NCL is getting fancier but what will NCL do with the bottom of their target group?

[Homosassa]

Because I used the term "Freeslob" first, let me explain what I meant by the term. I am not talking about clothes that are neat and clean and are the correct size for the person wearing them. Those clothes can be shorts, jeans, tee shirts, a dress, a suit or what ever the person whats to wear.

 

I was referring to the people that seem to dump their dirty , torn laundry into their suitcase for wear on the cruise. I was talking about the two sizes too small top and shorts on men and women. The people who have no need to change out of their sweaty exercise wear for dinner. The list can continue but I am sure you all get the picture.

 

"Freeslob" refers to those that think freestyle means anything goes.

 

As far as geographic standards go, the worst standards of dress I observed on NCL was a cruise out of Boston, MA so the idea of Northeast standards of dress does not hold true.

[Merriem]

Because I used the term "Freeslob" first, let me explain what I meant by the term. I am not talking about clothes that are neat and clean and are the correct size for the person wearing them. Those clothes can be shorts, jeans, tee shirts, a dress, a suit or what ever the person whats to wear.

 

I was referring to the people that seem to dump their dirty , torn laundry into their suitcase for wear on the cruise. I was talking about the two sizes too small top and shorts on men and women. The people who have no need to change out of their sweaty exercise wear for dinner. The list can continue but I am sure you all get the picture.

 

"Freeslob" refers to those that think freestyle means anything goes.

 

As far as geographic standards go, the worst standards of dress I observed on NCL was a cruise out of Boston, MA so the idea of Northeast standards of dress does not hold true.

 

Thank you. I agree.

[ilovetotravel1977]

there are slobs and there are an equal amount of women dressed up who think they look nice, but really look like two-bit whores with their boobs hanging out all over the table. Thankfully, most people are somewhere in between.

 

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omg...this!

[DMH15]

It is hot, hot, hot here in Texas. People do wear clean and nice shorts that are a reasonable length with men in clean and pressed polo shirts with nice shoes and women in cute tops with nice sandals or wedges. They look classy. People in long pants can be slobs. I am not a fan of the "torn jeans" that are sold that way.

[tinkr2]

Because I used the term "Freeslob" first, let me explain what I meant by the term. I am not talking about clothes that are neat and clean and are the correct size for the person wearing them. Those clothes can be shorts, jeans, tee shirts, a dress, a suit or what ever the person whats to wear.

 

I was referring to the people that seem to dump their dirty , torn laundry into their suitcase for wear on the cruise. I was talking about the two sizes too small top and shorts on men and women. The people who have no need to change out of their sweaty exercise wear for dinner. The list can continue but I am sure you all get the picture.

 

"Freeslob" refers to those that think freestyle means anything goes.

 

As far as geographic standards go, the worst standards of dress I observed on NCL was a cruise out of Boston, MA so the idea of Northeast standards of dress does not hold true.

I agree that the NE does not do shorts well. They have such a limited selection that they tend to be slobbier. I f you are from Florida or Texas, You probably own 50 outfits that are appropriate for a cruise. We know how to do dressy shorts with nice tops bc we were them everyday.

[NLH Arizona]

It is hot, hot, hot here in Texas. People do wear clean and nice shorts that are a reasonable length with men in clean and pressed polo shirts with nice shoes and women in cute tops with nice sandals or wedges. They look classy. People in long pants can be slobs. I am not a fan of the "torn jeans" that are sold that way.

I live in Arizona and people pretty much dress the same as in Texas because of the heat.

 

I guess I would say that class, being a slob, dressing well and dressing nicely is all in the eye of the beholder. I've seen folks in shorts and tops looking much nicer than someone wearing a couture gown. I'm sure some people that think they are nicely dressed are not considered so in the eyes of other folks. I don't judge a person on what they wear, I judge them on what type a person they are and how they treat other people and I can tell you from experience, the people on NCL are the same type of people that cruise on Celebrity.

[sparks1093]

I live in Arizona and people pretty much dress the same as in Texas because of the heat.

