Why complain about extra costs?

[maggie5555]

I am new to cruising (one previous RCL cruise) and am really excited about my upcoming Epic cruise. I am booked in a deluxe spa balcony.

 

I just don't understand all the complaining about extra costs on NCL. I researched and read all about it and made my choice. When I was on my first cruise with RCL there were lots of extra costs....why choose NCL and then complain or conversely, not choose NCL because you don't really understand your choices?

 

From what I have read NCL stands out because there are so many MORE choices to pay extra if one WANTS to.There also seems to be much more "free" awesome entertainment! The free dining choices are the same as the major cruiselines...

 

I was so excited about discovering CC and appreciate all the advice I have received. As a non champion of ANY cruise line I can't wait for my Epic cruise and enjoying whatever extras I choose such as the Cirque restaurant,ice bar and bowling, etc. etc. ...bring it on! :D

[pokeypoke]

BINGO! I am so glad you get it:)!

[BaltimoreChickadee]

I think the "negatives" come from the same people that complain and nickel-and-dime everything every day in their life anyway. I was THRILLED to book a cruise that has so many "extra" dining options. And I will gladly pay extra for these services. If people don't like the extra costs, they can eat in the main dining room every night. It all comes down to the ones that are complaining are the ones with the "i want something for nothing" attitude. Me, I plan to rock out and party, and spend whatever it takes to keep my party & enjoyment going!!!

[CanadianTwosome]

BINGO! I am so glad you get it:)!

 

Damn. One number short again! ha ha ha (You beat me to the BINGO!)

 

Maggie, I really don't know. I've never understood it either. There ARE cruiselines that include everything in their fare - but oddly enough the people who tend to complain about the 'extra charges' on other lines (not just NCL) don't seem to want to pay their fares... :rolleyes:

 

I LOVE choice. My money is hard to come by - I have to WORK for it. Ick. Talk about a dirty four letter word, right? ha ha ha

 

Actually, what confuses me more than people complaining about the extra charges in general is the people that come to CC AFTER their cruise and complain about things that were easy to find out about before even booking. Like I said, my money is precious, and there's just no freakin' way I'm going to hand it to someone for a product that I don't already know is going to serve my needs. Even using AirMiles for our flights, cruises cost our family thousands of dollars - and we book 'regular' cabins (as opposed to suites). I can't imagine agreeing to give that much money to anyone without researching what I'm getting - and not getting - first.

 

Anyway, I agree with PokeyPoke; it's nice to see another poster who 'gets it'. :)

[maggie5555]

BINGO! I am so glad you get it:)!

 

Me too !:D

 

I think the "negatives" come from the same people that complain and nickel-and-dime everything every day in their life anyway. I was THRILLED to book a cruise that has so many "extra" dining options. And I will gladly pay extra for these services. If people don't like the extra costs, they can eat in the main dining room every night. It all comes down to the ones that are complaining are the ones with the "i want something for nothing" attitude. Me, I plan to rock out and party, and spend whatever it takes to keep my party & enjoyment going!!!

 

Me too...I LOVE the extra dining options! We can eat different cuisine every night!

 

Damn. One number short again! ha ha ha (You beat me to the BINGO!)

 

Maggie, I really don't know. I've never understood it either. There ARE cruiselines that include everything in their fare - but oddly enough the people who tend to complain about the 'extra charges' on other lines (not just NCL) don't seem to want to pay their fares... :rolleyes:

 

I LOVE choice. My money is hard to come by - I have to WORK for it. Ick. Talk about a dirty four letter word, right? ha ha ha

 

Actually, what confuses me more than people complaining about the extra charges in general is the people that come to CC AFTER their cruise and complain about things that were easy to find out about before even booking. Like I said, my money is precious, and there's just no freakin' way I'm going to hand it to someone for a product that I don't already know is going to serve my needs. Even using AirMiles for our flights, cruises cost our family thousands of dollars - and we book 'regular' cabins (as opposed to suites). I can't imagine agreeing to give that much money to anyone without researching what I'm getting - and not getting - first.

