Freestyle 2.0 - What changed over 1.0?

[GoodToGo]

For those of you who have cruised since NCL initiated Freestyle 2.0, what changes have you noticed and is it any better, about the same, or worse (in your judgement)? Any feedback welcome. Thx.

[bakerintn]

Per the NCL Press release in December 2007--Maybe we should comment on what was actually done vs. what they said they would do.

 

-------------

 

NCL will immediately begin to roll out Freestyle 2.0 fleet wide. Highlights of the different onboard initiatives include:

• Freestyle Dining:
  
  • An increased investment in food of $50 million before we deliver our first F3, equating to a 20 percent increased investment in food per passenger per day plus major fleet-wide capital investments;
    
  • Lobster Galore - Lobster in the main restaurant on multiple days and in one restaurant every night of the cruise; not lobster tails, but there is lobster in there somewhere
    
  • A signature specialty dish in every restaurant (i.e. 48oz Porterhouse in the steak house, chocolate fondue tower in the action station restaurant)
    
  • An enhanced nighttime dining/ambience in the action station restaurant with table cloths, muted lighting and enhanced service; I did not see table cloths in the buffet on Pearl.
    
  • One or two alternative restaurants open for lunch on sea days; for suite guests
    
  • A new and expanded room service menu; yes
    
  • A "bubbly welcome" - a welcome aboard glass of bubbly for everyone; yes
    
  • A Taste of Freestyle on embarkation day - samplings from all of the specialty restaurants; yes
    
  • A major hardware investment to bring all buffets to Norwegian Gem/Norwegian Pearl "action station restaurant"; I think that they are still working on that
    
  • An investment in back of house to refine the reservations process and system. ???
    

  [*]Stateroom Experience:

  • An upgrade in bedding and sheets, pillows, duvets; yes
    
  • An upgrade in towels and bathrobes; yes
    
  • An upgrade in in-room amenities including coffee maker and expanded TV offerings; yes
    
  • Addition of sofa beds to suite categories. yes
    

  [*]Balcony and mini suites

  • A distinctive colored key card for ship wide recognition; yes
    
  • An "at your service" hotline;
    
  • A separate check-in for balcony and mini suite guests; yes
    
  • A personal escort to stateroom; ????
    
  • Priority disembarkation. ????
    

  [*]Suites and Villas: No experience here

  • All suites and villas to have concierge and butler service
    
  • Welcome champagne in suite/villa;
    
  • Upgraded canapés every day;
    
  • Private breakfast/lunch in Cagney's Restaurant
    
  • An exclusive concierge lounge;
    
  • Priority disembarkation;
    
  • Priority restaurant reservations;
    
  • Dedicated Butler presence in the Courtyard*;
    
  • Private breakfast/lunch in the Courtyard*.
    

  [*]Onboard activities:

  • An enhanced educational, entertainment and lifestyle program - NCL "U":
    
    • A range of new classes such as Improv, organic cooking, bartending, sommelier, etc.; Yes
      

    [*]An enhanced Health and Wellness program;

    [*]An enhanced Pool Deck experience:

    • Entertainment taken upscale
      
    • Drink flags on all deck chairs I have not seen these
      
    • Pool of indulgence - Evian spritz, cold towels, etc. ???
      
    • Quiet zones and times I certainly did not see this
      

  [*]Past Guest Latitudes program:

  • A new program with various tiers rewarding both spend and frequency;
    
  • A new range of tangible, meaningful and deliverable benefits; actually, seemed to be reduced
    
  • A staffed concierge lounge for Latitudes members.
    

[hamrag]

For those of you who have cruised since NCL initiated Freestyle 2.0, what changes have you noticed and is it any better, about the same, or worse (in your judgement)? Any feedback welcome. Thx.

 

Simply the strategy behind the change was income generation....you will be inundated with flyers for various things which incur an additional charge!

 

Is it any better?......probably about the same overall, although the food standard is not as high as other lines operating in the same market. This can be overcome by going to the alternative pay restaurants.

[andrewjb1]

We found 2.0 to be mostly 'window dressing' and marketing spin. Same product, slightly refined.

[MrLee]

Is it any better?......probably about the same overall, although the food standard is not as high as other lines operating in the same market. This can be overcome by going to the alternative pay restaurants.

 

Shouldn't you have sailed under 1.0 or in other ships to make this comparason?

 

Your profile only shows you sailing on the Jade of all NCL ships and it went to 2.0 when it bacame the Jade.

