Keep Calm and Cruise Like a Norwegian

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I'm on Cruise Critic every day. It's a fun hobby for me. I love cruising and I love chatting with folks that also enjoy cruising. However, I'm struggling with all the panic and negativity and freaking out.

 

Clearly Norwegian is evolving its onboard product right now. The costs of some things are going up. The obvious example is room service. For folks who use room service a lot, there's now going to be a cost involved, at least on Breakaway and Getaway. There's also going to be a much improved menu from what we're told. But the reality is likely that most of Norwegian's guest survey data indicated that this was an area that was ripe for revision. You may not think so, but companies don't make these kinds of changes or without some compelling reason.

 

People are angry that BMG is going away, they don't like the new shows on Escape, they don't like that the Asian restaurants are free now, they don't like that O'Sheehan's is expanding fleet wide, etc. I confess I'm more concerned about being able to book my dinner in Cagney's, because I got addicted to the UDP last cruise on Epic and I want to continue my fix. I get it.

 

BUT, for all the folks who insist that they aren't going to cruise anymore or they're going to switch to Celebrity or MSC or Carnival (!), you shouldn't make your decisions rashly. Consider the following:

 

Norwegian has spent a lot of money on new ships and improvements to existing ships. NCL clearly wants to evolve to a new place in the market. I'm guessing they want to beat RCI at its own game. So, the product is going to evolve. And it's likely that these processes began a long time ago when Kevin Sheehan was still the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, not NCL Holdings.

 

Celebrity is a lot more expensive. So is RCI. So is Princess and HAL.

 

Let's say you pick one of the above. The entertainment isn't going to be nearly as good or varied in most cases. You are going to have to deal with set dining times or risk dealing with inferior "anytime dining scenarios." You're going to have to wear a suit or gown. And you're going to be dining in the MDR almost every night because you won't have so many restaurant choices.

 

MSC might be competitive on price and they have a few nice ships and a Haven-like Yacht Club, but it's obvious even to MSC that their product isn't ready for full American acceptance. That's why their newest ships will be purpose-built for the American market.

 

Ultimately, here's my point. If you remain calm and continue to Cruise Like a Norwegian, YES your cruise is going to cost a little more. But, you will still be able to cruise Freestyle at a price that is generally much less than NCL's competitors. For my money, Norwegian is still an incredible value.

 

I have two cruises booked and a CRC in the bank. And I bet I will buy more CRS when I'm aboard Epic in October. Keep calm and Cruise Like a Norwegian.

[SissasMomE]

This should be fun.

[kjquilts]

Excellent well written post Cruiser Bruiser. Everyone is different but for us Norwegian has been and still is a great fit. Not going to let some small annoyances chase us away from what we've grown to love.

[KevInPitt]

Very well expressed. I agree with your sentiment.

[adivineeternity]

Pretty much how I feel. They could have handled things better, for sure, rather than springing changes on people the way they did, but a lot of the changes I don't really mind. I loooove that Shanghai's is going to be complimentary on the Breakaway and am going to reserve judgement about this room service thing until I can see the menus and read the final decisions on cost, etc. If I think it's worth it, then I'll use it. If not, it'll be just like last cruise when my boyfriend and I went to a buffet each morning to eat. Since last cruise was nearly perfect in every way, I don't actually consider that a big deal.

 

NCL, and specifically the Breakaway's Bermuda runs, are an incredibly perfect fit for what we want with our Bermuda vacations (I'm assuming we'll cave and do this one many more times in the future). We're both still very much looking forward to our cruise in September and moving forward with high expectations for it.

[Ctrinh225]

Absolutely agree....been on 3 RCL cruises which I love but just got off the Getaway last month and it blew those out of the water. Had a spa mini suite that was sooooooooo much cheaper than a reg RCL balcony. Now I'm booked for the Escape in a spa balcony for 1/16. They really want their cruisers back....got a great deal with a UDP since I'm not a drinker. Yes, the room service was nice and I used it twice but most times I just walk to buffet and gotten things hot and fresh and so much more variety. Of course I'm still new to cruising (only been 2 yrs now) but there is something about getting on a boat and taking u to different ports...