 

Anyway, I agree with PokeyPoke; it's nice to see another poster who 'gets it'. :)

 

I do tend to research stuff:D ( My husband says I research things to death!) he will see me on my laptop and ask WHAT are you researching now??? I am a big Disney/Universal lover and enjoy planning for those trips as well.

 

Perhaps those complainers don't do the research for some unknown reason

( they don't know what the web is??)

or as others have said there will always be complainers no matter what! I also don't understand the ones who complain and join CC after the cruise! DUH...

 

It was not hard to find CC and am so glad I did!

 

Happy informed cruising to all!!;)

[BaltimoreChickadee]

 

 

I do tend to research stuff:D ( My husband says I research things to death!) he will see me on my laptop and ask WHAT are you researching now???

 

 

hahahhaaaaa. same here. my husband sees me surfing the net and he's like "ok, what now? what more did you find out?" hahahaaa...

but he secretly loves it. seems like every vacation, i am like the "tour guide" of our group.....i've already researched to death, so i know where to go, where to eat, what excursions to book, where to get the best prices, etc.

 

and i agree with you when you said you'd never just throw your money away. you are right. we all work so hard for our money, i can't imagine anyone jumping into something without properly researching it. each vacation i go on, i know which flights are the best, which hotels have the amenities i want, which restaurants may or may not be included in all-inclusive resorts, etc. too many people fly by the seat of their pants, book a trip, then complain afterwards when they felt "mislead", but if they only googled info before the trip, they would have known ahead of time the answers to so many of their complaints!!!!

[maggie5555]

hahahhaaaaa. same here. my husband sees me surfing the net and he's like "ok, what now? what more did you find out?" hahahaaa...

but he secretly loves it. seems like every vacation, i am like the "tour guide" of our group.....i've already researched to death, so i know where to go, where to eat, what excursions to book, where to get the best prices, etc.

 

I feel so much better than I am not the only one! HAHA

 

and i agree with you when you said you'd never just throw your money away. you are right. we all work so hard for our money, i can't imagine anyone jumping into something without properly researching it. each vacation i go on, i know which flights are the best, which hotels have the amenities i want, which restaurants may or may not be included in all-inclusive resorts, etc. too many people fly by the seat of their pants, book a trip, then complain afterwards when they felt "mislead", but if they only googled info before the trip, they would have known ahead of time the answers to so many of their complaints!!!!

 

I don't know what we did before googling! LOL..actually I do know..we flew by the seat of our pants and hoped for the best BUT , when it didn't go well we couldn't complain on line:rolleyes:

[CanadianTwosome]

I don't know what we did before googling! LOL..actually I do know..we flew by the seat of our pants and hoped for the best BUT , when it didn't go well we couldn't complain on line:rolleyes:

 

Oh, you are so not the only one! ha ha ha I do travel research every single day. I research the trip I have booked, the trips I'm considering, what to do in each and every city/port I'm potentially visiting, car rentals, hotels, comparisons between car rentals and hotels, shuttles, tours... you get the picture (and no doubt can relate!).

 

In our house, my husband is the live-in tech support. If there are any decisions to be made about our computers, I trust him implicitly to make them. I, on the other hand, am the live-in travel consultant. I actually even used to work as one. Not only do I make all the travel decisions (with consultation of course) for our family, but I am also the acting travel agent for my mother and my sister as well. :) I'm also the tour guide, since of course I've done all the research or I've got pertinent travel experience. I don't even need a map for Disneyworld. :o

 

In addition to the advance research, I book well in advance also. I've got two scuba dives 'on hold' for our Epic cruise. The dive centres aren't actually taking bookings for December yet, though, so that's the all I can do - once they start, I'll be first on the list. ha ha ha It's all part of ensuring that my family and I have the best vacation I can arrange. The two dive centres in question are both unique in that they offer dives that start late enough to get there after we dock. Making sure that we're on those boats is the very best that I can do; anything that happens to interfere after that is beyond my control and I don't let it bother me. There will always be other dives if one is cancelled due to weather; it's not worth our safety and we'll find something else to enjoy while we're not at home working, cooking, cleaning, or freezing our butts in the snow! :)

[BaltimoreChickadee]

I don't know what we did before googling! LOL..actually I do know..we flew by the seat of our pants and hoped for the best BUT , when it didn't go well we couldn't complain on line:rolleyes:

 

so true!!!!

