Fear: Free UDP promo will dilute quality of specialty restaurants

[pokerpro5]

The free UDP or UBP, available on many sailings for oceanview cabins and above, has many people excited.

 

While it's true that many will choose UBP over UDP, this will definitely INCREASE the number of passengers onboard with the UDP. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING!

 

Here are some effects we are likely to see:

 

1) Tougher to get reservations at desired time

 

2) More crowded restaurant = more noise, less peaceful experience

 

3) Slower service (and let's face it, that is already a problem even when the specialties are empty)

 

4) Less time spent preparing each dish

 

5) Possible decline in quality in ingredients, with NCL not wanting to spend significantly more overall on stocking the specialities

 

 

The great thing about the UDP before was that it was relatively cheap ($119), yet the price point was still high enough to dissuade most people from purchasing it. This allowed you to get much higher quality meals than most others on board, for a low premium. I felt the UDP was the best kept "value" secret in NCL cruising.

 

Now tons of people are going to get it for "free" as a perk for booking any oceanview or better cabin, and I think we are going to see a degradation of the specialties, just as the cruise industry saw a degradation of quality of the main dining rooms from the '90s to the '00s.

 

Finally, note that there is no such thing as "free" when a for-profit business is involved. So NCL is making up the cost of these perks in some way, and I'm wondering if some of that will be degrading the quality of the specialties.

 

I would be much happier to pay the $119 and be one of only a small group in the specialties every night than get it for free and have it be a crowded zoo.

Edited February 8, 2015 by pokerpro5

[titangas]

I don't really see this as being an issue.

 

First -- the vast majority of cruisers will pick the UBP as it is a much greater value, and the majority of people do drink while on vacation.

 

Second -- I would wager that out of those who do not take the UBP, in the original Freestyle choice program more would take the $200 OBC over the $238 value of UDP, as to not feel they need to eat in a specialty every night to get there moneys worth. (unless it is a cabin with more than 2).

 

I for one still do not foresee the Specialties being booked solid or anywhere near capacity (cept Teppanyaki) for the majority of the time.

Edited February 8, 2015 by titangas

[tawaik]

I don't really see this as being an issue.

 

First -- the vast majority of cruisers will pick the UBP as it is a much greater value, and the majority of people do drink while on vacation.

 

Second -- I would wager that out of those who do not take the UBP, in the original Freestyle choice program more would take the $200 OBC over the $238 value of UDP, as to not feel they need to eat in a specialty every night to get there moneys worth. (unless it is a cabin with more than 2).

 

I for one still do not foresee the Specialties being booked solid or anywhere near capacity (cept Teppanyaki) for the majority of the time.

 

 

I agree with you. If I had a too choose between the UDP and the UBP, hands down my choice would be the UBP. All three offers are included in my booking since I'm splurging and staying in Haven.

 

I do not think that NCL will sacrifice quality over quantity for the specialty dinning rooms. We, are the consumers that helps keep them "floating". There have been many positive reviews about their cover charge restaurants.

[ColinIllinois]

I'm a "glass half full" outlook kind of guy. It's a good deal and I believe you are over thinking the issue. This is a limited time offer. They obviously can't keep it going forever. Just another special to get people hooked in to sailing with NCL.

[KeithJenner]

I also don't think that this will cause a big increase in the number of people who get the UDP.

 

I could choose two of the offers and the UDP is the one I didn't take, as it has less value to me than the OBC, as we have never spent more than $100 on speciality restaurants on a cruise, let alone $200

 

It isn't just that the UBP is better value for most people, the OBC is also better value for many.

 

Those people for whom the UDP is more attractive than the OBC are likely to have been considering buying it anyway.

 

Of course, there will be some people who decide to use the offer as an excuse to try the package, but when you consider how empty a lot of the speciality restaurants often are, there is a lot of spare capacity to deal with an increase.

 

Of course, we may be wrong, and a lot of people may have taken the package, but I'm doubtful.

 

Keep in mind that for a lot of people, quality of food is not a big part of their cruise. Just look at the proportion of people who are quite happy to eat in the buffet rather than the free dining rooms. Personally, whilst I enjoy going to a few speciality restaurants, I wouldn't go every night even if it was free. There is too much else to be doing than giving up a couple of hours every night for eating. If I had to guess I'd say that I'm probably in the majority in this.

[Lexi03]

I just saw that promotion but of course missed out because I've already booked and paid for our next trip. Honestly, on our last cruise with NCL I wasn't very impressed by the specialty restaurants to begin with. The French one was good, but the rest were just OK, and the Brazilian steakhouse was just flat out disappointing. IMHO the food in the main dining room was much better (although I wasn't impressed by the food overall, thought that RC and Carnival have better food). I am ready to give NCL a second chance because the itinerary we booked is solid.

