When did Margaritaville become a specialty on Escape?

[J18ktleo]

This continues to be interesting and entertaining!

 

Actually, I think the prices are competitive across the board, although those lines/ships having the speciality restaurants as more prevalent than the good ole' MDR does increase the prices, somewhat.

We did Quantum in May and scored a great price...so many of these itineraries can be obtained during sales, price drops after booking, special promo's. This past year we've booked all our cruises for (basically) similar prices to what we paid year's ago and with the Perk Packages (especially the drink packages) getting 'thrown in' we do feel that we're coming out ahead!

 

Aubrey, I talked to a good friend yesterday who just got off the Allure last week and said the food has really gone down in quality and it was the Thanksgiving week sailing.:cool:

But it always has been, and continues to be my personal opinion that every ship, every destination, time of year...these are all factors that CAN change the quality...I am hesitant to negate a cruise line for one experience that might not be the best.

 

That being said, I still think it would've been more palatable for NCL to charge a single fee and make it a reservation based location to maybe control the traffic...

Guess time will tell!:rolleyes:

[rg24601]

They have talked about going the Johnny Rockets route at times - small cover charge, just to manage load on some ships. But from what I understand, the demand isn't there.

 

The Carnival Breeze class have plenty of free options for lunch. While I doubt Guys will go fee based, and it was quite busy and popular, if it did plenty of other free eats for lunch. Way more than the Escape.

 

Also Guys menu is not vast . Hamburgers and fries and is not a sit down place, so no need for waiters or large staff. And simple kitchen needs.

[anodyne13]

I would pay to not eat at Margaritaville. So as long as not eating at Margaritaville is still complimentary, I support said policy.

[calgaryhhr]

I left a note with my travel agent earlier this week indicating our displeasure with the removal of Margaritaville from the complimentary dining and she passed it along to their NCL rep. This afternoon someone from NCL left me a voicemail similar to what someone else had reported earlier. Basically the message was just an acknowledgement that they received my note and were sorry about the changes and would keep my comments for future discussion. If I want to discuss the matter further I can call them.

[electro]

I would pay to not eat at Margaritaville. So as long as not eating at Margaritaville is still complimentary, I support said policy.

 

I never understand comments like this.

Because you won't eat there you support everyone else having to pay for it.

 

I hope you get better support from you fellow cruisers when they start charging for something you do want.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

Just spent far too long on phone with 5 different NCL agents trying to address the ethics of this switch. As a large party traveling in December, it feels like a bait and switch. And an expensive one if we choose to eat there multiple times - even for lunch - during our cruise (which we were intending to do when it was a comp restaurant.)

 

We booked NCL Escape (and paid in full) with the understanding Margaritaville was a complimentary restaurant. We had other cruise options for the same time with RC (who we've happily cruised before), but decided to give NCL a try - despite it being more expensive for the same cruise window). Margaritaville being comp was definitely one of the reasons we chose NCL over the other options. (Clearly not the only reason, but definitely a factor.)

 

 

3hourcruise- I GET what you mean. If its any consolation, we didn't luv Margaritaville. Lines were ridiculous to get in. Skip it. Food ok....

 

The free places are Fine, and Don't have the wait.

We ate at OSheehans mostly for lunch. Or Garden Cafe Deck 17.

 

We had UDP and ended up paying for things we hadn't planned.....but the thing that became apparent immediately, was MOST Alacarte restaurants (that would have been free for us originally) were Booked up for the whole week when we got onboard!

 

Yes, there was NO Reservations available at ANY time during the week.

I was told I could be First on the Waiting list for most places. What??

 

So Saturday at 4pm before we set sail, I went to Cust.Serv desk & requested we have UDP Changed to Free WiFi Pkg instead, because we Can't get ANY reservations anywhere, so whats the point of having it?

 

Long story short.....we finally got a reply on Wed. Yes, they would change us to Wi_Fi, but by then, we had already used UDP few times.....easier to leave it alone. Doubt I would even get it again. YMMV

 

Good luck. The FREE places are fine, and seem best choices for Large groups.