 

and glad to know there are others out there like me, who research their fingers to the bone! we have been to so many locations, from aruba to japan to the british virgin islands....sooo many places. and very often we rent a car, and while driving around, i'll be like "ok, take a left turn after the hard rock cafe and there is free parking there", or "if we drive past the lighthouse there's a public beach on the left", and my travel buddies will be like "how did you know that???".......hahahaa.....and my reply is always the same..."i googled it while researching the vacation!"......hahahaaa!!

 

like i always say to people, you should KNOW BEFORE YOU GO!

if you research, know what is included, know what is not included, and figure out what your costs will be, you will not be surprised or disappointed!

[BaltimoreChickadee]

Oh, you are so not the only one! ha ha ha I do travel research every single day. I research the trip I have booked, the trips I'm considering, what to do in each and every city/port I'm potentially visiting, car rentals, hotels, comparisons between car rentals and hotels, shuttles, tours... you get the picture (and no doubt can relate!).

 

awesome!

 

ok, so maybe you can help me with this question.....how do you go about choosing an excursion at each port? this is my 1st time cruising. there will be 4 of us total (all adults). we want to do something fun at each port, but have heard the excursions booked thru the cruise line are often over-priced. but isn't that price worth it knowing it fits perfectly into the time-span the ship will be docked?

 

i figure to start off, the 4 of us will meet for dinner and talk about which excursions we want to do the most. then go from there. but my question is, should we strictly stick to excursions booked thru the cruise line, or venture off on our own?

 

again, i am a 1st time cruiser so i don't know the best & most efficient way to go about booking excursions. thanks for any advice!

[ddakrt]

NCL gets a lot of bad rap for inventing anytime dining (and thus ruining traditional dining to the traditionalists) and some are still bitter about it.

 

Others don't do much research, go aboard the ship and see stuff they want to do or a specialty they want to eat at but don't realize they carry a cost. Some of these people gets mad about it and goes on to complaint anyway they can while ignoring the fact that NCL has just as many free/included venues as other mainstream lines.

[suehal]

awesome!

 

ok, so maybe you can help me with this question.....how do you go about choosing an excursion at each port? this is my 1st time cruising. there will be 4 of us total (all adults). we want to do something fun at each port, but have heard the excursions booked thru the cruise line are often over-priced. but isn't that price worth it knowing it fits perfectly into the time-span the ship will be docked?

 

i figure to start off, the 4 of us will meet for dinner and talk about which excursions we want to do the most. then go from there. but my question is, should we strictly stick to excursions booked thru the cruise line, or venture off on our own?

 

again, i am a 1st time cruiser so i don't know the best & most efficient way to go about booking excursions. thanks for any advice!

 

 

On the CC website you can click on your destination, then read the threads about the port. People usually provide links to the locals that run the excursions. I have done this many times and have loved the excursions I've taken and saved money too.

 

Sue

[mek]

We booked this cruise because I will be celebrating my 60th B Day and I wanted something totally different that what we normally do. I am really looking forward to all of the dining options, especially the Cirque dinner show. I don't understand the "nickel" and dime" mentality. Either pay for the options or not, but if it upsets you, then pick another ship/line.

[CanadianTwosome]

awesome!

 

ok, so maybe you can help me with this question.....how do you go about choosing an excursion at each port? this is my 1st time cruising. there will be 4 of us total (all adults). we want to do something fun at each port, but have heard the excursions booked thru the cruise line are often over-priced. but isn't that price worth it knowing it fits perfectly into the time-span the ship will be docked?

