Some changes that I'm not fond of - Getaway 6-10 6-17

Hello all. We just got back from a Western Carib on the Getaway and have some thoughts to share.

My wife and I have cruised NCL twice before (Dawn and Escape) and found much of the Getaway the same. The staff was excellent, our mini-suite was well appointed and taken care of and for the most part the food was top notch. The shows were entertaining and we had a great time. This was a cruise to celebrate both our daughters respective graduations form high school and college. Also along were my folks.

La Cacina and Tapenaki were the best we have ever had. Our hibachi chef was the best and the food and service in La Cacina were unbelievably good.

Howl at the Moon is always a hoot. On the last night the cast from Million Dollar Quartet came in and tore it up. We shut the joint down with them and it was a blast. Sadly my folks went to bed too early and missed it.

Now the bad: I play at a pretty high level in the casino. A VERY high level actually. But since casino status resets in April and this was my first cruise since April I was starting over on my ranking. Not a problem as it has always been that way in the past. The problems started when I ordered a top shelf drink but was told I could only have beer or wine or 'simple' mixed drinks. Not really sure why a vodka rocks was allowed but a martini was off limits; there is relay not much difference. In the past I would call the pit boss over and they would give the signal and I would be okayed for whatever I wanted. Not so anymore. I don't know if it's across the entire line or just this ship but they stuck to the 'policy' like glue. No top shelf until 15000 points were accrued. I played hard all week and still only cracked 6000 points. Not sure what I would have had to do to crack 15000 in a week. And that brings me to my next irritant in the casino. In the past after a day or two of demonstrating my play the host staff would come over and ask 'What can we do for you'. I don't like to be greedy but I do like to get some extra comps. Not so in this case. Now they did send a bottle of wine and some truffles to our suite but it was nothing to write home about. I am used to getting free couples massages, extra specialty dining, ect from the casino at my level. Again, not on this ship. I hope this is not indicative of a change on all ships. I did get a pretty nice cash credit at the end of the trip from the casino but that didn't do me any good when I was so parched and thirsty. FYI, they beat me this time but I've beat them in the past so it's about a wash.

I also do not like the auto / continuous shufflers on the tables. In the past at the $25 and $50 tables they had a hand shuffle show. Now the only way to get a hand shuffle was at the $100 table. Not happy about that.

My last gripe about the casino came towards the end of the trip. I complained to the pit boss about the drink situation and she suggested that maybe if I tip a little more the wait staff would help me out. That really set me off. First I DO tip the wait staff very well. Second I should not have to bribe someone to get what I expect in the first place. Bad form!

Our only bad dining experience was in Taste. The staff was disorganized and confused. Our orders were wrong, steaks were overcooked, and they changed me for drinks I did not order. They did fix the drink issue the next day but still, should not have happened.

I'm not giving up on NCL. We bought Cruise Next deposits and already put them down for a Havana 4 day over NYE. The Casino did comp almost all of that one for us (save for the deposit I already paid) so they have gotten some goodwill back. Havana will be open bar so I should not have a drink issue on that trip.

Over all it was a good cruise with just a few major irritants. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

On my last cruise in Jan on the jade top shelf was still available thru cas however I believe that cas is changing how they do things so your experience doesn't surprise me. They are no longer offering (so I was told last week) comped cruises longer than 7 days and no longer offering paid upgrades to suites. I was also told they are no longer using theoretical losses as a basis for cas offers so I have no clue how the program actually works now.

The automated shufflers were only on the lower limit tables on the jade in January I think just the $6 and $10 tables. The rest were hand shuffled.

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Wouldn’t the drink package as a perk for 18 bucks a day fix the drink issue?

Not necessarily. I believe the op was talking about alcohol that is not covered under the ubp unless you pay the difference. Cas in the past comped all those drinks if you were a "high roller"

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He may not be the high roller he thinks....or obviously, things have changed..I have noticed a little tipping goes a long way..

He may not be the high roller he thinks....or obviously, things have changed..I have noticed a little tipping goes a long way..

To me someone that plays “really high” is already playing black chips, but that’s just me I guess. For others “playing big” is $5 hand.

