Why are people so happy about the big reversal??

[Regguy]

Is it really a victory that NCL reversed their recent decision regarding food being taken out of the restaurants??

 

Did everyone forget that there's still a $7.95 charge for room service??

 

My guess is that NCL considers it a victory that people made a bigger deal about the food policy rather than making a big deal about the room service fee!!

 

Perhaps that's exactly how they wanted it all to play out!!!

 

NCL is simply brilliant!!

 

The room service charge is just a budgeting issue. A guest who expects to have 5 room service meals on a cruise now pays $40 more. For ten it's $80. Just like DSC or the price of excursions, you know the cost and can act accordingly. You can compare to other lines or different cruises on NCL and make a decision. It's just a price increase for some people. If you see the cost of an NCL cruise is $3000, now you just add $80 if you anticipate 10 room service meals. Price increases happen, and you just incorporate it into your budget and decisionmaking. Price increases suck, but we know how to consider them and judge them.

 

The food ban was different. It was a ban. However much you are willing to pay, it doesn't matter. It was a discontinuation of a feature that some people really like. For many, the variety and other aspects of room service make it a poor substitute for being able to make your own plate. It would be as if NCL decided to get rid of pools. Or drinking. Or shows. Or the casino. Or bingo. Or the card room. Obviously it wouldn't do any of these things, but each of these would be upsetting to people who see these things as an important part of the experience.

[legion3]

NCL is brilliant, they won, hip hip hooray.

 

But now I can still take food from the buffet, O shehans, Le Bistro, Cagny's, etc... back to my room, eat it on my balcony, or wherever or whenever I want.

 

To me that is a win for me, if its a win for NCL then great, everyone is happy.

 

Well, except the people who look at my dishes sitting out in the hallway waiting to be picked up. :cool:

 

 

The room service fee is not likely to affect me, will order free stuff, coffee etc... and then supliment with the buffet as needed.

 

Still a win win for everyone.

Edited May 27, 2015 by legion3

[karoo]

I'm not worried about the RSC as I've never used it. It's just as easy and quick to quickly run up to the buffet and get exactly what I like. I usually take the empty plates back to the buffet as I don't like empty plates cluttering up the cabin. I've never actually thought to put them in the hallway. I do like to eat the occasional meal on the balcony, especially if it's a crowded cruise with heaps of kids on board, so not being able to take food back was a deal breaker, not the room service charge!

[DGP1111]

Because, being able to eat what I wanted, where I wanted it, with whomever I chose, including being alone, is very important to my relaxation. And I am very grateful that NCL listened to their customer and made the change back. Personally, I don't care about the room service charge. It is a small amount in the grand scheme of things and I do like having a more robust room service menu in return.

 

A 'Ditto' on that from me as well.

 

.

[3XX1XY]

People seem to forget that along with the charge for room service came a much expanded menu. I don't really see an issue, nor do I see a reason for room service if you are allowed to take a doggy bag or whatever now.

[Cruzaholic41]

People seem to forget that along with the charge for room service came a much expanded menu. I don't really see an issue, nor do I see a reason for room service if you are allowed to take a doggy bag or whatever now.

 

Really? What's new on the breakfast menu?

[mking8288]

Really? What's new on the breakfast menu?

We keep looking for omelette choices. No !

Tried looking for eggs benedict. No !

How about French toast? No !

How about Raffles or Pancakes? Still, no !

Toasted Bagel & Lox (Smoked Salmon) ? Cream Cheese ? Sorry, no !

Steak & Eggs, maybe whole wheat toast ? Definitely no ! (... Tried Carnival brands)

- - -

Speechless, what is this reversal about then? It is not about the convenience fees, well - no, I am not as happy as I could've been. Should I ? But it is not deceptive. Yikes - the morning (buffet/room service) coffee is still the same as before. For an upscale experience, somewhat ... (Got it, smile - be happy & let it be :D)

Edited May 27, 2015 by mking8288

[punkincc]

Really? What's new on the breakfast menu?

 

There are now hot options, like eggs and bacon. No omlets or pancakes. 2 or 3 selections for a full dinner. Nothing like the variety found elsewhere on the ship and I doubt many will be tempted by the offerings, but I guess it is a good thing for those who are in a 'have to' situation. Only the contenental offerings do not "attract" the $7.95 fee if ordered before 10:00 am.

