NCL FEE Style cruising

[searay22sd]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

[commission1]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

 

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

 

 

They charged you five dollars to go down a water slide, this must be a mistake, perhaps your child bought an ice cream or a fruity drink or something, I doubt very much that NCL would charge to go down a slide, that is crazy talk.

[turning40withMickey]

You thought NCL charged you more than RCCL?

Brand new to cruising, but as I am researching, I was shocked to discover that RCCL charges for many of the things I thought were free, Johnny Rockets, the flow rider, ice skating, bowling......

 

I looked at the excursions on NCL's island, so I did know the hippo slide comes with a cost, just like snorkelling or jet skiing. I guess I even expected that since it is OFF the ship. I wouldn't have expected to pay for things ON the ship (like the skating or flow rider)

[Shelli]

Did you read about the private island before going? If so, the fee for the slide wouldn't have surprised you and you could have planned accordingly.

 

And have you been to Labadee, RCCL's private island? How much is it to ride the zip line? Lots of $, believe me!

 

All of the cruiselines charge you for "extras." NCL is not the exception to the rule, but neither is RCCL. All things considered, I still think our NCL cruise was a great value for its low cost!

[Shelli]

Brand new to cruising, but as I am researching, I was shocked to discover that RCCL charges for many of the things I thought were free, Johnny Rockets, the flow rider, ice skating, bowling......

 

FYI, use of RCCL's FlowRider and ice skating are included in the price of the cruise. It doesn't even cost extra to rent ice skates.

[newmexicoNita]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

 

and no one ever hid this from you. RCI charges for all the activities on thier private island and HAL does the same. I can't think of a thing NCL charges for that other lines do not. How long ago did you sail RCI and did you visit the private island?

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

 

and no one ever hid this from you. RCI charges for all the activities on thier private island and HAL does the same. I can't think of a thing NCL charges for that other lines do not. How long ago did you sail RCI and did you visit the private island? By the way, there is no way the cost of a balcony cabin could compare to the cost of a grand suite.

Nita

[JohnIreland]

So what did they charge for that RCCL don't ?

[Planer's Edge]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

 

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

 

Wow, all of your previous posts are asking about your upcoming Princess cruise. Why did you not ask any questions here to be prepared for your Pearl cruise?

 

Oh, by the way, you better ask about the extra charges that are coming your way on Princess. They will be very similar to your previous RCI cruises.

 

PE

[turning40withMickey]

FYI, use of RCCL's FlowRider and ice skating are included in the price of the cruise. It doesn't even cost extra to rent ice skates.

 

THanks! I had just read the National Geographic article about "inclusive" cruising and how hard it is to find out the prices of things that "seem" to be included. I thought the flow rider was the "artificial wave surfing" mentioned below.

Copied from the national geographic article:

Some indicate there’s a fee for a product or service without clearly stating that fee. It takes multiple clicks to find the information—if it’s there at all. “The cruise lines advertise these features as if they are included,” says Elissa Fallo, who cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas recently. She poked around the website and cruise forums and found out about the $4.95 per meal upcharge at Johnny Rockets restaurant. She obtained the prices for other activities she wanted to do, like the golf simulator and artificial wave surfing, and pieced together a budget for them.

[AllBoys2002]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

 

Umm you didnt know you were paying extra 'until you got the bill' ?? Me thinks not, considering YOU would have to SIGN for each and every purchase assigned to that bill.

 

It was at that point it was YOUR CHOICE to say no thank you, yet....you chose not to and feel like complaining after the fact.

[khall]

Hmmmm...I just got back from the Pearl today too and the charges seemed to be in line with everyone else and with previous NCL cruises. However, the cruise that came back today did not stop at their private island...sure you are not confused???? :rolleyes:

 

Actually I thought the "nickle and diming" that everyone refers to was toned down on the Pearl compared to the Sky and the Dawn the last time. Not near as much pushing for bingo, pull tabs, drinks, etc. Will post a review the next day or two.

 

PS: That is why you don't give your kids their keycard and let them have free roam of the ship/island as I am sure you will have charges you didn't think you had. I was in the arcade with my kids several times and saw I don't know how many kids in their swiping away...no parents to be seen...can't imagine what their bill was like as we had two pages of charges from the arcade and I WAS THERE TO SUPERVISE :eek::eek: (and play a few) :p

[DMH15]

You cruise grand suite on Royal and balcony on NCL? No way that's apples to apples.

 

Seems like those charges were made by your kids. Should you maybe have a chat with them? Or better yet restrict their signing priviledges next time? I don't think NCL forced them to pay for the add on.

 

A lot of us like the a la carte method NCL uses. That way YOU pay for your kids extras, not me.

[Agent999]

I've never been able to understand why some people don't seem to be able tell the difference between "free style" and "freestyle".

[lhwils]

I've been doing a little research myself. I'm used to cruising Disney which is pretty all inclusive except of course alcoholic beverages and extra dining in their specialty restaurant. You can even bring alcohol on board. But, you do pay a pretty penny for a Disney Cruise. Seriously, an inside stateroom is between $1000 to $1500 per person. So, I would love to be able to try another cruise line and get a balcony. To me, even with all the extra fees on the other cruise lines it all balances out.

 

We sailed Carnival once years ago before we had kids and had a wonderful time. We were young and didn't have much money. We just watched our spending and asked what was included and what wasn't.

[swedish weave]

On NCL, the only charges that are applied to your account without you signing are the daily gratuities or service charges. Anything else requires a card swipe and/or signature. It is hard to understand why anyone would blame the cruise line for making you pay for the choices you made.