And the NCL Getaway staff was absolutely wonderful......they took my vacay from + to super ++++. I've been reading CC on tapatalk lately and the things people say is unbelievable. Please calm down.......NCL is still one of the best cruise line IMHO.[emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]

 

 

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[Vacationdreamer<><]

Hmmm. As someone who came to NCL with DCL background I'm a little sensitive to the crowd that warns of "nickel & diming." We booked three weeks ago and have already seen the 18% thing and now the room-service thing. --- We're a bit worried about what is next.

 

We will miss dressing up and set meal times, but are anticipating Getaway's water slides, ropes course, etc. will show it to be a great product.

 

But we have two concerns. (1) that we will see more costs added & (2) specialty dining will become less "special" as more folks are picking UDP.

 

We have til 3/1/16 to PIF, though... So I'm just keeping my eyes on these pages. :)

[adivineeternity]

Hmmm. As someone who came to NCL with DCL background I'm a little sensitive to the crowd that warns of "nickel & diming." We booked three weeks ago and have already seen the 18% thing and now the room-service thing. --- We're a bit worried about what is next.

 

We will miss dressing up and set meal times' date=' but are anticipating Getaway's water slides, ropes course, etc. will show it to be a great product.

 

But we have two concerns. (1) that we will see more costs added & (2) specialty dining will become less "special" as more folks are picking UDP.

 

We have til 3/1/16 to PIF, though... So I'm just keeping my eyes on these pages. :)[/quote']

 

Just so you know, they do a thing called Norwegians' Night Out, which is a very optional dress-up night. Last year it appeared to be pretty popular on our sailing; we saw tons of people all dressed up. Then again, there were a lot of people dressed up every night, getting photos taken by the ship photographers and all that. It was quite fun. We dressed up 3 different nights, with our dressiest night being for a dinner at Le Bistro. Lots of good times.

[Loucat]

Celebrity is a lot more expensive. So is RCI. So is Princess and HAL.

 

I comparison shop for cruises all of the time and have no idea how you can say X is alot more expensive and then include RCI and Princess. Not so! It depends on many things as you know.

 

Let's say you pick one of the above. The entertainment isn't going to be nearly as good or varied in most cases. You are going to have to deal with set dining times or risk dealing with inferior "anytime dining scenarios." You're going to have to wear a suit or gown. And you're going to be dining in the MDR almost every night because you won't have so many restaurant choices.

Overall in our experience, RCC has the best entertainment. NCL not so impressive compared to any of those you mention.

 

In our 35+ cruises, you do not have to wear a suit and gown on any ship. This is 2015!

 

In our experience, one of the problems with NCL anytime dining is unless you are 4+ dining together, you are placed in not nice areas squeezed together. Anytime dining does not mean you dine when you want. It means you go when you want and are given a buzzer and when they are ready you can eat.

[Loucat]

Celebrity is a lot more expensive. So is RCI. So is Princess and HAL.

 

I comparison shop for cruises all of the time and have no idea how you can say X is alot more expensive and then include RCI and Princess. Not so! It depends on many things as you know.

 

Let's say you pick one of the above. The entertainment isn't going to be nearly as good or varied in most cases. You are going to have to deal with set dining times or risk dealing with inferior "anytime dining scenarios." You're going to have to wear a suit or gown. And you're going to be dining in the MDR almost every night because you won't have so many restaurant choices.

Overall in our experience, RCC has the best entertainment. NCL not so impressive compared to any of those you mention.

 

In our 35+ cruises, you do not have to wear a suit and gown on any ship. This is 2015!

 

In our experience, one of the problems with NCL anytime dining is unless you are 4+ dining together, you are placed in not nice areas squeezed together. Anytime dining does not mean you dine when you want. It means you go when you want and are given a buzzer and when they are ready you can eat.

 

My responses are to the OP but there is a formatting problem with my responses vs. original comments.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I'm on Cruise Critic every day. It's a fun hobby for me. I love cruising and I love chatting with folks that also enjoy cruising. However, I'm struggling with all the panic and negativity and freaking out.