[Sand and Seas]

I would pay to not eat at Margaritaville. So as long as not eating at Margaritaville is still complimentary, I support said policy.

 

We never use the ropes course or water-slides so I guess I wouldn't mind if they started charging for those:rolleyes: But I am disappointed there is no longer a complimentary casual dining spot on the deck. Flamingo Grill on Getaway is one of our favorite places for breakfast or lunch.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I would pay to not eat at Margaritaville. So as long as not eating at Margaritaville is still complimentary, I support said policy.

 

Maybe I'm tired but I just read this 3 times and have no clue what your trying to say lol

 

Geri

[CUontheC]

So the $6.99 burger doesn't come with any sides, add french fries for $2.99, cole slaw for $2.99. Cuckoo. Is the food that good/different? I predict the lines will vanish.

 

We ate there twice last week. I would not pay to go here. The burger in the buffet at lunch was much better. And they have a lot of other options as well.

 

My husband is on his way home and just called me. I told him about this and he said the same thing as me "The food wasn't that great"

 

If this fee was there when I went I would not have gone. Geez $2.99 for a small bowl of coleslaw???

 

I really think they NCL dropped the ball on this one.

[CUontheC]

Glad I was able to satisfy your earlier questions.

 

Do I think my circumstance is special? No. NCL has made a unilateral change against ALL guests.

 

Do I believe I am entitled to a credit and others are not? No. I feel all guests booked prior to the announcement of the change should be given credit to use at the restaurant.

 

How it is a policy change is that prior to the switch I could dine at the restaurant as many days as I wish with no further charges. Now I can no longer do that. A modest credit, to me, would show that NCL does value its guests and I would accept being able to go one time to try it out without any further financial penalty or detriment on my behalf. $15 per person is very low. I don't even think that covers a burger, fries, and a slice of key lime pie per person once you factor in the newly added service fees. So I certainly did not request that I be provided 7 days of all you can eat at the venue. Also, NCL would have no reason or precedent to compensate anyone else who booked after the change was made; those people made a booking with understandings and expectations of certain inclusions and exclusions associated with their fare. That is to say, someone can be on my cruise but be booked after the announcement to change to a la carte and really have no valid reason at that point to request compensation.

 

I believe expressing an opinion here is akin to being in an echo chamber, or a padded cell. The company does not read or respond to this website at a corporate level. I have every right to contact directly and state my disappointment and request a resolution. A request for resolution is in no way a personal gain.

 

Please explain to me, *IF*, big if, NCL were to arrange for a complimentary meal for our party or provided a token credit to cover one small meal, that is a personal gain compared to when I booked and the offering was no charge daily for as much food as I'd like to order. Recovering less than 1/7th of what I was advertised as being able to use is some conciliation on their behalf, but hardly is a personal gain on mine by any stretch of the definition.

 

I believe it did not matter if I asked for something or not. The purpose of the Resolutions Specialist was only to inform me that my message had been read. He had no ability or intent to resolve the situation. Their corporate stance is exactly the same whether you are just letting your voice be known, or asking for compensation.

 

I never want more than I am fairly entitled to, and in this situation I do not expect NCL to make any drastic change to provide to me what they advertised. I would however appreciate some consideration from them in the name of good customer service.

 

I fully understand some people simply not caring or being impacted by this. But if advertising a fare inclusion and removing it without notice or compensation is fair to the guest, what will the next one be? Will you board a ship and find with no notice there are fees to use the pool, or a minimum fee to be in any lounge with live entertainment? Further, would you stand for that sort of treatment?

 

The ball is NCL's court. They are not impressing me much today, but I will give the Resolutions agent time to follow up and respond, as he stated he would. Please also note, at no time did I demand, threaten, get loud, or argue. The agent was very nice, just ineffective and, apparently, not fully aware of communication others at the company had been relaying to guests.