[jennmaybe]

So, we can now take food back to our cabin? Sorry, but I keep seeing comments about the reversal, but I didn't see anything about the actual announcement.

[wvfrogg]

I was talking with a former employee (kind of high up) of RCCL. He said that they changed the policy and now the room stewards are responsible for the dishes, which were to remain in the cabins. The dirty dishes were then removed at either the morning cabin cleaning or the evening "turn-down" of sheets, etc. If you took food back after your cabin was prepared for bed, then the dishes would remain in your cabin until morning.

 

The only cruise I was on which seemed to have a problem with dishes in the hall was the Epic. Perhaps because the hallways were so narrow that it made walking around the dirty dishes a problem. Also on my Epic cruise, the staff seemed overwhelmed with everything; a broken balcony chair remained in the hall for the rest of the cruise!

 

For all those who are so worried about the $7.95 RS charge: one can order the same foods for free that they have always had for free (perhaps yogurt is the exception). It is only the expanded menu items that incur the charge. I don't see what the big deal is for that one.

[punkincc]

I was talking with a former employee (kind of high up) of RCCL. He said that they changed the policy and now the room stewards are responsible for the dishes, which were to remain in the cabins. The dirty dishes were then removed at either the morning cabin cleaning or the evening "turn-down" of sheets, etc. If you took food back after your cabin was prepared for bed, then the dishes would remain in your cabin until morning.

 

The only cruise I was on which seemed to have a problem with dishes in the hall was the Epic. Perhaps because the hallways were so narrow that it made walking around the dirty dishes a problem. Also on my Epic cruise, the staff seemed overwhelmed with everything; a broken balcony chair remained in the hall for the rest of the cruise!

 

For all those who are so worried about the $7.95 RS charge: one can order the same foods for free that they have always had for free (perhaps yogurt iis the exception). It is only the expanded menu items that incur the charge. I don't see what the big deal is for that one.

 

It is not only the "expanded" menu which incurrs the charge. Anything beyond the pre 10:00 am contenental items will incurr a charge including all the previously free lunch offerings.

 

I like RCCLs solution to the RS dish problem. It only makes sense, and I'm sure that now that NCL is looking for more sensible options, they will come up with something similar.

[johnlatte]

So, we can now take food back to our cabin? Sorry, but I keep seeing comments about the reversal, but I didn't see anything about the actual announcement.

 

Here's the actual announcement directly from NCL.

 

http://www.ncl.com/cruise-information/message-norwegians-president-andy-stuart?stop_mobi=yes

[jennmaybe]

Here's the actual announcement directly from NCL.

 

http://www.ncl.com/cruise-information/message-norwegians-president-andy-stuart?stop_mobi=yes

 

Thank you!! Somehow, I missed that thread. :)

 

Hubby will be happy now, because this was actually really close to making us cancel our 1st NCL cruise. He was not happy about being treated like a child and being told where he can and cannot eat the food that he has paid for.

 

I sent my email last week to the email addresses posted here on CC. Someone emailed me & gave me her number and told me to call her. I didn't, only because I didn't want to hear the same BS excuses that everyone else was getting. My main goal was to let them know we not only have a vacation choice, but we have a choice in which cruise line we sail and that if NCL continued with these ridiculous policies, we would gladly cancel NCL and go back to RCCL.

 

I know FDR's goal is to get everyone on board to spend an additional $40-$50, but my hubby said they won't get an additional dollar from us. We have the UBP promo and hubby said he definitely will not be ordering room service or play in the casino, so FDR won't be happy with passengers like us. :p We just don't like the way NCL has gone about making all these new policies & implementing the new fees. :mad:

[cacj]

I don't believe the dishes in the hallway excuse.

 

On every ship we have sailed, every hallway has multiple cameras. If there were safety issues because of dishes, wouldn't the camera show that the hall needed a pickup? Who is in charge of policing the halls for dishes/trays?

 

A ship that would allow hours and hours of trays and dishes to sit unattended to, with cameras able to see everything at all times, tells me that someone at the head of the line is not managing the safety of passengers.

