Sea of Change in dining plans for Royal Caribbean

Sea of Change in dining plans for Royal Caribbean

Can't get enough of those lobster tails at sea?  Royal Caribbean is among the first to impose some limitations on the "all you can eat" lobster fest at sea. 

Royal Caribbean Makes a Dining Change That's More Severe Than Carnival's

The cruise line has changed all its main dining room menus, but that's not the move that Royal Caribbean passengers will be the most upset about.  Royal Caribbean began rolling out its new main dining room (MDR) menus at the start of the year. The changes include making every night follow a theme (including Welcome Aboard, American, Italian, Mexican, Caribbean, and Mediterranean) and getting rid of the "classics" section of the menu.

That change might be even bigger than moving to theme nights as staples that used to be offered every night now only appear once or twice during a seven-night cruise. Diners will feel that impact in two ways. First, some passengers had a favorite appetizer on the "classics" list -- escargot and French onion soup, for example.

But while the new menus have received most of the media (and social media) attention, that's not the only change the company has made. Royal Caribbean has also changed its lobster tail policy and many passengers are not going to be happy.

Royal Caribbean and Carnival Both Make Lobster Changes

Royal Caribbean ships on 6-night trips or longer offer a formal night (actually called "Dress Your Best" night where lobster tails are served in the main dining room on the free menu. It's always possible to purchase a lobster tail in MDR from the small list of items from the Chops steakhouse menu every night, but on formal night, they are included.

Previously, Royal Caribbean offered passengers as many lobster tails as they wanted (and actually ate). Servers would sometimes even go around the dining room bringing them to passengers before they even asked for one.

Now, under the new rules, passengers who want a second lobster tail (and any after that) will pay $16.99 plus an 18% gratuity for each one they ask for.

Passengers, it should be noted, can still order a second entree along with their lobster tail (and many opt for a steak to make it surf and turf) free of charge. You can also have seconds, or even more portions of any other entree, but lobster tails are being limited to one complimentary tail per seating.

Carnival Cruise Line has enacted its own entree policy which impacts lobster lovers as well. It is now charging $5 per entree after a passenger has had two entrees. That counts for lobster tails as well, meaning that a Carnival cruiser could have 5 lobster tails (two free and three at $5 each) for a little less than Royal Caribbean's charge for a second tail.

Royal Caribbean, Carnival Changes Are Not All About Money

While passengers quickly blame any change on financial cutbacks, that's not the only thing motivating Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Both want to cut down on food waste and having a slimmer menu does that as does making people think twice before ordering an entree they may not really want.

The new menus are already beginning to appear on some Royal Caribbean ships. Fully rolling them out is expected to be completed at some point in February. Bayley has said that the cruise line may continue to make tweaks based on customer feedback as the changes roll out around the Royal Caribbean fleet.

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