I keep reading that NCL tries to "nickel and dime" their passengers

[Urban trekker]

I think we have nickel and dimed this subject and thread for a lot more than its worth.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Bridge Maven]

While I agree that we are now paying extra for many things that were included in the basic cruise fare in the past, the basic cruise fare is a lot less than it use to be. This is true for all of the mass market cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

 

My gut feeling is that their marketing experts did research which led them to believe that more people would rather have relatively low cruise fares with a la carte extras than higher cruise fares with more included in them.

[Tucker in Texas]

While I agree that we are now paying extra for many things that were included in the basic cruise fare in the past, the basic cruise fare is a lot less than it use to be. This is true for all of the mass market cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

 

My gut feeling is that their marketing experts did research which led them to believe that more people would rather have relatively low cruise fares with a la carte extras than higher cruise fares with more included in them.

 

I have to agree and, personally, enjoy the cheaper fares and willing to give up various "freebies" to keep them low. I do wish they would offer a daily NY Times newsletter, though, for a fee. We just got off a trans-Atlantic and could have been at WWIII for all we knew. We have kept the internet busy since being home when we have heard about something we knew nothing about and have to look it up to find out what they are talking about. Not knowing how some of the conference championship football games (and other sports teams) turned out was frustrating until we wandered up and down the Promenade and found someone on the internet who told us.

 

While I don't mind them cutting out perks, I do mind the way the food has just about dropped to the school cafeteria level. The good thing about it is that I'm not putting on the 5-10 pounds I used to do :) but I miss eating special dishes that I looked forward too and trying new dishes.

 

Tucker in Texas

[cbaby]

We are by no means Pros at cruising but remember a polite no or no thank you can go a long way. Our next cruise is on the Dawn on 2/7/.09.It will be our 5th overall on two different lines. We go to have a good time together, and don't let the naggie crap ruin our trip. If I wanted to worry about that stuff I would stay at work

[sottovoce]

While I don't mind them cutting out perks, I do mind the way the food has just about dropped to the school cafeteria level. The good thing about it is that I'm not putting on the 5-10 pounds I used to do :) but I miss eating special dishes that I looked forward too and trying new dishes.

Strange. On our last two Spirit cruises in September and October we had beef Wellington, rack of lamb, prime rib, and lobster in the main dining room--and that's just what I remember offhand. Don't often find those in a "high school cafeteria." I'd say those are "special dishes," but, I suppose, some people are never satisfied.

[Hockey19]

Tucker in Texas- there is this thing called TV and they have CNN and ESPN (ok it's international which means other countries involved) but news can be obtained. I'm not sure my cruise depends on "staying in touch".

[Bridge Maven]

Maybe I am in the minority but one of the things I love about cruises is that it is the only vacation where I really get away from the stress and responsibilities of everyday life by choosing not to have access to my cell phone, the internet, or a newspaper. As soon as our ship leaves I turn off my cell phone and don't put it on again until the end of our cruse. I do the same with the internet and the only exception to my rule is checking our flight the day before we are scheduled to fly home to insure the time hasn't changed and to facilitate check in at the airport.

[Tucker in Texas]

Tucker in Texas- there is this thing called TV and they have CNN and ESPN (ok it's international which means other countries involved) but news can be obtained. I'm not sure my cruise depends on "staying in touch".

 

On our trans-Atlantic (November 28-December 13) ESPN was showing football games played the first week of September over and over and over again. Oakland/San Diego and Giants and somebody. No college at all even old ones. They showed tennis matches played last summer, soccer (not being into soccer don't know if they were recent or not) and other sports but they were all a month or more old.

 

On CNN and Fox, mostly "shows" rather than straight news (be it international or not) and some of that were repeats from days before. Amanda Knox and Tiger were the big "news" and the same story/interview would run several times a day dated three days before. They did have a "ticker" that ran across the bottom of the television that had up to date news--one word at a time--so we huddled in front of that so we could read it. The only "sports" on the ticker were the BCS bowl line ups.

