MisterFidgetpants

You call a plumber to unclog your drains. He charges $200. Four months later, you call him again, because your drain is clogged again, and you felt $200 was a fair price. He now charges $250. Do you ask him what additional service he is providing?

Yes

Does your boss have this conversation with you every year before he tells you your raise. Mine does and its a joke. We all know that merit raises are really cost of living raises. View this as one and move on.

I'm my own boss. I don't get to listen to someone else's malarkey. Why did they raise dsc twice in 4 months. It wasn't COLA for the crew. Has NCL said it is?

Have any of you graduated from an accredited business college? Well, neither did I. i'm a blue collar guy, and if you all cant figure out what is going on, well get your head out of the sand...

 

NCL like a few other main stream lines are pushing away there core cruisers. They want Millennials, D.I.N.K.S. and the 40-60 crowd because they spend money. And NCL is adjusting there marketing to reflect that.

 

The very people who complain, are the exact demo they are looking to rid themselves of. WHY, you ask.... WAIT FOR IT---THEY DON'T SPEND ENOUGH MONEY ON BOARD. This is not hard to see, even HAL is changing focus as their marketing proves. HAL is now trying to be HIP...

 

Since i'm a simple guy, I like things to be explained very low brow...

If McDonalds only sold hamburgers. they would be out of business in six months. The ancillary revenue comes from, Coffee, breakfast, apple pies and soft drinks ect. So, how does that relate to NCL, great question. The very people they are pissing off are the ones who buy the cruises and spend little to no extra money once on board. They are only buying the hamburger and that's it.

 

Like any other company the cruise lines are top heavy. The profit margins are so slim. they have to sell in huge volume just to break even.

 

However, in this selective pissing of the world conspiracy you guys have concocted. They (NCL) will lose a few big spenders. But that is collateral damage of big business.

 

I know, most of you will disagree because you are all the big spenders.

But, this is the reality. This is the new world of the leisure travel market segment. I will quote Michael Douglas as Gordon Gecko in Wall Street "The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good."

I like simple explanations too. Simply put NCL are asking more but not giving more. So, simply asked, what TWO raises in 4 months? No one is asking that question.

Isn't twice in 4 months a bit much?

They use to have 7 days last minute sailings like that last year before they followed Royal / Celebrity pricing plan of better deals year(s) / months out this year.

 

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Last year you could do 7 days on HAL biggest and newest ship for 199 and do 7 day balcony on MSC newest and biggest for 249. I think those days are done but it is all a cycle and will be back eventually

I have to laugh to think that someone thinks they deserve a personal explanation or apology because NCL has changed fees or their pet programs.

 

Get over yourself!

 

Business is business and as long as the majority of passengers are happy with the product they will make changes as they see fit.

 

Not to diminish Cruise Critic, but I would presume that the majority of passengers may never visit this site, let alone vent their anger here.

 

Ships for about every line continue to sail at or near capacity. Lines continue to build new ships. And stock prices continue to rise.

 

Yeah, they are in the business to give passengers a memorable experience,

but in the end, they are in the business to make stockholders money.

Don't worry. Eventually the housing market will deflate and NCL will be giving away $299 cruises and the whole farm with it

Very well said. Now if only those so vocal about their dissatisfaction would act on it appropriately it would be a win-win for everyone.

I think we are ALL acting in it by voicing our displeasure. What is it you want exactly? That anyone not enthralled go away and leave the sandbox to you only? What if they raised DSC to $16 in 3 months and then $20 3 month later and then $25 6 months after that? At some point one must evaluate the value. My money is as good as yours so my voice shall be equal, the only difference being by not giving anyone a free pass I am really helping you out even if you do not realize. Another viewpoint to consider

People keep talking about how these great perk packages have to be paid for somehow. I booked a cruise to Bermuda the week before the new CEO implemented the UPB, UBP, 3rd guest sails free and OBC promo. The cruise fare itself went up commensurately. I did rebook under the package as I did save some money, I can't remember how much but it was just under $100, than if I had purchased those perks seperately, including the 3rd person. I didn't make out like a bandit, and neither did anyone else who took advantage of these offers.

 

I am incredibly unsettled by what appears to me the spaghetti against the wall approach to increasing revenue. Oh lets' try this, wait what about that, oh you don't like that, we'll take it back (the whole no food in your room thing). There ought to be some benefit for the increase in charges, and reduction of value in other areas. I'm not booking another cruise until this settles out and I know what product I'm going to get when I set foot on the ship.

To your second passage I feel similarly.

Yes...we perceive things differently. We should...we are different people. What I think of when it comes to value is not pointless...to me. What you think of when it comes to value is not pointless...to you. What I'm calling pointless is this setting of personal values on other people. What I consider or don't consider when it comes to value is POINTLESS to YOU. Likewise, what you consider or don't consider when it comes to value is POINTLESS to ME.

 

We can both make our own determination, based on our personal value systems, on our own. What other people think, fee, and do has no bearing on it.

 

What NCL is telling you is that they think the service is worth $13.50 and now the price is going to increase to also be $13.50. What I'm telling you is that I haven't seen a price-value-benefit breakdown to specifically say different.

 

If you, me, or anyone else doesn't feel like it is "worth it", then the answer is to go get something that IS "worth it".

Fair enough. I appreciate your perspective and it is nice to have an opposing debate in here without name calling and insults

I don't see where NCL has raised expectations but failed to deliver. No evidence has been presented that they promised something that was not delivered. If people take it upon themselves to set their own level of expectations, then it is their issue, not NCL's, if those expectations are not met.

