Are you thinking of giving up on NCL?

[sandpiper35]

After 60 plus cruises we keep a strict loyalty policy.....not to any cruise line but to ourselves. Cruise lines have what I call personalities. They cater to market segments. We decide which market segment we wish to fall in by the price we pay for a product. So it is not a question of us leaving NCL but of NCL leaving the market segment we decide to be in. Over half of our cruises are NCL cruises. The early cruises long ago, when NCL was another type of company. Today we compare NCL to other cruise lines and we choose the one that fits our needs for the best price and service provided. Lately NCL has been loosing to other cruise lines. However, they have one winner. Next month we embark in the Escape. It is mostly because the price was right, it is a fairly new ship and we are curious, nothing else. Loyalty had nothing to do with it as NCL seems to have abandoned loyalty to their cruisers long ago.

 

Cheers.

[disneygirl]

It is the customer service by phone that has had terrible reviews. People who called with questions or complaints about various changes that were announced after they booked, people unable to get refunds or reimbursements for cancelled cruises, etc. Because a big part of my job is taking calls from frustrated clients, I am always as pleasant and patient as possible when I have to call for help. This may not be the case with all who report bad results. If I get a rude phone rep, that may color my future choices.

 

Whenever there is an issue no matter how large or small it may be, the company requires it to be in writing, so calling to complain about your cruise will get you nowhere. You have to either email NCL or write them an actual letter. EVERY SINGLE time that my clients did that, they received a timely response (depending on the situation) and if a refund was needed it was provided OR they gave some form of a future cruise credit and it wasn't $100, it was normally more.

 

But, I will agree with you that they need to train their people on the phones, I had called recently about Harvest Caye and they had zero information and that was quite disheartening. I sent them an email about it, got a response, but let's see what really happens.

[lastchamp64]

Next year is Disney World for me. The year after that, I'll be trying a new cruise line. Maybe NCL will eventually stop cutting corners and start adding value again. Until then, I'll be elsewhere.

 

For me I find it ironic that next year I will not be going to Disney World for the first time in years and sailing with NCL on the Escape next May. I(and many Disney fans) have been saying the same thing about WDW the last several years with it's many cutbacks, cutting corners, increasing costs, it's "nickle & diming," and wishing it would start adding value again. :)

[roger001]

I continue to find super good prices on cruises, some of them absolutely outstanding, especially with the promos offered. These cruise prices far out way or offset any of the "nickle and dime" issue mentioned. The cruises I've selected, three more booked, are about the best value I've ever found. So no, NCL is still a hell of a deal for me.

[Halifax Dude]

Like some of the other posters, I'm a casino player - not huge by any means, but a decent player. I usually get free rooms in Vegas, but that's about it. On an average cruise, I'll budget in the neighbourhood of $3K for potential gaming losses. I have never been turned away by the CAS program - and in fact, almost always get a comped balcony. Factor in the UBP, UDP and port fees/taxes, and I generally get a vacation for two for $850 USD. For me, this represents outstanding value. I understand the folks that are turned off by the nickel and diming - they're price sensitive and that's their prerogative. It's the beauty of capitalism - customers vote with their wallets and businesses respond. For me - and only for me - NCL is the way to go.

[NLH Arizona]

For me I find it ironic that next year I will not be going to Disney World for the first time in years and sailing with NCL on the Escape next May. I(and many Disney fans) have been saying the same thing about WDW the last several years with it's many cutbacks, cutting corners, increasing costs, it's "nickle & diming," and wishing it would start adding value again. :)

I'm not giving up on NCL.

 

What I find amazing is that there are someone on every cruise line or in this case Disney World who feel that there are too many cutbacks, changes and that they are nickel and dimed. I guess it just shows how different we are all; to one it is nickel and diming and to another it is being able to make a choice on how they spend their vacation dollars.

[ronheg]

We just left NCL after 20+ cruises. Price is our reason. On our next cruise to Mexican riviera HAL was $800 cheaper. The UBP has turned us away.