 

I guess I would say that class, being a slob, dressing well and dressing nicely is all in the eye of the beholder. I've seen folks in shorts and tops looking much nicer than someone wearing a couture gown. I'm sure some people that think they are nicely dressed are not considered so in the eyes of other folks. I don't judge a person on what they wear, I judge them on what type a person they are and how they treat other people and I can tell you from experience, the people on NCL are the same type of people that cruise on Celebrity.

 

I would rather spend an hour dining with Jack Dawson than 5 minutes with Cal Hockley (Titanic, the movie, reference).

[jewelmick]

I can care less if someone is wearing shorts. Is has more to do with the kind, there are dress shorts, gym shorts, and too short shorts and too tight tights...and don't get me started on speedos and tongs.

 

I am more bothered by obnoxious drunks, loud hormonal teenagers.

 

I have seen all of this on DCL and RCCL...this will be my first NCL, and I expect it here as well.

 

I think it has more to do with

-time of year cruising, summer, spring, school breaks, etc

-intinerary, bahamas vs virgin islands, Med vs TA, etc

-length of cruise, the shorter ones tend to be have more "party" type atmosphere...I have noticed this on DCL, having sailed with them many times

[xriva]

I think it has more to do with

-time of year cruising, summer, spring, school breaks, etc

-intinerary, bahamas vs virgin islands, Med vs TA, etc

-length of cruise, the shorter ones tend to be have more "party" type atmosphere...I have noticed this on DCL, having sailed with them many times

 

This is the same everywhere, I believe. I think much of it is based on the length of the cruise. As we migrated from 7-day to 10-day and up (Transatlantics, long Caribbeans), the average age rose significantly, to the point where I (at 56) was below average. Also, if you want families full of first-timers, go during the holidays.

[jennmaybe]

I've read in some financial reports that the per passenger spending went up (no wonder LOL) on NCL.

Point of thread; will NCL allow MSC in their backyard whilst the front of the house is all up and shiny? ;) Will the NCL volume simply shift up and make room for others or will they retain and expand their volume? I think this is or should be the next focus for NCL after doing the more easy upscaling of their product.. Opinions?

 

FDR said he he does not want bargain cruiser's.

 

After 20 something cruises with NCL. I'M not even thinking about looking at NCL now.

 

Not impressed by the new lipstick on Dawn.

 

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:D Then he's really not going to like us when we sail in September on Escape! After all the changes and increases they have implemented since we booked this cruise in Feb 2015, hubby & I already decided we are not spending one extra penny on this cruise.

[Maraprince]

I think it certainly rings true to freestyle. I make a reservation for when I want to eat and where I want to eat and with whom I want to eat with. The opposite of freestyle would be, I have to eat at 8:30, at the MDR and with the same people every night, unless I go to the buffet or specialty restaurant and that is what I do when I cruise on Celebrity or Crystal.

 

 

The whole idea of having to make a reservation goes against Freestyle and eating when and where you want.

 

On the Gem this past May it took us 3 separate nights to finally make a reservation for 2 at the free Asian restaurant and even then we were only offered 6:45 PM. We were successful only because we went straight to the hostess upon reboarding the ship in Nassau as soon as it opened for dinner. Unless you wanted to eat at 5:30 PM or after 9:15 PM, nothing was available for 3 nights running. It was only a 7-night sailing. One couple was told that they did not have a reservation and could not be seated until after 9 PM. The husband was not willing to accept what the hostess was telling him and kept insisting that he had in fact made a reservation as soon as he boarded the ship in NYC. He started to get louder and louder and began using profanities as his embarrassed wife tried to drag him away. Neither of them looked they had even showered after coming back from the beach. It was not a pleasant scene for the on-lookers who were waiting to be seated. Casual/relaxed dressing does not mean not showering after coming back from the beach.

 

At Le Bistro, we were successful in making a reservation for 2 at the time we wanted on our first try. Maybe it is because it is an extra charge restaurant.

 

We went to the early shows before dinner so that we would not have to rush or walk in late if the food service was slow. This allowed us to eat at both MDRs, the free Asian restaurant, and Le Bistro without having to resort to the buffet.

