New Dining Policy -- Official as of 4:20 EST

[Miss Pat]

This is a huge opportunity for someone to design and release a range of 'smuggle food out of the buffet' hand luggage. Looks like a regular shoulder bag but has a flip down side hatch with plate sized slots that you can slide the goodness into and skulk away unnoticed.

Does this add a new twist to smuggling. We're used to smuggling stuff onto the ship, now we have to concern ourselves about smuggling stuff around the ship. :p

[tumblew467]

My cruise is in 48 hrs. I will see about the buffet.

[mickeysgal]

Catching up with this latest and not so greatest change by NCL. Not sure if their heads are screwed on straight when they implemented this new policy.

 

Add us to the list of those that like to grab a plate of snacks...cookies, fruit, whatever to enjoy with coffee on our balcony. This is one of the reasons we book a balcony...to spend time on it including snacking/reading the day away.

 

Very bad decision NCL. We will follow through on our cruise which is coming up shortly. But if this keeps up, we are back to exclusively Royal and Celebrity. I just don't need this kind of hassle/restriction.

[RaMar]

Catching up with this latest and not so greatest change by NCL. Not sure if their heads are screwed on straight when they implemented this new policy.

 

Add us to the list of those that like to grab a plate of snacks...cookies, fruit, whatever to enjoy with coffee on our balcony. This is one of the reasons we book a balcony...to spend time on it including snacking/reading the day away.

 

Very bad decision NCL. We will follow through on our cruise which is coming up shortly. But if this keeps up, we are back to exclusively Royal and Celebrity. I just don't need this kind of hassle/restriction.

 

Totally agree!

[mking8288]

This is a huge opportunity for someone to design and release a range of 'smuggle food out of the buffet' hand luggage. Looks like a regular shoulder bag but has a flip down side hatch with plate sized slots that you can slide the goodness into and skulk away unnoticed.

 

Check out the CC Store here, there are a # of totes, insulated travel bags, day pack, etc. that can readily put into service for covert ops. :cool: And, don't forget to bring that NCL blue beach towel if you are heading to the garden cafe to provide extra cover in the outdoors. ;)

 

This is a wonderful eBay opportunity to promote a NCL cruise feestyle survival kit. :D

 

Better get accustomed, meanwhile, to even longer lines & longer wait for a table and a place to sit. Those living the Suite/Haven life, you got nothing to worry about - just call your butler & concierge, and do tip nicely for exceptional services. The steerage class as a captive audience on high seas will just have to deal with it a little differently. Really, it's fine to be arrogant & selfish.

[Cuizer2]

This is a huge opportunity for someone to design and release a range of 'smuggle food out of the buffet' hand luggage. Looks like a regular shoulder bag but has a flip down side hatch with plate sized slots that you can slide the goodness into and skulk away unnoticed.

 

Somebody on another thread already has his business model laid out.

[david_sobe]

If they don't want food waste, let us take it back to the cabin fridge for later. If we're not allowed to do so, the food will be discarded as waste.

 

We Customers pay for the food served to us in the restaurants, so it should be ours to take with us. Just give us a disposable container for it.

I bet this change had nothing to do with wasting food. I don't find it a coincidence this changed happened right after the room service fee. They are attempting to stop food being brought to the cabin so you must rely on room service. No sense if you have a fee if there is a way to avoid it by bringing food back to the cabin from the buffet.

[81Zoomie]

Does this add a new twist to smuggling. We're used to smuggling stuff onto the ship, now we have to concern ourselves about smuggling stuff around the ship. :p

 

We have not sailed NCL, but are reading this thread for the entertainment. Pity the poor dining attendant assigned as the door guard who has to tell customers who just paid thousands of dollars on vacation they cannot remove cheese and crackers from the buffet. I am giggling as I glance at the apple and orange I just removed from a hotel breakfast buffet :eek: I love the idea quoted above... Yes... A whole new cruise cottage industry!

