The nickle and diming of passengers aboard cruise ships continues.
Royal Caribbean is asking cruisers whether they would be willing to spend an extra $14.95 for a good steak dinner in the main dining rooms. The cruise line is testing the idea on two ships, Freedom of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas.
At issue is a 10-ounce, corn-fed New York strip steak.
"It is an all natural organic cut," spokesperson Harrison Liu told the web site, CruiseCritic, where readers have responded with both positive and negative views. "We are testing to see if there is any interest among our guests for paying a little more for the option of an organically raised cut of beef."
This special cut of beef may well be worth an extra $15, which is less than diners pay in a steakhouse ashore.
Problem is, most people expect a fine dinner and service when they plunk down $100-$200 a day, each, for a vacation at sea. Part of the appeal of a cruise is that it includes your cabin and all meals, with the exception of the alternative restaurants where you could choose to pay extra on a special occasion.
Royal Caribbean, which is not noted for its outstanding meals in the main dining rooms, seems to be telling us that if we want a good steak diner we have to pay an extra $14.95.
What’s wrong with the free 7-ounce sirloin steak they serve now? Kind of tough? My recommendation is for Royal Caribbean to improve the steak that’s included and save the special cuts for the alternative restaurants.
CRUISE SITES WORTH CLICKING:
CruiseCritic looks at the new Celebrity Solstice, due to debut in November
USA Today previews the new Celebrity Solstice.
David Molyneaux is editor of Travel Mavens.net. Click for CRUISE VACATIONS and NEW SHIPS