Norwegian Cruise Line Boss Hints at Asia Move; Insists a la Carte Dining is Here to S

I really like him.

If I ever get to go to Asia, I'm sure I'd make it a land trip instead of a cruise, but I still think this is great for NCL to open up new departure points.

I have to disagree about a la cart dinning. If you want to look at it this way I think flat rate is more freestyle. I can look at the menu and order what I want with no regard to the price of each item. If it's priced per item I might really want two items but not order because of the added cost. For me it takes away some of the fun of cruising making it more like eating in any local restaurant.

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Finally Andy!!!

I am beyond happy NCL is going to do a deployment to Asia and it seems like they're leading on a non-immersion plan for the first vessel to venture over there. This should have happened years ago but I'm glad it's finally coming! I left NCL and went to Celebrity to get the most incredible travel experience of my life (destination-wise)! Now I hope NCL's deployment is similar and does the 14 day back and forth from Hong Kong to Singapore and return with a few exotics down to Indonesia and then ones that go over to China and Japan before the ship returns to the United States for a deployment here or where-ever it may be going when it's not in Asia. A year-round Asia deployment would be AWESOME! :D

As for the a la carte pricing, I'm guessing it won't work out too well and it'll go back to the way it was. I won't be forced to buy things individually so I will stick with the restaurants that charge one flat cover charge fee. I don't see the value added by this pricing structure.

I have to disagree about a la cart dinning. If you want to look at it this way I think flat rate is more freestyle. I can look at the menu and order what I want with no regard to the price of each item. If it's priced per item I might really want two items but not order because of the added cost. For me it takes away some of the fun of cruising making it more like eating in any local restaurant.

 

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Not less freestyle, but perhaps less appealing. He noted that "it's what people do in their life normally." That's true, and really the crux of your objection: vacation isn't about mimicing what you do in your normal life. You want to operate differently in a vacation environment.

vacation isn't about mimicing what you do in your normal life. You want to operate differently in a vacation environment.

Very well said and oh so true!!!!

Cover charges will still apply for certain restaurants where entertainment experiences are also offered, such as the Tepanyaki restaurant, and The Supper Club -- a new dining venue on Escape which includes a three-course meal with a show.

Does this mean that the Dear John Hughes dinner theatre show on Escape will have the typical $39/pp fee PLUS the food will be a la carte? Or, will the $39/pp fee cover the 3-course meal as well as entrance?

I think NCL made BIG MISTAKE on the "ala carte pricing" structure.

This totally changed my outlook for my upcoming ESCAPE cruise. As previously mentioned it totally complicates my decisions as to what to order, how much to order and how much it will affect my bill at the end of the cruise. Takes away from "don't worry about it" your on vacation "freestyle" approach.

This is what attracted me to "FREESTYLE" cruising in the first place. Since I am one of the diners that frequented the specialty venues because I truly enjoy having several appetizers (more than one), salads etc. prior to entree, I will definitely not be spending my hard earned dollars in the the new ala carte venues and will rather dine in the MDR or Buffet instead. I firmly believe there are more cruisers out there like me versus not, which means that overall NCL will suffer lost revenue. Maybe even far enough to take my cruise dollars and similar others to competitors products in the near future. I may be going back to Royal, Celebrity or Princess

"Here to stay" = "please don't complain so much that we are forced to reverse course like last time."

Nice try.

"Here to stay" = "please don't complain so much that we are forced to reverse course like last time."

 

Nice try.

Now that's funny

I think NCL made BIG MISTAKE on the "ala carte pricing" structure.

 

This totally changed my outlook for my upcoming ESCAPE cruise. As previously mentioned it totally complicates my decisions as to what to order, how much to order and how much it will affect my bill at the end of the cruise. Takes away from "don't worry about it" your on vacation "freestyle" approach.

 

 

This is what attracted me to "FREESTYLE" cruising in the first place. Since I am one of the diners that frequented the specialty venues because I truly enjoy having several appetizers (more than one), salads etc. prior to entree, I will definitely not be spending my hard earned dollars in the the new ala carte venues and will rather dine in the MDR or Buffet instead. I firmly believe there are more cruisers out there like me versus not, which means that overall NCL will suffer lost revenue. Maybe even far enough to take my cruise dollars and similar others to competitors products in the near future. I may be going back to Royal, Celebrity or Princess

If you frequent the specialty venues can't you just buy one of the dining plans and still do what you did before?

Check out the latest Norwegian Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic:

 

Norwegian Cruise Line Boss Hints at Asia Move; Insists a la Carte Dining is Here to Stay

Thanks Laura,

I wonder if this will be the "big" Aug 4th announcement or if we will really have an announcement. My TA seems to think they will either announce an Asian itinerary or Cuba.

Cover charges will still apply for certain restaurants where entertainment experiences are also offered, such as the Tepanyaki restaurant, and The Supper Club -- a new dining venue on Escape which includes a three-course meal with a show.

 

Does this mean that the Dear John Hughes dinner theatre show on Escape will have the typical $39/pp fee PLUS the food will be a la carte? Or, will the $39/pp fee cover the 3-course meal as well as entrance?

My understanding is it will cover the 3 course dinner and entrance. But that is just how I interpret his remarks.

As for those who are unhappy with the a la carte: I can sympathize with you, but I see it a little differently: I kind of like the idea. I know, after we get an appitizer, salad, and entree with never have room for dessert. When we go to a land restaurant we rarely order appitizers unless there are 4 of us and usually are satisfied with just our salad and entree. I think, for some of us, it will be a savings. Regardless, time will tell how well this works. Just remember on some lines the standard price for specialty dining rooms are much higher than on NCL.

