Nickel and dime on the Dawn

[Sea and Me]

I've been reading a few cruise reviews for the Dawn. A few comments were that NCL nickels and dimes passengers example: bingo, jewelry, drinks etc. This will be our first cruise on NCL since '95 but we have been on many cruises on different lines. The ships do offer bingo, shops, drinks etc. but a passenger can refuse and not buy what is offered.

To those of you that have cruised NCL do you find that the crew bother you to shop etc.?? Your thoughts please and thanks.

Carol

[Gngrasso]

To those of you that have cruised NCL do you find that the crew bother you to shop etc.??

 

nope

[Novastar]

That has not been my experience either.

 

On the other hand, if there is a cruise line giving away jewelry I want to know about it!

[FuninWB]

The crew absolutely does not bother you to buy anything you don't want. All it takes is a simple "no, thank you",. The crew is very polite and not at all pushy. No one will try to force you to buy jewelry, tee shirts, Bingo cards or anything else. You will love the Dawn. We have been on her twice and are going again in three weeks. You have no concerns on this count.

[njhorseman]

A crew member is assigned to each cabin and follows you around 16 hours per day to ensure you purchase no less than $200 worth of bingo cards, photographs and drinks every day of your cruise. :eek: :rolleyes:

 

Some of the garbage people put in their reviews in unbelievable.

 

You've already cruised on NCL and many other cruise lines...you don't really believe what you read, do you? Just call on your personal experience as a cruiser.

[Nalagh]

To me NCL is " A la Cart crusing. You pay a low base rate then add what you want. You will never be hard pressed to find someone wanting to sell you something, but this is their job and I would be upset if they were not around when I wanted something. The sailaway drink severs are everywhere and ask often, but they are not pushy.

[Fishbait17]

This is something I never understand - I don't know where it comes from! Every mainstream cruise line charges for jewelry, drinks, bingo, etc. I have never been bothered by atone selling anything. Occasionally (like up on the pool deck during embarkation) I will be offered a drink from a tray, but all I do is smile and say "no thank you" and they smile and leave. Nobody has EVER approached me to sell me bingo cards or jewelry, etc. the ONLY hard sells I have ever experienced on a ship were for products after a spa treatment, and this was the same on NCL, Celebrity, Carnival, etc - and those spas are all leased and run by other companies.. Even then, a firm "no thank you" does the trick!

 

Robin

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Warm Breezes]

I've been reading a few cruise reviews for the Dawn. A few comments were that NCL nickels and dimes passengers example: bingo, jewelry, drinks etc. This will be our first cruise on NCL since '95 but we have been on many cruises on different lines. The ships do offer bingo, shops, drinks etc. but a passenger can refuse and not buy what is offered.

 

To those of you that have cruised NCL do you find that the crew bother you to shop etc.?? Your thoughts please and thanks.

 

Carol

 

Nope. I spend just as much on NCL cruises as I do any other cruise line.

[SteveH2508]

No more than any other cruiseline or shopping mall. You are absolutely correct that you can choose to buy or not - if you are like me, I do not want to pay for things I don't use (bingo, jewellry) but I am happy if I can get a drink easily when I want (which is quite often!)

 

A firm, polite "No thank you" usually suffices and you won't be bothered again.

[fergusonvt]

No, I didn't feel pressured into buying anything that I didn't want to buy.

[2Cruise4Ever]

Sailed the Dawn 5 times and never felt pressure to buy anything.

[johnql]

Nope - never felt nickeled and dimed on any NCL cruise. Nor have I felt pressured to buy anything that I didn't want to buy.

[che5904]

Nope here too.

[lax19]

NCL didn't want my nickels. I tried to use them in the casino, but I could not find a slot machine to take them.

 

Before shows, they will announce a couple of times that they have instant win cards for sale, but they don't hover over you forcing you to buy, they're to busy with people swarming them that want to buy the cards. Same with Bingo. They'll review several times before Bingo the pricing structure, but that's to be expected right before the game starts in the lounge where the game is to be played.

 

I definitely did not feel pressured to buy anything.

[BurtonRiderT6]

SteveH2508: you obviously haven't run into the people trying to dip your nails in chemicals at the malls here in the US selling nail care product. They literally try to get in front of you to impede your path.

 

I've never been bothered to buy anything on a cruise ship other than my girlfriend.

 

If you want to get nickel and dimed then play the slots. I'm sure it's happened to a few people here:mad:, tables for me:)

[luddite]

Nope.

[dwjoe]

No difference from other lines in terms of what's included vs not.

 

No unwanted pressure to buy things I didn't want.

[Seanote]

I think nickel and dime is kind of a misnomer when the drinks cost $7 each! :eek:

[Sizzlechest]

There are two basic reactions people have to upcharges:

 

 

1. Oh good! Now I can tailor my trip and just pay for the things I want and not have to subsidize someone else's desires.
   
2. Those cheap bums! I pay all this money for this trip and they still want more?! I though this was an all-inclusive vacation!
   

Both have merit. If you have the first outlook, then NCL sounds perfect for you. If you have the second outlook, you can cruise on NCL and eat in the MDR every day and night just like Carnival and not spend a penny more. Don't let the existence of an upcharge upset you. You're not paying for anything that a comparable cruise line gives away for free.

[Hopes4]

I've never been bothered to buy anything on a cruise ship other than my girlfriend.

 

/QUOTE]

 

Really? They bothered you into buying a girlfriend? Do they sell husbands or children too? :rolleyes::D

Sorry, I couldn't resist. :p

[McCurler]

SteveH2508: you obviously haven't run into the people trying to dip your nails in chemicals at the malls here in the US selling nail care product. They literally try to get in front of you to impede your path.

 

I've never been bothered to buy anything on a cruise ship other than my girlfriend.

 

If you want to get nickel and dimed then play the slots. I'm sure it's happened to a few people here:mad:, tables for me:)

 

You bought your girlfriend on a cruise ship?;) I never saw any for sale when I was on the Dawn!

[Hopes4]

That has not been my experience either.

 

On the other hand, if there is a cruise line giving away jewelry I want to know about it!

 

Another example of NCL employees going above and beyond:

On my last cruise, my son was trying to buy me jewelry (for a Christmas present) in every store we walked in, naturally, i didnt let him. At the raffle in Nassau, he was telling the cruise workers the story and also how, as his last resort, he was trying to win the raffle for me. They thought he was so sweet and told him to come visit them back on board. DS was given a beautiful jade heart pendant to give me for Christmas.

[OceanDreaming2]

No pressure to buy anything. In fact, they stopped making announcements which used to piped into the cabins. Now you have to tune to a channel on your TV or go out into the aisleway to hear them.

[Pokeraddict]

Not at all! Some people just love to whine!

[SteveH2508]

SteveH2508: you obviously haven't run into the people trying to dip your nails in chemicals at the malls here in the US selling nail care product. They literally try to get in front of you to impede your path.

 

I've never been bothered to buy anything on a cruise ship other than my girlfriend.

 

If you want to get nickel and dimed then play the slots. I'm sure it's happened to a few people here:mad:, tables for me:)

 

I have perfected the "F*** Off and Leave me alone" look on Chuggers (Charity Muggers who infest my local area). Think my userpic mixed with grumpy old man/steely-eyed dealer of death/p*ss*d off teacher and you get the picture!

 

I won't comment on your "pulling technique" for your GFs - others have covered that one! ;)

 

NCL don't nickle and dime on the slots - it's dollars and dollars - and too many of them!