 

i figure to start off, the 4 of us will meet for dinner and talk about which excursions we want to do the most. then go from there. but my question is, should we strictly stick to excursions booked thru the cruise line, or venture off on our own?

 

again, i am a 1st time cruiser so i don't know the best & most efficient way to go about booking excursions. thanks for any advice!

 

I do this sort of methodically. First, I check out all the excursions offered by the cruise line. Yes, a lot of the time they are more expensive than privately booked excursions, but they can offer more security, or sometimes they have tours that you can't book privately. We've also found one or two that were either less or so close in cost that it was well worth going through the ship for convenience.

 

Once you see what the ship is offering and what their pricing is like, you have an idea of what you can find in each port. Next, as Suehal suggested, you can visit the port of call boards here on CC. There is an abundance of information on all kinds of tours. With all that 'base info', it's time to hit Google. :) Search for the various activities that you thought sounded fun - or search for anything you haven't seen. Coming from a landlocked community, I'm always looking for options that involve the water, and I've found some really great day sails in a couple of locations. Most ports will have websites that list a variety of available activities as well, and again, once you see something that appeals to you, you can do specific searches to find just what you're looking for.

 

Private vs. Cruiseline will always be an ongoing debate. I believe there is added security in booking through the cruise, because if something happens, they will make sure you get back to the ship. If I were going to take a 7 hour tour that involved a long bus ride, I'd book through the ship. For day sails and scuba diving, I feel comfortable booking privately because I'm not so worried about missing the boat. The bottom line is that you want to find a price you're comfortable paying for what you will be getting in return.

 

I should add, I always ask my husband and daughter what they think when I find an excursion I'm thinking of booking. So far, I've never gotten a negative response, but with four adults, you may need to have a few discussions before finding excursions that will work for everyone. Also, remember that just because four of you are travelling together doesn't mean you HAVE to do the same thing in every port. If one couple is interested in ruins and the other thinks they're boring, it's okay to split up for the day - and then you've got stories to tell over dinner. :)

[kikki21]

I also research stuff to death lol... the net can be good and bad. I have used sites extensively such as Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor so I can make informef choices and know what to do to make the best of my holiday with my hard earned money!

That's why people write reviews, hopefully not just about bad stuff but good stuff too.

NCL seem to be giving their customers a lot of choice which is great. I get cruising too.... you can get a great meal in the MDR as nobody is forcing you to eat at a speciality restaurant, that is YOUR choice, I get it, I get it lol!

[pokeypoke]

I think the "negatives" come from the same people that complain and nickel-and-dime everything every day in their life anyway. I was THRILLED to book a cruise that has so many "extra" dining options. And I will gladly pay extra for these services. If people don't like the extra costs, they can eat in the main dining room every night. It all comes down to the ones that are complaining are the ones with the "i want something for nothing" attitude. Me, I plan to rock out and party, and spend whatever it takes to keep my party & enjoyment going!!!

 

This statement rings so true.

When it comes to paying “extra”, most things in life are going to have an extra fee. For example – if you have a house built in a planned community, you are going to pay “X” amount of money for the base price of the house and lot. The house will come with “standard” items that is usually on the bottom end of the quality list. You can take the house “as is” or you can add upgrades such as higher end appliances, fancy cabinets, and granite countertops instead of laminate. These items are a choice and will cost more money if you choose to have them. It would be tacky if someone wanted better or top of the line items and then bitched and moaned because they insisted the home builder nickle and dimed them to death!

Same with a vacation. If you book a WDW vacation that includes hotel, park tickets AND a meal plan, you are still going to pay extra if you want something else – what if you do not like the restaurant/fast food choices the dining plan offers? You will pay EXTRA if you want to eat elsewhere. If you want to play golf you will pay EXTRA, if you want to rent a boat or go horseback riding, it will be EXTRA. Dinner show is EXTRA and so on and so on….!

Same thing with the Epic, NCL or any other mainstream line.