I actually like the A La Carte idea. I stayed away from the specialty dining venues because I did not want to pay the extra money and not eat all of my meal. I can not eat an appetizer, main course and desert all at one sitting. So it gives me the opportunity to go in enjoy a main course and leave. Less money on my end and they get my extra dollars

My understanding is it will cover the 3 course dinner and entrance. But that is just how I interpret his remarks.

 

As for those who are unhappy with the a la carte: I can sympathize with you, but I see it a little differently: I kind of like the idea. I know, after we get an appitizer, salad, and entree with never have room for dessert. When we go to a land restaurant we rarely order appitizers unless there are 4 of us and usually are satisfied with just our salad and entree. I think, for some of us, it will be a savings. Regardless, time will tell how well this works. Just remember on some lines the standard price for specialty dining rooms are much higher than on NCL.

This is just a guess, I only glanced at the potential prices when this was first announced, but I suspect you end up paying just as much for app/salad/entree as you were paying for the cover charge that actually included dessert.

Very well said and oh so true!!!!

I agree! I don't want to look at prices on a cruise-hate the idea of a la carte :mad:

This is just a guess, I only glanced at the potential prices when this was first announced, but I suspect you end up paying just as much for app/salad/entree as you were paying for the cover charge that actually included dessert.

Of course! They aren't doing this for our pleasure, its to make more money. I've never ever heard a cruiser say wow I wish the dining in the specialty restaurants was a la carte!:mad:

Of course! They aren't doing this for our pleasure, its to make more money. I've never ever heard a cruiser say wow I wish the dining in the specialty restaurants was a la carte!:mad:

I mentioned it when this was first announced, but the usually industry-cheerleading podcast Cruise Radio (I'm not quite sure if it's affiliated with this site or not) absolutely hammered NCL for the a la carte dining announcement, including questioning what planet they're living on.

This podcast almost never says anything negative about any cruise line, staunchly defends the companies in times of disasters (the Carnival engine stuff, etc) and generally only has guest reviewers who have GOOD things to say (or if they have bad things to say, they edit it out).

So when those people are calling you out for living on another planet, maybe there's something to it.

I mentioned it when this was first announced, but the usually industry-cheerleading podcast Cruise Radio (I'm not quite sure if it's affiliated with this site or not) absolutely hammered NCL for the a la carte dining announcement, including questioning what planet they're living on.

 

This podcast almost never says anything negative about any cruise line, staunchly defends the companies in times of disasters (the Carnival engine stuff, etc) and generally only has guest reviewers who have GOOD things to say (or if they have bad things to say, they edit it out).

 

So when those people are calling you out for living on another planet, maybe there's something to it.

I think they are not thinking things through before announcing them. Between this and the "no food to your room" fiasco, I am doubting the sanity of the suits at NCL.

Edited to add-how hard could it have been to do a poll on Cruise Critic asking if they preferred a la carte dining? Unless of course they don't care what we prefer!

I think they are not thinking things through before announcing them. Between this and the "no food to your room" fiasco, I am doubting the sanity of the suits at NCL.

 

Edited to add-how hard could it have been to do a poll on Cruise Critic asking if they preferred a la carte dining? Unless of course they don't care what we prefer!

The worst part is I get the sense they are not even doing traditional marketing/metrics/polls, never mind getting online-community feedback. It's just some guys in a room with (maybe) a calculator, spitballing.

I agree! I don't want to look at prices on a cruise-hate the idea of a la carte :mad:

I agree ;)

The worst part is I get the sense they are not even doing traditional marketing/metrics/polls, never mind getting online-community feedback. It's just some guys in a room with (maybe) a calculator, spitballing.

THIS^

It would be so funny if it wasn't so pathetic!

Everyone doesn't like the same things. I think the a la carte pricing is great, especially for those that don't want to eat a big meal. If you go to the restaurants and you don't want the a la carte pricing, you can always purchase a UDP/SDP for 3 days or for the whole cruise.

If and when the restaurants implementing a la carte pricing experience a reduction in reservations and revenue they'll go back to one charge.

Some people are going to like it, some won't, and some won't care one way or the other. I'm on the fence right now. I'll decide when I see the prices.

The reaction to this probably isn't that different from the one people had when NCL went from traditional cruise dining to freestyle. Some thought it was a great idea, others thought it was insane and would ruin the cruise experience (and, for some, it did.) Enough people liked it though, that most cruise lines now have some type of freestyle dining. I'm sure they're watching to see how this works out and, if it's successful, we're going to see a la carte pricing on other lines.

If and when the restaurants implementing a la carte pricing experience a reduction in reservations and revenue they'll go back to one charge.

Some people are going to like it, some won't, and some won't care one way or the other. I'm on the fence right now. I'll decide when I see the prices.

 

The reaction to this probably isn't that different from the one people had when NCL went from traditional cruise dining to freestyle. Some thought it was a great idea, others thought it was insane and would ruin the cruise experience (and, for some, it did.) Enough people liked it though, that most cruise lines now have some type of freestyle dining. I'm sure they're watching to see how this works out and, if it's successful, we're going to see a la carte pricing on other lines.

If I can still get an app, a salad, and entrée and dessert for the same TOTAL price as before I will be fine with it-BUT I have grave doubts that that will be the case. Anyone see a menu yet?