A - we don't want to pay extra for food. That's the whole point of a cruise, the food is included! We think the food in the dinning room is awesome and feel no need to go elsewhere. The little grill by the pool and the pizza are great for when we don't want to go to the buffet.
Let’s face it, in the last few years cruising has become twice the price and half the fun. It’s now giant ships with crowds of passengers and lots of rules.
I'm glad that Carnival is tightening the cabin location rules on younger passengers. Cracking down on parents who book a nice cabin plus a cheaper cabin on a completely different floor! Then they try to fool the cruise line by saying one parent will be in the cheap cabin with the kids, but it doesn't happen. I can't imagine parents who will let their children be so far away from them at night on a cruise. Would you do that at a hotel???
@@dsr8223 They’re not trying to fool the cruise line. They’re following cruise line’s policy which requires an adult in the cabin. And we all know people swap cards/cabins once on board. The new requirement is a change in the right direction.
We are planning a cruise for the first time in 14 years. Travel Scouts news provides so much information! We can’t believe this episode! An unbelievable amount of information, data, and news in just 8 minutes. We’re winded just watching! Keep informing us via this great channel. Thanks.
On my last cruise on Enchanted Princess, we didn’t do any specialty dining. The cruise was expensive enough, and we liked the buffet. We live in NYC and there are plenty of choices in restaurants.
C - Every night, specialty night. My husband does not care for the main dining room and doesn’t want to be bothered to share a table with somebody else.
B - We visit a specialty restaurant once each cruise. We were sorely disappointed with our last specialty dining experience (quality of the food) so we may make other choices future forward.
The incident report would be mor meaningful if they were reported in terms of percentages. For instance Carnival had 17 but they also have a much higher number of passengers too. Whereas Margaritaville at sea only had 1 but they have way fewer passengers too. Thanks for the great reporting!
Hi David! You are right. It is good to keep in mind the number of ships in the total fleet and the number of ships that operate in the U.S. (i.e. MSC has a large fleet, but small U.S. presence). Good input my Friend. Have a great day!
C-- We mostly cruise NCL and love Cagneys! As for ncl’s WiFi, we took a 12 day transatlantic and the WiFi rarely worked! Every day there were at least 50 people in line for refunds to their paid packages!
But it seems they will continue the trend of implementing more infinite veranda in the future. The economic incentives for them to do so is simply too large. Since Celebrity’s ships can achieve higher fuel efficiency for their ships with less traditional balcony, and as a bonus the veranda suites often sells for a higher price…
I did hear rumours that they were considering a mixture of both types on a future class of ship. We like Celebrity a great deal and they’ve probably been our favourite cruise line, but the infinite verandas are a clear negative. And with the changes they’ve made to the single person supplement that’s two disincentives which didn’t used to exist. At least for us; we normally travel as a family group, you see.
Question of the Day: B - once. The idea of Italian or a steak house always sound good. I prefer to eat what I have already paid for. Just an idea for you Jason… some of the questions are so interesting…. Wondering if you could summarize in a couple sentences why people voted the way they did / if there were interesting things pointed out that you gleaned from the info! I also like the new intro… comes across as all business.. concise and to the point!
Hi Deborah! Thank you for the recommendation. It is a great idea. I will certainly give that some thought. I would love to provide that insight if I can find a way to do so in a way that would be compelling while not stretch out the overall length of the content too much. Thanks for the feedback!!
Understand why Nice France is wanting to limit size. I ported there in 2006 when ships were smaller than today's mega ships and it was felt a bit crowded. With so many more ships and bigger ships, it's just time to say no. Quality vs quantity. - Specially dining has never set well with me! At one time the MDR dining was excellent on most any cruise line, today they appear to be cutting back, trying to force people to pay to eat. I tried it when Carnival first tried the concept, and went to their steak restaurant, the best I could say for it was, adequate.
B - One of the perks that is part of the level that we're at with the Castaway rewards, we are Platinum, is that it includes one free meal at Palo, which is their specialty dining on the Disney cruise, so we utilize that one free meal for brunch.