 

If I'm wrong in any way please correct me...I do confuse easy. :D

[terrymtex01]

OP I have to say we have enjoyed the benefits of 2.0. I feel that they only improved what NCL already offered. We have sailed twice before 2.0 and twice after 2.0 and I have to say that we have been so pleased with 2.0 that it is hard to remember being without those things before it went into play. The biggest change I would have to say is the beddings and bath accessories. Specifically for the bath the towels. I always thought NCL had nice fresh new towels, however since 2.0 they are bath sheets. Literally the biggest bath towels I have ever seen. I also always thought the mattresses on NCL were extremely comfortable, would even compare the comfort to a 5 star hotel, IMHO, but they are even better since 2.0.

 

I do believe that advanced Lattitude members have suffered with the release of 2.0 in the reduction of their benefits, but I honestly don't know if that is related to 2.0 or the economy.

[d man]

We found 2.0 to be mostly 'window dressing' and marketing spin. Same product, slightly refined.

Agree 100%

[johnjovi]

I agree that the changes to 2.0 have increased my satisfaction with the NCL product. As terrymtex said, the bedding mattress and duvets are very, very comfortable!

 

We have also had the lobster in the main dining room - overall it is good - and you can order more if you want!

 

I have yet to experience the "expanded tv offerings" - I am hoping on our upcoming trip on the Spirit we will see more tv channels than just CNN, TNT, ESPN, Cartoon Network, and the same old ship channels showing the same things over and over. Really one of my only complaints is with the tv channels!

[saleandsail]

OP I have to say we have enjoyed the benefits of 2.0. I feel that they only improved what NCL already offered. We have sailed twice before 2.0 and twice after 2.0 and I have to say that we have been so pleased with 2.0 that it is hard to remember being without those things before it went into play. The biggest change I would have to say is the beddings and bath accessories. Specifically for the bath the towels. I always thought NCL had nice fresh new towels, however since 2.0 they are bath sheets. Literally the biggest bath towels I have ever seen. I also always thought the mattresses on NCL were extremely comfortable, would even compare the comfort to a 5 star hotel, IMHO, but they are even better since 2.0.

 

I do believe that advanced Lattitude members have suffered with the release of 2.0 in the reduction of their benefits, but I honestly don't know if that is related to 2.0 or the economy.

 

I concur; especially about the bedding.

[njhorseman]

I concur; especially about the bedding.

 

 

I also agree. The bedding is a big step up in comfort and quality.

[hamrag]

Shouldn't you have sailed under 1.0 or in other ships to make this comparason?

 

Your profile only shows you sailing on the Jade of all NCL ships and it went to 2.0 when it bacame the Jade.

 

If I'm wrong in any way please correct me...I do confuse easy. :D

 

You are indeed correct, and not confused on this occasion!

 

At the time of our sailing, and this was confirmed by Senior officers at the M&G, they were in the process of transitioning from Freestyle 1.0 to 2.0 This was the subject of many discussions during our 2 week cruise, and there were a considerable number of people who had cruised many times with NCL. That was why I used the "probably" word as the general conclusion was that it was about the same overall. My comment about food is borne out of personal, and fairly wide, cruising experience!

 

One thing I did notice, you have not expressed an opinion...do you have one?

[sottovoce]

Anyone who claims not to have noticed an improvement with 2.0 simply does not want to see an improvement. And NCL's dining room food is at least comparable with what we were served on HAL and Celebrity. Much of what's been written on this thread deserves :rolleyes:.

[MrLee]

I have to agree with others...the new bedding is awesome. I wanted to take it home with me but none of my bags was big enough. :D

 

On the other hand, I don't see where the improvements to the latitudes are. Maybe I'm missing something.

[packercruising]

I concur with Saleandsail's concurring. :)

[coaster]

It still amazes me this 2.0 information that NCL was putting out in press releases and it was never stated the Norwegain Majesty was an exception to most of these upgrades. You can only think they should of covered themselves from any possible false advertising claims with some type of small disclaimer in the press releases.

[scchasgal]

It still amazes me this 2.0 information that NCL was putting out in press releases and it was never stated the Norwegain Majesty was an exception to these upgrades. You can only think they should of covered themselves from any false advertising claims with some type of small disclaimer in the press releases.

 

I guess they can get away with that since they don't own the ship. They did most of the Freestyle 2.0 upgrades except for the beds being replaced they are rock hard.

