kdzkatz

This is what happens when you lower the prices....either by fare, 3 & 4th guest sail free, UDP, UBP or any other "bonus"

 

Low cost cruise = low class passengers

 

I wish they would do away with these things and just charge "the fare".

Wow is that a pretentious uneducated blanket statement! :eek:

Elite? Nope. In no way did the OP give me that impression. Unless you might be one of their encounters?

I believe he was responding to the ridiculous "looking down her nose at the common people" comment(s) made by MsTabbyCats.

My wife and I ordered it in 2014 on the Jewel and it did nothing for us. Neither of us care for fat on our steak. If you like fat you will love it. If you don't, I advise you pass on it. The steak for one in Le Bistro is great and much leaner.

Hopefully they will finish the Alaska 2017 itinerary's next week as well.

My issue is the deception by NCL implying it is a gratuity which common sense would dictate is towards the direct service you get from the staff not covered by the DSC. My gripe is the use of the term 'gratuity' when in fact it is a charge or a fee.

We are far from impressed with the changes the have been going on since Del Rio took over. We have enjoyed NCL but we will certainly be exploring other options to cruise with. If we find a better situation we are outta here and if we don't we will stay and continue to enjoy ourselves. The scumbags and clueless ones in corporate have not oozed into the actual cruise experience for us. Leading up to the cruise is like the alter ego to the cruise itself. Don't bother asking anyone at NCL anything as they don't know. That is a fact proven time and time again from my personal experience. CC is a much better source.

Will the up charge apply to people with the old UDP?

I look forward to seeing the answer to this. My parents have the UDP on our upcoming cruise to Alaska.

Now that they are charging for it I am hoping they will be a much higher quality then what they were serving in the MDR's. I wasn't sure if I was eating a small prawn instead of a lobster tail when it was inclusive. :p;)

We had the UDP 2 years ago and had no problem getting in when we wanted anywhere on the Jewel to Alaska. This last year was terrible. Most restaurants showed fully booked but there were many empty tables. The UDP promoted people booking at multiple restaurants for the same day and time and then they would just go to the one they wanted and be a no show for the others. We liked the UDP (being able to have a couple small meals at different restaurants i the same night) but not the consequences of it (hard to get in specialties and noticeable drop-off in quality of food).

It would be nice if they finish the 2017 cruise schedule. I'm waiting for a specific one and as always no one at NCL has a clue.

We are not big drinkers and that seems to be the perk they are baking into the price above all. I think those that don't drink or drink very little would like a different option to choose, pick a perk and if you want cash it in for half it's value towards your cruise. So if the value of the UBP is $1000 you could choose to cash that in for a $500 discount on your cruise fare and you would not have the UBP. That seems to be a fair compromise that still holds on to some of the way it used to be.

I would prefer they not be offered. What I see, and perhaps it's industry-wide, is a lessening of the experience. Much like Spirit Airlines, where they have a cheap fare, but it only includes your a$$ and gas. I wouldn't fly with them. Those marketing tactics don't appeal to me. I'd rather they just increase the fare and keep things simple. More choices doesn't always equal a better experience or outcome. But, if you like it...I'm fine with that, too. I know that companies make decisions all the time to try to increase revenue. Some I may like and some I may not like.

 

Eh, either way, we have a cruise booked for September....and I'm really looking forward to it.

You got half of your wish as NCL has definitely increased the fare but they aren't keeping things simple. FEE$TYLE is here to stay I'm afraid. :( Time will tell.

It's a slippery slope. If it is successful I can see them deciding to continue lowering the quality of the "included" food to get people to pay more in what was an inclusive dining venue. I'll tell you what, if I pay extra for something in the MDR it better be worth it or I will be sending it back until it is what I expect (I am reasonable so I am expecting the most amazing surf and turf in my life). I was glad they got rid of what they passed off as a lobster tail as it was such a disappointment. I do like that they will offer surf and turf in the MDR but if they are charging extra is better be MDR lobster 2.0 and not that thumb sized tough stuff.

I really wish NCL would eliminate the SDP or UDP as a freebee. It's totally changed the way you cruise, and taken away the Freestyle aspect of NCL. Part of the beauty of the set up was that you could decide what you feel like eating that day and what time you feel like eating and do that. If you slept until 11:00 on a sea day and had lunch at 2:00, your 6:00 dinner reservation is pretty much a waste.

 

Judging by how often there are lots of empty tables in the restaurants, I wonder how many groups with the SDP/UDP book several options for each night and refine it as the week goes along, locking up tables until the 24 hour cancellation period. I know one group who did this and when I asked why they would do that, they said "we know how to play the game". I clearly don't know how to play the game, but perhaps many others do.

 

When you board in the first group, and go to the Concierge to book a restaurant for that night and are told you that you can only have 5:30 or 9:00 for the entire week's meals, I think there's a problem with that, especially when same Concierge, same ship two months earlier, we either walked into wherever we wanted to go, or called them up a couple of hours ahead.