A - only eat at specialty restaurants if included in a package. I find good food at main dining room to make me happy. I also avoid buffet. Lost weight on my cruise!
Im glad for changes about the kids rooms. Our last cruise the kids knocked on doors and ran up and down the halls until 3 or 4 am. WAS NOT controlled at all
Thank you so much! And, thanks for the feedback. We are keeping the old intro music. We’ve just been sampling around a bit to keep things fresh. Appreciate you!
B- One of the perks with Disney cruise line Castaway Club Platinum level is that they include one free meal at Palo, which is their specialty dining. And will use that to have brunch on every cruise.
Only been on 1 cruise so far. Went to MDR several times for dinner, buffet just once & got room service daily...for breakfast... But, am planning on going to 1 specialty dining in December- the Mason Jar on the Utopia ship..am looking forward to it So, once go on more cruises, can say: It depends... If want to go to restaurant I want to try- then 1... If specialty dining is included, will enjoy those... B, for 1
A I have no problem with the buffet or the dining room. The buffet at dinner is lovely. Relaxed, you always get a table with a view, a chance to chat with the crew as the atmosphere is more relaxed. You can go back for seconds or just eat some appetizers and a salad.
A. We always eat at the buffet or main dining. There was only 1 time we ever paid for a specialty dining and that was because we just so happened to be on a cruise over my birthday, so my husband and I went and got a nice steak dinner.
A- there’s plenty to eat on a cruise and I can always find something I like. I’ve never paid extra for specialty dining. There wasn’t any specialty restaurants on our first cruise over 20 years ago.
A - Zero. I used to be excited about trying specialty dining on a cruise, but the experience was always disappointing. The food quality and taste don't warrant the extra cost, and I have found the service better in the dining room when you follow the traditional dining path and get to know your wait staff.
C. Two more more times. Once in a while I get a three night package and I've even gotten an unlimited package twice. Totally worth it purchased on sale. Gratuities are out of control! Pay your own employees!!!
C 2 or more. MSC ships have some pretty awesome specialty restaurants. My favorite is The Butchers Cut and that is available across the fleet. Best steaks I've ever had in my life. Even though we cruise Yacht Club and the dining there is superb, the specialty restaurants are a nice change up since we never book less than a 14-night cruise.
A - The main dining and buffet are already paid for, Why would we and why should we pay more for food. And at a cost twice as much as a good restaurant.
A The food in Opus (Celebrity main dining) is so good, the specialty restaurants become redundant. My wife and I are booked on the Xcel. January 11 - 18.
Not a simple answer for me. When I cruise with NCL and they include a specialty dinner or 2 with my fare- I use them all. On my recent Holland America - 0. So,if I have go out of pocket pay extra A is my answer
B. All the new charges in addition to just booking a cruise is ridiculous. That being said I’m going on a cruise in March and we are not getting off ship at all. Excursions are too overpriced. Not what you expect most of the time depending on this excursion it will just have just as much fun lounging on the ship.❤
On NCL we typically do C (because there are a couple of restaurants we really like and we don’t do more at sea since we don’t drink) and A on Royal Caribbean. We are getting ready to take our first Celebrity Cruise but I don’t see much in specialty dining that I would like to try.
C. I cruise with princess. For $90 a day i get unlimited drinks, wifi, gratuities and specialty dining. Best deal at sea! I never eat at the MDR anymore.
1 - 2 times a cruise. So a Concierge cabin with a family of 4 on a 7 day cruise will be paying $763.00 in gratuities. $448.00 for a standard cabin with four cruisers. That's becoming a significant amount of money for some people.
A - We have already paid for the food in the cruise fare, why should I pay again? And it’s not like the specialty dining isn’t something I can find in my home city. An exception to this would be something like Wonderland on Quantum OTS. In this case it’s a unique experience, and worth the occasional splurge.
