Death by a thousand cuts?

[Seanote]

I have been reading a lot of posts recently about degradation of service and or food on NCL. I didn't give it much thought at first, as there are always some complaints on these boards. However, having cruised NCL for more than ten years, I have noticed patterns of NCL rolling out new programs or menus and gradually taking away or trimming back until the pax can't take it any more, then the pattern starts all over again.

 

Does anybody here remember Freestyle 2.0 from 2008?

 

How much of that initiative remains? Take a look and decide for yourself:

 

Here is some of it, but click on the link to see the whole list in NCL's own press release.

 

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

 

"Freestyle Dining:

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

New menus with expanded choices in every restaurant;

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

Lavazza coffee in all Java Cafes and top suites;

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;

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;

A new and expanded room service menu."

[getupgo]

I personally think its a good idea to keep the basic Cruise price down then let people add on the things that are important to them, like specialty restaurants. I like good basic food and Golden Coral suits me fine, and I would never consider paying for a specialty restaurant. My BIL is very sophisticated and will only eat in specialty restaurants because that is what is important to him. We cruise because we like to snorkel and socialize with a variety if interesting people its cheaper than flying down and getting a hoel

[ClarkBHM]

To be fair, that initiative was in 2008. Six years is a long time for any business initiative. Some of the changes were effective and remained. Some of them likely cost more than they were willing to pay in the long run (or the price went up) so they were cut.

 

If these upgrades were announced earlier this year, I can see your gripe. However, after six years, I'd be surprised if nothing had changed.

[barnacle_boy]

So companies should remain static in their offerings? I'm not quite sure what point is being made by specifically citing certain initiatives from 2008, especially considering NCL's precarious financial position at the time.

 

NCL has changed, the industry has changed, even markets have changed. This comparison is completely anachronistic.

 

 

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[Rudyard]

I only started cruising a couple of years ago, but noticed that the actual cruise price has stayed stable for a very long time. One reason for the cutbacks is the rise in fuel costs over the last few years. I'm sure they could keep all the perks and specialty food items that all cruise lines have done away with over the years (or made pay-per items), but then they'd have to raise fares.

 

I agree with getupgo. I'd rather have a low fare and decide what I want to pay extra for, than see a large fare increase.

[Seanote]

Wow, you guys are harsh. Yes, the list is from six years ago. No, I did not insinuate cruise prices should go up. No, I did not insinuate that companies should remain static.

 

I was merely pointing out that there have been many current discussions and complaints about all the short term changes here on these boards-- subjects such as food, the elimination of lobster, changes in the smoking policy, etc.

 

Maybe it's just me, but I thought it was kinda neat to look at the changes over a longer period of time. Yes, this press release is from 2008--the Getaway, Breakaway and Epic were not even built yet, but I thought the changes over this time period were interesting, and I thought others might think so as well. I guess not.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Seanote

[KeithJenner]

To be honest, given the criticism that you read round there about constant cuts, I was surprised how little there was in your list.

 

A glass of bubbly (many still get free drinks of some sort), lobster (I don't think we're really clear yet exactly where they are with that), coffee (still available and a couple of dollars to buy), some dishes in the speciality restaurants (at least some of those are still available).

 

Menus are still being revamped, and I'm among many who think the new ones are an improvement.

 

I'm genuinely surprised how little has changed going on that.

Edited July 19, 2014 by KeithJenner

[barnacle_boy]

With the "death of a thousand cuts" title, I can't really view this as anything other than another declining standards thread. You allude to some sort of cyclical tendency, but provide no evidence to support one exists. Please provide it,

 

 

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[Hikini]

I have seen cut backs but not cuts in quality.

 

NCL is a business and therefore must show a profit in order to stay in business. With the rising costs of everything, they have to figure out ways to change things so that they can still make a profit, while also still satisfying their customers.

 

By trying to keep the general prices of the cruise from skyrocketing, they have probably chosen to cut back in certain areas, and offer some things as an option, with a fee attached, of course. You have to decide if it is still 'worth it' for you or not.

 

Personally, I haven't seen them cut back anything that would want me to stop cruising, or to switch cruise lines - I'm sure all of the cruise industry is going through similar situations.

[SeaShark]

The idiom that familiarity breeds contempt is an old one. It means that the more comfortable one becomes with something the more likely they are to see the flaws in that thing. For instance, a person's feelings about a particular thing can go from optimistic, to complacent, to spiteful without that particular thing changing at all. The day to day proximity to the thing results in a person's mind looking for ways to keep it interesting.

 

The idea that "familiarity breeds contempt" or "the honeymoon is over" or "the sheen is off of the apple" has been around a long time. Things often don't "seem" to be as good as they were "in the beginning". When you took your first cruise, everything was new. Now you know what to expect, you know the routine, and it isn't new and exciting as it once was.

 

We hear a lot of anectdotal evidence that things are worse, but no facts, no hard evidence....just opinion. Interesting that despite the fact that this is just a fact of the human condition, we have a hard time admitting that things just might not be as bad as they "seem".