 

Maybe on Caribbean cruises it is different but we haven't been on any for several years.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Tucker in Texas]

Strange. On our last two Spirit cruises in September and October we had beef Wellington, rack of lamb, prime rib, and lobster in the main dining room--and that's just what I remember offhand. Don't often find those in a "high school cafeteria." I'd say those are "special dishes," but, I suppose, some people are never satisfied.

 

O.K., maybe I was a little harsh but what you get in the pay-for restaurants is what you used to get in the MDR. I am referring to Royal Caribbean's food and not the other lines because RCI is all I have been on since 2007. No rack of lamb or beef Wellington in the MDR, prime rib was thin and overcooked, "free" steak you needed a buzz saw to cut, chicken breast dry and rubbery, and the lobster was burned! We took a picture of that and sent it to the head office. No reply. It seemed like the same dishes every night with different names. They are big on pasta, chicken and salmon. I will say that the appetizers, soup and desserts are certainly better than Luby's and I made my meal out of them more than once and left very satisfied. We budget in two or three means in the alternative restaurants now and that extra cost more that compensates for the low fares.

 

Used to be I would take a beating before going to the Lido for dinner. Now, I find I am going several times on a cruise (we do two-week ones) after checking out the MDR menu and not finding anything that "floats my boat" because they have a larger selection, salad bar, and other things that you can graze some of which is in the MDR that night.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Planer's Edge]

O.K., maybe I was a little harsh but what you get in the pay-for restaurants is what you used to get in the MDR. I am referring to Royal Caribbean's food and not the other lines because RCI is all I have been on since 2007. No rack of lamb or beef Wellington in the MDR, prime rib was thin and overcooked, "free" steak you needed a buzz saw to cut, chicken breast dry and rubbery, and the lobster was burned! We took a picture of that and sent it to the head office. No reply. It seemed like the same dishes every night with different names. They are big on pasta, chicken and salmon. I will say that the appetizers, soup and desserts are certainly better than Luby's and I made my meal out of them more than once and left very satisfied. We budget in two or three means in the alternative restaurants now and that extra cost more that compensates for the low fares.

 

Used to be I would take a beating before going to the Lido for dinner. Now, I find I am going several times on a cruise (we do two-week ones) after checking out the MDR menu and not finding anything that "floats my boat" because they have a larger selection, salad bar, and other things that you can graze some of which is in the MDR that night.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

That is really too bad that RCI has cut back on their food the way you say they have. Interesting but others from RCI come here and say the food on their first NCL cruise was so bad compared to what they can get on RCI. But, as Sotto stated you can get Beef Wellington, Rack of Lamb, Prime Rib, Braised Lamb Shank, and others in the main dining room aboard NCL. Come on over and try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.

 

PE

[sottovoce]

O.K., maybe I was a little harsh but what you get in the pay-for restaurants is what you used to get in the MDR.

We're talking about NCL here, and the main dining room food is just fine.

 

We, by the way, sometimes "graze" in the buffet before or after dinner to try interesting-looking offerings.

[cowtowngals]

We just returned from our first ever cruise and I didn't feel at all nickeled and dimed by NCL. Our TA informed me ofthe $12/day/person when I booked. It was also in the package I got from NCL with my luggage tags.

 

Sure I was offered drinks while sitting by the pool or waiting for a show and even at dinner, I had the option to say no if I so chose so didn't find it annoying at all.

 

We only went to BINGO once and while the prices seemed high I don't frequent BINGO Halls so don't know what would be reasonable. We just bought less cards.

 

I didn't think the announcments were outrageous or out of control. There would be one BINGO message per day always 15 minutes prior to the game. There was a shopping seminar announcment here and there but I didn't feel like I was getting the constant attention K-Mart shoppers announcements.

 

We only saw photographers at the ports and a couple of times in the dining rooms and on deck. They set up for formal night, New Years Eve and another night but you have the option of going or not and no one says you have to buy the photos they snap of you. I found the photographers far more intrusive last year when we went to Disneyworld and the photos were comprable in price.

 

We ended up not going to any specialty restaurants as there was always something on the MDR menus that appealed to us. However, we would have tried one if the MDR hadn't had something we liked.