On my last cruise in Jan on the jade top shelf was still available thru cas however I believe that cas is changing how they do things so your experience doesn't surprise me. They are no longer offering (so I was told last week) comped cruises longer than 7 days and no longer offering paid upgrades to suites. I was also told they are no longer using theoretical losses as a basis for cas offers so I have no clue how the program actually works now.

The automated shufflers were only on the lower limit tables on the jade in January I think just the $6 and $10 tables. The rest were hand shuffled.

 

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Very interesting! When did you talk with CAS? (In mid-April I had no problem booking with them....it seemed same as prior offers.)

Do you just play tables? (wondering if they are tightening up on those comps.)

I used to play video poker on board but odds were so bad I switched to slots and now earn more points per cruise with decent comp offers.

 

Now the bad: I play at a pretty high level in the casino. A VERY high level actually. But since casino status resets in April and this was my first cruise since April I was starting over on my ranking. Not a problem as it has always been that way in the past......

 

My last gripe about the casino came towards the end of the trip. I complained to the pit boss about the drink situation and she suggested that maybe if I tip a little more the wait staff would help me out. That really set me off. First I DO tip the wait staff very well. Second I should not have to bribe someone to get what I expect in the first place. Bad form!

 

I'm not giving up on NCL. We bought Cruise Next deposits and already put them down for a Havana 4 day over NYE. The Casino did comp almost all of that one for us (save for the deposit I already paid) so they have gotten some goodwill back. Havana will be open bar so I should not have a drink issue on that trip.

 

I'm surprised they didn't honor the Tier status you had for the prior year. I ended last year as Ruby and on our April Escape cruise was given Ruby benefits. Something is truly mixed up if they made you 'start over' from the status you had the prior year. If you aren't sure what your Tier status is prior to a cruise you can send an email to CAS and they will verify it for you.

And I totally agree...you shouldn't be told you need to over-tip in order to get the top shelf drinks that come with CAS Tier status.

Hope your next cruise is great....Enjoy:cool:

Hello all. We just got back from a Western Carib on the Getaway and have some thoughts to share.

 

 

My wife and I have cruised NCL twice before (Dawn and Escape) and found much of the Getaway the same. The staff was excellent, our mini-suite was well appointed and taken care of and for the most part the food was top notch. The shows were entertaining and we had a great time. This was a cruise to celebrate both our daughters respective graduations form high school and college. Also along were my folks.

 

 

La Cacina and Tapenaki were the best we have ever had. Our hibachi chef was the best and the food and service in La Cacina were unbelievably good.

 

 

Howl at the Moon is always a hoot. On the last night the cast from Million Dollar Quartet came in and tore it up. We shut the joint down with them and it was a blast. Sadly my folks went to bed too early and missed it.

 

 

 

Now the bad: I play at a pretty high level in the casino. A VERY high level actually. But since casino status resets in April and this was my first cruise since April I was starting over on my ranking. Not a problem as it has always been that way in the past. The problems started when I ordered a top shelf drink but was told I could only have beer or wine or 'simple' mixed drinks. Not really sure why a vodka rocks was allowed but a martini was off limits; there is relay not much difference. In the past I would call the pit boss over and they would give the signal and I would be okayed for whatever I wanted. Not so anymore. I don't know if it's across the entire line or just this ship but they stuck to the 'policy' like glue. No top shelf until 15000 points were accrued. I played hard all week and still only cracked 6000 points. Not sure what I would have had to do to crack 15000 in a week. And that brings me to my next irritant in the casino. In the past after a day or two of demonstrating my play the host staff would come over and ask 'What can we do for you'. I don't like to be greedy but I do like to get some extra comps. Not so in this case. Now they did send a bottle of wine and some truffles to our suite but it was nothing to write home about. I am used to getting free couples massages, extra specialty dining, ect from the casino at my level. Again, not on this ship. I hope this is not indicative of a change on all ships. I did get a pretty nice cash credit at the end of the trip from the casino but that didn't do me any good when I was so parched and thirsty. FYI, they beat me this time but I've beat them in the past so it's about a wash.

 

 

 

I also do not like the auto / continuous shufflers on the tables. In the past at the $25 and $50 tables they had a hand shuffle show. Now the only way to get a hand shuffle was at the $100 table. Not happy about that.

