Norwegian Cruise Line Bans Food Outside of Dining Areas

[maywell]

I don't mind doing things myself and if I want to take something with me from the dining room I should be allowed to. I see no reason to sluff it off on the overworked staff. (And if I've paid for the service why am I charged $7.95 for a delivery to my room? And since I've paid for the food why does it matter where I eat it?)

 

If you had bother to read returning people like SuiteTraveler who had leftovers /desserts at specialty restaurants - there is no room service fee for that. Basically a free service for using the specialty restaurant.

[Miss Pat]

I truly foresee many heated discussions between the staff & passengers about what can be taken back to the room. If that's the sort of cruise line they want to be noted for they've got a real fight on their hands.

Their reputation will spread quite fast & what seemed as a good money maker of an idea will come back to bite them in the long run.

[sparks1093]

If you had bother to read returning people like SuiteTraveler who had leftovers /desserts at specialty restaurants - there is no room service fee for that. Basically a free service for using the specialty restaurant.

 

And I have also read posts that say the opposite.

[Dave85]

I truly foresee many heated discussions between the staff & passengers about what can be taken back to the room. If that's the sort of cruise line they want to be noted for they've got a real fight on their hands.

Their reputation will spread quite fast & what seemed as a good money maker of an idea will come back to bite them in the long run.

 

 

And on the flip side, I think that many crew members will not want to deal with the verbal abuse they will likely endure through enforcing this stupid policy and will seek to avoid such confrontations by looking the other way, particularly at the buffet. Then the policy will quickly gain the reputation of lacking teeth.

 

Enforcement in a dining room or at O'Sheehans will be easier, at least in theory.

[deege]

It's convoluted for a reason. My wife and I will go to a late show hit the buffet and grab a cone or light snack then head back to the room with food in tow. I honestly don't think that any employee on the ship is going to stop you and confiscate something like that. What they are trying to avoid are the gluttons who for whatever reason feel they need to stack miles of food on their plate for a last minute indulgence, not finish it, then leave it sitting outside of their room on the floor because they could not finish it. This just adds unnecessarily to their costs. Have any of you honestly asked for a doggie bag from the MDR or a specialty restaurant? I highly doubt it and if people do they are few and far between.

 

Its like any rule that we as customers think is stupid. If you use discretion and do not blatantly break the rule they will most likley look the other way.

[Travelcat2]

When cruisers new to NCL read the onboard policies they will learn that, like many other cruise lines, passengers simply do not take food from the buffet to their cabin. They will have no problem with it. Unfortunately, those passengers that live in what will become the "good old days" will sneak around - trying to get food to their cabin and getting angry with anyone that tries to stop them. This too shall pass (hopefully).

[deege]

A very nice response a posted on facebook. I see nothing at all wrong with what was said; However, it should have been said from the beginning. NCL had no business letting their customers find out while on a ship, and then from subsequent postings all over the internet. That is NOT good business etiquette. It took far too long for a logical and well-thought out response from NCL.

 

Here is the post:

 

I wrote Andy Stuart (President of NCL) a note concerning the room service charges and the new food rule. Here is his response:

Hi, thanks for your note. We do not charge for coffee and continental breakfast to be delivered by room service. In addition I feel strongly that the change asking guests not to bring food back to their rooms from restaurants is a good one. As we walk around the ship and see spills from food that guests are carrying and multiple plates and food waste littering the corridors, it is not a clean and pristine environment. The difference with room service is that it is our team delivering it - if they spill something they clear it up immediately. They also know where food has been delivered and they go back to get empty trays as part of their routine. At the same time as we have made this change we have changed the Asian restaurant from having a cover charge to being included across the fleet. I understand not everyone is going to love every change, but our focus is on quality and raising the quality of the experience across our fleet. You will see a huge investment coming from us in both the hardware and the software. Please have faith that everything we are doing is to increase our guest satisfaction and repeat rate. Apologies for the long response - but I am very passionate about this. regards. Andy

[NLH Arizona]

A very nice response a posted on facebook. I see nothing at all wrong with what was said; However, it should have been said from the beginning. NCL had no business letting their customers find out while on a ship, and then from subsequent postings all over the internet. That is NOT good business etiquette. It took far too long for a logical and well-thought out response from NCL.

