Question about bringing guest to Latitude party

Will be traveling on the NCL star next week with my sister and brother-in-law. Both of my family members have never cruise before so I am the coach to see if they like it.

I have cruised many times before and have reached silver latitudes status.

Does anyone know whether I can take a guest to these member only parties?

Good question, out of five of us cruising next month, three are lattitudes....

Invitation is by name and in writing. If you are asking is you can sneak someone in, I'm sure it's possible. However, at times and on some ships not all Latitudes members are invited now because of overcrowding, this is one reason to keep it to only those invited.

So the real answer is no guests. Next cruise they will be Latitudes members and will be able to attend.

I always thought you can bring a guest to the parties. I never had a problem with it. I didn't have to sneak them in there either.

We were just at one and brought guests. Even asked and they said no problem. Just not eligible for the prizes being given away.

At the door, your invitations are collected. These are used for the drawings that are held during the latitude party. Otherwise, no one is checked as you enter the area to determine latitude eligibility.

On a recent Spirit cruise I went to the Latitudes guy in his office and explained that as I was a latitudes member and my sister on her first cruise ever was not, would it be possible for me to bring her along. Of course he said please do.

I am not the sort of person who does things without asking the relevant people first and thought it was the decent thing to go and ask.

So we went, we enjoyed our drinks and I volunteered to take part and answer a question to win a prize. My sister says he picked me because we had been in his office a few hours earlier and had shown ourselves to be fun people. I don't know how but I managed to name every NCL ship and win a photo album. As a bonus we made some new friends when some other ladies came to tell me that they were amazed at me answering the question as they thought it very hard.

The Latitudes party is by invitation only and is intended to be a "welcome back" to previous passengers and thus is not for those who are sailing for the first time. Can they not survive without your company for 30 minutes to an hour?

These events are already crowded enough. On out last cruise, the lounge was packed. If everyone feels they are entitled to bring a "guest", it will soon become unmanageable and will be discontinued by NCL.

IMO it is rude to bring uninvited guests to a party, even if you rudely inquire if you may, and are still welcomed by NCL staff who bend over backwards not to offend rude passengers. Just MO.

I'd guess that when they invite passengers and send out the invitations, they most likely expect 2 people per cabin to attend, so if you're a member and your cabin mate isnt', I'd bring him/her. Also, it's not that big a deal like you're getting invited to the Queen's Catillon...this past Feb our group of 24 was on a cruise and 20 were Latitudes members, only 4 went. The rest said, "No....it's really NOT that big a deal and I'd rather be doing something else"

OK I see I was rude for asking. I didn't feel entitled and if the answer had been no I would not have pressed the point or attempted in any way to change the decision as that would have been rude. I called to see the appropriate person and very politely asked if it were possible. That's all, just a friendly conversation that both saw as common courtesy.

OK I see I was rude for asking. I didn't feel entitled and if the answer had been no I would not have pressed the point or attempted in any way to change the decision as that would have been rude. I called to see the appropriate person and very politely asked if it were possible. That's all, just a friendly conversation that both saw as common courtesy.

You were not rude for asking! It was a reasonable question.

The problem I have with these kinds of questions, whether it be re breakfast and lunch at Cagney's for non suite guests and now the Latitudes reception, is the attitude by many that an exception should be made for ME.

And you have now seen it, right here on Cruise Critic, that no, they don't mind at all if you bring a few extra people, they said it was no problem!

It has already been mentioned that the number of past guests attending on some cruises is large enough that crowding sometimes occurs, or the group has been split into 2 separate parties in order to accommodate, or maybe Bronze latitudes don't get invited at all.

The Latitudes party is only a way of selling future cruise credits so I don't think they will disallow anyone from attending.

So many people get hung up on this idea that something is being taken from them if someone else is extended a perk that they didn't pay for or "earn". If I take a travelling companion who isn't in a suite to Cagney's, instead of or in addition to the companion who is in a suite, or if I take a non-Latitudes travelling companion to the Latitudes party, how is this taking anything away from or otherwise infringing upon anyone else?

The Latitudes party is by invitation only and is intended to be a "welcome back" to previous passengers and thus is not for those who are sailing for the first time. Can they not survive without your company for 30 minutes to an hour?

 

These events are already crowded enough. On out last cruise, the lounge was packed. If everyone feels they are entitled to bring a "guest", it will soon become unmanageable and will be discontinued by NCL.