[erdoran]

Oh, you are so not the only one! ha ha ha I do travel research every single day. I research the trip I have booked, the trips I'm considering, what to do in each and every city/port I'm potentially visiting, car rentals, hotels, comparisons between car rentals and hotels, shuttles, tours... you get the picture (and no doubt can relate!).

 

In our house, my husband is the live-in tech support. If there are any decisions to be made about our computers, I trust him implicitly to make them. I, on the other hand, am the live-in travel consultant. I actually even used to work as one. Not only do I make all the travel decisions (with consultation of course) for our family, but I am also the acting travel agent for my mother and my sister as well. :) I'm also the tour guide, since of course I've done all the research or I've got pertinent travel experience. I don't even need a map for Disneyworld. :o

 

In addition to the advance research, I book well in advance also. I've got two scuba dives 'on hold' for our Epic cruise. The dive centres aren't actually taking bookings for December yet, though, so that's the all I can do - once they start, I'll be first on the list. ha ha ha It's all part of ensuring that my family and I have the best vacation I can arrange. The two dive centres in question are both unique in that they offer dives that start late enough to get there after we dock. Making sure that we're on those boats is the very best that I can do; anything that happens to interfere after that is beyond my control and I don't let it bother me. There will always be other dives if one is cancelled due to weather; it's not worth our safety and we'll find something else to enjoy while we're not at home working, cooking, cleaning, or freezing our butts in the snow! :)

 

Which dives are you planning? I haven't gotten far enough to research them yet, would love to benefit fromn your research if you don't mind.....

[BaltimoreChickadee]

You all rock!!!!!!!!!

 

I love this message board! Wonderful tips & ideas!

 

Much obliged!

[ddakrt]

Which dives are you planning? I haven't gotten far enough to research them yet, would love to benefit fromn your research if you don't mind.....

 

Which port are you looking to dive at?

 

I booked with Ramon Zapata ( http://www.aquadventures.com/index.html ) when we were at Cozumel. They are located in Chankanaab park.

When I did my research they got good reviews, unfortunately our dive got canceled because of rough seas and bad weather, but Ramon very quickly refunded our money (in fact he did before we got back home and before we even emailed him!) and he was top notch in communication.

 

So even though we never got to dive with him, I wouldn't hesitate to book them again if I am to visit Cozumel again.

 

Also, if you are ever in St. Lucia, I highly recommend Dive Fair Helen. Those guys were top notch too.

[CanadianTwosome]

Which dives are you planning? I haven't gotten far enough to research them yet, would love to benefit fromn your research if you don't mind.....

 

It looks like you're sailing the week after us, which means you're on a different itinerary, doesn't it? We're going East... so I can tell you what I found for St. Thomas and St. Maarten, but that's not going to help you if you're doing the Western... looks like Ddakrt has some info for you there, though. :)

[erdoran]

Yes, I have Western...so Costa Maya, which we are going to do a Ruins excursion for DH who doesn't dive, but also Roatan & Cozumel. Is the diving especially good at either or both of these destinations, or am not depriving myself (other than being on land, of course!) by doing the typical 4 x 4 island tour excursion with DH? thanks

 

To calibrate you on "especially good" I've dove Tobago, Nassau, BVIs, Moorea but am still a novice.

thanks!

[sjbdtz]

I think the other thing about Nickle & Dime threads can be paralleled to those who lock into fixed mortgage rates vs. those who get variable rates.

 

Ultimately the variable rates (historically) have been proven to be less expensive (equivalent to pay for what you use), but the fixed rates provide a degree of security and consistency (know in advance what you'll have to pay).

 

those who can tolerate change (variable rates) or risk (variable rates) are also those who tend to gravitate toward menu pricing (nickle & dime).

 

 

That's my non-empirical observation....but since both are perfectly acceptable tacks to take, each catering to a different profile, it seems easier to understand some of those who want the former.

 

 

NCL pay attention:

 

Why not offer both modalities?

 

Offer great rates and a la carte pricing as you do today.....but also offer a "Premium Package" which includes wine or other beverages, surcharge restaurants, one or two Bingo games, DSC (so it's not on the onboard charges), and "a" shore excursion in each port?