[Wumeister]

This really is a game changer for me. We are doing the inaugural sailing of the Escape...10 sea days in a row. I have multiple sclerosis and am a full time wheelchair user now. My husband always brings me something to our cabin, sometimes because I am just too tired or if I need to have a little something to take with medication. On this sailing the only available accessible cabin was an aft balcony. It is a challenge to make it down the hall to the very back with housekeeping carts, other people, etc in the hall. NCL was great because of the flexibility, now it sounds like it might be (for me) the worst. I'm definitely bummed out, I just don't have the stamina to always sit in a restaurant or maneuver the buffet. So much for a relaxing freestyle vacation.

[SAILPRO]

Check out the CC Store here, there are a # of totes, insulated travel bags, day pack, etc. that can readily put into service for covert ops. :cool: And, don't forget to bring that NCL blue beach towel if you are heading to the garden cafe to provide extra cover in the outdoors. ;)

 

This is a wonderful eBay opportunity to promote a NCL cruise feestyle survival kit. :D

 

Better get accustomed, meanwhile, to even longer lines & longer wait for a table and a place to sit. Those living the Suite/Haven life, you got nothing to worry about - just call your butler & concierge, and do tip nicely for exceptional services. The steerage class as a captive audience on high seas will just have to deal with it a little differently. Really, it's fine to be arrogant & selfish.

 

Very true mking8288!

[kba1988]

I guess we can start emailing and faxing the person in this poster's email....??

 

But I wonder if it will do any good. Looks like NCL has made up their mind on this policy change... smh

Edited May 8, 2015 by kba1988

[CarRex]

I am a platinum level NCL cruiser who has booked my most recent cruises on Royal just to try the line. I was planning to switch back to NCL until this new policy. Sorry NCL but you just lost another loyal customer.

[deladela]

If enough people complain do you think they will revoke this? The stewards could just be instructed to remove any safety or health issue food from the cabin or fridge. Also what does this mean as far as minibar in cabins...no more food?

I wrote an email yesterday to let NCL know I was disappointed with the new policy. I also called today and canceled my cruise for October of this year because the new policy takes away from my experience and I would rather rebook on another line that lets me do "whatever". I received a call shortly after I called to cancel. I was told that they had tons of feedback on the new policy and that they were taking it seriously. I was told that it wouldn't be changed right away, but if they continued to get negative feedback that they would likely change it back. So if you don't like the new policy PLEASE send an email to let them know! They won't listen to one person, but they can't ignore all of us if they want to stay in business!

[jmkennett]

Of course it's about the money. It's all about the money. If it was about cleanliness, they would ban room service. I see no difference on the sanitary side of eating a cookie or a piece of cheese that I brought to my cabin, to one room service delivers.

 

In the scheme of things in life, is it the worst thing ever, of course not? It may not a be a big deal to some people. Others, really enjoy bringing a few food items back to their cabin. Who cares? What it is, however, is a bunch of petty crap contrived by some corporate suit. I put up with enough of that in regular society and I don't want to deal with it on vacation, especially one whose motto is "Freestyle".

 

I fully understand if NCL want to make a policy of not taking plates and plates of food out of a restaurant or a buffet. Would it really affect anyone if someone took a small sandwich for lunch on their balcony or a few cookies at night. No, it would not. Why not have some "special" size plates and ask that those are used to take a few things to their cabin?

 

After 44 cruises on may different lines, including NCL, this childish rule is a deal breaker for me on this line, based on principal. I don't need someone policing me or watching me every time I leave the buffet or walk down the hall. Completely absurd.

[burm]

I wrote an email yesterday to let NCL know I was disappointed with the new policy. I also called today and canceled my cruise for October of this year because the new policy takes away from my experience and I would rather rebook on another line that lets me do "whatever". I received a call shortly after I called to cancel. I was told that they had tons of feedback on the new policy and that they were taking it seriously. I was told that it wouldn't be changed right away, but if they continued to get negative feedback that they would likely change it back. So if you don't like the new policy PLEASE send an email to let them know! They won't listen to one person, but they can't ignore all of us if they want to stay in business!

