Do the little things matter?

[carol, welwyn garden city]

Hi Everyone

Now as you know, I seem to be under a jinx with cruising at the moment, hopefully that will be broken later this year!! (Fingers crossed). So I'm asking the question from things I have read, not experienced.

No turn down service in the evening, or clean towels, or flannels unless you ask for them. Small things of course, but do they matter? After all cruising was quite special with your room being serviced morning and evening.

Do you think people cruising now for the first time are missing out on anything? Is there anything you used to get, but you don't anymore?

[dst87, Falkirk]

I think most people won't notice these small things. You have to go pretty high end in a hotel to get turndown service, for example, so I think cruise lines (especially mass market ones) offering this will become a thing of the past as a new generation of cruisers take over.

That said, I do think they matter. They make the experience that bit more special. But I don't think they're dealbreakers.

[Haworth, Wokingham]

Different things matter to do different people, on our last pre Covid Celebrity cruise we were both unhappy with no table service in cellar masters and the changed show times, for others it might be turn down service, free room service etc. The danger for the lines is they cut too many things and folks vote with their money. Once the impact of cruise credits being used and rising interest rates hit, mid 2023 they may have to work a lot harder to fill ships

[dst87, Falkirk]

Different things matter to do different people, on our last pre Covid Celebrity cruise we were both unhappy with no table service in cellar masters

That would very much annoy me! If I wanted to queue at a bar I'd pop to a local pub!

[Wilba]

True Silver Service, not the phoney one operated by P&O in the 90’s

Midnight Buffet, every night, not just as a one off.

Tea, Coffee, Juice served in cabin every morning as a norm

Chocolate on the pillow, now only on some lines
.
The Daily Tote, you gambled on the ships mileage from 12 noon to 12 noon.

Drinks at below Working Mens Club prices.

No security card checking to get on and off ship in port.

Free Room Service, albeit sandwiches were the only choice.

I’ll probably think of some more as the day goes on………….Wilba

[ev'n'clive, HENGOED]

Hi carol x we travel with fred when the opportunity arises and everything on fred is the same as before the " big plague " hit.. room is serviced in the morning.. ( I keep hiding those things they put on the bed but the steward still finds them ! ) room is then serviced when we go for dinner, clean towels, turn down and choccies on the pillow.... I will say that I think fred was the last to drop the mask thing however, I believe on bolette it was dropped after we finished the norway fjords cruise in May..Happy cruising when you get back to it x hugs x heather

[carol, welwyn garden city]

I think most people won't notice these small things. You have to go pretty high end in a hotel to get turndown service, for example, so I think cruise lines (especially mass market ones) offering this will become a thing of the past as a new generation of cruisers take over.

That said, I do think they matter. They make the experience that bit more special. But I don't think they're dealbreakers.

In the hotel we stayed in in Florida, we had room service every 4 days. When we stayed at the same hotel about 8 years ago, it was every day!!

[carol, welwyn garden city]

True Silver Service, not the phoney one operated by P&O in the 90’s

Midnight Buffet, every night, not just as a one off.

Tea, Coffee, Juice served in cabin every morning as a norm

Chocolate on the pillow, now only on some lines
.
The Daily Tote, you gambled on the ships mileage from 12 noon to 12 noon.

Drinks at below Working Mens Club prices.

No security card checking to get on and off ship in port.

Free Room Service, albeit sandwiches were the only choice.

I’ll probably think of some more as the day goes on………….Wilba

Oh yes, and a truly magnificent chocolate buffet Don't think they even do it now!!

[Yogini, Waterlooville]

I have never been bothered about the lack of a turn down service in the evening. The stewards still deliver the daily planners, but that is all.

[Rosycider, Weston - super - Mare]

On our cruise with Saga in November 2021, we had twice daily cabin service, turn down service at night, complete with 'guess the towel animal' !

[Clowi, Oxfordshire]

Carol, I think it does matter. Seasoned cruisers know why they choose a particular cruise line and have expectations. When things become dumbed down, where is the USP? It's happening all the time with airlines. Companies will ultimately pay the price. Not just travel but too many companies are hiding under covid restrictions now in order to cut costs.

[Topdeck, London]

Some things have got a lot better on some ships.

Multiple dining options and pick you time not just limited to a few menu choices at 2 set times.


Competitive prices making drinks relatively very cheap as included in the fare.

24hr food venues with table service.

24hr rooms service(no fees) including dining room menus during service hours.

West end shows not just a variation of another 45min song and dance.

[Mason, Altrincham]

We were just thinking this the other night when we went to one of our favourite restaurants and found that although the food was as tasty as ever, lots of little things have changed that made the experience less than satisfactory. Bistro Pierre used to serve a basket of French bread with butter while you waited for your food an drink that is now gone. What upset us the most was the service. It was perfunctory at best without the friendliness that used to elevate it above other chains that we’ve been to. Oh well. The bean counters strike again!

Take care. Helen😕

[Issyalex, Glasgow]

On our last two cruises I didn’t miss the turn down service or the pillow chocolate. I take a scrunchy ball washing thingy to use in the shower as I don’t like a face cloth. I don’t mind using my bath towel for my morning and pre dinner shower but I did miss the extra hand towel to wrap my wet hair in and shower cap for the days I don’t wash my hair but my cabin steward happily supplied them when needed. He just asked my to leave him a note of anything that we or the cabin needed and hay presto it was there/done by the time we went back to the cabin.

[Topdeck, London]

Initial request any cruise includes, 2 extra large towels and robes.
Don't always need them as we reuse, towels dry in the low humidity of ships, if not dry enough just take of excess dump that one then polish off with a new one.

Standard issue this cruise was 2 of each large, small, tiny.

Interesting one this Emerald Princess cruise stocked tea tray in cabin but kettle on request.
Sky in March kettle was there.