 

I think people need to be prepared to pay for extras or be willing to forgo them if it isn't in the budget.

[sottovoce]

We just returned from our first ever cruise and I didn't feel at all nickeled and dimed by NCL. Our TA informed me ofthe $12/day/person when I booked. It was also in the package I got from NCL with my luggage tags.

 

Sure I was offered drinks while sitting by the pool or waiting for a show and even at dinner, I had the option to say no if I so chose so didn't find it annoying at all.

 

We only went to BINGO once and while the prices seemed high I don't frequent BINGO Halls so don't know what would be reasonable. We just bought less cards.

 

I didn't think the announcments were outrageous or out of control. There would be one BINGO message per day always 15 minutes prior to the game. There was a shopping seminar announcment here and there but I didn't feel like I was getting the constant attention K-Mart shoppers announcements.

 

We only saw photographers at the ports and a couple of times in the dining rooms and on deck. They set up for formal night, New Years Eve and another night but you have the option of going or not and no one says you have to buy the photos they snap of you. I found the photographers far more intrusive last year when we went to Disneyworld and the photos were comprable in price.

 

We ended up not going to any specialty restaurants as there was always something on the MDR menus that appealed to us. However, we would have tried one if the MDR hadn't had something we liked.

 

I think people need to be prepared to pay for extras or be willing to forgo them if it isn't in the budget.

You have to wonder why everyone can't be this level-headed. Seems to me the last sentence above applies to just about everything in life.

[bonniltc]

Thank you Cowtowngals & Sottovocce-you summed up what I feel.

No one is forcing anyone to spend more than they want.

What I find irritating is people complaining about the $12/day service charge. It's a bargain in my eyes. If I went to tip for all of my meals, snacks & room steward, I would be tipping alot more than that per day. I have seen people bragging on these boards that they got their $12 service fee removed from their bill because they were upset with something. Come on, did every crew member do something wrong to not deserve a tip-really? I have seen people post that the cruise lines should pay the crew a decent wage so that they didn't have depend on the tips-fine, they could do that, but our up front cost would be higher. Many have complained that they like to tip the people individually. On Freestyle Cruising, that would be impossible, people that have been helpful would be left out. I think of the fellow on my last cruise who insisted on bringing my tea to my table in the buffet for me. For my last NCL Cruise I budgeted extra money to tip extra to the folks who made my cruise special.

Thanks for listening.

[pieshops]

the people who complain about the 12 dollar a day tipping are the ones who on a traditional cruise skip the last night in the dining room so they do not have to tip

[pieshops]

the people who complain about the 12 dollar a day tipping are the ones who on a traditional cruise skip the last night in the dining room so they do not have to tip

[Tucker in Texas]

That is really too bad that RCI has cut back on their food the way you say they have. Interesting but others from RCI come here and say the food on their first NCL cruise was so bad compared to what they can get on RCI. But' date=' as Sotto stated you can get Beef Wellington, Rack of Lamb, Prime Rib, Braised Lamb Shank, and others in the main dining room aboard NCL. Come on over and try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.

 

PE[/color']

 

I will be on the POA this summer so we'll see. I wasn't unhappy with the food on our 19-day Dream trans-Atlantic. I'm really not a picky eater. If I don't have to buy it, prepare it, clean up after it and it doesn't come out of a bag with arches, I'm a happy camper. Since my husband is a meat and taters eater and don't mess it up with any sauces or "foreign matter," I look forward to anything that is not Plain Jane or something he won't eat like lamb or liver. I have been taking RCI's trans-Atlantic cruises since the fall of 2007, one over the pond, one back--five in all. On each subsequent cruise, I see the food quality and choices being chipped away at although the beef was a little better this last one but then we got the burned lobster (lol).