NCL’s included Wi fi minutes were practically worthless on prior cruises with them. Maybe if they install STARLINK it will be better. I just consider my time at sea on any cruise line as time away from electronics. They overcharge for poor service and I feel I already spend enough cruising and I can live without connectivity until I get to a port. My Verizon plan includes a few travel days each year and the $5 or $10/day cost in a foreign country still a better use of my resources
A-zero times. In over 35 cruise I've only eaten in one specialty restaurant and that was because the food in the dining room was far from impressive. Wasn't much better in the specialty restaurant. Love your videos....
𝗤𝗨𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲?
𝗔 - Zero, 𝗕 - Once, 𝗖 - Two or more
C
Zero
B
c
A: zero
A - we don't want to pay extra for food. That's the whole point of a cruise, the food is included! We think the food in the dinning room is awesome and feel no need to go elsewhere. The little grill by the pool and the pizza are great for when we don't want to go to the buffet.
Hi Guy! Thanks for your input my Friend!
Let’s face it, in the last few years cruising has become twice the price and half the fun. It’s now giant ships with crowds of passengers and lots of rules.
It’s unfortunate the rules have become necessary.
I agree. They have taken all of what made cruising great and threw it away for crowded areas and scheduling nightmares.
@ but as long as they are sailing at capacity they don’t care.
Cruise on smaller ships if it’s in the budget. So much better experience.
One thing I like about smaller ships is that they can get into a lot more ports
B
I'm glad that Carnival is tightening the cabin location rules on younger passengers. Cracking down on parents who book a nice cabin plus a cheaper cabin on a completely different floor! Then they try to fool the cruise line by saying one parent will be in the cheap cabin with the kids, but it doesn't happen. I can't imagine parents who will let their children be so far away from them at night on a cruise. Would you do that at a hotel???
@@dsr8223 They’re not trying to fool the cruise line. They’re following cruise line’s policy which requires an adult in the cabin. And we all know people swap cards/cabins once on board. The new requirement is a change in the right direction.
A- I'm not a foodie person and I've already paid for food which I consider very good since I neither had to plan, shop, prepare, or cook.
Right!!!! That fact alone is worth the price of admission!!😅 😊
We are planning a cruise for the first time in 14 years. Travel Scouts news provides so much information! We can’t believe this episode! An unbelievable amount of information, data, and news in just 8 minutes. We’re winded just watching! Keep informing us via this great channel. Thanks.
A. We rarely eat at a specialty dining venue. We have in the past, but, just didn’t think it added enough value vs the cost.
NCL dining- we use specialty dining if it was included in the deal when we booked. NCL also changed their specialty dining to have a cover charge.
C- usually at least 4 nights. We do tend to take longer trips, 11-14 days.
Hi Jen! That's great! Definitely makes for a fun cruise!
On my last cruise on Enchanted Princess, we didn’t do any specialty dining. The cruise was expensive enough, and we liked the buffet. We live in NYC and there are plenty of choices in restaurants.
C - Every night, specialty night. My husband does not care for the main dining room and doesn’t want to be bothered to share a table with somebody else.
Just select anytime dining and a table for 2.
B - We visit a specialty restaurant once each cruise. We were sorely disappointed with our last specialty dining experience (quality of the food) so we may make other choices future forward.
We cruised to Iceland a couple of years ago, one of those real bucket list destinations. You’ll generally be there for four days or so.
Hi Nicho! I have not been to Iceland yet, but it definitely a destination that I want to visit.
@ Hi, I’ve heard it said that if you like Alaska you’ll like Iceland/Norway. There isn’t a Glacier Bay as such, but there are similarities.
B - we usually pick one specialty restaurant for a special occasion like an anniversary or something. Otherwise we might or might not.
C- Two or More on longer cruises {10/14+ days]. B - Once on shorter cruises.
Hi Diane! We always appreciate your input. Have a great day!
@@TheTravelScouts ⛴✈Thank you. This is my go-to channel for up-to-date cruise information. Keep up the great work on putting the news out.
C - 2+ times (usually 3), but most of them are included in the More-at-Sea, Free-at-Sea promotion.
Hi Mark! Thanks for your input. Always good hearing from you. Have a great day!