 

 

To whom, and to what address, should we send these emails to have the most impact?

[deladela]

Those companies cared and Del Rio doesn't- he has his vision of what NCL should be and that is that.

If anyone thinks Del Rio cares, listen to the webcast of the first quarter financial conference call. It's available online. He basically said that social media is not important to their business and said he wants a "more affluent" clientele for NCL. I guess those of us that have been loyal to NCL are no longer good enough. :mad:

[deladela]

I guess we can start emailing and faxing the person in this poster's email....??

 

But I wonder if it will do any good. Looks like NCL has made up their mind on this policy change... smh

PLEASE send an email to let them know how you feel. I did yesterday and got a phone call this morning asking me to be patient because they think it will be changed due to the negative feedback, but we have to continue to let them know that it's a problem or they will just assume we're okay with it.

[kba1988]

If anyone thinks Del Rio cares, listen to the webcast of the first quarter financial conference call. It's available online. He basically said that social media is not important to their business and said he wants a "more affluent" clientele for NCL. I guess those of us that have been loyal to NCL are no longer good enough. :mad:

 

I am at NCL's "Financial Press Releases" page, but cannot find the webcast. Can you link it please?? Thanks in advance.

 

**NEVERMIND** Its under the "Events & Presentations" tab....thanks anyway.....

Edited May 8, 2015 by kba1988

[deladela]

I am a platinum level NCL cruiser who has booked my most recent cruises on Royal just to try the line. I was planning to switch back to NCL until this new policy. Sorry NCL but you just lost another loyal customer.

I am also platinum, but called this morning to cancel my October cruise and tell them that I won't even be using my FCC from my last cruise because I'd rather lose the $150 than not be able to enjoy my vacation the way I want to. Freestyle...yeah, right

[deladela]

To whom, and to what address, should we send these emails to have the most impact?

publicrelations@ncl.com

[deladela]

I am at NCL's "Financial Press Releases" page, but cannot find the webcast. Can you link it please?? Thanks in advance.

 

**NEVERMIND** Its under the "Events & Presentations" tab....thanks anyway.....

In case anyone else wants the link

http://www.nclhltdinvestor.com/events.cfm

[SJ]

If you can, don't cancel your cruise until about a week before final payment just to give them less time to resell it. Why give them an opportunity to sell your cabin early at maybe a higher price. May seem petty but ncl deserve what they're dishing out, that is no consideration for their customer base.

[kessdarln]

If you can, don't cancel your cruise until about a week before final payment just to give them less time to resell it. Why give them an opportunity to sell your cabin early at maybe a higher price. May seem petty but ncl deserve what they're dishing out, that is no consideration for their customer base.

 

 

Especially if you got a great rate or perk. No need to cancel until right before final due date... They may change the policy or you might change your mind.

[burm]

Especially if you got a great rate or perk. No need to cancel until right before final due date... They may change the policy or you might change your mind.

 

 

That is my thought. I plan to let them know that I am thinking of cancelling, but will be monitoring the situation until shortly before final payment is due.

 

It would not be the first time that a cruise line has backed down from an unpopular policy change once the peasants revolted.

 

FDR is saying, "Let them eat cake - but they darn well better eat it in the dining room or pay $7.95 plus gratuity for room service!"

[richstowe]

If you can, don't cancel your cruise until about a week before final payment just to give them less time to resell it. Why give them an opportunity to sell your cabin early at maybe a higher price. May seem petty but ncl deserve what they're dishing out, that is no consideration for their customer base.

I disagree . Wouldn't cancelling now , and explaining that this action is directly a result of their changed policies , have a greater impact then the drips and drabs of drawn out cancellations ? If you want to have any impact ,cancellations should be done sooner then later . Edited May 8, 2015 by richstowe