Keep in mind too if you look at the listing of the 2.0 upgrades not everything has been done on every ship even now.

[coaster]

You and I know NCL does not own the Majesty. The average cruiser who books a cruise with NCL on the 'Norwegian' Majesty would think otherwise. It is not their responsibility to come to sites like this and research that the NCL ship they are going on is actually owned by Louis Cruise Lines. Why place the burden on the passengers? A disclaimer would be the only ethical way to account for the lack of 2.0 on the Majesty.

 

There is no excuse for any feature of 2.0 still missing from any NCL ship. The 2.0 features were officially announced a year and a half ago in the press release below.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_031208_Freestyle2.0

[coaster]

Anyone care to comment on this comprehensive list of published 2.0 upgrades? Are the Plasma screens in the Library broadcasting news with free coffee and tea for real?

 

* Freestyle Dining:

o A "bubbly welcome" - a welcome aboard glass of bubbly for everyone;

o New menus with expanded choices in every restaurant;

o Lobster Galore - Lobster in the main restaurant twice per cruise and in every specialty restaurant every night of the cruise;

o Lavazza coffee in all Java Cafes and top suites;

o A signature specialty dish in every restaurant, including the following:

+ Le Bistro: Côte de Boeuf, a 32-ounce premium gold angus rib eye steak; Plateau de Fruits de Mar, a cold seafood platter including mussels, lobster tail, shrimp and raw oysters on the half shell; and Cardinal of the Seas, a braised Maine lobster;

+ Italian: Osso buco, lobster ravioli;

+ Cagney's: Broiled lobster tail, 32oz Porterhouse, Surf & Turf, Alaskan king crab legs;

+ Tex-Mex: Warm lobster tacos;

+ Asian: Szechuan stir-fried lobster tail;

+ Action Station: Chocolate fountains;

o The action station restaurants will also receive a world-class salad bar, soft serve ice cream machines, and improved service and nighttime ambiance with tablecloths and candlelight;

o A new and expanded room service menu.

* Stateroom Experience:

o Elemis bathroom amenities;

o Bliss Collection by NCL memory foam mattress toppers;

o Pillow upgrade and addition of Euro pillows to all beds;

o Upgraded linens;

+ All beds will receive a top sheet.

o Expanded mini-bar options and item customization option;

o Upgraded room service menus.

* Balcony and Mini Suites, all of the above plus:

o Special color keycard;

o Escort to stateroom on embarkation day;

o Bathrobes;

o Customized Fruit Menu;

o Fresh-baked cookie at turn down on last night of cruise;

o Priority Restaurant Reservation and Reception hotlines.

* Suites and Villas, all of the above plus:

o Designated platinum color keycard for ship-wide recognition;

o Personal escort to stateroom on embarkation;

o Bliss Collection by NCL bedding;

+ Upgraded mattress, linens and feather pillows.

o MP3 Player connections or docking stations;

o Pillow Menu with choice of six different pillows;

o Plush Bathrobes;

o Priority Restaurant Reservation and Reception Hotlines;

o VIP Breakfast & Lunch in Cagney's;

o Private Breakfast & Lunch with action station set-up in Courtyard for Villa Guests;

o Dedicated Butler in Courtyard.

o Bottle (or Half Bottle depending on category of suite) of Moet Chandon White Star Champagne upon embarkation;

o Customized Fruit Menu;

o Customized Canapé Menu;

o Lavazza Coffee Makers;

o Fresh-baked cookie at turn down on last night of cruise.

* On-board activities:

o An enhanced educational, entertainment and lifestyle program - NCL "U" - offering a range of new classes in:

+ Humor hosted by Second City;

+ Food, wine and spirits;

+ Destination education;

+ Digital Age and technology.

o Library transformed into a coffee shop atmosphere with:

+ Implementation of honor system for book borrowing;

+ Complimentary coffee and tea;

+ Plasma screens (muted) broadcasting news.

o Enhanced nightlife with new party experiences, such as:

+ NCL's White Hot Party;

+ NCL's Monte Carlo night.

o An enhanced Pool Deck experience:

+ Entertainment taken upscale;

+ Relaxing ambient music;

+ Drink flags on all deck chairs;

+ Pool of indulgence - Evian mists, cold towels, etc.;

+ Designated quiet zones.

o Exciting sports deck programming;

o X-box game consoles in video arcades;

o Expanded and increased flexibility of Kids Crew hours;

o Enhanced Teen Centers to include:

+ X-box game consoles;

+ Nintendo Wii;

+ Table games such as foosball, billiards and air hockey.