The incident report would be mor meaningful if they were reported in terms of percentages. For instance Carnival had 17 but they also have a much higher number of passengers too. Whereas Margaritaville at sea only had 1 but they have way fewer passengers too. Thanks for the great reporting!
Exactly!
Hi David! You are right. It is good to keep in mind the number of ships in the total fleet and the number of ships that operate in the U.S. (i.e. MSC has a large fleet, but small U.S. presence). Good input my Friend. Have a great day!
We eat 2x or more. We receive the specialty dinners ( usually 2 ) as part of our class status.
B. Only because Izumis on Royal Caribbean has amazing sushi!
C-- We mostly cruise NCL and love Cagneys! As for ncl’s WiFi, we took a 12 day transatlantic and the WiFi rarely worked! Every day there were at least 50 people in line for refunds to their paid packages!
A. Very rarely eat in specialty dining areas
Hi Barb! Thanks for your input! Have a great day!
B- usually one time if it is included. Last cruise we had almost $500 of onboard credit so we did two.
B- 1 depending on the restaurant on each ship.
Hi Lillian! That is similiar to us. The options the ship has available makes a big difference. Have a great day!
C two times or more on every cruise. We love a Chefs table too!
I wish Celebrity would focus on a new class of ships with traditional balconies, rather than ordering another Edge class.
But it seems they will continue the trend of implementing more infinite veranda in the future. The economic incentives for them to do so is simply too large. Since Celebrity’s ships can achieve higher fuel efficiency for their ships with less traditional balcony, and as a bonus the veranda suites often sells for a higher price…
Those balconies will be on all new ship the fuel savings are just too good. Besides being able to close the windows from the bridge.
I did hear rumours that they were considering a mixture of both types on a future class of ship. We like Celebrity a great deal and they’ve probably been our favourite cruise line, but the infinite verandas are a clear negative. And with the changes they’ve made to the single person supplement that’s two disincentives which didn’t used to exist.
At least for us; we normally travel as a family group, you see.
Question of the Day: B - once.
The idea of Italian or a steak house always sound good. I prefer to eat what I have already paid for.
Just an idea for you Jason… some of the questions are so interesting…. Wondering if you could summarize in a couple sentences why people voted the way they did / if there were interesting things pointed out that you gleaned from the info!
I also like the new intro… comes across as all business.. concise and to the point!
Hi Deborah! Thank you for the recommendation. It is a great idea. I will certainly give that some thought. I would love to provide that insight if I can find a way to do so in a way that would be compelling while not stretch out the overall length of the content too much. Thanks for the feedback!!
C - Only because we've reached Platinum on NCL and eat free otherwise we never eat at specialty restaurants
C - I do specialty dining most nights. The quality and experience is generally much better than the free options. You get what you pay for!
Great info, thanks Jason
Thanks Mary!
A; we’ve been very satisfied with the main dining rooms on most of the ships we sailed on.
Understand why Nice France is wanting to limit size. I ported there in 2006 when ships were smaller than today's mega ships and it was felt a bit crowded. With so many more ships and bigger ships, it's just time to say no. Quality vs quantity. - Specially dining has never set well with me! At one time the MDR dining was excellent on most any cruise line, today they appear to be cutting back, trying to force people to pay to eat. I tried it when Carnival first tried the concept, and went to their steak restaurant, the best I could say for it was, adequate.
B - One of the
perks that is part of the level that we're at with the Castaway rewards, we are Platinum, is that it includes one free meal at Palo, which is their specialty dining on the Disney cruise, so we utilize that one free meal for brunch.
B and I consider it a very special event! 😊
A - only eat at specialty restaurants if included in a package. I find good food at main dining room to make me happy. I also avoid buffet. Lost weight on my cruise!
Good for Iceland. I don't blame them at all.
Thank you again for always keeping updated! It is so appreciated!
Thank you Cindy! Appreciate you!