[spanishguy1970]

Our definition of a "BUM" can be one who brags or is boastful;)

 

ie "He was bumming about the new car he'd bought" -

 

ie "She's such a bum" - meaning - she is a bragger.

 

Seems your Oceania guests were a pair of bums themselves ;)

 

 

I always remember being on a P&O cruise years ago - I mentioned having enjoyed cruising with Norwegian.

This snooty English lady replied

"OH goodness NO!" - "There are no English on board and its filled with Americans!"

 

"Precisely" we replied with a smile :D

 

LOL love it:D:D:D

[lmcgrail]

Not giving up on NCL, but it has lost it's "preferred status" with us. From now on, it's price and itinerary with no consideration given to how great NCL is/was. We are, for the first time in 4 years, actively looking at trying other lines.

 

Us as well. We've got one more on NCL which we booked when the promotion was free UBP, free UDP, free gratuities, and $200 OBC. And this is when it really was Free - no additional gratuities for the UBP and UDP.

 

The next two are booked on Princess with their Sip-N-Sail promotion. Plus princess givens a very nice military OBC which is combinable with pretty much anything.

 

It's also the first time we have not bought a FCC on our last cruise. NCL's product has gone downhill since FDR took over. The UBP has made getting drinks nearly impossible or at least a very long wait; bar staff was overworked and surly on our last NCL cruise. Besides, you never know what product you will get when you finally get to your cruise - so many changes with little to no notice.

[Toby459]

I have thought about leaving NCL from time to time but have not done so. In general, I am very happy with the service received in the various dining rooms, the cabin attendants and the public areas. I feel there needs to be improvement in the front desk service and the resolving of issues. I would be willing to share my main issues in that regard but I have the feeling that it might be the same/similar on other lines. Just recently, I was talking with friends who had just sailed for the first time on Carnival; previously they did all of their sailing on Holland America. In describing their cruise, they said that is was noise, Noise, NOISE. Even when attending bingo, the noise was so loud that they couldn’t hear the numbers. When I hear stories like that, I appreciate NCL all the more. We like Freestyle Cruising. the staff, the routes and what appear to be more reasonable fares. As of now, we have not been seriously tempted to leave NCL.

[navybankerteacher]

I have thought about leaving NCL from time to time but have not done so. In general, I am very happy with the service received in the various dining rooms, the cabin attendants and the public areas. I feel there needs to be improvement in the front desk service and the resolving of issues. I would be willing to share my main issues in that regard but I have the feeling that it might be the same/similar on other lines. Just recently, I was talking with friends who had just sailed for the first time on Carnival; previously they did all of their sailing on Holland America. In describing their cruise, they said that is was noise, Noise, NOISE. Even when attending bingo, the noise was so loud that they couldn’t hear the numbers. When I hear stories like that, I appreciate NCL all the more. We like Freestyle Cruising. the staff, the routes and what appear to be more reasonable fares. As of now, we have not been seriously tempted to leave NCL.

 

It is, of course, good that you are "...very happy with the service..." -- but then your signature line shows that, with over a dozen cruises, you have never experienced anything other than NCL.

 

Haven't you ever considered that first-hand experience might give you a better grounds for deciding than the pretty silly second hand story: "...noise, Noise, NOISE." you appear to rely upon?

[Sizzlechest]

I'm not giving up on NCL.

 

What I find amazing is that there are someone on every cruise line or in this case Disney World who feel that there are too many cutbacks, changes and that they are nickel and dimed. I guess it just shows how different we are all; to one it is nickel and diming and to another it is being able to make a choice on how they spend their vacation dollars.

 

The price for all things in Disney World has jumped dramatically since I went last in 2013. The difference is there's nothing else like the Disney experience. It's worth doing every 4-5 years, but certainly not as an annual thing like a cruise. Unfortunately for NCL, they have undistinguished themselves as a cruise line. There's really nothing special about NCL when compared to their competition. They don't have significantly better service, entertainment or food anymore. Even if Disney continues to raise their prices, there's nothing else that comes close to their theme parks.

