When did Margaritaville become a specialty on Escape?

[LrgPizza]

Are the margaritas covered by the UBP? I certainly won't be buying any food there. We leave on our first NCL cruise in 5 weeks' date=' it may be our only NCL cruise.[/quote']

 

 

All alcoholic drinks $15 and under are covered. It doesn't matter where or what.

 

They have flair bartenders at the Margaritaville bar. Unfortunately despite giving them extensive training in all kinds of fancy bottle acrobatics, the ceiling is too low to really do much. If Yaj (it's Jay pronounced backwards) is still there when you sail, have him give you a demo. That bar was our favorite place to sit and drink.

 

Too bad you're already deciding it might be your last. Unless that's a financial decision, I have no idea how anyone could think that way. You maybe trust the judgment of a handful of strangers on the Internet more than yourself. That's scary in a billion ways.

Edited December 13, 2015 by LrgPizza

[Daenerys T]

Are the margaritas covered by the UBP? I certainly won't be buying any food there. We leave on our first NCL cruise in 5 weeks' date=' it may be our only NCL cruise.[/quote']

 

Can't say that I blame you. Too many financial changes in such a short period of time.

[Mouse's Shadow]

It's not the money. I just don't like booking a cruise, then feel as if there has been a bait and switch by the time we board. I will enjoy the vacation, but I refuse to reward NCL for their deception.

[realmccoy]

Just off the Escape. Margaritaville was pretty much empty day and night when we went by. Never a wait and seemed really empty. We did not partake in Margaritaville due to the new fee's and looks like others are doing the same.

[vacation44]

It's not the money. I just don't like booking a cruise' date=' then feel as if there has been a bait and switch by the time we board. I will enjoy the vacation, but I refuse to reward NCL for their deception.[/quote']

 

I feel exactly the same way.

[RiotAct]

Just off the Escape. Margaritaville was pretty much empty day and night when we went by. Never a wait and seemed really empty. We did not partake in Margaritaville due to the new fee's and looks like others are doing the same.

 

Huge success!!!

[rochelle_s]

Just off the Escape. Margaritaville was pretty much empty day and night when we went by. Never a wait and seemed really empty. We did not partake in Margaritaville due to the new fee's and looks like others are doing the same.

 

Not trying to sound negative towards the cruise line, but this in my opinion is good news. I don't like when a cruise line views its customers as open wallets.

 

I am not a person who hangs out on the pool deck, nor I am I likely ever to order a burger. But I do think that a venue should be available to those that do, especially out on the pool deck. Not only is it, industry wide, pretty standard to have a complementary food venue available outside it is also nice to have it for those wishing to remain in their bathing attire. I can imagine it would be a bit of a production for a family with children to get everyone suitably changed to go indoors for lunch and then reverse the process to go back out to the pool areas again.

 

Nice to see people speaking with their wallets.

 

 

Rochelle

[barnacle_boy]

Not only is it, industry wide, pretty standard to have a complementary food venue available outside it is also nice to have it for those wishing to remain in their bathing attire.

 

RCI has gone a la carte with Johnny Rockets, their outdoor burger and shakes venue near the pool, on their latest ships too. Used to be just a cover charge of $5.

[NLH Arizona]

Just off the Escape. Margaritaville was pretty much empty day and night when we went by. Never a wait and seemed really empty. We did not partake in Margaritaville due to the new fee's and looks like others are doing the same.

By not going, that is the only way to get NCL's attention. If enough stay away, then NCL might change their minds on the fees and either make it complimentary or just a low service charge.

[Laszlo]

By not going, that is the only way to get NCL's attention. If enough stay away, then NCL might change their minds on the fees and either make it complimentary or just a low service charge.

 

Thats not going to happen, even if everyone on CC were to boycott the restaurant thats only a very small fraction of the amount of people who sail the ship

[electro]

Thats not going to happen, even if everyone on CC were to boycott the restaurant thats only a very small fraction of the amount of people who sail the ship

 

But it is happening, every report from the Escape, since Margaritavilla went a la carte, has said it's been empty.

People don't have to belong to CC to not want to pay a la carte prices for something that was free when they booked.

Edited December 15, 2015 by electro

[NLH Arizona]

Thats not going to happen, even if everyone on CC were to boycott the restaurant thats only a very small fraction of the amount of people who sail the ship

Yes, it has to be way more than Cruise Critic members because that is such a small amount, but I've been saying over and over, if one disagrees with a change, then don't partake in that change or don't cruise with NCL, because those are the only ways that they would ever get the message that folks don't like something. Folks on here would say they disagree with the 18% gratuity at the specialty restaurants, but will still go and take the 18% off the DSC, which totally sends the wrong message, because corporate is still going to see the sales in the restaurants and think that the DSC is being reduced because of bad service.

[Zena2005]

Not trying to sound negative towards the cruise line, but this in my opinion is good news. I don't like when a cruise line views its customers as open wallets.

 

I am not a person who hangs out on the pool deck, nor I am I likely ever to order a burger. But I do think that a venue should be available to those that do, especially out on the pool deck. Not only is it, industry wide, pretty standard to have a complementary food venue available outside it is also nice to have it for those wishing to remain in their bathing attire. I can imagine it would be a bit of a production for a family with children to get everyone suitably changed to go indoors for lunch and then reverse the process to go back out to the pool areas again.