 

Sharing points of view is valid...when everyone involved has skin in the game. It is actually very valid. However, as was pointed out earlier, value is a personal thing....what has value to one person may have no value to another.

 

Without a common frame of reference, value on a personal level is like comparing apples to rocks...and that is what makes the thread pointless. It isn't the topic of value that is pointless, it is the thread since each and every person involved has a different frame of reference and a different perspective on what qualifies as "value".

That's right value is personal. NCL told me the service and amenities I'd receive for the price paid. Now they keep stacking increase in increase but with no additional service or amentities, to me and my personal value system, this is a net decrease in value. You perceive things differently. That does not make this topic pointless and it does not make me wrong and you right. It means we are expressing our perspectives. We have different expectations. If NCL told me service was worth $12 it was worth $12. If they want to say it is now worth $13.50 I say okay well what am I getting? If it's $12 service it is worth 12.

Ding - Ding - Ding - Ding! 100% correct! That is really the whole point in a nutshell.

 

 

Which just goes to show how pointless it is to even have threads on these types of topics.

I asked if service or amenities improved to go along with increased costs. It looks like the answer is no. Some people mind. Some people do not mind. We are all having a nice debate about it.

NCL set certain expectations when they accepted my money. Now they are raising expectations but will fail to deliver. I think sharing various points of view is valid. That does not make this a pointless thread at all. I disagree with some of your viewpoints but I am not dismissing your point of view.

How can we say we aren't getting more without determining if we need or deserve more?

 

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NCL haven't said we get more. If we pay more why wouldn't we deserve more? No one needs a cruise. This is not basic living

That is an interesting topic...How much improvement would you say is needed before the charges are "reasonable"? What exactly is the cut-off for "reasonable"?

 

Who gets to define "reasonable"

 

How much more are you willing to spend assuming that the price increase comes with a service increase?

 

Should "reasonable" under one person's budget mean that another person with a different budget must then accept it? If not, is there a possibility that there might be someone who considers the current price/level of service "reasonable"?

All great questions. Really great. What I am getting at is they are charging more so are we getting more in return? If service and amenities have not increased at all the value has gone down with increased charges. If service and amenities improve as a result of these charges at least you get more than a slap in the face out of the deal.

There are lots of apologists for the price increases but they never can point out any service or amenity improvement. So is there no increase for the additional charges?

For all of the increased and new charges being levied, what are the improvements for guests? More cabin amenities? Had anyone noticed more bar staff or shorter waits?

If there is an improvement in quality I would say some of these charges are reasonable. Are we getting more by paying more? Or are we getting the same but paying more?

Leave him home.

Sticking with our one 2015 in NCL and then never again.

Funny I started a similar thread and it vanished already.

Great Screen Name.

Your uncle worked in the "cheap seats"

 

I worked for Royal Viking - a subsidiary of NCL.

My parents sailed them at least once. They have quite a collection of coffee mugs from various ships. I wish I had been able to try some of the smaller lines before they disappeared or got swallow up.

My uncle says he got paid to drink and have "relations" all over the Caribbean for 5 years. He was 20 when he started. I can only imagine.

When we cruise on Disney, I try to get a cabin as far away from the laundry room as possible. The last thing I want is to have my cabin constantly smell like the exhaust port from the dryers, or suffer the eye irritation from the laundry detergent that some people use.

 

Much happier, and healthier not to have that toxic amenity available.

If they were pumping the dryer vent into your room you'd sleep really well. Too well. [emoji33] [emoji33] [emoji33]

Google is your friend if you want answers like that.

My uncle worked on ships for Carnival from 1976 through 1981 and I called him and he laughed when I asked about $27 a day. He said the cruises were only about $400 a week. I'd love to see that too. If you have it could you share with the test of us that are curious to see.

A member of our community has a service animal and has never been in a cruise due to some mobility issues but really is excited to book Getaway. She had a service animal and wanted to know

A. What paperwork she needs

B. What facilities does the ship provide for service animals.

I could not find anything in a quick search but I am posting mobile.

Hi

It's clear, they give you 50$ credit to use in the specialty restaurant but do I need to spent it in just one restaurant?

 

Thanks

No.

There is no price increase for me. I get the UDP.

Didn't UDP do up in price this spring and has now been replaced going forward by SDP? How do costs compare across UDP pre and post increase? Is SDP more or somewhere between?

I think that is the key. Do the bartenders and servers actually receive the 18% forced gratuity? NCL takes the money and doles it out or doesn't - we don't know. Our perception about the quality of service is irrelevant. On land, I avoid restaurants with mandatory grats because I tip dependent on the level of service provided. Only once in my life have I left nothing and frequently leave in excess of 25%. If I pay the tip, I have the right to determine how much and to whom. Instead, our tips are likely lining management and shareholder pockets.

NCL take some off the top for crew programs. Of the remaining amount some portion is given to eligible staff members at a rate consistent with the companies own internal performance metrics. The better the staff members performance the more they can earn. The company only guarantees a minimum and no one knows what the performance metrics are based on or the tier levels needed to unlock XYZ percentage of the pooled funds. The Fox guards the Hen house

Well thanks for letting me off the hook, it is very kind of you, since I never said they got a raise, but thanks nevertheless.

You told someone to consider it maybe a raise. And that is very wrong. It is a revenue stream.