 

As for the room service fee, we are still unhappy about it, but we are glad that NCL walked back on the ban with regard to food being taken from the restaurants.

[dega2]

With all the food all over the ship, the last place I want to see food is in my cabin. I just don't see what the big deal was.

[Cuizer2]

With all the food all over the ship, the last place I want to see food is in my cabin. I just don't see what the big deal was.

 

Then don't bring any food back to your cabin. There was never a rule that you had to do this. It is still an option that many people enjoy.

[Regguy]

With all the food all over the ship, the last place I want to see food is in my cabin. I just don't see what the big deal was.

 

I've sort of been struck by the comments in this whole affair that amount to:

 

It doesn't affect me. Therefore, it's not a big deal.

 

I mean, I guess that's true personally for you, but the expectation that it's a universally accepted opinion that should make obvious sense to everyone is puzzling.

 

If NCL got rid of all of the casinos, it would not affect me. In fact, putting aside that it might make cruises more expensive, I would probably be happy about having something I might actually use in that public space. But I certainly would understand why it would be a very big deal to a significant segment of cruisers, and it's hard to imagine that were there a thread about it, I would post that since I personally don't use the casinos it's not a big deal.

 

To the people who think this change was a good one, or were neutral about it, we understand. There is probably no change -- short of simply dropping prices -- that could happen on NCL that everyone would agree with.

[legion3]

With all the food all over the ship, the last place I want to see food is in my cabin. I just don't see what the big deal was.

 

Do you get a balcony room or have kids?

 

The balcony is a nice place to have a bite and a private place to have a bite.

 

Kids, sometimes need a quiet place to chill and a bite to eat.

 

So what you can't see as a big deal others can and do.

[perkydebrajean]

With all the food all over the ship, the last place I want to see food is in my cabin. I just don't see what the big deal was.

 

We had a busy day in port, ate dinner, went to the show, hit the casino and then grabbed a couple of slices of cheesecake to go from O'Sheehans and enjoyed it on our balcony with a cup of coffee before calling it a night. Made for a great day.

[Snowrose]

Considering a reported (by NCL staff) increased number of people were getting take out from restaurants ostensibly to avoid the $7.95 room service fee, I think the OP is wrong in their assessment.

 

I think that NCL is now right where they need to be, with a $7.95 fee discouraging tiny room service orders that were most likely overwhelming staff. And meanwhile their customers are once more happy, with being able to get their own foods and bringing them to their room.

 

As for food left in the hallways, that's also now being addressed in a way it should be - with increased policing of hallways. Even better if they include a suggestion somewhere in the literature that dirty dishes can be kept on a table in your room for pick up by your room steward.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Snowrose

[oregonian123]

 

I am bugged that they took cereal and yoghurt off the free continental breakfast room service menu.

 

 

Hi, I am sorry if I am jumping into this discussion late.

Does anyone have a copy of the new hang tag for the continental breakfast?

I haven't kept up and did not know that cereal and yogurt are gone.

 

Thanks.

[gcdogwalker]

With all the food all over the ship, the last place I want to see food is in my cabin. I just don't see what the big deal was.

 

Well, it sure means a lot to some of the people that have a balcony and even those who prefer to have another type of cabin. No one is asking you to take food to your cabin, why should this be an issue to you? Just don't bring it back, no problem! You're on vacation, chill out!

[dega2]

I guess I hit a sore spot, maybe Ill have to try bringing food back to my cabin and eat it on my balcony and see what the big deal is.

[geoherb]

I think that NCL is now right where they need to be, with a $7.95 fee discouraging tiny room service orders that were most likely overwhelming staff. And meanwhile their customers are once more happy, with being able to get their own foods and bringing them to their room.

If tiny room service orders are overwhelming staff, then they need more staff. I don't mind tipping the person who brings me room service, but I think charging a fee is ridiculous.

[Cuizer2]

I guess I hit a sore spot, maybe Ill have to try bringing food back to my cabin and eat it on my balcony and see what the big deal is.

 

Don't bother. If you didn't understand the allure of eating breakfast/lunch/dinner on your balcony before, you are not going to understand it any better after you tried it once.