Is NCL their own worst enemy?

[Moby0215]

I have, which made me gun shy. As I said in my earlier post, we (my 4 staff and I) arrived onboard and would be doing different things before dinner and decided to make dinner plans for that night, and went to the Concierge who looked it up and could only get us 5:30 or 6:00 or 8:30 or 9:00 all week for various restaurants. Before that I never made a reservation before I boarded and only occasionally called the Concierge to ask if 7:30 would be an issue at Le Bistro that night.

 

 

 

I miss those days.

 

 

 

If they went back to an SDP plan that you could buy and then just have people paying for their night out, it would be back the way it was. Now everyone and their dog is in the specialties, often because they feel they have to, as part of their plan, and as seen earlier in the thread, many are making multiple bookings per night.

 

 

 

I can't tell you how often I've heard and seen on here that people prefer the SDP promo so they don't feel they have to be in a specialty every night. Makes zero sense to me, but it does to many.

 

 

I understand that the specialties can be more crowded because more people have the SDP however I haven't run into that yet. But in addition, you mention 5:30 or 6:00 or 8:30 or 9:00 that's still 50% of available reservation times. I'm am not that rigid that I wouldn't just go with the flow and eat at one of those times.

 

 

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[rochelle_s]

Yes, it appears that they are doing well short term but they are writing a lot of IOU's both to the customers (we are going to charge a little more now with a promise for better service later) and to the banks (borrowing millions to put all of the ships through drydock before 2017 for major make overs). That coupled with the huge debt load taken on during the merger gives one pause for concern. If Del Rio pulls it off, great, NCL is now a premium line instead of a mainstream line. But if he doesn't pull it off then it very well could mean the end of NCL. Even if I never end up sailing with NCL again I would hate to see the end of the company. It will be a couple of years before we know which way it's going to go.

 

Let me start by saying I enjoy my time aboard NCL ships and have cruises booked through 2017 but I cannot agree that NCL is now a premium line. Continued booking promotions and increased prices does not make a cruise line 'premium'.

 

 

Rochelle

[sparks1093]

Let me start by saying I enjoy my time aboard NCL ships and have cruises booked through 2017 but I cannot agree that NCL is now a premium line. Continued booking promotions and increased prices does not make a cruise line 'premium'.

 

 

Rochelle

 

You should have highlighted the preceeding part of the sentence that says "If Del Rio pulls it off". I was clearly talking about future events, not the present:).

[dshefter]

As for booking ahead of time in the SDP for 3 people, I was able to do it for our upcoming Norwegian GEM cruise for three of the four times. Only Teppanyaki didn't allow for an odd-number of people, so I booked for 4 and will cancel one of the spots when we board. Got reservations for three at Cagney's (two dinners) and Moderno (one dinner).

[SuiteCruiser]

I understand that the specialties can be more crowded because more people have the SDP however I haven't run into that yet. But in addition, you mention 5:30 or 6:00 or 8:30 or 9:00 that's still 50% of available reservation times. I'm am not that rigid that I wouldn't just go with the flow and eat at one of those times.

 

 

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When you're traveling as a couple, then I agree, it's much easier. My situation was a "retreat" that I brought my staff on as a thank you for all of their hard work. I regularly eat at 8:00 or 8:30 so a late reservation for me personally would be fine. The issue is if you're traveling with a larger group and friends (which is what I do 99% of the time) you can't just do it your way. One of my staff eats at 5:30 every night, I can't eat that early, I'm simply not hungry, and she couldn't wait until 8:30, so we were in a mess.

 

We ended up eating at 5:30, which meant a soup for me usually, and then I'd be starved at midnight.

 

If I was just traveling with my husband, it would be no problem, but not having those "compromise" times like 7:00 or 7:30 available cause problems when you have larger groups looking to eat together.

[queenschick9b]

I also think it depends when you cruise. I did the NCL Sun two winters ago and I didn't get UDP, but I had every dinner except one in a specialty. I didn't make reservations because it was late January and the wasn't as busy.

 

This year I was on a Christmas cruise and next year I am on the Getaway for NYE, I know those are busy times, so I booked in advance this past year and will try again this upcoming NYE cruise (for this coming one I have the SDP since I booked during the pick 2).

Edited January 8, 2016 by queenschick9b

[Moby0215]

When you're traveling as a couple, then I agree, it's much easier. My situation was a "retreat" that I brought my staff on as a thank you for all of their hard work. I regularly eat at 8:00 or 8:30 so a late reservation for me personally would be fine. The issue is if you're traveling with a larger group and friends (which is what I do 99% of the time) you can't just do it your way. One of my staff eats at 5:30 every night, I can't eat that early, I'm simply not hungry, and she couldn't wait until 8:30, so we were in a mess.

 

 

 

We ended up eating at 5:30, which meant a soup for me usually, and then I'd be starved at midnight.

 

 

 

If I was just traveling with my husband, it would be no problem, but not having those "compromise" times like 7:00 or 7:30 available cause problems when you have larger groups looking to eat together.

 

 

Totally understand. I would just not eat dinner together and meet up before/after. It doesn't phase me like that. Or I just go with the flow.

 

 

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Edited January 8, 2016 by Moby0215