[NLH Arizona]

The price for all things in Disney World has jumped dramatically since I went last in 2013. The difference is there's nothing else like the Disney experience. It's worth doing every 4-5 years, but certainly not as an annual thing like a cruise. Unfortunately for NCL, they have undistinguished themselves as a cruise line. There's really nothing special about NCL when compared to their competition. They don't have significantly better service, entertainment or food anymore. Even if Disney continues to raise their prices, there's nothing else that comes close to their theme parks.

Been to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland many, many times. I don't think anyone has said that NCL is so special, just that people like it. I also cruise on Celebrity and I don't think they are so special, I just like their cruises and feel I get value for my dollars, just like I do on NCL. With regard to your opinion about their service, entertainment and food, that is your opinion, others feel differently and thankfully everyone does enjoy and like the same things. We all have our own value system, as far has what type of experiences we want for our hard earned dollars and no two are probably alike. You might not like NCL any longer, but obviously there are many, many cruisers who do. Just as I probably wouldn't go back to Walt Disney World, as I don't feel there is the value or experience I expect versus the cost, you would continue to go there, which is great. Think about it, if we all only liked the same things, we would never get to do anything because things would be too crowded.

[cyndepet]

Cruising has been my favorite vacation for the last 20 years. I had done Carnival, Princess and RCL. When I met my now husband six years ago, our first vacation was a cruise on Carnival. Loved it. Next cruise - Carnival - loved it. Then we decided on a Med cruise on Epic, which would be our first NCL cruise. Loved it! Our next 3 cruises were NCL - Breakaway Haven, POA in a suite, and Breakaway Haven again. You just can't beat the Haven experience for the price point.

 

Our next cruise is RCL Anthem of the Seas. This will be my first RCL cruise in 10 years, and DH's first ever. I'm sure we'll love it just as well, but we do have another NCL Escape cruise booked for next year.

 

There are fewer differences and more similarities among these mass market cruise lines, in my opinion. What's interesting is that I see the same type of grumblings and complaints on each board here on CC. While people are complaining about nickel and diming on one board, they're experiencing the same on the other lines.

[Kwaj girl]

NCL lost us after the Norway went away...a really classic ocean liner. We just can't get into the "floating resort" concept. When we sail we want to see and feel the ocean as well as enjoy the classic cruise atmosphere. To each his own.....

[kathy884]

In March we will be doing out second NCL cruise on one of the large ships (the Escape). The last cruise we did on NCL was in 1992 and that was before all the private balconies, specialty dining, etc. This was an eat all your meals in the main dining room, midnight buffet one - -the cruising of old. (This is going way way back, but I do have to say that having a private balcony is heavenly and something we really really like that all the lines have tons of now.)

 

Since 1992 we have done three other cruises -- all on Carnival (This was not intentional, but just the way it somehow worked out). They were very affordable for balcony rooms and the food was decent. I do have to say the entertainment wasn't too impressive. I did like the comedians. They have cut back a lot of things from the days of old to keep prices low. They do a good job for what they charge.

 

Anyway despite the value, I'm not up for another Carnival cruise at this time (not that I would say never again - but it's a little bit too much of a been there, done that, and bought the T shirt right now) and am excited to be doing something a little different, to be trying NCL. The entertainment actually sounds really good on NCL (worth checking out), and I'm interested in checking out the waterfront and seeing what the dining experience is like.

 

********************************************

Like everything else it seems cruise lines like almost all other businesses are doing constant product changes and tweaking of what's part of the base price and what is extra. They have relatively thin profit margins and need to make money which means filling the ships and getting adequate revenue. I can appreciate people's sentiments. Like most consumers I want a good value for my vacation dollar, don't like to be paying for things I don't use, but don't like to feel like I'm being nickeled and dimed to death. I also want something that fires me up a little bit, that I'm excited to be doing. I think it's a fine line and a balancing act for NCL and the other lines. // My personality is such too that I am very conscious of every dollar that I am spending and don't like being a captive audience. Maybe that's why although I like the occasional cruise, land based vacations suite me more.

