NCL and Dimed

[Maraprince]

OK...I see! So it's a special sort of certificate. Makes sense. I feel fortunate. My AMEX cert had no such restrictions.

 

You would think that attaining Platinum status on NCL would give you a higher level of inclusion regarding the speciality restaurants but no. The free Platinum dinner certificate could only be used at 2 restaurants on the Gem. This is NCL's own certificate and not a 3rd party's. Doesn't really make a lot of sense.

 

MARAPRINCE

[graphicguy]

You would think that attaining Platinum status on NCL would give you a higher level of inclusion regarding the speciality restaurants but no. The free Platinum dinner certificate could only be used at 2 restaurants on the Gem. This is NCL's own certificate and not a 3rd party's. Doesn't really make a lot of sense.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

I hear you. I am a "Million Miler" on a couple of airlines. They used to upgrade me regularly, offer free tix with no restrictions, etc. Those days are long gone. I'm lucky to get to board the plane early (which really nets me nothing) these days.

 

That said, any time someone offers me anything gratis, I appreciate it. I know my TA, who has booked probably 6 cruises for me over the years, always has a bottle of champagne and flowers waiting in the room for us. I'm not a champagne drinker, but appreciate the effort.

[mking8288]

Our response to the reduced Platinum benefits this year was to do a B2B dining on the day we booked LeBistro, stopping elsewhere early for soup & appetizers first as a warm-up before our 3 course dinner that we treated our friends to, and it still took almost 90 minutes :eek: ... the new "normal" speed for good services, I suppose.

 

Embarkation photo on the BA has definitely gone up higher (and, that of other select portrait pictures) to $24.95 or 24.99 last month ... a year ago, max was under $20 as I recall. No thanks.

 

Meanwhile, just reminded me that we never saw or got our small box of Godiva chocolate welcome "gift" (4 pc.) in the stateroom last month ... good thing one of our grandniece didn't ask me as she loved them. Got our sparking wine & 2 wine selections with our meals, but the gold box wasn't & didn't make an issue to call/ask our RS about it during the week & just let it slide ... NCL saved another $5 from us, LOL.

 

Speaking of legacy US carrier, United the once friendly skies has been trying to regain our trust & faith and lost revenue ... tons of emails as the CEO returned to duty after taking a LOA to recover from his health crisis.

[breezy270]

Lowest rated customer satisfaction may very well be true according to numbers. In my case that hasn't been true!

 

Maybe 2 issues in over 20+ flights. That is a 90% rating for me. I just don't believe people understand what they are purchasing.

 

Same for NCL understand what you are purchasing , will lead to better customer satisfaction.

 

I have been flying Spirit for ten years now....I have only had two delays in all the flights I have taken....I just cruised the Getaway in May and flew Spirit with no problem....yes I understand if I want a better seat I pay for it and my luggage and my food or beverage...I know what I'm getting into and for $58.00 each way to FLL from Las Vegas it was well worth it...I also understand that NCL charges the gratuity on the promos but if paying 100 dollars is all they want I'm okay with that..I consumed 100 dollars in drinks in the first two days of the cruise for sure....compared to spending over a thousand for two people as I have done in the past...to me it is worth it.....as you book your flight on Spirit or your cruise on NCL you are walked through the add ons

 

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[jamesboat]

Airlines are generally a burden you deal with on your way to something better. Youre with them for a couple of hours usually. If the flight is atrocious, whatever, nobody likes them anyway. Yeah, they took the free food away, but that food was never good in the first place.

 

Seriously, how often do you hear " I love United/Spirit/American, and I cant wait to fly them for my anniversary!"

 

Never. They're a utility.

 

Cruises are a week long experience. A memory that can last a lifetime. Most people are going to be a lot more picky when it comes to a 7 day cruise than a 2 hour flight. The food is part of the experience. You dilute that experience, and well, you can be sure I'll never book your experience again.

 

Incidentally, United had 2 years of cost cutting nickle and dining. Theyve under-performed the entire industry and had to bring in a new CEO which is attempting to win back customers by bringing back amenities that were taken away.

[beerman2]

I have been flying Spirit for ten years now....I have only had two delays in all the flights I have taken....I just cruised the Getaway in May and flew Spirit with no problem....yes I understand if I want a better seat I pay for it and my luggage and my food or beverage...I know what I'm getting into and for $58.00 each way to FLL from Las Vegas it was well worth it...I also understand that NCL charges the gratuity on the promos but if paying 100 dollars is all they want I'm okay with that..I consumed 100 dollars in drinks in the first two days of the cruise for sure....compared to spending over a thousand for two people as I have done in the past...to me it is worth it.....as you book your flight on Spirit or your cruise on NCL you are walked through the add ons

 

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You certainly are walked through add-ons. We are flying Spirit in Oct. R/T for 81.20 which includes a checked bag each way. CLE to FLL.