 

IMO it is rude to bring uninvited guests to a party, even if you rudely inquire if you may, and are still welcomed by NCL staff who bend over backwards not to offend rude passengers. Just MO.

It's a gathering to sell you FCC and give you a few free drinks. It's not a real party. There's nothing exclusive about it. Using your analogy, though, it's also rude and tacky to invite only one half of a couple to a party, so I'm sure NCL would never go so far as to exclude a potential "first cruise" spouse/partner.

So many people get hung up on this idea that something is being taken from them if someone else is extended a perk that they didn't pay for or "earn". If I take a travelling companion who isn't in a suite to Cagney's, instead of or in addition to the companion who is in a suite, or if I take a non-Latitudes travelling companion to the Latitudes party, how is this taking anything away from or otherwise infringing upon anyone else?

The problem is that we don't live in a bubble. Just because you (or I) don't see the consequences, doesn't mean there aren't any.

Put the shoe on the other foot...

Let's say that YOU are going to have a dinner party and you invite 12 of your friends. (Much like NCL is serving a meal to all of their invited Suite and VIP guests in Cagney's).

Time for the party, and your doorbell starts ringing...and lo and behold, each of your 12 invited guests has also decided to bring along 2 friends who weren't on YOUR guest list! I mean...why not, right? It wouldn't be like they were taking anything away from or otherwise infringing upon anyone else, right?

So here you are...food and provisions for 12 and you have 36 guests. Could you...in the same situation...honestly state that your guests did nothing wrong?

The problem is that we don't live in a bubble. Just because you (or I) don't see the consequences, doesn't mean there aren't any.

 

Put the shoe on the other foot...

 

Let's say that YOU are going to have a dinner party and you invite 12 of your friends. (Much like NCL is serving a meal to all of their invited Suite and VIP guests in Cagney's).

 

Time for the party, and your doorbell starts ringing...and lo and behold, each of your 12 invited guests has also decided to bring along 2 friends who weren't on YOUR guest list! I mean...why not, right? It wouldn't be like they were taking anything away from or otherwise infringing upon anyone else, right?

 

So here you are...food and provisions for 12 and you have 36 guests. Could you...in the same situation...honestly state that your guests did nothing wrong?

That's a flawed analogy, though. My guests would have done something wrong in inviting additional people. If, however, they requested permission to do so, I would know to be prepared for it. We're not talking about inviting people to someone else's cabin, though. We're talking about asking permission to bring a guest to a venue or function on the ship. The ship has the power grant or deny that request. Many on here think that even if the ship grants the request, the request should never have been made and the ship should have said no and they personally are losing something (maybe the "specialness" of the perk they paid for or earned?) because the request was made and granted. Cagney's isn't going to run out of food because you bring a guest. The Latitudes party is not going to run out of free drinks, although someone did have a valid point that the parties often get crowded, so bringing additional people would make it even more so.

I still say even if you ask very politely, it is still wrong to ask.

I would never call someone hosting a wedding reception and say, "You wouldn't mind if my aunt and uncle come along also would you? They are going to be in town and staying with me.". Now you have put the host in an awkward position. Say no and risk offending you, or say yes and foot the bill for extra guests.

NCL is probably not going to risk offending anyone, but there are costs to NCL associated with perks like Latitudes Receptions. ( or Cagneys for suite guests ). I doubt the cost to them is the same regardless of the number attending.

Do extra uninvited guests on an ongoing basis present a risk that at some point they will be discontinued? Could my enjoyment be diminished because of overcrowding? If yes, then the fact that you are there and uninvited DOES impact me.

Most people only go to the party for the free drinks anyway. If I'm traveling in the same room with 1 other person I wouldn't want to leave that person alone or I wouldn't want to attend the party alone. I'm not saying that you should bring a whole clan of people in with you but like a previous poster stated NCL is assuming your traveling with at least 1 other person plus they can see from your reservation how many people are traveling with you. The last latitudes party I attended hardly anyone showed up and we sat around talking amongst ourselves. Plus it was held in the Spinniker lounge on the Jewel so there was plenty of room for everyone and their 1 guest.

I saw more people making sure that they get their free bingo card at bingo for being a latitudes member than the amount of lattitudes members I saw at the lattitudes party.

I can only speak for myself. I have attended in the Spinnaker and there was a crowd. Maybe it was because most of them were not actually invited?