 

I guess nothing beats the "good old days". :rolleyes:

[Cubechick]

I have seen cut backs but not cuts in quality.

 

NCL is a business and therefore must show a profit in order to stay in business. With the rising costs of everything, they have to figure out ways to change things so that they can still make a profit, while also still satisfying their customers.

 

By trying to keep the general prices of the cruise from skyrocketing, they have probably chosen to cut back in certain areas, and offer some things as an option, with a fee attached, of course. You have to decide if it is still 'worth it' for you or not.

 

Personally, I haven't seen them cut back anything that would want me to stop cruising, or to switch cruise lines - I'm sure all of the cruise industry is going through similar situations.

 

How about "lobster galore" is "lobster no more"?

Edited July 19, 2014 by Cubechick

[getupgo]

Dear OP, I was not criticizing your at all. I just wanted to express what I've been thinking for a long time. Looking arwhat I pay at the grocery store and gas stations,, I'm amazed they have kept prices so low.

[Seanote]

With the "death of a thousand cuts" title, I can't really view this as anything other than another declining standards thread. You allude to some sort of cyclical tendency, but provide no evidence to support one exists. Please provide it,

 

 

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You are welcome to view the thread as you see fit.

 

The Freestyle 2.0 was in itself a cycle. Prior to 2008, perception was that quality was declining and NCL responded with this initiative. Some, but not all parts of the initiative were short-lived, other pieces teetered out over time.

 

Another would be Cagney's. Once upon a time, Cagney's was so popular, a reservation was hard to come by. But in recent past years, the food (steak) quality got so bad, the restaurant was mostly empty and reservations weren't even needed. Now they have updated that menu and the food once again is fantastic--and the restaurants is once again very popular.

 

I expect this type of thing to continue, it's the nature of the beast. Managers on the ship and shoreside are under pressures to reduce costs. Things are being continually done to reign in expenses and occasionally, quality suffers. Do this a thousand times and people start to notice. Eventually, the company has to improve quality or give people the impression that quality has improved or risk loosing business to a competitor. It's not just the cruise industry where quality is cyclical. It happens in the hotel and restaurant industry as well.

[KeithJenner]

Moderno was a wonderful experience when it was new and we had it on the Epic. That too has declined over the last four years with the shrinking salad bar and the blatant pawning off of the cheaper meats. You almost have to argue with them to get the lamb or sirloin.

 

 

I've read this before, but have to say that I've never seen in in the three times I've been since May 2013.

 

We checked the menu after going on the Epic in May and we had been offered every item. We were offered the lamb twice.

 

I have never not been offered the lamb, fillet and sirloin. On occasions more than once.

 

Not saying your experience wasn't different, but I for one have never seen it.

[kba1988]

So companies should remain static in their offerings? I'm not quite sure what point is being made by specifically citing certain initiatives from 2008, especially considering NCL's precarious financial position at the time.

 

NCL has changed, the industry has changed, even markets have changed. This comparison is completely anachronistic.

 

 

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I understand what you are saying, but let's take into consideration with the airlines. They now charge $250 for changing your flight from $50. They now also charge for a snack box, pillows and blankets and if you are checking more than one bag. I don't see an uproar about that. We want services to stay the same and prices to decrease. We want taxes to be cut but we want the services to remain the same or increase. We want to get paid more and pay less. It's not mathematically correct and it's not going to happen. I'm just sayin'.

[Cubechick]

I've read this before, but have to say that I've never seen in in the three times I've been since May 2013.

 

We checked the menu after going on the Epic in May and we had been offered every item. We were offered the lamb twice.

 

I have never not been offered the lamb, fillet and sirloin. On occasions more than once.

 

Not saying your experience wasn't different, but I for one have never seen it.

 

I am glad your experiences have been better than mine!

 

On the Breakaway, my DH got frustrated enough at their not bringing the lamb (they insisted that we'd already had it...as if that should matter??) that he had to speak to the restaurant manager to finally get some.

 

On the Jewel in June, they let half of the items on the salad bar run completely out (and we ate early in the evening). Again they offered the cheaper cuts of meat over and over again. Although to be fair the hostess noticed and asked us what we had not yet been served and had them bring out the "good stuff". Excellent customer service.

[KeithJenner]

I am glad your experiences have been better than mine!

 

 

 

On the Breakaway, my DH got frustrated enough at their not bringing the lamb (they insisted that we'd already had it...as if that should matter??) that he had to speak to the restaurant manager to finally get some.

 

 

 

On the Jewel in June, they let half of the items on the salad bar run completely out (and we ate early in the evening). Again they offered the cheaper cuts of meat over and over again. Although to be fair the hostess noticed and asked us what we had not yet been served and had them bring out the "good stuff". Excellent customer service.

 

 

My experience has been on the Epic and Breakaway. We're trying it on the Jade in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how it goes there.

 

 

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[Love my butler]

Simply just cutbacks to keep advertised prices low and profits in the black. Most newer cruisers don't even know the difference and thus have no complaints. Ignorance is bliss.

[Doandroidzdream]

Wowsie, Seanote. Those perks sound amazing!