Sometimes companies don’t make the best decisions.
- Blackberry insisted that people wanted phones with keyboards, even though consumers had proven they preferred touchscreens. Thus, they went from having 43% of the U.S. smartphone market in 2010 to 0% market share in 2016.
- The Walt Disney Company hired Bob Chapek in 2020 to replace retiring CEO Bob Iger. The company lost so much money under Chapek’s reign that they fired him less than 3 years later, and brought back Iger.
- In April, 1985, Coke reformulated Coca-Cola and people hated New Coke so much that “Coca Cola Classic” (as it was now called) came back within 3 months.
Another thing companies shouldn’t do is offer something for free for years on end – something that millions of people have enjoyed for decades – and suddenly announce they’re going to charge for it.
Royal Caribbean cruise line just learned that the hard way.
Founded in 1985, Royal Caribbean has grown to become the world’s second-largest cruise line operator (Carnival Corporation is the largest). Their subsidiaries include Royal Caribbean International (with 26 ships), Celebrity Cruises (15 ships) and Silversea Cruises (12 ships).
Different cruise lines tend to go after certain niche groups of people. Royal Caribbean is the cruise line that has all different types of entertainment for various members of a family. They tend to cater to more adventurous seafarers, with, among other things, zip lines, mega water slides, skydiving simulators, bumper cars, and ice skating rinks onboard.
Royal Caribbean prides itself on its food, calling it a “palate pleasing culinary crusade” (I bet some executive got paid a lot of money to think that one up). Here’s what the cruise line has to say about its food:
If you’re craving delicious food, we have an entire fleet filled with foodie favorites.
Indulge in an authentic taste of Italy with homemade pastas and Old World-inspired entrees at the newly reimagined Giovanni’s℠ Italian Kitchen. Set out on an epicurean adventure east with exotic Asian flavors and tasty teppanyaki prepared tableside at Izumi. Savor captivating and creative culinary delights designed to spirit you away with every bite at Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. Or taste your way around the world with global goodness served buffet-style at the Windjammer. From top-notch free cruise dining included in your fare, to specialty cruise restaurants that dish up plenty of delicious flavor, we go bolder than any other cruise line when it comes to the best food onboard.
Like most cruise lines, Royal Caribbean offers a variety of dining options. Casual dining. Specialty dining. Dining in your room. Plus a plethora (see, I can do alliteration, too. Where’s my check?) of bars and lounges. Most of their dining opportunities are complimentary, as part of the cost of the cruise. But they do have a handful of higher-end eateries that are available for an extra fee (this isn’t new or special; most [albeit not all. Virgin Voyages doesn’t.] cruise lines do this).
Most of Royal Caribbean’s restaurants have set dining hours. However there are 2 places that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
Café Promenade
Café Promenade is open around the clock, which means you can enjoy shareable apps and savory snacks that hit the spot as late as you like. From fried artichoke and perfectly cooked meatballs to spicy marinated cheese and decadent desserts, there’s no curfew for your cravings at this free hotspot.
Sorrento’s
After a night living it up on deck, there’s nothing more satisfying than a great slice of pizza — and Sorrento’s serves up the best at sea even after all the bars have closed. If you’re a traditionalist, go for a slice of classic cheese or Margherita. Or mix things up with a specialty pie, like the bacon and BBQ-infused Caribbean Dream.
Sorrento’s is generally considered to be a “quick service” restaurant, and is available as a complimentary offering on 16 Royal Caribbean ships. It tends to be popular (some say it has a cult-like following) and usually has a long line on embarkation day, as well as later at night.
But earlier this month, multiple cruise sites were reporting that guests returning from their Royal Caribbean cruises were receiving their post-cruise survey with two decidedly concerning questions:
- How would Sorrento’s Pizza being offered for a fee impact your likelihood to choose Royal Caribbean in the future?
(More likely to choose RC/No Impact/Less likely to choose RC)
Needless to say, passengers were not pleased. After all, it wasn’t long ago that the cruise line got massively negative feedback when they changed their dinner menu. AND they had changed the policy for their famous “Lobster Night” in the not-so-distant past (because of the increasing price for lobsters, Royal Caribbean used to offer unlimited lobsters and they changed it to offering only one and then charging for any additional servings). So to even suggest charging for Sorrento’s pizza was bad timing, the icing on the cake and any other idiom you can think of.
Fortunately, Royal Caribbean is smart and read the writing on the wall. A couple of weeks after they started getting responses to their surveys that hinted they were considering charging for pizza from Sorrento’s, there was an update. From Royal Caribbean’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley:
Pizza ! Pizza ! Everywhere ! A couple of weeks ago we conducted one of frequent small group guest surveys. As usual we asked questions on this n that ! Including customer thoughts on $ charges for Pizza ! The question was posted with the result that many emails and comments were sent !
The survey said 80 per cent of guests were opposed, 20 per cent of guests said they would still go forPizza with a charge, 25 per cent of guests surveyed said they would consider other cruise lines. To calm all our Pizza lovers don’t worry we are not charging for Pizza.
And all was right in the Royal Caribbean world. FREE PIZZA FOR EVERYBODY! HUZZAH!
Feature Photo: Pexels
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