 

In general most people tell me that cruising different lines has more similarities than differences, and we tend to do way more land based vacations than cruise type vacations. It seem like on average we do two vacations a year and a cruise on average every five years, so we cruise around every 10th vacation. Cost wise for us considering everything (I'm sort of a bean counter personality that does a pretty good job of budgeting for vacations - considering all the extras I'm paying), cruising seems to be right there in the ball park cost wise with the land vacations we do of similar length.

Edited September 17, 2016 by kathy884

[Love.II.Cruise]

Interesting thread. We have sailed Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Windstar, Oceania, and Regent. Our first cruise on NCL is coming up. We never shop by comparing cruise lines. Instead, we scope out ships we want to try and then look for the best time to sail them price wise. We are just getting started with NCL and can't wait!

[deliver42]

Unfortunately, all major cruise lines have had cutbacks for one reason or another. I'm not talking about the luxury lines such as Oceana, Crystal, etc.It is all about the dallar and profits to accomodate the stockholders.I still enjoy cruising, but no longer with any one line.I look at the itinerary, the ship, and the price, and wherever the stars align, that's who I sail with.

[billfish]

We have done several NCL cruises out of Boston and enjoyed them all. most of our recent cruises have been with a large group of friends on Carnival. We have seen a continuing decline in the level of service and quality of the the overall experience on the most recent trips. This past May we sailed on the NCL Escape with our 21 year Grandson and I have to say that every part of the trip was fantastic.

[dam64]

No! We have tried other lines and we still prefer Norwegian.

[spanishguy1970]

Interesting thread. We have sailed Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Windstar, Oceania, and Regent. Our first cruise on NCL is coming up. We never shop by comparing cruise lines. Instead, we scope out ships we want to try and then look for the best time to sail them price wise. We are just getting started with NCL and can't wait!

 

 

Wish you good luck and hope you have a wonderful time.

[Shih-tzu]

For me I find it ironic that next year I will not be going to Disney World for the first time in years and sailing with NCL on the Escape next May. I(and many Disney fans) have been saying the same thing about WDW the last several years with it's many cutbacks, cutting corners, increasing costs, it's "nickle & diming," and wishing it would start adding value again. :)

Us too. Last 2 vacations have been cruises........

[kathybelcher2433]

I visited the Disney Parks every year at least once from 1957 (yikes) until 2005. I still love Disney but I can't imagine visiting again any time soon. And it's nothing to do with the price. I've just been there, done that. There would need to be not just a new ride or land added to an existing park - there would need to be another whole new park.

 

I guess that's why I cruise for the ports, and the Caribbean is off the short list.

 

 

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[fstuff1]

my knee jerk reaction was that the no water bottle policy was the straw the broke the camel's back.

and would not sail ncl if it wasnt 'free' from my land casino. ($200 ncl admin/profit fee :mad: )

 

but i cant beat the price if i paid for it.

it's mainly due to the 20% discount because of NCL's arrangement with my land casino. and free casino drink card.

 

next year i expect a free Carnivale cruise from a different land casino.

lets see how bad of a noisy party boat this will be.

will i swear off Carnival even if it was free?

Edited September 17, 2016 by fstuff1

[FreestyleNovice]

Slightly shifting towards "leaving" NCL, as we FEEL that their product has gone up in price and that we can get better deals at for example Celebrity (Coke products yay!) taking in the total product and final bill.

But we do think we won't find NCL's outdoor activities water slides, ropes courses etc combined with a freestyle dresscode on any other line, at this moment so we're still on board so to say.

 

RCCL would not be an alternative with formal nights, we do like to change for dinner but not in full formal. Casual smart will do for us.

 

Costa, MSC, Carnival just aren't our taste and Germain aimed lines like AIDA and TUI cater to German speaking guests. HAL and Princess are an older demographic and are too classic for us, Celebrity is more modern.

 

Oh and too poor to cruise on anything above premium mainstream. ;)