Really? You are quitting cruising?

[maywell]

You can if your retired.

 

I'm not - I just clocked out my PTO / Vacation time last January and told the office I'm taking off Nov 29 coming back in mid December plus put it in the calendars (book and electronic) since last year when I booked. And I will remind them again in October and Nov that I am out for 2 weeks - Scheduling vacation months / year ahead, is the only to get time off without it being a major issue in my office.

[rochelle_s]

first of all the room service charge is for only two ships and it does not effect suites or above - these big new ships are expensive to operate with 4000 plus passengers aboard and like all businesses - that's for profit businesses like NCL they have to cover expenses and have an ROI to the stockholders -

 

I bet on these huge ships more and more people are using room service to avoid the long waits for tables or buffets and this strains the limited resources they have- my guess its to discourage room service to a point as well as cover costs -

 

as a stock holder I want to see the stock and dividends go up - period that's why we invest and that's what they are in business for - to make money

 

 

 

How does levying a charge for room service help with the long waits and crowded buffets? If people do not order room service because of their being a fee associated with doing so, is that not sending more people out there to wait for tables and crowd the buffets? Hence creating an even greater strain on resources. More staff will be needed. Dirty dishes can sit in a cabin for a while but dirty tables need to be cleared right away.

 

 

Rochelle

[maywell]

How does levying a charge for room service help with the long waits and crowded buffets? If people do not order room service because of their being a fee associated with doing so, is that not sending more people out there to wait for tables and crowd the buffets? Hence creating an even greater strain on resources. More staff will be needed. Dirty dishes can sit in a cabin for a while but dirty tables need to be cleared right away.

 

 

Rochelle

 

Actually that may make some people go and 'discover' the MDR, O'Sheenan's or a specialty restaurant that is free for breakfast. Another thing, some people take the food and/or drinks back to their rooms or to other locations on the ship (That was one of the beautiful things about the Breakaway - if the tables at the Garden Cafe were crowded; there was the Uptown Grill, Waterfront, the Atrium or playing penny machines at the casino :)) Plus not everyone goes up to the buffet for breakfast at the same time during the 4-5 hours its open (lunch - yes, it seems that way sometimes:o).

 

That's why its important to read the dailies to see what places are open for breakfast (and lunch). Hey, never know? You might find a new place to eat on the ship that very enjoyable other than the buffet (Another beauty of NCL - the different choices / variety / locations to have a enjoyable meal)

Edited April 2, 2015 by maywell

[ikoolu]

you just made my point - room service takes more resources away from the other operations and thus causes the need for more employees - thus creating more operating cost which means lower gross profit per sailing

 

thank you -

 

 

its takes a lot lower expenses to serve the meals in a large setting where a waiter can serve 10 -20 -30 people in a hour than running back and forth serving just a couple in a room

[rochelle_s]

you just made my point - room service takes more resources away from the other operations and thus causes the need for more employees - thus creating more operating cost which means lower gross profit per sailing

 

thank you -

 

 

its takes a lot lower expenses to serve the meals in a large setting where a waiter can serve 10 -20 -30 people in a hour than running back and forth serving just a couple in a room

 

I worked years in the hospitality industry and at one point my position had me in a large hotel and I would beg to differ on which setting requires more manpower. The room service attendant could be delivering to more than a couple it could be a family of 5 or more people. They also use carts and can service more than one cabin in a single trip. A ship does not have fluctuating operating costs in terms of staff. There is no added expense. The staff work every day and they are scheduled where they are needed. There is no calling in of extra people because one location is busier than another. All they do is shift the staff.

 

Putting more people into a crowded buffet or restaurant just puts more pressure on the staff that are working there and creates longer waits for the customers which in turn will influence their perception of the experience in a negative way. Example: The exact same food on the exact same buffet. Which experience would be more pleasurable;

 

a) Walking up to the buffet, being able to take your time, see what is available and make your selections. Then having no trouble finding a clean table with cutlery large enough for everyone in your party. No feeling crammed in or rushed.