A. We seldom try the Specialty restaurants. We like the MDR.
Im glad for changes about the kids rooms. Our last cruise the kids knocked on doors and ran up and down the halls until 3 or 4 am. WAS NOT controlled at all
I still say Jason's haircut looks like a ship's prow.
Hi Friend! Never thought about it like that, but you could be right! 😂
C- Two times or more but only on NCL Cruises who I believe has the best value.
The golden age of cruising is over.
C- About 3-4 days for specialty dining on sea days.
Usually once, B, as it’s included in the have it all package.
Love the new intro typing of the Chanel name - change is good!
Thanks for your feedback!
The cutback on choices on NCL dining seems to be a continuing thing, something they have been doing for a while
I've been watching the channel for a while now and I love it. I just like the old opening music better than the new typing of the channel name.
Thank you so much! And, thanks for the feedback. We are keeping the old intro music. We’ve just been sampling around a bit to keep things fresh. Appreciate you!
@@TheTravelScoutsI, too, miss the opening music! It’s the only cruise channel that I don’t skip the opening! I’ll miss it ☹️
B- One of the perks with Disney cruise line Castaway Club Platinum level is that they include one free meal at Palo, which is their specialty dining. And will use that to have brunch on every cruise.
Last year was my last cruise, it’s just not the same anymore starting with the new crowd of people.
Hi Jason my answer is B I only go to Jonny Rockets it is not your fancy dining room but you still have to pay.Take Care from Ontario🇨🇦
Hi Sharon! Great hearing from you! Have a great day!
B - My husband always wants to spend extra money at a steak house no matter what.
Usually A (never) but thanks to freedom at sea, next week we have two booked on our NCL cruise
Hi Sam! Thanks for your input!
C - Two usually on a 7-8 night cruise.
C. On a 7 night cruise I usually dine in a specialty restaurant 4 times.
Thanks for the News, great short update. Love this.
Thanks Alex! And, your channel looks great!!
@ thank you so much. Just retired and started the channel now. Been following yours for ages. What a commitment to post daily news. Great work.
B we typically try to go to one specialty dining on each cruise
Hi Michael! Thanks for your input!
c...however we usally get 1 complimentary special dining with our booking so we are really only paying for 1
Only been on 1 cruise so far. Went to MDR several times for dinner, buffet just once & got room service daily...for breakfast...
But, am planning on going to 1 specialty dining in December- the Mason Jar on the Utopia ship..am looking forward to it
So, once go on more cruises, can say:
It depends...
If want to go to restaurant I want to try- then 1...
If specialty dining is included, will enjoy those...
B, for 1
C. We cruise NCL exclusively at the time. The main reason is we hate buffets and they have so many other free options.
Yours is by far the best cruise news videos on RUclips. ❤
Thank you so much!
A I have no problem with the buffet or the dining room. The buffet at dinner is lovely. Relaxed, you always get a table with a view, a chance to chat with the crew as the atmosphere is more relaxed. You can go back for seconds or just eat some appetizers and a salad.
Hi Suzanna! Thanks for your input! Have a great day!
I love your new into. Colourful, concise and short
Love you guys.
We reserved to eat at three specialty restaurants...but this will be our first cruise
Hi Kim! That is wonderful. I hope you have a terrific time!
A. We always eat at the buffet or main dining. There was only 1 time we ever paid for a specialty dining and that was because we just so happened to be on a cruise over my birthday, so my husband and I went and got a nice steak dinner.
C - we have 4 included with NCL on each cruise and we take advantage!
It depends on the length of the cruise, but I would say 2+ times at a speciality restaurant
We normally don't go to a specialty dining restaurant unless there's a special occasion or we have reservations. We usually just eat at the windjammer
Excellent information! Thx for updates!
It would be interesting to see a breakdown of cruise length on the FBI report
Hi Brian! I agree. I wish they provided that information.
C, it depends on the ship and line.
A- there’s plenty to eat on a cruise and I can always find something I like. I’ve never paid extra for specialty dining. There wasn’t any specialty restaurants on our first cruise over 20 years ago.