 

Breakfast buffet became much more enjoyable once we could eat outside in the back of the ship. It was so much more quiet and peaceful than inside. Lunch in the buffet at times seemed more like a war zone with people crashing into each other because they were not looking where they were going, people placing chairs right in the middle of the aisle where you needed to walk, unaccompanied pre-teen kids (8-10 of them) throwing food at each other and yelling at each other and purposely creating a mess for the cleaners and laughing about it. On sea days, we ate in the MDR just to get away from these kids and to be able to have a relaxing lunch.

 

Part of the problem was the free 3/4 person promo where parents brought their kids with them only to find out there were not the usual kids' programs available. Parents were not able to "deposit" their kids and be free to engage in adult activities. The kids were not happy either. Kids were everywhere throughout the ship all day long and even after midnight. Many parents chose to leave their own kids at home only to have to suffer other people's kids left to their own devices who roamed around sometimes like a pack of wild animals just being loud, rude, and messy without adult supervision or having any activities appropriate for their age groups.

 

MARAPRINCE

Edited June 27, 2016 by Maraprince

[NLH Arizona]

The whole idea of having to make a reservation goes against Freestyle and eating when and where you want.

 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this. Making a reservation doesn't, IMHO, negate freestyle. I'm still eating where I want (the restaurant I choose), when I want (at the time I want) and with whom I want. I'm a planner, so I know the schedule of port times and am able to make my reservations at 100 days out.

[sparks1093]

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this. Making a reservation doesn't, IMHO, negate freestyle. I'm still eating where I want (the restaurant I choose), when I want (at the time I want) and with whom I want. I'm a planner, so I know the schedule of port times and am able to make my reservations at 100 days out.

 

Freestyle is akin to going out to eat- you can show up at the restaurant and maybe wait to be seated if they are busy or you can phone ahead and make a reservation to ensure you will be seated when you want to be seated. We typically eat at the same time every night so it's not hard for us to decide when we want to eat on the cruise as a rule.

[Two Wheels Only]

The whole idea of having to make a reservation goes against Freestyle and eating when and where you want.

You don't "have to" make a reservation but with thousands of people on-board, it's likely that others will want to eat where and when you do.

 

One couple was told that they did not have a reservation and could not be seated until after 9 PM. The husband was not willing to accept what the hostess was telling him and kept insisting that he had in fact made a reservation as soon as he boarded the ship in NYC. He started to get louder and louder and began using profanities as his embarrassed wife tried to drag him away. Neither of them looked they had even showered after coming back from the beach.

Maybe, THAT is why they were told 9PM...giving them plenty of time to shower/get dressed. :D

 

There's no easy answer. If they get rid of reservations, there will be longer wait times. If they take reservations, there will be only a limited number for a particular time.

[Diane123boys]

This is a very funny thread.. Why it should matter to anyone how another person chooses to dress is unbelievable! I am on vacation! If I do choose to dress up I will if I choose to not then that is my right!!! That is precisely why I love the newer more relaxed standards in cruising now. Even the mouse has relaxed on the "dress code" except for 2 "adult" only venues there.

Now do I want to see some hoochie mama hanging out all over? Nope but I have seen some dressed to the nines people that have apparently never looked in a mirror much less worn deodorant. and as for wearing shorts - hell yes!!! I live in Northern NH and the time that we are able to wear them is short!!! So I wear them every chance I can (except to dinner)

Edited June 28, 2016 by Diane123boys

[TestingH2O]

Can anyone clarify the kids programming comments? Do all NCL sailings limit kids to 20 per age group in the clubs? I've seen positive reviews of the NCL clubs, but if they are unusable, that is obviously a big drawback.

Edited June 28, 2016 by TestingH2O

[txagfan]

Can anyone clarify the kids programming comments? Do all NCL sailings limit kids to 20 per age group in the clubs? I've seen positive reviews of the NCL clubs, but if they are unusable, that is obviously a big drawback.

 

 

 

This comment pops up a couple times a year, but have never experienced it and we cruise at peak times. Hopefully someone else will come chime in shortly.

[LrgPizza]

Can anyone clarify the kids programming comments? Do all NCL sailings limit kids to 20 per age group in the clubs? I've seen positive reviews of the NCL clubs, but if they are unusable, that is obviously a big drawback.

 

 

Absolutely not.

 

 

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