 

Nice to see people speaking with their wallets.

 

 

Rochelle

 

I did like that set up on the Epic; the main pool had the covered outdoor café which was an extension of the Garden Café and at Spice H20 there was the bar and a buffet. We spent sea days at Spice H20 just for those reasons, plus is was more of a relaxing atmosphere compared too the main pool deck (I know the Spice H20 pool was a glorified bathtub but none the less a place to cool off for a few minutes). It was nice not having to vacate your loungers for a quick bite. I think the food service area in Spice on the away ships was replaced with a water feature and the Escape has the grotto. Based on the actual photos from other travelers, the grotto appeared to be better in the renderings. The renderings (and the NCL description) made it look as if the water could have been knee deep or so with areas to sit and a larger quantity of water falls. One in particular that comes to mind is the pools at the Grand Hyatt Kauai; the grotto there was real nice....

[islandgirl70]

I just returned from the Dec 5-12 sailing on the escape and the entire cruise we kept noticing that Margaritaville was empty the whole time. We would walk by several times throughout the day and it was a ghost town.

[eroller]

I just returned from the Dec 5-12 sailing on the escape and the entire cruise we kept noticing that Margaritaville was empty the whole time. We would walk by several times throughout the day and it was a ghost town.

 

 

I'm glad people realize it's not worth paying for. Hope the whole thing backfires on NCL then it will be fun to watch them backpedal and see how they spin it.

[MisterFidgetpants]

But it is happening, every report from the Escape, since Margaritavilla went a la carte, has said it's been empty.

People don't have to belong to CC to not want to pay a la carte prices for something that was free when they booked.

 

Either on here or a FB group page someone said they paid $22 to eat there.

 

That's a business success. $22 revenue whereas before it was guaranteed $0 revenue.

 

So even if a handful of people eat there it is still a positive for the bean counters

[janpo]

Either on here or a FB group page someone said they paid $22 to eat there.

 

That's a business success. $22 revenue whereas before it was guaranteed $0 revenue.

 

So even if a handful of people eat there it is still a positive for the bean counters

 

You consider $22 for a handful of people a business success?

 

They would get much more revenue by charging $5 cover fee and taking it from there.

 

Families that have to pay $22 pp to eat there will not eat there and having the restaurant be mostly a ghost town is not a success by any means.

[abe3]

You consider $22 for a handful of people a business success?

 

They would get much more revenue by charging $5 cover fee and taking it from there.

 

Families that have to pay $22 pp to eat there will not eat there and having the restaurant be mostly a ghost town is not a success by any means.

 

 

It's a success for the investors and their bottom line. I don't agree with the charge for the restaurant, but I probably would pay once on the cruise to try it. I have always enjoyed margaritaville and have been to many and would give it a try for the fee.

[projectorguy1]

It's a success for the investors and their bottom line. I don't agree with the charge for the restaurant, but I probably would pay once on the cruise to try it. I have always enjoyed margaritaville and have been to many and would give it a try for the fee.

 

It's not a success if they're paying 10 crew members to sit there and do nothing...and throw out fresh food that they can't sell. It costs them money to operate the restaurant, customers or no.

[mugtech]

It's not a success if they're paying 10 crew members to sit there and do nothing...and throw out fresh food that they can't sell. It costs them money to operate the restaurant, customers or no.

agree

[sjbdtz]

$22 in revenue, and drastically reduced food costs, and the ability to probably re-allocate labor elsewhere too.... AND they get to claim they have this brand on board.

 

It's not their fault if you choose not to eat there.

 

 

I have a friend who is an author (NY Times bestseller - 11 times over), who is fond of (jokingly) saying "I don't care if you READ my books - just buy them!". :D

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[janpo]

$22 in revenue, and drastically reduced food costs, and the ability to probably re-allocate labor elsewhere too.... AND they get to claim they have this brand on board.

 

It's not their fault if you choose not to eat there.

 

 

I have a friend who is an author (NY Times bestseller - 11 times over), who is fond of (jokingly) saying "I don't care if you READ my books - just buy them!". :D

 

 

Stephen

 

.

 

 

A ton of waste. Food and labor. That scenario makes no sense at all regardless if you choose to eat there or not. Everyone has a choice and it looks like most are choosing not to pay those outrageous prices.

[mvh]

They are not wasting any food. You don't think they knew they would need hardly any after it went a'la carte?

[beerman2]

Trying to figure out the wasted food also. Do you think they actually Waste it? I'm pretty sure NCL is just a little smarter than that. It's more than likely transferred to another venue or could even end up at the crew's mess hall.

[eroller]

Since it's essentially the same food served in the adjacent buffet I'm sure none goes to waste. It also begs the question "why pay for it" which it seems many are discovering.

 

I don't consider an empty space for most of the day a success and I'm sure NCL doesn't either. Real estate on a ship is coveted and every space has to be maximized to its full potential. If the trend continues NCL will tweak the venue to ensure it meets its full potential, whether that be for revenue or popularity.