly say the toilet paper on 6 different cruise lines has never ever been an issue! 😮 !

[@HefTrade]

My wife and I hate how we can't stack plates at dinner to help the serving staff in the main dining room. We see it as a courtesy to them but we understand it makes it appear like the crew aren't doing their job.

[@cloudelk6059]

Those remind of chain of command surveys when i was army. They ask for opinions but they don’t want in 2014 I was brand new private at my first and only unit. They he week they were punishing the whole company because they didn’t like what the soldiers put on surely so I learned quick to never be honest on those.