[RuthlessBoss]

I'm a "glass half full" outlook kind of guy. It's a good deal and I believe you are over thinking the issue. This is a limited time offer. They obviously can't keep it going forever. Just another special to get people hooked in to sailing with NCL.

 

To keep people hooked, quality must be maintained or they've defeated the reason it's there in the first place and that's to draw more people consistently.

[SeaShark]

The free UDP or UBP, available on many sailings for oceanview cabins and above, has many people excited.

 

While it's true that many will choose UBP over UDP, this will definitely INCREASE the number of passengers onboard with the UDP. THIS IS NOT A GOOD THING!

 

Here are some effects we are likely to see:

 

1) Tougher to get reservations at desired time

 

2) More crowded restaurant = more noise, less peaceful experience

 

3) Slower service (and let's face it, that is already a problem even when the specialties are empty)

 

4) Less time spent preparing each dish

 

5) Possible decline in quality in ingredients, with NCL not wanting to spend significantly more overall on stocking the specialities

 

 

The great thing about the UDP before was that it was relatively cheap ($119), yet the price point was still high enough to dissuade most people from purchasing it. This allowed you to get much higher quality meals than most others on board, for a low premium. I felt the UDP was the best kept "value" secret in NCL cruising.

 

Now tons of people are going to get it for "free" as a perk for booking any oceanview or better cabin, and I think we are going to see a degradation of the specialties, just as the cruise industry saw a degradation of quality of the main dining rooms from the '90s to the '00s.

 

Finally, note that there is no such thing as "free" when a for-profit business is involved. So NCL is making up the cost of these perks in some way, and I'm wondering if some of that will be degrading the quality of the specialties.

 

I would be much happier to pay the $119 and be one of only a small group in the specialties every night than get it for free and have it be a crowded zoo.

 

 

Wow. That is one interesting business strategy that you've come up with.

 

NCL is also giving out the UBP for free as part of the promotion. Do you think that they will degrade the quality of the drinks in order to compensate for this as well?

 

Many people are also taking advantage of Friends & Family Sail Free. Do you feel that they will be degrading the quality of the rooms to make up for all of the free guests?

 

 

In for a penny, in for a pound, right?

[LrgPizza]

I had free UDP as part of a promotion on my May, 2014 cruise. I saw no dilution. This isn't the first time it's been offered for free, so I'm not sure why there would be a difference this time when there wasn't before.

[my_crib_too]

More users of the specialty restaurants, does the speed and quality of the MDR increase?

[KeithJenner]

I had free UDP as part of a promotion on my May, 2014 cruise. I saw no dilution. This isn't the first time it's been offered for free, so I'm not sure why there would be a difference this time when there wasn't before.

 

 

Actually, I think there will be a difference this time.

 

Previously, the offer was just for the UDP with no option of taking the UBP instead. The effect this time should be less.

 

Having said that, when the UDP was offered last time, I did read on here of some people having trouble getting reservations on the Breakaway and Getaway. I guess that this may have had some bearing on them not offering the same promo again.

[LrgPizza]

Actually, I think there will be a difference this time.

 

Previously, the offer was just for the UDP with no option of taking the UBP instead. The effect this time should be less.

 

Having said that, when the UDP was offered last time, I did read on here of some people having trouble getting reservations on the Breakaway and Getaway. I guess that this may have had some bearing on them not offering the same promo again.

 

 

Exactly. I said the same thing in another thread: that the effect would be less since some people chose other things. The last time there wasn't a choice. On our Getaway cruise, the specialty restaurants were never full. Often they were less than half full.

 

Keep in mind that on any cruise, only a certain % of cruisers even booked during the 2 month window that the promos run. Many book before or well after.

[LMaxwell]

I don't see it as a potential problem because of the Freestyle Choice Options (Ultimate Beverage, Ultimate Dining, $200 OBC, or 3rd-8th sail free) the Ultimate Dining actually has the lowest real world value. Sure, the UDP technically has a higher "retail" value than $200 OBC, but they would have had to feed you anyway and you are forgoing the food that you've paid for in your cruise fare. I think a lot of people recognize that the "value" is in the other amenities and they won't starve without UDP. I suspect the take rate on UDP compared to the other perk choices to be among the lowest.

[travelerblue]

I read somewhere that so many passengers choosing the UBP is going to cause issues. Instead of one or two people throwing down their card to buy a round, each individual will have to give their card and sign a separate receipt which will slow the service tremendously, making it more difficult to even get drinks. I wonder if that will really be the case. There are currently 13 people in our group and we all have the UBP or soda package.

[Seatbelt_Bag_LOVE]

I read somewhere that so many passengers choosing the UBP is going to cause issues. Instead of one or two people throwing down their card to buy a round, each individual will have to give their card and sign a separate receipt which will slow the service tremendously, making it more difficult to even get drinks. I wonder if that will really be the case. There are currently 13 people in our group and we all have the UBP or soda package.