 

Very well said!!! And I totally agree with you!

 

I was on the Thanksgiving cruise and Margaritaville was complimentary. Had this happened to us I would be very upset. Especially if this was a factor in booking your cruise.

 

Does this mean we can book a cruise and just before sailing they can change things on us anytime they want. Isn't this like bait and switch?

 

I do not think this is good customer service on NCL's part and I believe this will cause them to lose customers.

 

And to charge over $10.00 for a burger, fries and coleslaw...Yikes!! And in reality it is not that good...believe me. The buffet had better burgers.

 

But even so you should get what you paid for and that was this restaurant being complimentary. If you book it knowing you have to pay that is different. But for anyone booking this when it was free should still get it for free.

 

And I could care less what some of the others think. You are entitled to get what you pay for!!!

[anodyne13]

Maybe I'm tired but I just read this 3 times and have no clue what your trying to say lol

 

Geri

I guess what I'm saying is if you brought me a free Margaritaville hamburger on the cruise Id give you $10 so I didn't have to eat it.

 

I just don't understand the whining on this thread. Maybe I'm out of touch, but the whole world charges for things I want. If it's worth it I pay, if not, I don't but I don't whine about it, especially if it's $5 hamburgers.

[SuiteCruiser]

I guess what I'm saying is if you brought me a free Margaritaville hamburger on the cruise Id give you $10 so I didn't have to eat it.

 

I just don't understand the whining on this thread. Maybe I'm out of touch, but the whole world charges for things I want. If it's worth it I pay, if not, I don't but I don't whine about it, especially if it's $5 hamburgers.

 

They're $6.99 burgers, but that's not the point. It was advertised as included, and they've tossed that out the window within a month, that's the issue. Whether you like their burgers or not is irrelevant. For a family of 4 to go to a dining venue they'd planned on, will now be $60 instead of $0. They may have planned several lunches there, so it's even more. It's about the bait and switch.

[mianmike]

They're $6.99 burgers, but that's not the point. It was advertised as included, and they've tossed that out the window within a month, that's the issue. Whether you like their burgers or not is irrelevant. For a family of 4 to go to a dining venue they'd planned on, will now be $60 instead of $0. They may have planned several lunches there, so it's even more. It's about the bait and switch.

 

Exactly! There appears to be some food elitists and folks who have unlimited disposable income who can’t comprehend how a young family on a tight budget would be negatively affected by this latest bait and switch scheme. $60 - $70 for a meal that wasn’t budgeted can be quite a hit on a young family. And despite the food snob’s objections there is nothing wrong with looking forward to eating at Margaritaville.

[TheDougOut]

If you read NCL's Guest Ticket Contract, you'll realize we're all getting WAY MORE than what we paid for, and agreed to. Life would be a lot easier if everyone could comprehend this reality.

 

This should have been a two post thread.

[dna529]

Exactly! There appears to be some food elitists and folks who have unlimited disposable income who can’t comprehend how a young family on a tight budget would be negatively affected by this latest bait and switch scheme. $60 - $70 for a meal that wasn’t budgeted can be quite a hit on a young family. And despite the food snob’s objections there is nothing wrong with looking forward to eating at Margaritaville.

 

This pretty much sums it up for us. I don't understand why this is so difficult for people to grasp. I get that Margaritaville is not a culinary delight, but if you were wanting another option for lunch this was it. Going to the buffet and fighting the crowds is not something we like to do.

[hpecorari]

Going to the buffet and fighting the crowds is not something we like to do.

 

I have been on 20 cruises since 2010. Rarely ever go the the buffet.....maybe for an ice cream or something but don't eat there. I did once. Saw way to many people and children taking food with their hands, dropping serving spoons and putting them back, touching plates and then taking a different plate, etc. etc. etc. During these 20 cruises......I've never gotten sick on a cruise ship. Is it because I don't eat at the buffet? Could be, who knows!