 

Here is the post:

 

I wrote Andy Stuart (President of NCL) a note concerning the room service charges and the new food rule. Here is his response:

Hi, thanks for your note. We do not charge for coffee and continental breakfast to be delivered by room service. In addition I feel strongly that the change asking guests not to bring food back to their rooms from restaurants is a good one. As we walk around the ship and see spills from food that guests are carrying and multiple plates and food waste littering the corridors, it is not a clean and pristine environment. The difference with room service is that it is our team delivering it - if they spill something they clear it up immediately. They also know where food has been delivered and they go back to get empty trays as part of their routine. At the same time as we have made this change we have changed the Asian restaurant from having a cover charge to being included across the fleet. I understand not everyone is going to love every change, but our focus is on quality and raising the quality of the experience across our fleet. You will see a huge investment coming from us in both the hardware and the software. Please have faith that everything we are doing is to increase our guest satisfaction and repeat rate. Apologies for the long response - but I am very passionate about this. regards. Andy

Thanks for sharing this.

[SissasMomE]

A very nice response a posted on facebook. I see nothing at all wrong with what was said; However, it should have been said from the beginning. NCL had no business letting their customers find out while on a ship, and then from subsequent postings all over the internet. That is NOT good business etiquette. It took far too long for a logical and well-thought out response from NCL.

 

Here is the post:

 

I wrote Andy Stuart (President of NCL) a note concerning the room service charges and the new food rule. Here is his response:

Hi, thanks for your note. We do not charge for coffee and continental breakfast to be delivered by room service. In addition I feel strongly that the change asking guests not to bring food back to their rooms from restaurants is a good one. As we walk around the ship and see spills from food that guests are carrying and multiple plates and food waste littering the corridors, it is not a clean and pristine environment. The difference with room service is that it is our team delivering it - if they spill something they clear it up immediately. They also know where food has been delivered and they go back to get empty trays as part of their routine. At the same time as we have made this change we have changed the Asian restaurant from having a cover charge to being included across the fleet. I understand not everyone is going to love every change, but our focus is on quality and raising the quality of the experience across our fleet. You will see a huge investment coming from us in both the hardware and the software. Please have faith that everything we are doing is to increase our guest satisfaction and repeat rate. Apologies for the long response - but I am very passionate about this. regards. Andy

 

Nice post Deege. Write it yourself? :rolleyes:

[swedish weave]

I believe Mr Stuart is making his point to support the recent change with distorted information.

 

The main reason people see food waste in the hallways is because of NCL's own policies.

 

We have made many cruises on NCL and the steward usually will ask us to put the paltes outside to be picked up. Occasionally a steward will ask us to leave the plates in the room, but that is not the normal procedure.

 

If they want to make changes, they can find "reasons" to support those changes.

[maywell]

A very nice response a posted on facebook. I see nothing at all wrong with what was said; However, it should have been said from the beginning. NCL had no business letting their customers find out while on a ship, and then from subsequent postings all over the internet. That is NOT good business etiquette. It took far too long for a logical and well-thought out response from NCL.

 

Here is the post:

 

I wrote Andy Stuart (President of NCL) a note concerning the room service charges and the new food rule. Here is his response:

Hi, thanks for your note. We do not charge for coffee and continental breakfast to be delivered by room service. In addition I feel strongly that the change asking guests not to bring food back to their rooms from restaurants is a good one. As we walk around the ship and see spills from food that guests are carrying and multiple plates and food waste littering the corridors, it is not a clean and pristine environment. The difference with room service is that it is our team delivering it - if they spill something they clear it up immediately. They also know where food has been delivered and they go back to get empty trays as part of their routine. At the same time as we have made this change we have changed the Asian restaurant from having a cover charge to being included across the fleet. I understand not everyone is going to love every change, but our focus is on quality and raising the quality of the experience across our fleet. You will see a huge investment coming from us in both the hardware and the software. Please have faith that everything we are doing is to increase our guest satisfaction and repeat rate. Apologies for the long response - but I am very passionate about this. regards. Andy

 

At least Stuart is honest about the whole thing (the blowback and all) - thanks for sharing this.