 

The rate may well be close to double the regular rate, but there will be people who say "NOW I can budget for the trip, knowing what the real cost is going to be". And from your side....you've just locked-in bingo, surcharges, wine, and shoreEx. ...rather than waiting until sailing date & hoping the law of averages is on your side that week.

 

Those who purchase a Premium Package could also get a slightly more VIP treatment....throw-in preboarding, or something as an additional incentive.

 

Instead of sending them e-docs, send them a nicely printed booklet with their tickets, contract, maps, shore-side intel (non-biased if possible), and bar-coded tickets which are redeemable onboard for the services they've pre-purchased.

 

If this is the way people WANT TO BUY from you....why not sell to them this way?

[SueSea]

I just don't understand all the complaining about extra costs on NCL. I researched and read all about it and made my choice. When I was on my first cruise with RCL there were lots of extra costs....why choose NCL and then complain or conversely, not choose NCL because you don't really understand your choices?

 

All of the mainstream cruise lines nickel and dime. People on this board complain about NCL's nickel & diming because that's the last cruise they took. Go over to the other cruise line boards and you will see just as many complaints on this topic. So the question isn't really why all the complaining about extra costs on NCL, but why all the complaining about extra costs on mainstream cruises. Personally, I believe it's due to psychology of marketing. It starts with the cruise fare. Cruise lines advertise their base cruise fares, but that is not your purchase price. They are counting on a low base fare to appeal to consumers, then they gradually bump up the price. First the base fare, then the taxes and fees, then gratuities, then the extras. While there is nothing wrong with this, is it really a surprise that some people get upset when they discover the true price of the cruise?

 

Actually, what confuses me more than people complaining about the extra charges in general is the people that come to CC AFTER their cruise and complain about things that were easy to find out about before even booking.

 

Once people find these boards, they find a wealth of information. But while these boards have a lot of visitors, they are just a small fraction of the cruising public. I bet we have a high percentage of new members who find this board after something unexpected happens during their cruise, and they talk to their fellow passengers about it who inform them about this great website. I have a friend who wants to take her family on their first cruise. She asked my advice, knowing that I have been on a number of cruises. I gave her all the info I wish I had when I was a first time cruiser. I answered the questions she didn't know she had. And she did not know about this website until I told her.

 

Why not offer both modalities? Offer great rates and a la carte pricing as you do today.....but also offer a "Premium Package" which includes wine or other beverages, surcharge restaurants, one or two Bingo games, DSC (so it's not on the onboard charges), and "a" shore excursion in each port?

 

My thought is that they should offer a series of packages. NCL was headed in the right direction with their dining package. Give us some bundled packages to pick from, with a greater discount being given to the higher rate packages. You can buy extras a la carte at a base rate, or purchase a bundled package at a discount. Cruisers feel like they are getting a bargain, and the cruise line increases profitability as not all package-purchasers are going to use everything in their package. If all cruise lines posted their true fares and their package prices, the cruising public would find it much easier to comparison shop.

[muttley]

i'll try to voice the negative pov since i am a person who spends absolutely nothing when i'm on a cruise. btw i'm booked on the epic.

when i'm eating in the mdr or the buffet i'll have to wonder where ncl's priorities are. am i getting the best meal they could have done or are their efforts going into the zillion bars,pay restaurants, bowling alley etc... would their be more free activities like trivia games, lectures, and dance lessons if there wasn't all this pay stuff they want us to do?

i can understand someone pointing out that a big spender may make the cruise cheaper for me because he makes up for what i didn't spend.

but untill i see ncl's prices for cabins become the cheapest in the industry because of this business model there is nothing in this plan that benefits me personally.

[pam2857]

Wait till you compare ncl with rcl worst food and service and extra charges,i never complained about any other cruise till i just got off ncl gem and heard epic just got all their staff from gem and they were the same never go out their way to make a tip or just be nice and english is poor when you ask for a request.