 

Clearly Norwegian is evolving its onboard product right now. The costs of some things are going up. The obvious example is room service. For folks who use room service a lot, there's now going to be a cost involved, at least on Breakaway and Getaway. There's also going to be a much improved menu from what we're told. But the reality is likely that most of Norwegian's guest survey data indicated that this was an area that was ripe for revision. You may not think so, but companies don't make these kinds of changes or without some compelling reason.

 

People are angry that BMG is going away, they don't like the new shows on Escape, they don't like that the Asian restaurants are free now, they don't like that O'Sheehan's is expanding fleet wide, etc. I confess I'm more concerned about being able to book my dinner in Cagney's, because I got addicted to the UDP last cruise on Epic and I want to continue my fix. I get it.

 

BUT, for all the folks who insist that they aren't going to cruise anymore or they're going to switch to Celebrity or MSC or Carnival (!), you shouldn't make your decisions rashly. Consider the following:

 

Norwegian has spent a lot of money on new ships and improvements to existing ships. NCL clearly wants to evolve to a new place in the market. I'm guessing they want to beat RCI at its own game. So, the product is going to evolve. And it's likely that these processes began a long time ago when Kevin Sheehan was still the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line, not NCL Holdings.

 

Celebrity is a lot more expensive. So is RCI. So is Princess and HAL.

 

Let's say you pick one of the above. The entertainment isn't going to be nearly as good or varied in most cases. You are going to have to deal with set dining times or risk dealing with inferior "anytime dining scenarios." You're going to have to wear a suit or gown. And you're going to be dining in the MDR almost every night because you won't have so many restaurant choices.

 

MSC might be competitive on price and they have a few nice ships and a Haven-like Yacht Club, but it's obvious even to MSC that their product isn't ready for full American acceptance. That's why their newest ships will be purpose-built for the American market.

 

Ultimately, here's my point. If you remain calm and continue to Cruise Like a Norwegian, YES your cruise is going to cost a little more. But, you will still be able to cruise Freestyle at a price that is generally much less than NCL's competitors. For my money, Norwegian is still an incredible value.

 

I have two cruises booked and a CRC in the bank. And I bet I will buy more CRS when I'm aboard Epic in October. Keep calm and Cruise Like a Norwegian.

 

What upset me and a lot of people is HOW they did it not why but HOW

[tel2]

I recognize that I too am probably in the minority, but I personally would much rather pay for services that I use rather than have the base cost of my cruise increased to cover the cost of services and facilities that I will never use. I dont want to pay a higher cruise cost to cover, for example, the cost of maintaining an ice bar, or a bowling alley, or offering zumba classes or spinning classes, or a skating rink. Do you get any of these things for free at home? On what theory do you think they ought to be included for free on a cruise? Particularly on cruises that have such a low price point?

 

I would much prefer to pay a lower base price, and spend my extra dollars on what I choose to spend them on -- perhaps Posh, or specialty restaurants or the spa. I understand that some folks would like to replicate the experience enjoyed in the old days of an exclusive, all-inclusive cruise. But you cannot have both bargain basement prices and an all-inclusive exclusive cruise. If that is what you are looking for, perhaps Crystal or one of the other luxury lines is more suited to your needs, but the price tag that comes with it is very very high. A friend and his wife just booked an OV on Breakaway to Bermuda in high season with UBP for a total price of 1600. I defy anyone on this board to find a package including transportation, a decent hotel, three (or more) meals a day, alcohol and at least 4 days and 3 nights in Bermuda in high season for 230. a day for two people.

 

I personally am willing to pay 7.95 for the privilege of being able to get a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes etc in my room and being able to eat it in my PJs on my balcony. I really missed that. I am interested in seeing what the all-day dining room service menu enhancements are - so far, I have only seen breakfast menus posted -- but if they are true upgrades, I have no problem with a delivery fee. Hotels have been doing it for years and we still order room service. Moreover, I think it is far more reasonable to charge everyone the same delivery charge rather than imposing a charge based only on the time that the order is placed. So, I applaude the elimination of the midnight to 5AM charge in favor of treating all room service deliveries the same, which they are - they all require that the food be prepared, and they all require that the food be delivered. So I never understood why the person who ordered at 1AM was subjected to a charge that the person who ordered at 6AM was not.