On NCL we go to more than 2 so C, on other lines we usually do not go to specially restaurants so A.
A - Zero. I used to be excited about trying specialty dining on a cruise, but the experience was always disappointing. The food quality and taste don't warrant the extra cost, and I have found the service better in the dining room when you follow the traditional dining path and get to know your wait staff.
C. Two more more times. Once in a while I get a three night package and I've even gotten an unlimited package twice. Totally worth it purchased on sale. Gratuities are out of control! Pay your own employees!!!
It depends on the ship the restaurants in the cruise
Hi Brian! I agree. Thanks for your input. Have a great day!
C 2 or more. MSC ships have some pretty awesome specialty restaurants. My favorite is The Butchers Cut and that is available across the fleet. Best steaks I've ever had in my life. Even though we cruise Yacht Club and the dining there is superb, the specialty restaurants are a nice change up since we never book less than a 14-night cruise.
C... We love the experiences other restaurants offer!
A - The main dining and buffet are already paid for, Why would we and why should we pay more for food. And at a cost twice as much as a good restaurant.
C - 2 or more. We normally have at least 3 specialty dinings included in our package plus extra for our loyalty status.
I’m sailing on Oceania and specialty restaurants are included. I eat once at each.
Hi Beth! Yes, that is one of the great things about Oceania for sure!!
"B"- most of the time, but if we get a large OBC then it is "C".
A
The food in Opus (Celebrity main dining) is so good, the specialty restaurants become redundant.
My wife and I are booked on the Xcel. January 11 - 18.
C - we typically dine in a specialty restaurant twice on a 14 or 16 day cruise.
Not a simple answer for me. When I cruise with NCL and they include a specialty dinner or 2 with my fare- I use them all. On my recent Holland America - 0. So,if I have go out of pocket pay extra A is my answer
A I've always enjoyed what was already included
B. All the new charges in addition to just booking a cruise is ridiculous. That being said I’m going on a cruise in March and we are not getting off ship at all. Excursions are too overpriced. Not what you expect most of the time depending on this excursion it will just have just as much fun lounging on the ship.❤
B- we only choose paid dinning if we travel with one or more couples but when traveling alone we do not.
On NCL we typically do C (because there are a couple of restaurants we really like and we don’t do more at sea since we don’t drink) and A on Royal Caribbean. We are getting ready to take our first Celebrity Cruise but I don’t see much in specialty dining that I would like to try.
C, 5 times on a 7 day cruise with NCL. I enjoy a smaller venue that is themed.
We generally only go to the specialty restaurant once per cruise.
C. I cruise with princess. For $90 a day i get unlimited drinks, wifi, gratuities and specialty dining. Best deal at sea! I never eat at the MDR anymore.
A - We eat at specialty dining if it's included with the Premium package that we buy anyway, otherwise we don't pay for food on a cruise
1 - 2 times a cruise. So a Concierge cabin with a family of 4 on a 7 day cruise will be paying $763.00 in gratuities. $448.00 for a standard cabin with four cruisers. That's becoming a significant amount of money for some people.
so far A. never been to a specialty restaurant. They are expensive and the free options are great.
A - We have already paid for the food in the cruise fare, why should I pay again? And it’s not like the specialty dining isn’t something I can find in my home city.
An exception to this would be something like Wonderland on Quantum OTS. In this case it’s a unique experience, and worth the occasional splurge.
NCL’s included Wi fi minutes were practically worthless on prior cruises with them. Maybe if they install STARLINK it will be better. I just consider my time at sea on any cruise line as time away from electronics. They overcharge for poor service and I feel I already spend enough cruising and I can live without connectivity until I get to a port. My Verizon plan includes a few travel days each year and the $5 or $10/day cost in a foreign country still a better use of my resources
A-zero times. In over 35 cruise I've only eaten in one specialty restaurant and that was because the food in the dining room was far from impressive. Wasn't much better in the specialty restaurant. Love your videos....
C Always enjoy sitting down to a nice meal .. one of my favorite things about NCL cruising
B - C (depending upon the cruise length).