[maywell]

I believe Mr Stuart is making his point to support the recent change with distorted information.

 

The main reason people see food waste in the hallways is because of NCL's own policies.

 

We have made many cruises on NCL and the steward usually will ask us to put the paltes outside to be picked up. Occasionally a steward will ask us to leave the plates in the room, but that is not the normal procedure.

 

If they want to make changes, they can find "reasons" to support those changes.

 

No offense to put it super short - putting a price tag on something that was free food before will make one eat all of the food one ordered. A person is going to think twice just like ordering from a land restaurant what they plan to eat, except it on a vacation on a cruise line with a price tag policy like that - nothing more, nothing less.

[swedish weave]

No offense to put it super short - putting a price tag on something that was free food before will make one eat all of the food one ordered. A person is going to think twice just like ordering from a land restaurant what they plan to eat, except it on a vacation on a cruise line with a price tag policy like that - nothing more, nothing less.

 

The price has nothing to do with my situation. I like to take food from the buffet in the mornings to DW, and have done it for years and over 40 cruises on NCL without spilling anything on the floor.

 

I don't see where your comments have any bearing on the information I posted.

[cruis247g]

Thank you for sharing the information and follow-up.

 

We don't bring mounds of food to our cabin nor do we take leftovers from restaurants, but, like others, we have sometimes brought drinks and something light back to the cabin to enjoy on the balcony. We might grab something in the buffet during the late afternoon when we're having a late dinner or in the late evening after an early dinner. We've always tried to be very neat. We began this because we had more choice of food and it was quicker than room service. I would miss it.

 

It will be interesting to hear how the policy is enacted.

[old sole]

The price has nothing to do with my situation. I like to take food from the buffet in the mornings to DW, and have done it for years and over 40 cruises on NCL without spilling anything on the floor.

 

Same here. Cost has nothing at all to do with my dissatisfaction. I almost never order from room service. The selection is too limited, I don't trust them to fill the order properly anyway, and I hate having to wait for an indeterminate time for them to deliver. When we want something, I just go get it myself. And I don't believe I've ever spilled anything in 20 cruises.

 

If the goal as stated in the message from Andy Stuart is "everything we are doing is to increase our guest satisfaction and repeat rate", then at least with me, these changes are a massive fail.

[mking8288]

So, COO for No Communications Line, Andy Stuart finally spoken, ironically, via social media - just not directly with the fanbase on CC. But rather, choose to reply on Facebook - how nice. :rolleyes:

Hmmm, think for a moment :(

-

Time for some of the (captive) audience to re-think :D

-

It's okay, some will and some won't be troubled by this, widespread disagreement & differences in opinions.

Let me make one thing very clear in all these, however, the failure to communicate is totally unacceptable. IMO - it is a fail.

 

P.S. BIL/SIL & friends in multiple cabins leaving in about 2 weeks for the Pearl sailing have yet to get any official communications about these changes.

Edited May 12, 2015 by mking8288

[Paulchili]

46528143 And I don't believe I've ever spilled anything in 20 cruises.

 

That's a silly argument. You are not alone on the ship - these ships have thousands of guests and many of them are children.

Can you claim the same for all of them as you do for yourself?

[vicocala]

A second-hand post on facebook tells me nothing. Sorry.

[old sole]

self-censored

Edited May 12, 2015 by old sole

[sparks1093]

many other cruise lines, passengers simply do not take food from the buffet to their cabin.

 

Which other lines prohibit passengers from taking food from the buffet to the cabin?