 

 

 

My last gripe about the casino came towards the end of the trip. I complained to the pit boss about the drink situation and she suggested that maybe if I tip a little more the wait staff would help me out. That really set me off. First I DO tip the wait staff very well. Second I should not have to bribe someone to get what I expect in the first place. Bad form!

 

 

 

Our only bad dining experience was in Taste. The staff was disorganized and confused. Our orders were wrong, steaks were overcooked, and they changed me for drinks I did not order. They did fix the drink issue the next day but still, should not have happened.

 

 

I'm not giving up on NCL. We bought Cruise Next deposits and already put them down for a Havana 4 day over NYE. The Casino did comp almost all of that one for us (save for the deposit I already paid) so they have gotten some goodwill back. Havana will be open bar so I should not have a drink issue on that trip.

 

 

Over all it was a good cruise with just a few major irritants. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

sorry for your bad experience in the casino. I am sure, many here, including myself are having trouble comprehending what you are saying as we don't gamble that much, but you have every right to rant. I do not blame you. And to be honest, your post is very fair. Hopefully it will help others to understand the casino changes. And for anyone to make a comment about how much you do or do not tip for drinks is rude. Shame on her. BTW, I happen to be a generous tipper. Now, if you are not tipping at all, shame on you.

Very interesting! When did you talk with CAS? (In mid-April I had no problem booking with them....it seemed same as prior offers.)

Do you just play tables? (wondering if they are tightening up on those comps.)

I used to play video poker on board but odds were so bad I switched to slots and now earn more points per cruise with decent comp offers.

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What I read here is that NCL did great, but the people that lease and run the casino did not give away as much to OP as he felt he was entitled. When did we become entitled?

we can you find out how many points you have?

What I read here is that NCL did great, but the people that lease and run the casino did not give away as much to OP as he felt he was entitled. When did we become entitled?

Just curious what play it took to get 6,000 points. How many hours of play did you invest during the 7 days? My play is similar to yours as i dont play black but green and can get upto 300 or 400 a hand if i am hot

I have been on the Getaway twice, and both times were less than stellar. I would not go out of my way to book that ship again.

What I read here is that NCL did great, but the people that lease and run the casino did not give away as much to OP as he felt he was entitled. When did we become entitled?

I don't think it's entitled as much as it is conditioned. The casinos, with their effort to lure and retain the best gamblers, have conditioned those gamblers to expect perks. I am not a gambler, but, I suspect the perks are a very important part of the reason high rollers are there.

I talked with them just last week and 98% of my play was on tables However I happened to hit an 8K jackpot after only investing $50 on a slot machine on the last night of the cruise...that didn't begin to touch what I invested on the tables though.

 

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Based on that statement, I am surprised they didn't get whatever you wanted to drink....agree on the Pit Boss comment being out of line....

ugh, i too hate the auto shuffler. $25 tables is my max comfort level even tho i often bet more. $100 table isnt happening.

I don't think it's entitled as much as it is conditioned. The casinos, with their effort to lure and retain the best gamblers, have conditioned those gamblers to expect perks. I am not a gambler, but, I suspect the perks are a very important part of the reason high rollers are there.

CAS has different Tiers you can reach based on how many points you earn on cruises during their earning period of April 1st to March 31st. With those Tiers you have pre-defined benefits that you should be able to count on. Outside of those pre-defined benefits the Hosts on board can give additional discretionary benefits. After the cruise the CAS land office can decide to offer me another comped cruise.....or not.

I do 'expect' the listed Ruby Tier benefits, but I am often given additional discretionary benefits......that I don't count on! They do not guarantee me my next cruise comp but I'm certainly going to call and ask what they can do for me.

I find it very surprising that if someone has a history of good play onboard for several prior cruises that they would choose to NOT offer another comped cruise. Land based casinos offer you free rooms based on how much they think you will play there in the future and do not generally penalize you for having an extra lucky trip.

