My bride and I have cruised many times and on various lines. I totally agree with Hancle on air travel - we try very hard to find cruises that start/end in Florida now. That is not always possible but it sure can be a deal breaker for us.
We also agree 100% with REH7380 on the nickle and dime crap prevalent on so many cruise lines today. Not too long ago we used NCL for a cruise. The dining room food was not really bad but it sure had gone downhill and they way they were pushing passengers to use the "specialty" restaurants that charge for a meal, plus the very skimpy selection of dishes in the main dining rooms, led us to believe they were purposefully trying to force passengers to go to the premier restaurants and pay for meals.
I like soft drinks and especially do not like getting coffee, milk, tea, etc., as part of my fare but having to pay for a 7-Up or Coke, especially at a meal. It seems most cruise lines now charge extra for soft drinks - a prime example of them nickle and dimeing us to death!
Now many cruise lines charge extra for specialty coffee such as a Cappuccino or Latte. Holland American has coffee machines that dispense those coffees gratis (or at least as part of your cruise fare and not at an extra charge). To the rest, that want to sell you a "coffee card", I say adieu.
I also think the tipping policy has adversely impacted service. When I used to hand my tip directly to the waiter or cabin steward, they knew where it was coming from and why. Now, most cruise lines add tips to your on-board charge account automatically and you have to take action to reduce, increase or change the charge. Especially in the dining rooms, I have noticed that the level of service has gone downhill rapidly due to the individual waiters/assistant waiters not being held personally responsible for the service they provide. This decrease in service has been so pervasive that on the last two cruises we took, I made it a point to visit the Pursers Office and reduce my dining room tip by an amount equivalent to three days (out of a seven day cruise) tips and I told them exactly why I was doing it too - poor dining room service!
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