[sparks1093]

That's a silly argument. You are not alone on the ship - these ships have thousands of guests and many of them are children.

Can you claim the same for all of them as you do for yourself?

 

I know that I don't have the broad experience that the crew has onboard their own ship but I've never noticed a huge problem with food spills on my cruises. Yes, I've seen plates and trays in the hallways but I've seen that in upscale hotels also. The policy change is a bunch of hooey designed to make the captive audience use the for a fee room service, nothing more and nothing less.

[maywell]

So, COO for No Communications Line, Andy Stuart finally spoken, ironically, via social media - just not directly with the fanbase on CC. But rather, choose to reply on Facebook - how nice. :rolleyes:

Hmmm, think for a moment :(

-

Time for some of the (captive) audience to re-think :D

-

It's okay, some will and some won't be troubled by this, widespread disagreement & differences in opinions.

Let me make one thing very clear in all these, however, the failure to communicate is totally unacceptable. IMO - it is a fail.

 

P.S. BIL/SIL & friends in multiple cabins leaving in about 2 weeks for the Pearl sailing have yet to get any official communications about these changes.

 

 

But he spoke on social media and that what matters - it doesn't necessary mean he had to do it on CC since facebook has thousands of followers while NCL CC forum just has hundred(s). Posters here forget they are the super small minority of the internet that just more vocally loud. So no, I'm not surprise that Stuart choose facebook for a follow up reply - at least he nice about it and admitted the lack of communication was on NCL end.

[maywell]

I know that I don't have the broad experience that the crew has onboard their own ship but I've never noticed a huge problem with food spills on my cruises. Yes, I've seen plates and trays in the hallways but I've seen that in upscale hotels also. The policy change is a bunch of hooey designed to make the captive audience use the for a fee room service, nothing more and nothing less.

 

Worry when they remove the buffet, MDR and O'sheenan - then everyone can honestly claim they are captives on the ship since those are the complimentary choices, just have to walk to them. To some people that's a torturous walk on the ship; to me, that my normal walk to the diner / subway station / Dunkin Donuts / Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood, etc. To each their own, I suppose.

[sparks1093]

Worry when they remove the buffet, MDR and O'sheenan - then everyone can honestly claim they are captives on the ship since those are the complimentary choices, just have to walk to them. To some people that's a torturous walk on the ship; to me, that my normal walk to the diner / subway station / Dunkin Donuts / Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood, etc. To each their own, I suppose.

 

Which of course misses the point that we are guests on the ship and should be allowed to make choices for ourselves that we are allowed to make on other cruise lines and not be lied to regarding policy changes. (And it's just as long a walk to the buffet to get a plate and bring it back to the cabin, so not sure what you're going on about with the walking thing. And I will point out once again that your work around for the room service fee was a walk to the buffet to bring it back, which NCL has now nipped in the bud. Yes, I understand that enforcement will be spotty and difficult but NCL is relying on the fact that most people will comply with the rules.)

[maywell]

Which of course misses the point that we are guests on the ship and should be allowed to make choices for ourselves that we are allowed to make on other cruise lines and not be lied to regarding policy changes. (And it's just as long a walk to the buffet to get a plate and bring it back to the cabin, so not sure what you're going on about with the walking thing. And I will point out once again that your work around for the room service fee was a walk to the buffet to bring it back, which NCL has now nipped in the bud. Yes, I understand that enforcement will be spotty and difficult but NCL is relying on the fact that most people will comply with the rules.)

 

 

The other free choice people can make that some are skipping is you don't have to travel on a cruise line with a policy like NCL. Especially next year where it going to be more well-known - it just got implemented like last week. Purposely sailing on a line with a policy that one hates is setting up oneself for bad vacation - that not 'cheerleading', that just basic common sense. It not just about the 'money / cost' because even the 'lowest price' has it drawbacks with NCL being a good example with their policies and changes that seems to polarize people in to 2 separate camps - 'Affect / bothers me alot' & 'Doesn't affect / bother me at all'.