 

b) Walking up to the buffet, standing in long lines, waiting to either be served or get to the area you want. Feeling pressure to hurry up and make your selections. Wondering if your hot food will stay that way until you reach your table. Wandering the room to try and find a clean table big enough for your party. Oh wait no cutlery, they are so busy they can not keep up with replacing it. Now you have to go in search of someone who can find you clean cutlery and a napkin and get it to you without being distracted by all the other hungry people at the buffet in search of something.

 

If I was a buffet person, as a guest or as an employee, I know which scenario I would choose.

 

 

Rochelle

[Winston Wolf]

You can if your retired.

T-20 years and counting...

[electro]

From 1/2 the threads on here, you can get the impression that many folks want to to give up on cruises. I guess it is a sin for cruise companies to realize a profit or their workforce to get some sort of raise. All the new builds need to be paid for.

 

Unless you are camping or staying in budget hotels cruising is still a great deal. NCL gives options, you take 'em or leave 'em. I personally like the options, like all the different specialty resturants. HAL, Carnival, RCCL, Celebrity and Princess do not offer the variety that NCL does. I have sailed all those lines and the product NCL offers I perfer over the others.

 

No I will not quit cruising my self. It is still one of the best vacation deals.

 

No, I am not quitting cruising but my cruise on Epic in May will probably be my last on NCL!

[sundercruiser]

you just made my point - room service takes more resources away from the other operations and thus causes the need for more employees - thus creating more operating cost which means lower gross profit per sailing

 

thank you -

 

 

its takes a lot lower expenses to serve the meals in a large setting where a waiter can serve 10 -20 -30 people in a hour than running back and forth serving just a couple in a room

 

Just have somebody come and pour the slops in a trough. Truly amazing savings that way. :rolleyes:

 

I don't know enough to know which would use less resources. On the face of it, RS would seem to maybe use more (sort of like Amazon delivering your toilet paper via UPS, is that really "efficient"?!), but on the other hand, it's in and out. Here's your order, thanks for the tip, be seeing you. Whereas when you eat in the MDR, you are seated, you get your menus, the waiter comes back, you're not ready and need more time, they come back again, you order, they bring the food, they go get the ketchup they forgot, they come by again and ask how everything was, go get you more coffee, and if they're lucky, they're finally done with you. Whew!

 

While they may not have to "run" as far as they would to get up to room 12114 or whatever, it does seems like a LOT more running involved.

[BendORcruiser]

When I first started cruising with NCL, there was still a midnight buffet with the chocolate extravaganza, lobster night, two waiters per table, a help yourself popcorn and bavarian pretzel station in the pub, FOUR course dinner in the MDR, a much bigger room service menu and two room stewards per room (well, not per room, but a steward and assistant and one always seemed to be around and eager to help.) And often 4 or 5 ports of call on a 7 day cruise instead of 3.

 

And I used to be a big NCL cheerleader. If someone I spoke to had never cruised and I got ahold of them, I sang the praises of NCL cruising. I bled NCL colors.

 

But those things have gradually gone away.

 

And I just don't cheer for NCL anymore. They are a floating hotel. Meh. And that's kind of sad to lose yet another brand that I used to feel strongly about.

[jusstice]

What I don't understand is this.

 

1) The business made a decision to start including gratuties on specialty dining. Just how much advance notice do people think they should get for this, or why any at all? It is a business decision. Like it or not. Either dine in the specialty or don't.

 

2) The business made a decision to test market a new room service menu with a pricing fee. Why would notice of this test be needed? Either use it, or not.

 

I love people complaining that all the fees are affecting them somehow, and that they shouldn't have to pay them. Exactly how would they expect NCL to track who is grandfathered in to a different fee structure depending on when the new policies were put in place. I know they did it for the increase in DSC, but that is something that affects all passengers and you had the option of paying it early. It is not an optional service fee increase like everything else is.

 

I will be cruising. I may adjust my room-service coffee in the morning. I don't drink so the auto gratuity on beverages never bothered me. I do use the specialty dining, so I will just be prepared for the gratuity if I do go to Modernos. No biggie since I usually tip cash in the specialty anyway- I just won't have to.

 

I would never think about decreasing the DSC, because that is unrelated to all the other optional charges being instituted.

[Cuizer2]

What I don't understand is this.