 

The complaints that I find most amusing are the 50 or so I have seen ranting about having to pay to get a pot of coffee. First, you would have to do it in a hotel. Second, I am having difficulty understanding why this is such a big deal when NCL has coffee makers in every room except insides, and if you are in an inside, you can ask for one and your steward will get it for you. If you don't like their coffee, bring your own - we do. So I am perplexed as to why it is such a "deal-breaker" ? Too far to walk to your bathroom to get water to make your own coffee? The lousy coffee from room service is so much better than the room-made coffee that the failure to get it diminishes your cruise experience?Really? If it is really that important to you, then PAY for it. There were other similarly petty complaints, i.e., you can only get sparkling water not Perrier on the UBP. Can you really tell the difference? If so, then PAY for it. There were bath towels instead of beach towels at POSH. Why does it matter - you can take as many as you want. How does that diminish your cruise experience?

 

I too noticed that while there are hundreds of complaints about the convenience fee, and the increased gratuities, and other perceived cut-backs, there is virtually no discussion about any of the new enhancements. A better room service menu, no fee for the Asian restaurant, the amazing promotions that they have been offering since January, the kids sail free promotion on top of them. I know some folks think NCL raised prices before the promotions started, but between other family members and me, we have 7 different cruises booked, and the prices did not go up on any of them before the promotion started, and in fact came down on 3 of them (and on all of those for which we weren't past final payment, we had no problem getting the price reductions and the promotions added).

 

In my view, a major cause of the dissatisfaction with NCL, which results in streams of complaints, stems from its complete incompetence in handling new roll-outs. Their marketing materials often read as though they were written by someone who speaks English as a second language; they are unclear and ambiguous, and often contain grammatical and substantive errors. More often than not, NCL rolls out a new program without adequate notice to customer service staff, on-board staff, and TA's, which seems almost always to result in creating the impression that one hand has absolutely no idea what the other hand is doing. No one can answer questions accurately, and if three people call, they get three different answers. Moreover, their use of ambiguous language in marketing materials and press releases is often interpreted as being cagey or deceptive, when I personally believe it simply signals complete incompetence by the folks handling the rollout -- from marketing to whoever is responsible for implementation.

 

Terry

Edited April 1, 2015 by tel2

[kac911]

Hmmm. As someone who came to NCL with DCL background I'm a little sensitive to the crowd that warns of "nickel & diming." We booked three weeks ago and have already seen the 18% thing and now the room-service thing. --- We're a bit worried about what is next.

 

We will miss dressing up and set meal times' date=' but are anticipating Getaway's water slides, ropes course, etc. will show it to be a great product.

 

But we have two concerns. (1) that we will see more costs added & (2) specialty dining will become less "special" as more folks are picking UDP.

 

We have til 3/1/16 to PIF, though... So I'm just keeping my eyes on these pages. :)[/quote']

 

I'm right there with you, as a DCL person I (obviously) don't mind paying a little more but I want to know what I'm paying. And the way NCL has handled the recent changes that impact my pocketbook, and what this cruise costs that I didn't know about or were not able to plan for, that's bad customer service and what irks me. And as a first time NCL cruiser, it worries me for their overall customer service philosophy.

 

So if they raise the total prices $100 for future cruisers (which would cover most of what all these up charges are), no big deal. But when they tell me I'm buying free room service (and that's among what I compared when picking my cruise) and then pull that rug out from underneath me, that rubs me really wrong.

 

So to OP, it's not really the paying more that is the issue (at least not to me), it's how they are treating those of us past the PIF date who now have to just bend over and take what they are giving us. If I have a great time on this cruise will I consider NCL again, maybe. But it wouldn't be the price (even more expensive than it is now) that makes me only a maybe, it would be the customer service philosophy; I feel a little like I bought a new car and now they are telling me, "oh, you want an engine and tires with that, that will cost extra".

 

Now, despite all that, I'm going to go and it's going to be a great vacation because I KNOW it will be better than home, work, laundry and cooking!