[hamrag]

Anyone who claims not to have noticed an improvement with 2.0 simply does not want to see an improvement. And NCL's dining room food is at least comparable with what we were served on HAL and Celebrity. Much of what's been written on this thread deserves :rolleyes:.

 

The MDR food on the Jade did not even begin to compare with our experience on HAL Noordam and Celebrity Century. Neither would we have expected it to as both HAL and Celebrity are a star rating above NCL.;)

[terrymtex01]

You and I know NCL does not own the Majesty. The average cruiser who books a cruise with NCL on the 'Norwegian' Majesty would think otherwise. It is not their responsibility to come to sites like this and research that the NCL ship they are going on is actually owned by Louis Cruise Lines. Why place the burden on the passengers? A disclaimer would be the only ethical way to account for the lack of 2.0 on the Majesty.

 

There is no excuse for any feature of 2.0 still missing from any NCL ship. The 2.0 features were officially announced a year and a half ago in the press release below.

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_031208_Freestyle2.0

 

I actually can understand if they have not rolled every thing out to every ship at this point. The economy is not today what it was when they announced 2.0. They may have very well have had to cut back on the roll out for economic reasons. I couldn't blame them a bit for that. I do agree, however, that they should have let folks know that it did not apply to the Majesty. Until it was posted on this thread I had never even heard that before.

[GoodToGo]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. Most appreciated. We like the Freestyle "concept" so I don't expect we'll be disappointed that everything has not been initiated as planned. Maybe some other components of 2.0 will be in place by our 11/7 cruise on the Pearl. If not, we're still counting down the days and anxious to be on the high seas again.

 

Have a great day and HAPPY PATRIOT'S DAY (9/11)! (and this has no reference to the New England Patriot's). We should never ever ever forget.....

 

 

GoodToGo

[Planer's Edge]

The MDR food on the Jade did not even begin to compare with our experience on HAL Noordam and Celebrity Century. Neither would we have expected it to as both HAL and Celebrity are a star rating above NCL.;)

 

Who's rating system? I would not rate Celebrity any higher than NCL. Although I have not sailed the Century I have sailed the Millenium and Summit which I believe are newer than the Century.

 

But, then again you state "My comment about food is borne out of personal, and fairly wide, cruising experience!", you compare one of Celebrity's older ships to one on NCL's newer ones. I compare similar ships and cannot find much of difference between the two. Go figure?

 

PE

[snorklinbarb]

Some of the things on the list were rolled out but didn't work out. For example, the drink flags on the pool chairs. Apparently they were flying off and creating hazards so that idea was canned.

 

They tried linens & elec. candles up in the Garden Cafe at night but we were told it didn't work out either.

 

So not everything on the list is in effect as of today.

 

The "quiet" zones around the pool I think refers to NCL dropping a lot of the pool "contests" like Sexy Legs or Mr. Hairy Chest. Not sure where that stands.

 

Don't know about the Majesty but there's new bedding around the fleet - there's been many comments on CC about the Italian manufacturer of the mattresses as some would like to buy them. Agree with those who say the beds are just incredibly comfortable now with nice linens (and top sheet & duvet), too.

 

As for Latitudes benefits they did add a few things to platinum like a bag of laundry & Behind the Scenes tour so not sure I'd call it a cutback. Wish they would add some internet minutes as a perk.

[hamrag]

Who's rating system? I would not rate Celebrity any higher than NCL. Although I have not sailed the Century I have sailed the Millenium and Summit which I believe are newer than the Century.

 

But' date=' then again you state "[i']My comment about food is borne out of personal, and fairly wide, cruising experience![/i]", you compare one of Celebrity's older ships to one on NCL's newer ones. I compare similar ships and cannot find much of difference between the two. Go figure?

 

PE

 

You compare your Celebrity experiences in 2001/2002 to recent (i.e. since F 2.0) NCL experiences....mmmmm!!!

[Planer's Edge]

You compare your Celebrity experiences in 2001/2002 to recent (i.e. since F 2.0) NCL experiences....mmmmm!!!

 

I was comparing food as you were in the post I quoted. Since you actually read my signature you will see that I had NCL cruises that were in a similar timeframe.

 

My other point was that you were comparing an older Celebrity ship with a newer NCL ship, and you call that a "fairly wide cruising experience"?

 

Now who is picking nits??