 

By the way, read the review that was just posted on the main Cruise Critic Board about the food on the Dawn. So it is all a matter of taste (pun intended). What is gourmet to one person is garbage to another.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Tucker in Texas]

That is really too bad that RCI has cut back on their food the way you say they have. Interesting but others from RCI come here and say the food on their first NCL cruise was so bad compared to what they can get on RCI. But' date=' as Sotto stated you can get Beef Wellington, Rack of Lamb, Prime Rib, Braised Lamb Shank, and others in the main dining room aboard NCL. Come on over and try it out for yourself and let us know what you think.

 

PE[/color']

 

I will be on the POA this summer so we'll see. I wasn't unhappy with the food on our 19-day Dream trans-Atlantic. I'm really not a picky eater. If I don't have to buy it, prepare it, clean up after it and it doesn't come out of a bag with arches, I'm a happy camper. Since my husband is a meat and taters eater and don't mess it up with any sauces or "foreign matter," I look forward to anything that is not Plain Jane or something he won't eat like lamb or liver. I have been taking RCI's trans-Atlantic cruises since the fall of 2007, one over the pond, one back--five in all. On each subsequent cruise, I see the food quality and choices being chipped away at although the beef was a little better this last one but then we got the burned lobster (lol).

 

By the way, read the review that was just posted on the main Cruise Critic Board about the food on the Dawn. So it is all a matter of taste (pun intended). What is gourmet to one person is garbage to another.

 

Tucker in Texas

[kevinmg]

 

To the OP: I find that most of the complaints from people accusing NCL (or any other line) of 'nickel and diming' are from those wanting everything they personally enjoy to be included in their fare and everything they do not personally enjoy to be somehow hidden from them. I have NEVER, in four cruises with NCL, felt 'nickel and dimed'. I have never experienced the 'annoyingly overattentive' drink sellers and have gotten quite a few of my own drinks directly from bartenders rather than wait for a server. I have heard announcements for things I am not interested in - like bingo - as well as announcements for things I AM interested in - no doubt being heard by many passengers who felt about them the same way I do about bingo.

 

When I read most of the 'nickel and dime' complaints, I see one consistent common thread - the poster's personal desires are being 'imposed' upon: they have to pay for something they want, or they're offered something they don't want. They appear to be completely oblivious to the fact that they aren't the only passengers on the ship and while they might want a full sized Maine lobster for dinner, everyone who doesn't is very glad that it hasn't been added to their cruise fare; by the same token bingo is always full, so clearly someone on board is interested in those 'annoying' announcements.

 

So, go with the expectation that the cruiseline is doing their best to cater to EVERYONE on board, which includes bingo players, heavy drinkers, art auction fans, emerald buyers... and all sorts of other people interested - or NOT interested - in many different things. The fact that NCL offers such a diverse assortment of options is something I personally LOVE; I can pick and choose what I want and leave what I don't. :)

 

I agree with everything you've said. We've recently finished our first cruise and once we got used to the numerous invitations to spend our money we were fine and actually found lots of free fun things to do by checking the Freestyle Daily. The entertainment staff work very hard at catering for all tastes and we enjoyed a variety things including quizzes, game shows, basic languages classes. etc, etc. If we didn't want a drink at any of these sessions we just said "no thanks" and that was the end of the matter.

 

The cruise line tries to keep the headline price down to encourage bookings and then makes money by providing opportunities for passengers to spend on board, but it's our choice whether or not we do.

[newmexicoNita]

I agree with everything you've said. We've recently finished our first cruise and once we got used to the numerous invitations to spend our money we were fine and actually found lots of free fun things to do by checking the Freestyle Daily. The entertainment staff work very hard at catering for all tastes and we enjoyed a variety things including quizzes, game shows, basic languages classes. etc, etc. If we didn't want a drink at any of these sessions we just said "no thanks" and that was the end of the matter.

 

The cruise line tries to keep the headline price down to encourage bookings and then makes money by providing opportunities for passengers to spend on board, but it's our choice whether or not we do.

 

you are completely right, except for the auto tipping no one has to spend money on a ship, it is an individual decision. Some spend nothing, some spend their extra bucks in the casino and others on specialty dining or ship excursions for starters. I prefer to see the price stay down and let me decide where I want to spend the extra budgeted money.

 

Nita