I understand what you are saying, and the odd person here and there is not going to make a difference, but it seems everyone wants to be the "exception".

For the lattitudes party I don't see the big deal about bringing A guest. However...if it was to keep bringing guests into Cagney's (a previous poster added) to eat or Haven area that's a bit much. Those perks are being paid extra for and that I wouldn't want to see happen.

That's a flawed analogy, though. My guests would have done something wrong in inviting additional people. If, however, they requested permission to do so, I would know to be prepared for it. We're not talking about inviting people to someone else's cabin, though. We're talking about asking permission to bring a guest to a venue or function on the ship. The ship has the power grant or deny that request. Many on here think that even if the ship grants the request, the request should never have been made and the ship should have said no and they personally are losing something (maybe the "specialness" of the perk they paid for or earned?) because the request was made and granted. Cagney's isn't going to run out of food because you bring a guest. The Latitudes party is not going to run out of free drinks, although someone did have a valid point that the parties often get crowded, so bringing additional people would make it even more so.

Sorry, but the fact that you can't work through a simple analogy doesn't make it bad.

You feel that YOUR guests inviting other people to your dining room is wrong, but you see nothing wrong with you inviting other people to NCL's dining room (Cagney's)? I'm guessing that you just don't WANT to see it.

I don't know why anyone would think it is OK to bring someone along. If you think you...as the guest who paid to be there...can invite someone along who has not, then why not just "invite" a friend to come along with you on a shore excursion? Who would it hurt?

The key to remember is that YOU are an invited guest. The invitation is not made out to you +1.

Sorry, but the fact that you can't work through a simple analogy doesn't make it bad.

 

You feel that YOUR guests inviting other people to your dining room is wrong, but you see nothing wrong with you inviting other people to NCL's dining room (Cagney's)? I'm guessing that you just don't WANT to see it.

 

I don't know why anyone would think it is OK to bring someone along. If you think you...as the guest who paid to be there...can invite someone along who has not, then why not just "invite" a friend to come along with you on a shore excursion? Who would it hurt?

 

The key to remember is that YOU are an invited guest. The invitation is not made out to you +1.

I can work through the analogy just fine, and it's still bad as we're comparing different things.

I never suggested someone just show up. In fact, I stated that my guests would be wrong to just show up with additional people. What I said was I don't see the issue if permission is asked ahead of time for the Latitudes party, or for Cagney's, for that matter. If NCL says yes, there should be no issue. They're also welcome to say no, and from what I've seen on here, they often do, at least where Cagney's is concerned.

Some on this post think that it's wrong to even ask for permission, but unlike one person's suggestion, we're not talking about asking to bring additional people to a wedding, we're talking about asking to bring additional people to a restaurant or a cocktail party, both of which are sponsored by a very large company that should have more than adequate supplies on hand. It never hurts to ask, and it isn't rude to ask. NCL is a business, not a person, and asking in advance is a bit different than just showing up, and I really hope you can see the difference.

And back to the OP's point/question, if my travelling companion isn't welcome at a Latitudes party because this is their first cruise, while I'm a reasonably loyal customer, I probably won't bother going. Spending time with the person I'm travelling with is a bit more important than going to a sales pitch with drinks, no matter how valuable of a perk some people think it is.

Just curious if the Captain's Cocktail Party for suite guests is also a sales pitch? White Hot Party? Cruise Critic Roll Call Meet & Greet? Port Shopping Seminar.....well, OK. But I've never been pitched anything at any other function that I recall.

NCL is a business after all. If you have a great time on your cruise, you are very apt to book another!

I've been to several of these now and they have never been a "sales pitch" that I've noticed. Each person in the room that is a qualified Latitudes member receives their own invitation. In our case both my DW and I both receive our own invitation. Bringing along someone from another stateroom as the OP was discussing is a bit different. I think what is being suggested is a contributor to why some ships are now excluding Bronze Latitudes members from the get togethers, the groups are getting too large.

The folks that believe that sharing all of the "perks" is fair, should allow everyone else to share their balcony with others that don't have one, share their seat on an excursion with others that didn't pay for the trip, etc. etc. Every "perk" on the ship has a cost of some sort associated with it. If the cruise line didn't care who attended these events, why would they limit them to begin with? Same with Cagney's, why not open it to everyone on board for breakfast and lunch?