 

1) The business made a decision to start including gratuties on specialty dining. Just how much advance notice do people think they should get for this, or why any at all? It is a business decision. Like it or not. Either dine in the specialty or don't.

 

2) The business made a decision to test market a new room service menu with a pricing fee. Why would notice of this test be needed? Either use it, or not.

 

I love people complaining that all the fees are affecting them somehow, and that they shouldn't have to pay them. Exactly how would they expect NCL to track who is grandfathered in to a different fee structure depending on when the new policies were put in place. I know they did it for the increase in DSC, but that is something that affects all passengers and you had the option of paying it early. It is not an optional service fee increase like everything else is.

 

I will be cruising. I may adjust my room-service coffee in the morning. I don't drink so the auto gratuity on beverages never bothered me. I do use the specialty dining, so I will just be prepared for the gratuity if I do go to Modernos. No biggie since I usually tip cash in the specialty anyway- I just won't have to.

 

I would never think about decreasing the DSC, because that is unrelated to all the other optional charges being instituted.

 

A contract was entered into when the deposit was made. At that time, room service was included. NCL has made a unilateral change in the contract, which it cannot legally do. As proof, I suggest you research what happened when they tried to add a fuel surcharge. All the cruise lines were required to refund that money because it was not part of the contract between the passenger and the cruise line.

 

As to how NCL will keep tract of who purchased the cruise before the room service fee was imposed, that is NCL's problem. Just like with the DSC they will have to do it.

[hawkeyetlse]

A contract was entered into when the deposit was made. At that time, room service was included. NCL has made a unilateral change in the contract, which it cannot legally do.

The agreement you enter into with NCL when you make your deposit doesn't say anything about room service. A deposit is required to create your reservation, and to lock in your payment schedule, but you haven't bought anything yet. When you make final payment, you have purchased the cruise and you can sign the contract that enumerates what your cruise fare includes. That contract doesn't say anything about room service, either.

[NLH Arizona]

A contract was entered into when the deposit was made. At that time, room service was included. NCL has made a unilateral change in the contract, which it cannot legally do. As proof, I suggest you research what happened when they tried to add a fuel surcharge. All the cruise lines were required to refund that money because it was not part of the contract between the passenger and the cruise line.

 

As to how NCL will keep tract of who purchased the cruise before the room service fee was imposed, that is NCL's problem. Just like with the DSC they will have to do it.

If you feel this way, then contact an attorney and sue them.

[maywell]

If you feel this way, then contact an attorney and sue them.

 

Here Let me help him and other along with that lawsuit, so they can put a cork in it if they feel that wrongly about the fees. Language from the the guest ticket contract on NCL regarding contract disputes plus who and where to file:

 

Any and all disputes, claims, or controversies whatsoever, other than for personal injury,

illness or death of a Guest, whether brought in personam or in rem or based on contract, tort, statutory,

constitutional or other legal rights, including but not limited to alleged violation of civil rights,

discrimination, consumer or privacy laws, or for any losses, damages or expenses, relating to or in any

way arising out of or connected with this Contract or Guest's cruise, no matter how described, pleaded or

styled, between the Guest and Carrier, with the sole exception of claims brought and litigated in small

claims court, shall be referred to and resolved exclusively by binding arbitration pursuant to the United

Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York 1958), 21

U.S.T. 2517, 330 U.N.T.S. 3, 1970 U.S.T. LEXIS 115, 9 U.S.C. §§ 202-208 ("the Convention") and the

Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §§ 1, et seq., ("FAA") solely in Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S.A. to the

exclusion of any other forum. Guest hereby consents to jurisdiction and waives any venue or other

objection that may be available to any such arbitration proceeding in Miami-Dade, Florida. The arbitration

shall be administered by National Arbitration and Mediation (“NAM”) under its Comprehensive Dispute

Resolution Rules and Procedures and the Fee Schedule in effect at the time of filing the dispute with

NAM, which are deemed to be incorporated herein by reference. NAM can be contacted at 800-358-2550,

attention Commercial Claims Dept., 990 Stewart Avenue, First Floor, Garden City, NY 11530, to respond

to any questions regarding the arbitration process, as well as to request a copy of NAM’s current

Comprehensive Dispute Resolution Rules and Procedures and the Fee Schedule

[UPNYGuy]

A contract was entered into when the deposit was made. At that time, room service was included. NCL has made a unilateral change in the contract, which it cannot legally do. As proof, I suggest you research what happened when they tried to add a fuel surcharge. All the cruise lines were required to refund that money because it was not part of the contract between the passenger and the cruise line.