[Ms belp]

On NCL, the only charges that are applied to your account without you signing are the daily gratuities or service charges. Anything else requires a card swipe and/or signature. It is hard to understand why anyone would blame the cruise line for making you pay for the choices you made.

 

I suspect a spouse/kid steal was involved. :)

[newmexicoNita]

Umm you didnt know you were paying extra 'until you got the bill' ?? Me thinks not, considering YOU would have to SIGN for each and every purchase assigned to that bill.

 

It was at that point it was YOUR CHOICE to say no thank you, yet....you chose not to and feel like complaining after the fact.

 

I hadn't thought about that: maybe kids had access to signing and neglected to tell mommy and daddy, so it is the fault of the cruise line? If this was the case, I would raise heck with my kids.

 

Nita

[bike1964]

All cruise lines are charging "extra" for a lot of things now. That's how they make their money. They advertise a "low" fare to get you on the ship, then it's "hammer time". Now if you don't "cave in" to their sales tactic's cruising is still a good value if you do your homework first and "cruise smart".;)

[MMMD]

They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

 

You are correct. They do charge you for everything. Everything you PURCHASE.

 

Just as all the stores, restaurants and bars charged me for everything I consumed or purchased off the ship.

 

I haven't been on a vacation yet where I purchased items, food or services and wasn't charged.

 

It is OK to dislike one cruise line over another. Why not just say that? No need to act as if they robbed you without you knowing.

 

On my NCL cruise a few weeks ago I had to sign a slip for each and every purchase. Not once did anyone forget to have the slip signed or hand me a slip to sign without me purchasing something.

 

If you prefer Royal Caribbean, fine. But I would be interested to know what your final on board charges were. Royal Caribbean isn't all free or included.

 

Enjoy your next vacation.

[sparks1093]

I just got off the NCL Perl and in all had a pretty enjoyable time though a little disappointed from my previous RCCL cruises. Though my kids had a blast! In theory I originally thought I was saving money with NCL. On RCCL we always have a grand suite on NCL we had a beautiful state room with balcony overlooking the aft. NCL made it look like we were getting a deal. Until I got the bill, then I realized It was almost equal to RCCL. They charge you for everything! On their private island it was $5 for my kids to go down a water slide! I will never cruise with them again.

 

Capt. Carroll NCL FEE STYLE CRUISES

 

They charged you five dollars to go down a water slide, this must be a mistake, perhaps your child bought an ice cream or a fruity drink or something, I doubt very much that NCL would charge to go down a slide, that is crazy talk.

 

The Hippo Water Slide is a shore excursion as is clearly ascertainable from the website. Even if you don't go to the website there are clear signs at the ladder of the slide showing what it costs to use it and you can't just go up the ladder, you have to give your cabin key to the employee sitting at the table or give them your ticket from the shore excursion desk. It cost $5 for an individual slide, $20 for unlimited access, or $15 for unlimited access if you buy the excursion online. (My kids loved it and it was the best $30 I spent. They used the slide all day long and had to be forced to take a break to eat lunch.)

 

A little research goes a long way.

[newmexicoNita]

The Hippo Water Slide is a shore excursion as is clearly ascertainable from the website. Even if you don't go to the website there are clear signs at the ladder of the slide showing what it costs to use it and you can't just go up the ladder, you have to give your cabin key to the employee sitting at the table or give them your ticket from the shore excursion desk. It cost $5 for an individual slide, $20 for unlimited access, or $15 for unlimited access if you buy the excursion online. (My kids loved it and it was the best $30 I spent. They used the slide all day long and had to be forced to take a break to eat lunch.)

 

A little research goes a long way.

 

interesting, he has teens not little kids, so what cha want to bet they knew darn well what they were paying for. Read his posts: he just got off the Pearl, but according to another post he sailed them last year and NCL required dress pants in the specialty dining rooms. Something doesn't quite match up here.

 

Nita

[sparks1093]

interesting, he has teens not little kids, so what cha want to bet they knew darn well what they were paying for. Read his posts: he just got off the Pearl, but according to another post he sailed them last year and NCL required dress pants in the specialty dining rooms. Something doesn't quite match up here.

 

Nita

 

After I posted I seemed to remember taking a picture of the price. Turns out I did. It is a little hard to miss.

 

[terrymtex01]

Sorry OP.. your posting is bunk. We have sailed both NCL and RCCL and paid for nothing on NCL that we were not charged for on RCCL and we were in a grand suite as well.

 

Here is a thread with an article link that speaks on this very subject showing how all main stream cruise lines charge for extra services, etc, when you are onboard - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1353927

 

You cruise grand suite on Royal and balcony on NCL? No way that's apples to apples.

 

Seems like those charges were made by your kids. Should you maybe have a chat with them? Or better yet restrict their signing priviledges next time? I don't think NCL forced them to pay for the add on.

 

A lot of us like the a la carte method NCL uses. That way YOU pay for your kids extras, not me.

 

Believe me... with a grand suite with RCCL you get nothing special except a very nice room. Their suite perks are nothing compared to NCL's. If anyone reads the OP's posting and believes it to be true, I feel sorry for them.

[sparks1093]

Sorry OP.. your posting is bunk. We have sailed both NCL and RCCL and paid for nothing on NCL that we were not charged for on RCCL and we were in a grand suite as well.

 

Here is a thread with an article link that speaks on this very subject showing how all main stream cruise lines charge for extra services, etc, when you are onboard - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1353927

 

 

 

Believe me... with a grand suite with RCCL you get nothing special except a very nice room. Their suite perks are nothing compared to NCL's. If anyone reads the OP's posting and believes it to be true, I feel sorry for them.

 

We are booked in a Grand Suite on the AOS and I found the list of perqs to be quite extensive. Be that as it may one cannot compare a suite to a standard balcony.