 

All thanks to points accumulated on Spirit M/C.

[sverigecruiser]

Airlines are generally a burden you deal with on your way to something better. Youre with them for a couple of hours usually. If the flight is atrocious, whatever, nobody likes them anyway. Yeah, they took the free food away, but that food was never good in the first place.

 

Seriously, how often do you hear " I love United/Spirit/American, and I cant wait to fly them for my anniversary!"

 

Never. They're a utility.

 

 

I love British Airways and I can't wait to fly with them soon! Maybe it's because they still serve food and drinks?

[msears101]

Thankfully I haven't been caught by fine print since I was a teenager and was taught by my parents to read it.

 

It's ridiculously easy to sail on NCL with no extra charges that wouldn't have been there 10 years ago and more. Some people just don't manage finances or reading fine print as well as others. Sorry.

 

 

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Good for you. I like to read it, to see all the clever things they came up with, and all the clever things the consumer came up with that they had to add to protect them selves. It is a good read, and never a waste of time. It is very educational.

[Travel R]

As someone who has not yet cruised like a Norwegian (almost a year until first NCL cruise), but has been on a few other lines over the years (not a lot, but enough to know a few things), I have a few comments on this topic:

 

1) If you had cruised years ago, the big difference between yourself and other passengers is the amount you paid for your cabin, then there extras, like alcohol, gambling, and excursions. To long-time cruisers that have not sailed much as of late, all of the nickel and diming are the addition of all these new and extra costs such as the various specialty dining and different costs for each or paying for a "behind the scenes tour," bundled packages, etc. No, the costs are not hidden, but just a lot more options to "upgrade" your experience. I guess, to some, if it's not Pay One Price (POP), then it is nickel and diming.

 

2) For me, the nickel and diming is in the "catch" to the bundles. For instance, I reserved with getting three free complimentary dinners at the specialty restaurants. However, it is only for the first two people in my cabin (there are four of us) and there are a few specialty restaurants that still include an up-charge. [And cannot order two appetizers at a specialty restaurant - that bites!] Even being fully aware of all of the charges (I took a look at the additional pricing for each one, including prices (full and a la carte for the 3rd and 4th persons), it does have the appearance like nickel and diming.

 

3) All the cruise lines are doing something similar - there are a ton of little charges here and there, but they are all known. A person can leave the ship with hundreds of dollars on their account, or not, it all depends on what they want out of their experience. [And to tell you the truth, the cruise experience I remember from my first cruise is long gone.] As mentioned much earlier in this thread, the cruise line industry is a business, and they sometimes take a loss on the cabins themselves, so it is all of the extras where they make the money.

 

4) I would not have expected so many people to comment on photos in this thread. Personally, we purchased a photo on our very first cruise. Then we had not purchased a photo (actually three) until our last cruise.

 

I have been booking my last few cruises based on the time we can cruise, the itinerary, and cost. Although the "Free at Sea" offer seemed great, it was the first three criteria that lead me to narrow down the ship/line I was going on, which eventually lead to me choosing NCL/Getaway. As mentioned, I did my research on the specialty dining package. [Although i probably sound like a snobby New Yorkah, I do not expect much from specialty restaurants on a cruise ship, but it may be a nice change of pace/scenery.] The information is out there for those who want to see it. However, if someone did not do their research and then was charged another $15 for eating at a specialty restaurant they thought was free, I could see them getting PO'd. Should they have researched it? I do not know - I just happen to over-research everything. If they have not been on a cruise for a while, and they thought they were getting a free meal at a specialty restaurant, then maybe they have a right to say that they are being nickel and dimed. Although it has become common practice by now on most cruise lines, adding extra for service may be like nickel and diming to those that have not sailed in a while (although personally, it should be considered part of the cruise fare itself - but I think it was was the cruise line's way of giving their workers a "raise" without it coming out of their own coffers).

 

I have been on the NCL boards a lot recently, and will be around for at least the next year. I do have some expectations, both good and bad, for what I will experience when we do take this cruise. In many ways I do hope it is on a level to match my past RCI cruises (so far my dealing with NCL in booking have been very positive) and thank goodness I do not have to read the dozens of dress code threads on the RCI boards. I do expect it to be better than my CCL cruise (although only one to compare it to, it should be easy to exceed my expectations), but most probably nothing in comparison to my first cruise twenty years ago on the Royal Majesty many years ago, which has morphed more and more into a mythological cruise in my mid where everything was perfect each time I try to remember it.

 

Sorry for the long diatribe, I wrote a lot more than I had originally intended.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Travel R

[denatravels]

And cannot order two appetizers at a specialty restaurant - that bites!

 

 

 

 

 

Not true for the SDP (this is for the Platinum free dinner). Only extra entrees are charged extra.

https://www.ncl.com/specialty-dining-package/faq

 

 

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