 

I wish NCL would not make you sign for a beverage that is included in the UBP. This is one thing that I think Celebrity does very well with their beverage packages. If the drink is included in the package, no need to sign. If it was above the limit or a non-included item, then you would sign. It would certainly speed up service.

[geegee1]

...Those people for whom the UDP is more attractive than the OBC are likely to have been considering buying it anyway...

We picked it because the value was better for us being a family of 4 than the OBC

 

...Keep in mind that for a lot of people, quality of food is not a big part of their cruise...

 

I would have to whole heartedly disagree with you on this. I believe the quality of the food is a big issue for many cruisers. IMO going to a specialty restaurant

usually means getting better food

 

I read somewhere that so many passengers choosing the UBP is going to cause issues. Instead of one or two people throwing down their card to buy a round, each individual will have to give their card and sign a separate receipt which will slow the service tremendously, making it more difficult to even get drinks. I wonder if that will really be the case. There are currently 13 people in our group and we all have the UBP or soda package.

 

I'm concerned about this next week on my Breakaway cruise. But as someone said, many people book far enough in advance where this worrying will probably all be for naught.

[KeithJenner]

I would have to whole heartedly disagree with you on this. I believe the quality of the food is a big issue for many cruisers. IMO going to a specialty restaurant

 

usually means getting better food.

 

 

I said that quality of food isn't a big part of their cruise for a lot of people. I agree that it is a big issue for many, but that doesn't mean that what I said isn't also true.. You don't actually seem to be disagreeing with me there. Both can be (and in my opinion are) true.

Edited February 8, 2015 by KeithJenner

[trish1c]

They weren't that great to start with IMO. Food is cheap so I think they will make more money having more people on board.

 

I was much more worried that with so many people getting the free UBP that everyone was going to be out of control drunk but I didn't see that so I'm not concerned.

[pokerpro5]

I disagree with most of the assessments in this thread.

 

Will there be more redemptions of the UBP over the UDP? Yes, definitely.

 

But I believe that there will still be a substantial increase of those with UDP versus when this promotion didn't exist. That's my point.

 

Many are pointing out a "$200 OBC", but that's simply not true. I just did a mock booking for the Dawn in September (the cruise I'll be taking), and I see that oceanviews get $50 and balconies get $75. So I have to believe many will be electing 2 UDP packages over $50-$75 in OBC.

 

I also disagree that the specialties aren't much better than the MDR. There is a world of difference. MDR food on most lines is now bland and generally not very good. Some people still like it, but this has been an acknowledged fact for a long time. I can tell you, as a person who eats at a lot of top-rated restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and elsewhere, that the specialty restaurants MUCH more resemble fine dining (in both food quality and atmosphere/service) than the MDR.

 

Are the specialties as good as fine dining on land? No. But I was able to enjoy most of my meals in the specialties, while I found the MDR food to be tasteless slop on nearly every line I've cruised in the past 10 years. I know countless others who feel the same way.

 

So, yes, the days of empty specialty restuarants, where you can just stroll in at any time of the evening, are likely over.

[KeithJenner]

If the OBC is at the amounts which you state then I'd agree that more people will take it over the cash. It is a standard $200 in the UK and I believe that it was in the US last month wasn't it? I didn't realise that had changed.

 

However, I'm still not convinced how much difference it will make. For example, just because someone has got the UDP free doesn't mean they will eat in the speciality dining rooms every night, or even most nights.

 

Given the choice of $50 or the UDP for two then I would certainly go for the UDP, but you'd still find me in the buffet or o'Sheehans quite a bit.

[littlelulu01]

I can't see eating at speciality restaurants more than a couple of times so for 14 nights there's no point in the udp on the Jade for us. I took the UBP, KSF and KS50% and obc for our back to backs. $400 obc for the two 7 nt cruises was worth a lot more than the UDP.

 

I think these offers are great but in reality most people don't want to eat at a scheduled time every nt. A big positive with the freestyle dining is the flexibility so even though they have the udp they probably won't be making reservations each night.

 

Same with when the UBP is offered to everybody. I don't think there will be huge run on the rum. If you get it for "free" you'll probably drink the same, maybe a little more. I doubt there will be line ups in the bars with everyone trying to get all the free drinks they can. They won't need to make the UBP, "pay" for itself either.

 

Sounds like a big savings. For my two 7nt cruises the UDP would cost $714 for the three of us. The UBP for two and soda for one would cost $1770. In reality though those savings for us are way out of line. I'm sure a few people could truly save that but when offered to the masses that would otherwise never purchase like myself, they are essentially giving you something they know most people are not going to max out on. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have the perks and am very pleased to be offered them but I'm most excited to be getting $400 obc for the same cruise that I was otherwise getting chocolate covered strawberries or some lame thing as my perk.

Edited February 9, 2015 by littlelulu01

[graphicguy]

I don't understand any of the logic in the OP's post. Can't see how any of it will remotely happen.

Edited February 9, 2015 by graphicguy