Here is a link to info about their Players Club program.

https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/casino-cruise/players-club

Just curious what play it took to get 6,000 points. How many hours of play did you invest during the 7 days? My play is similar to yours as i dont play black but green and can get upto 300 or 400 a hand if i am hot

I really don’t think your bet size comes into pay at all (it is SUPPOSED to, though). I think they either look at the table minimum bet or your first bet, how much you bought in for, how long you played, and how much you cashed out with to determine points.

Slots will give you 5-10 times more points over a similar time frame.

What I read here is that NCL did great, but the people that lease and run the casino did not give away as much to OP as he felt he was entitled. When did we become entitled?

If you are a high roller in a casino you are entitled. It is the way the whole comp system works. I have seen people literally given his and her Rolex watches as a comp. I have also seen people that were flown in on private jets, etc. It is the casinos way of enticing you to come back and give them your money. Of course the above examples happened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

If you are a high roller in a casino you are entitled. It is the way the whole comp system works. I have seen people literally given his and her Rolex watches as a comp. I have also seen people that were flown in on private jets, etc. It is the casinos way of enticing you to come back and give them your money. Of course the above examples happened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Very true....what would be fun would be to be choppered in on board once at sea. Now that would be a comp!!!!!!!

So,,, the OP would have retained their tier status from 2017. If they were only offered basic drinks (green card), then they did not play as much as they through during the prior year. To get Ultra Drinks, you need to be a Ruby player and earn 35,000 points in the prior year. The “extra specialty dinners” kinda went away when they just started giving you OBC. And they tell you, charge it to your room and we’ll comping it at the end of the cruise if your really were a good player.

We traveled with our friends( on this exact same cruise) who are Jade in the casino. We don't gamble though. They played about 4 hours a day and at the end of the trip, they cashed in their points for a 75.00 credit( I was surprised it was so low). They did get an Oceanview room free, but they upgraded to Haven. They also bought Cruise Next certificates and tried to find out if they were eligible( based on their play) for a Balcony room on the next cruise and they would not give them the info. They said they had to call the office when we returned. They wanted to know because that would help them decide how many cruise next certificates to purchase.

This was our first NCL cruise ( first 3 cruises were with X). I was not impressed with NCL. The food was not great. We ate at the buffet, Taste and Tropicana. We also had 3 specialty restaurants included with our cruise. Ocean Blue( 18 per person upcharge), The dinner show at Cirque and Cagney's. I thought the food on Celebrity( X) was much, much better. The pool situation was ridiculous( saving seats) and The Atrium was always crowded and we could never get a seat, even though we arrived 30 minutes before a scheduled event. Charging people 3 bucks for a cheap plastic poncho on the last port day( Cozumel, pouring rain) was also ridiculous. They also would not provide refunds to people who booked beach excursions in Cozumel. We won't take another NCL cruise.

We traveled with our friends( on this exact same cruise) who are Jade in the casino. We don't gamble though. They played about 4 hours a day and at the end of the trip, they cashed in their points for a 75.00 credit( I was surprised it was so low). They did get an Oceanview room free, but they upgraded to Haven. They also bought Cruise Next certificates and tried to find out if they were eligible( based on their play) for a Balcony room on the next cruise and they would not give them the info. They said they had to call the office when we returned. They wanted to know because that would help them decide how many cruise next certificates to purchase.

 

This was our first NCL cruise ( first 3 cruises were with X). I was not impressed with NCL. The food was not great. We ate at the buffet, Taste and Tropicana. We also had 3 specialty restaurants included with our cruise. Ocean Blue( 18 per person upcharge), The dinner show at Cirque and Cagney's. I thought the food on Celebrity( X) was much, much better. The pool situation was ridiculous( saving seats) and The Atrium was always crowded and we could never get a seat, even though we arrived 30 minutes before a scheduled event. Charging people 3 bucks for a cheap plastic poncho on the last port day( Cozumel, pouring rain) was also ridiculous. They also would not provide refunds to people who booked beach excursions in Cozumel. We won't take another NCL cruise.

My neighbors are big fans of Celebrity....but they are older than me by 10 years, mid 60's or so...they say they are most of the time the younger folks on the ship. They like everything old school...same waiter, same time, same place for EVERY meal they eat. I think choices are good....but we have talked about cruising together, and I think their style would drive me crazy, just like mine would them.