 

OTOH, I don't go to buffets on land so why would I go to one on my vacation. But, that's just me :)

 

Harriet

[RuthlessBoss]

This pretty much sums it up for us. I don't understand why this is so difficult for people to grasp. I get that Margaritaville is not a culinary delight, but if you were wanting another option for lunch this was it. Going to the buffet and fighting the crowds is not something we like to do.

 

The buffet is not the only free venue. If you don't like crowds, why would you want to wait in long lines for Margaritaville? Good grief, it's just an eatery but with a famous name. That doesn't make the food any better.

[SuiteCruiser]

The buffet is not the only free venue. If you don't like crowds, why would you want to wait in long lines for Margaritaville? Good grief, it's just an eatery but with a famous name. That doesn't make the food any better.

 

If you don't like the buffet, then your lunch option in port is O'Sheehan's, and that crowd will now be lining up there.

 

Why didn't they go to a reservation system first? That would have been easy and appeased most people. Or add on a $5 cover as well, if the reservation system didn't work on its own. How about extendeing the hours?

Edited December 4, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[insidecabin]

If you read NCL's Guest Ticket Contract, you'll realize we're all getting WAY MORE than what we paid for, and agreed to. Life would be a lot easier if everyone could comprehend this reality.

 

This should have been a two post thread.

 

MY guest contract has quite a lot in it, including everything promised in the brochures and on the web sites at the time of booking unless I get told otherwise.

As it does for everyone in the UK and much of Europe.

[TheDougOut]

MY guest contract has quite a lot in it, including everything promised in the brochures and on the web sites at the time of booking unless I get told otherwise.

As it does for everyone in the UK and much of Europe.

 

Are you stating that there's a different Guest Contract for European travelers? Can you provide a link?

[mollydogsmom]

I guess what I'm saying is if you brought me a free Margaritaville hamburger on the cruise Id give you $10 so I didn't have to eat it.

 

I just don't understand the whining on this thread. Maybe I'm out of touch, but the whole world charges for things I want. If it's worth it I pay, if not, I don't but I don't whine about it, especially if it's $5 hamburgers.

 

I did buy you that $10 dollar burger, do you need my address so you can send me the money?

[rg24601]

The buffet is not the only free venue. If you don't like crowds, why would you want to wait in long lines for Margaritaville? Good grief, it's just an eatery but with a famous name. That doesn't make the food any better.

 

It darn near is the only free lunch location.

 

And how crowded will those be now that one has been removed.

[TheDougOut]

Are you stating that there's a different Guest Contract for European travelers? Can you provide a link?

 

Found what you were referring to, I believe...

http://www.ncl.eu/helpful-information/faqs/#!/helpful-information/booking-conditions/booking-conditions-2015-16/

 

Individual service changes and deviations from the contractual contents of the travel contract, which become necessary after conclusion of contract and which were brought about contrary to good faith on behalf of Norwegian are permitted so far as the changes and deviations are not considerable and do not impair the overall form of the holiday. The overall form of the holiday is considered impaired if its value or quality as implied by the customary use or the use as stipulated by the contract is made void or to a substantial degree diminished. This is determined taking into account the price, duration and date of travel. Norwegian is obliged to inform passengers of possible changes. The changed services replace the original contractual obligation

[roxette]

Are you stating that there's a different Guest Contract for European travelers? Can you provide a link?

 

Our consumer rights in Europe are pretty great.

 

If I book a NCL Cruise in Sweden, it's the swedish consumer law that applies. The T&C doesn't really matter. It is what they say is included that shouod be, in brochures and online,, at the time of booking.

 

Like it or not. That is the reality.

[rg24601]

If you don't like the buffet, then your lunch option in port is O'Sheehan's, and that crowd will now be lining up there.

 

Why didn't they go to a reservation system first? That would have been easy and appeased most people. Or add on a $5 cover as well, if the reservation system didn't work on its own. How about extendeing the hours?

 

And at sea you only add the mdr, and not all of them, correct. That's not many free places at all. Everything else is pay, correct?