[backsbanny]

I will keep calm and start cruising with celebrity maybe.i never thought i would cruise other lines..if my cruise on royal is nice then this opens new doors to me...my next cruise on ncl is very important to me..i love NCL but i am very worried and sad about all these changes...its not about the money...its the fact that ncl showed me that they just dont care anymore for loyal guest for guest who referred always ncl to anyone and always said the best things for ncl...for guests who even today at this moment when their phone rings they listen to the ncl ringtone...they drink their coffee with ncl mugs and every and each day they log on ncl.com.I am so sad at this moment mr Del Rio.you destroy a company that i love so much each and every day i learn about a new mistake made on the core value of ncl..and this core value is guests and staff..all my friends who are currently staff at ncl worry as well..all have told me that their company changes each day and the changes since today are for the worst not for good.i wish that in the future i will keep cruising like a norwegian but i am worried...

 

 

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[CasinoCruzGirl]

Terry

 

Your not getting it. The problem is how NCL does these thing they don't have an announcement stating it will start on such and such a date we find out these things from people ONBoard the ship. That's how we found out about the 18% and it's how we found out about the RS charge. It's not the why it's the HOW like I stated in my above post.

 

It's just a sneaky way to do business

 

Geri

Edited April 1, 2015 by FootballParent

[Carnac767]

Apart from roll calls I avoided the main NCL forum for a couple of years. I ventured back after my recent cruise to post a review and get some info on the Escape and Dawn. Now I'm remembering why I stayed away. This recent explosion of overwrought, overemotional, hysterical posts is amazing. It's almost comical. Supposedly Del Rio, after a month on the job, is the worst CEO ever and is running NCL into the ground. That's an astonishing accomplishment in just a month. Some prices have gone up. Well, yeah, welcome to capitalism. Though we seem to believe that free and discount are a right, I can't find that anywhere in the Constitution. Do I wish prices would stay static? Of course. But in the big scheme of things these increases are a fraction of the cost of my cruise. I still find it to be of good value. Some don't see it that way and are loudly (and repeatedly) proclaiming they are jumping to cruiseline X, Y, or Z. Knock yourself out. You're free to do so. Hope it works out for you. The funniest posts are by those who claim NCL is going downhill, yet they've never been on an NCL cruise. They must be savants.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Carnac767

[triptolemus]

What upset me and a lot of people is HOW they did it not why but HOW

 

This.

 

Much of struggle OP is having with all of the panic and negativity (pretty dramatic choice of words; nobody panicked!) could have been avoided with clear and concise communications from NCL.

 

The reaction you see now is the only one which makes sense, frankly.

 

When I make business decisions which can affect my customers both monetarily and, more importantly, emotionally, I do not let the internet-rumor mill distribute the news. When you want repeat business, you probably don't want your customers emotionally flummoxed. There is an easy way to prevent this. Control the communications. That failure is on NCL, not the passengers, and not the posters here.

Edited April 1, 2015 by triptolemus

[gwsster]

Awesome, logical response. Thanks for the great perspective.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

This.

 

Much of struggle OP is having with all of the panic and negativity (pretty dramatic choice of words; nobody panicked!) could have been avoided with clear and concise communications from NCL.

 

The reaction you see now is the only one which makes sense, frankly.

 

When I make business decisions which can affect my customers both monetarily and, more importantly, emotionally, I do not let the internet-rumor mill distribute the news. When you want repeat business, you probably don't want your customers emotionally flummoxed. There is an easy way to prevent this. Control the communications. That failure is on NCL, not the passengers, and not the posters here.

 

 

Exactly. And finding these things out from people on board is highly inappropriate and frankly ridiculous.

[tel2]

Terry

 

Your not getting it. The problem is how NCL does these thing they don't have an announcement stating it will start on such and such a date we find out these things from people ONBoard the ship. That's how we found out about the 18% and it's how we found out about the RS charge. It's not the why it's the HOW like I stated in my above post.