 

New people who don't come here and don't know to book the day that the reservations are available online are annoyed onboard when their package is all but useless, but if you are a seasoned NCL cruiser who hasn't cruised in the last year, you also don't know that the situation has totally changed.

I TOTALLY agree with you about the dining perk ruining the specialty experience. We purchased the UDP in 2014. The food was AMAZING and we never had a hard time getting a table. Last May when the "freebie" UDP's were rampant the food was good but a BIG drop-off compared to the year before. Everything also showed booked up just about every time slot.

Since we have not eaten in the MDR since 2013 NCL is making is much easier for us to re explore it again. I'm not optimistic about their a la carte program either. I have yet to see a change in the last year or so that wasn't completely in favor of NCL and at the expense of the passengers (with the exception of them offering the Asian specialty as inclusive).

With NCL raising their rates I will more than likely raise my expectations. I certainly hope they will be able to deliver.

Some people get extra perks at no additional cost and yet they still want to complain. :rolleyes:

You think these perks come at no additional cost? A 7 day Alaska cruise in a forward penthouse is several thousand dollars more than our 9 day was in May 2015. I think I can buy a couple drink packages and dining packages for less than $3000.

NCL used to give us a choice if we wanted beverage and or dining packages. Now they bake them into the price and we no longer have that choice.

I would ask you to take off your rose colored glasses but if you choose to be blinded from reality it is probably just as well since there is no control over this unless everyone stopped cruising NCL. That is not going to happen and their awful marketing scam is not a deal breaker for us at this time. Once it is, we will take our business elsewhere.

Ah!! The habitual complainers are still here in the new year. Welcome back. Or, please go to the RCCL or Princess or Celebrity line thread of your choice. If you find a cheaper cruise, including specialty restaurants, and your drinks, BUY IT. I doubt you will.

When you include all this stuff I think you are right they are hard to beat. I do hope someone picks up where NCL is leaving off and offers down a stripped down cruise with a low starting price and then give me the choice if I want the drink package, dining package, ect. It is so obvious they are simply baking in the price of these "free" perks into the price. My fingers crossed their marketing approach is unsuccessful so they don't continue it.

I am intrigued to see how the a la carte concept works for my DW and me on our upcoming cruise. The pricing is going to be a big part. I did notice last May on our cruise the UDP seemed to affect quality of food and ease of getting a table, both were far worse than the year before. I do hope eliminating the UDP and taking this path that quality goes back up and it doesn't require the necessity to make reservations further out like had to be done last year (unless you wanted to wait quite awhile many times).

If you like it how it is now you better hurry up and book. Anymore they change their policies more than a hospital nursery changes diapers :eek:

They also are far from free. We had a SE forward penthouse on the Jewel for our last Alaska cruise and we didn't have any of these perks....oh and our room was $3000 less! I hope NCL pays the price for what they are doing and return to how it used to be but unfortunately I don't see that happening. Cruising is getting much more popular. Supply and demand.

I'm confused, too. If you have a dining package, you don't have to look at prices on the menu. So you've lost me. Sorry.

Wether I'm paying the prices on the menu there will be prices listed for each item for those purchasing item a la carte. It will look like the same 'ol menu you get on land. I have always enjoyed the mostly non existent price tags attached to menu items while on a cruise. That was something that separated it from other vacations to me. That is me and how it makes me feel. If it doesn't bother others that is fine too. It is simply a change (yet another) I am not going to look forward too.

I will know when I have had enough when I no longer cruise with them. Weather I try others or look into other ways to enjoy my time off I will decide when that time comes. I just know if they keep going the direction they are going it is likely sooner than later I will make changes of my own. :)

I get that (and agree to a large extent). I've cruised on NCL enough over the last few years to understand the changes.

 

What I don't understand is the bit of your post where you say about having to look at the menus to see how much each meal is going to cost. If you have the dining package then surely that isn't an issue.

I'm sorry that my post is a little scattered. :o I'm not really even sure what the dining package is evolving into. It used to be where you could prepay for a few restaurants pre cruise. Then it turned into the Ultimate Dining Package where you could eat in as many specialties as often as you want (there were limited restrictions on entree's per day in certain restaurants). Now it is the Specialty Dining Package which I think is kind of how it was before the Ultimate Dining package (except they didn't bake into your cruise fare and not give you a choice of having to pay for a perk you didn't necessarily want like they are now doing). I have read reports where Platinum members free meals will now only be one appetizer, one entree and one desert. That is fine as we personally don't eat too much at any one meal but it is another devaluation of loyalty. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop that the included (you still have to pay the gratuity as NCL no longer does) dining package will have the same restrictions.

I really enjoy the "sticker shock" of reading a menu when we get back from our cruise as there are prices for everything on it. I personally enjoy the escape of seeing how much each item of food will cost me. This may sound like I am being contradictory when I say I am not a fan of the dining a la carte when I am a big fan of the cruising a la carte NCL used to offer. I guess maybe with the enormous price hikes they have had recently the last thing I want to see is them holding their hand out for more money.

Prices right now are consistently several thousand dollars more for the same penthouse we had just last May. We were in an aft penthouse a few years ago and now the aft balconies cost more than it did.

Either make it all a la carte (like it was not too long ago) or all inclusive. I'm getting dizzy trying to figure it out. :confused::confused::(:(

I'm a bit confused. You say about getting the beverage package and wifi which you don't want, so why not take the dining package and then you can eat in the a la carte restaurants on some nights and not have to worry about the prices.

We cruise in suites about half the time and when you get a suite you are stuck with all 4 of these perks (which many people like). NCL used to be more stripped down and let you decide what you wanted to pay extra for. Some people like to eat more while others drink more. Then there are others that don't do too much of either. You had a lot more control over what you wanted your cruise experience to be. I feel like they are fixing something that wasn't broken. I'm sure many like the changes, we are a couple that aren't thrilled with the changes that have gone on over the last year or so.

I sure wish NCL would figure out what their plan is! They claim they want to make their cruises have a more all inclusive feel and in the same breath talk about how the specialty restaurants are going a la carte. One of the things I enjoy about dining at see is the fact there are very few prices on the menu. So if I book a suite they roll in their beverage package into the price even though I rarely drink. They want to give me wi fi so I can stay connected when my main thing is to unplug and get away from all that tech stuff....sigh. Now I will have to look at prices all over the menu and be thinking about how much each thing is going to cost. It's really starting to feel MUCH different than it did just a couple years ago.

I know if I don't like I don't have to cruise with them. What is a shame is we loved NCL when we first tried them in 2008 and that is why we are taking our 8th cruise in 9 years with them. Unfortunately much of what we fell in love with seems to be going away. Goodbye "Freestyle" as I'm afraid "FeeStyle" is here to stay....sigh. :(

when I was in the escape the MDR "featured" prime rib and lobster both available at an additional fee ......

lol well if they intend on charging for certain items in the MDR they had better step up their game with the lobster. Back when they used to have lobster tails they were very very small. I would have demanded my money back for what I got.

Hi Seasprite, cannot say what the Breakeaway is like, but we sailed on the Jewel directly under near the bridge, and whilst I was ok my wife did have disrupted sleep.

 

This was mainly very early in the morning hours, when there seemed to be a shift change of some sort. Not thumping but you could clearly hear foot steps etc.

 

We did say to the captain that he has a heavy stomp and to wear slippers, he just laughed and said he would remind all crew to be mindful, but did not really help.

 

It did not ruin our holiday, the cabins at the front are the best, and I would put up with the captain stomp again.😀

 

Cheers mark

We also had a room directly under the bridge on the Jewel this last May and we did hear some footsteps from time to time. It never bothered us and we hope to hear them again in one of our upcoming cruises as that is now our favorite spot on the ship. :)

I was told that at guest services. What a shame? I didn't get any service nor I request any.

You should be expecting a lump of coal in your stocking in a couple days....at least deserving of it.....

What are those dates? I was looking at the Seattle to Vancouver on the Jewel, September 23, 2017.

Leaving Seatle beginning with a cruise through the Inside Passage followed by calls in Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, and Sitka, Alaska; Prince Rupert, British Columbia; plus a cruise to Sawyer Glacier and Glacier Bay and ending in Vancouver

 

Harriet

I'm with you! This is the one I was by far most interested in. I wish it was a little earlier in the season but the itinerary makes up for that. We have always cruised in May and it would be interesting to see Alaska during a different time of year.

There is also supposed to be a 10 day in September on the Jewel that is not listed yet that I think hpecorari was referring to. I would really like to see that one. I wonder why all the other Alaska itinerary's are listed but not that one?

I have to say I am not impressed one bit with the prices. We did a 9 day in May of this year in a forward penthouse (SE) and it was thousands less than the SF on the upcoming 8 day. That was really pushing it for us and was a real splurge. I know the prices are on NCL's website and I hope the 3rd parties prices can take a chunk out of them somehow.

Also not a fan of you getting a "perk" but then having to pay on top of it such as the gratuity on the beverage package. It was not long ago it was inclusive. I do hope we see some positive changes on our upcoming cruise this May as there was a noticeable drop off in the quality of many things over the year before. This last cruise was still our favorite of the 7 to Alaska that we have taken but if they are going to push prices up as much as they are I expect to see very noticeable changes for the good.

If not we will be exploring other cruise lines. We don't really want to but the product we fell in love with seems to be changing and so far not in a good direction. Fingers crossed NCL comes through on the other side of this mess and we can see why they did it.

Sorry for the rant :o