 

 

 

As to how NCL will keep tract of who purchased the cruise before the room service fee was imposed, that is NCL's problem. Just like with the DSC they will have to do it.

 

 

The only contract that was made is a contract of carriage. Have you ever looked at one??? It is *very* open ended, and states all they have to do is get you from A to B as long as they operate seaworthy vessels. It states onboard service is subject to change at any time. This is standard for any cruise line.

[UPNYGuy]

And the verbiage is now changed so they can add a fuel surcharge if they so wish.

[maywell]

And the verbiage is now changed so they can add a fuel surcharge if they so wish.

 

Its probably one of the fees when you booked the cruise fare with Government taxes ,fees and Port Expenses - and the mess up part, you can't get a breakdown of those taxes / fees / expenses.....

[njhorseman]

And the verbiage is now changed so they can add a fuel surcharge if they so wish.

 

The fuel surcharge verbiage has been in the contract and on the website for years.

[Cuizer2]

If you feel this way, then contact an attorney and sue them.

 

I don't use room service.

[met195]

Some of you will proberly be mad at me for writing this but ..... Idont get at all ?? So the price is up on roomservice charge ,right ?? Im a newbe ,we have only travelt with DCL, and ofcause we want to make sure if we will be leaving Escape with a big bill :confused:

 

We will be in haven and for what i understand,it doesnt count there,right?

 

I dont know if theres more then that but , im just a little confused(sorry)

[Verystormy]

I will post this from a european perspective as it is a little different to those in the USA.

 

I used to be a cruise agent in the UK. The big selling point for cruises was that is was very good value for money. You paid a fee, which, was pretty good value per night, then, all you had to budget for were drinks.

 

Now, do consider, that cruises are considerably more expensive for UK and European residents - the companies charge a LOT more than they do in the USA.

 

However, while the base price of cruises has not gone up too much, the total costs for a cruise are increasing significantly. At the same time, air fares are reducing and parts of the world becoming much more tourist friendly. As a result, for those looking for a holiday, cruising is starting to be less and less a good deal.

 

For the price of a cruise in a balcany, a holiday to somewhere like Thailand (with flights and a good 5 star hotel) is about the same. But, the cost of being on the cruise is a lot higher than what would be spent on the holiday. Hence, i know a lot of people who have cruised in the past, but wont now based on cost

[rochelle_s]

Some of you will proberly be mad at me for writing this but ..... Idont get at all ?? So the price is up on roomservice charge ,right ?? Im a newbe ,we have only travelt with DCL, and ofcause we want to make sure if we will be leaving Escape with a big bill :confused:

 

We will be in haven and for what i understand,it doesnt count there,right?

 

I dont know if theres more then that but , im just a little confused(sorry)

 

If you are in the Haven you do not need to worry about it. You will not have the same room service that incurs a fee. Room service for you is part of the perks of the Haven and will be taken care of by your butler.

 

And no one should be mad at you for writing this. It was a fair question that you wanted an answer to.

 

Have a great cruise and enjoy the Haven.

 

 

Rochelle

[maywell]

I don't use room service.

 

Then what are you complaining about then? It either affects you or it doesn't - can't get anymore simpler than that....:confused:

[$hip$hape]

I will reiterate my original theory.....

 

Ncl doesn't want saavy longtime cruisers any longer....

 

They want newbie cruisers who wil be in awe of the experience and not realize how quickly all the onboard fees are adding up.... Because they just don't know any better

 

I always laugh when I see pax who do everything onboard because they think that is just the way it is....

 

From bingo to booking every port excursion thru the ship

 

They are who Ncl is courting now....

 

Those who don't understand cruising

.....

 

Those of us that understand more than they want us to are now the enemy.....

 

 

[maywell]

 

Pretty much summarizes the anger right now regarding the fees...Thank you.