 

It's just a sneaky way to do business

 

Geri

 

Geri

 

I disagree that they are trying to be sneaky. Read my last paragraph. I think it is complete incompetence. And it causes them to look sneaky. Think of it in terms of project management. When a business project is properly managed, there is a timeline put into place with milestone dates for every event -- just like a new ship build. By this date we will have a fully developed plan, by this date we will communicate the plan in writing to the staff and customer service folks, by this date we will release marketing materials to the press and TAs describing the plan, by this date we will provide all on-board service folks with written directions about how the plan is to be implemented.

 

But NCL doesn't do that. Instead, when NCL decides to implement something new on board, they completely abandon all respected project management approaches, and begin implementation before the product is fully developed, before they have released info to TA's who are booking their customers, and before the staff has been given adequate instructions about how to implement. And to top it off, their marketing communication skills are abysmal, which exacerbates the problem.

 

Terry

[NMLady]

what upset me and a lot of people is how they did it not why but how

 

yes!

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I completely agree with everyone that NCL has a communication problem. This many passengers on so many ships means there are a lot of smart, curious, invested people talking about things. My Epic sailing in October was cancelled and replaced with an alternate sailing. I never heard about this from Norwegian! I read about it on Cruise Critic. Almost two months later, I still cannot access my reservation online. NCL knows about this and many passengers have the same problem and NCL still doesn't fix the problem. I'm angry about that. But I had a problem on my Princess cruise last February that made me angry, too. I'm still likely to sail with Norwegian more often than not.

[glittergal1]

I'm on Cruise Critic every day. It's a fun hobby for me. I love cruising and I love chatting with folks that also enjoy cruising. However, I'm struggling with all the panic and negativity and freaking

 

Im not freaking out im just very very angry :mad: since booking so much has not gone up in cost !!!!!!!! and to top it all the drinks menu is now minuscule where have all the cocktails gone :eek:

 

 

Cruiser Bruiser also quoted

MSC might be competitive on price and they have a few nice ships and a Haven-like Yacht Club, but it's obvious even to MSC that their product isn't ready for full American acceptance. That's why their newest ships will be purpose-built for the American market.

 

 

For me I will take MSC again next time thank you Im English and it suits me fine , and their cocktail list is fantastic the all inclusive price is amazing .

 

Ultimately, here's my point. If you remain calm and continue to Cruise Like a Norwegian, YES your cruise is going to cost a little more. But, you will still be able to cruise Freestyle at a price that is generally much less than NCL's competitors. For my money, Norwegian is still an incredible value.

 

also to add My MSC cruise was better value than the NCL I have booked for May ( and I had free upgrades to a balcony even as a solo passenger with MSC) , I chose NCL because I wanted to try their ship Epic im celebrating my birthday on board but now the excitement and shine seems to be fading . My Experience on board needs to be amazing and the best ever of all my cruises if I am to choose NCL again.

Edited April 1, 2015 by glittergal1

[elizamar]

Absolutely agree....been on 3 RCL cruises which I love but just got off the Getaway last month and it blew those out of the water. Had a spa mini suite that was sooooooooo much cheaper than a reg RCL balcony. Now I'm booked for the Escape in a spa balcony for 1/16. They really want their cruisers back....got a great deal with a UDP since I'm not a drinker. Yes, the room service was nice and I used it twice but most times I just walk to buffet and gotten things hot and fresh and so much more variety. Of course I'm still new to cruising (only been 2 yrs now) but there is something about getting on a boat and taking u to different ports...

And the NCL Getaway staff was absolutely wonderful......they took my vacay from + to super ++++. I've been reading CC on tapatalk lately and the things people say is unbelievable. Please calm down.......NCL is still one of the best cruise line IMHO.[emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]

 

 

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Thank you so much for this. We are about to try a spa minisuite for our honeymoon, but trying not to let all the negative posts here take the wind out of my sails. This is a HUGE trip for us. It would be horrible to have it be a huge disappointment.

[legion3]

Apparently cruising like a Norwegian means paying $7.95 for room service.

 

So keeping calm has no merit.

 

If I'm calm I'll pay $7.95 for my room service.

 

If I'm hysterical I'll pay $7.95 for my room service.

 

So the only way not to pay $7.95 for room service is NOT to cruise like a Norwegian apparently. :cool: