Anyone else annoyed with Ncl decrease in amenities?

[joejoe 59]

15 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

When did NCL provide coffee makers to inside cabins? Do other lines have coffee makers to inside cabins? I thought it was just balcony +

Princess  or RCL Australia don't  have coffee  maker or kettle in inside  cabins, ice on request. 

Been there done that with towel animal's,  how many does an adult  really  need to see.

[Aldeya]

 

 

1

4 hours ago, alisonslp said:

I just came back from the Bliss in a balcony and no towel animals unless we asked, which we did for my daughter, though we tipped well on first and last day for his efforts and had the "do not disturb" sign on through most of the trip, having him come in roughly every other day. As for the coffee maker and ice bucket - Heck, I would have been glad to get rid of them so we had more counter space. Never used either of them. Hmmm next time, I think I will request that they be stored away...

So now what was considered a part of the cruise rituals, if you will, is EXTRA work that should be rewarded. I for once would definitely feel obligated to tip even more for extra trouble. Yes, we can live without tower animals, chocolates on the pillows but those little touches what made cruising special for us.

[careyayn22]

I know we get what we pay for,  but I do think it’s strange not to include an ice bucket. Even the couple crappy hotels we stayed at for hockey tournaments gave you an ice bucket (And one had a coffee maker too). 

 

We are sailing in a mini suite. Not sure what that really even means other than a few more square feet and we have adjoining rooms. Oh, and an ice bucket. 😏

[sfaaa]

20 hours ago, drvmywifecrzy said:

Also remember insides are last to get on the lifeboats

And only get unassigned IX Guarantee seats while supply last.

Edited May 20, 2019 by sfaaa

[rtread]

23 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

Coffee makers are automatic for balcony and above. It has been this way for years, but all you have to do is ask. It is simple , we have done this a few times. The same with an ice bucket. And the towel animals have nothing to do with the type of cabin you are in. So, I am sorry but I have to 100% disagree with you. Maybe it is time you try a different line and see how they do things.  

 

About the coffee makers....are they the type that take the flat pad (like hotels) or the K-cup type?

[newmexicoNita]

10 hours ago, valleyvillage said:

I remember the bubbly welcome on board. And I remember all the half-filled glasses of bubbly every place you looked. And I remember thinking, bye-bye bubbly.

My thoughts exactly. I don't know if Celebrity still offers them, but regardless talk about a waste of money. It may not seem like much when you think how cheap the bubbly is, but multiply it over a cruise or a year of cruising, it is a sizable amount. 

[4774Papa]

On 5/18/2019 at 11:01 PM, hladygirl said:

In an inside cabin by myself on the Gem.  

No towel animal ( which is fine) no coffee maker, and no ice bucket. Felt like the lower class cruise ship passenger. I now am learning from cruise critic that this is now the policy for inside cabins. Talk about going back to the old time when the low class passengers were called steerage. That is how I felt on this cruise. Some of the cabins were still getting there rooms cleaned at 2:30 in the afternoon. NCL has really taken a down turn with all their cutbacks and price increases. Without towel animals, coffee maker and ice bucket what does my room steward do for me? Nothing other than give me towels and make my bed. For the price they are now charging I have to look at other cruise lines. The service is no longer there.

I thought that on NCL  you had to be in a balcony to have a coffee pot?  Towel animals are cute, but not really an amenity.  Just ask for an ice bucket.

[Laszlo]

It's just like anything else now. 10 years ago when I bought a truck they gave me one year of free car washes, 5 years ago when I traded it in (same dealer) I got 6 months. In December when I traded that one in no car washes Lol

[4774Papa]

We did our first ocean cruise in July 2010 and have done 11 Celebrity, 7 NCL and 1 Royal C.

 

Cruising has not changed significantly over those years, however each cruise line has changed.

We still compare the above three offers as well as Princess.

 

Celebrity and NCL both have made changes that are relatively minor.  Celebrity did away with its wonderful end of cruise brunch. Also, Celebrity is known for its dining and has made changes to its menu that limit choices somewhat.  Also, my favorite dessert, Crepe Suzette is now 1/5 the size of what it once was.  Entertainment seems a bit less exciting on Celebrity, but it is not a huge difference.

NCL has made minor changes, but frankly nothing that significant in terms of the product.   On some cruises it seems that the servers still need more training, but this is not huge.

 

My beef with both lines is the price bundling and the inflated pricing.   We don't want or need drink from dawn to midnight drink packages, especially ones with poor wine selections.  Just give us a bottom line price.   Celebrity finally came out with a no promo prices option (of course the prices are still way inflated).   Inflation has not been high at all in the  past 9 years, yet cruise prices have mushroomed.

 

We still compare and pick a cruise more on itinerary and price.   Lately, Royal C. seems to be the best deal over the other two.  Also, since we are Diamond on Royal (via Elite on Celebrity) we get free happy hour drinks from 4:30 till 8 and that covers us quite well for our imbibing.  No need to pay for any drinks.  Life is good.

[mugtech]

1 hour ago, newmexicoNita said:

My thoughts exactly. I don't know if Celebrity still offers them, but regardless talk about a waste of money. It may not seem like much when you think how cheap the bubbly is, but multiply it over a cruise or a year of cruising, it is a sizable amount. 

You want free bubbly, go to the art auction.

[graphicguy]

Having been a cruising fan for about 30+ years (took my first cruise on my Honeymoon....SS Norway), I’ve seen changes happen all over the industry.  None of this has been done in a vacuum.

 

While the buffet is still pretty good on all these lines, the main dining room food has not kept pace.  But, that gave rise to the specialty restaurant.  Was really reluctant to pay for a meal on a cruise, given all food was free up until that point.  We went to Chop’s and Giovanni’s Table on Royal’s Allure of the Seas.  Was really good food, but you had to pay extra to get it.  That was the first shock.

 

The flip side of that, cabins are much nicer and bigger.  I had an inside on the SS Norway.  You could not both be standing inside the cabin at the same time.  One of you either had to be in the bathroom or on the bed, just not both at the same time.  Even solo cabins on NCL are bigger and nicer than they were on the SS Norway.

 

The biggest change is the entertainment.  There is A LOT more choices on today’s cruises.  And, the quality of the entertainment is infinitely better than anything I’ve seen on a cruise even from 10 years ago.

 

Add in things like rock climbing walls, tube slides (which take up the space of bigger pools), bionic bartenders, etc, and the differences from the past are glaring.

 

There was NOTHING even remotely close to Choir of Man (the last show I saw with NCL on the Escape).  Choir of Man was immensely better....as was Million Dollar Quartet (which I saw a couple of cruises ago), Blue Man Group, etc.

 

Now, the most surprising is the fact that I remember paying about $1,000 for the fare on the SS Norway inside cabin back in the ‘80s.  These days I travel solo a lot.  But, the last solo cabin I had with NCL was around $1,250.  Not sure how that stacks up figuring inflation, but I’d bet those fares are pretty close.  Plus, I only had to pay the service charges or tips for the drinks on NCL, which was WAY LESS EXPENSIVE than my bar bill in the SS Norway.

 

Bottom line....somethings are better.  Some things are worse.  All these cruise lines are competing for your vacation dollar.  When you compare them, compare them to each other, and to what you got in comparison from the past.

 

There’s another thread talking about NCL’S Haven pricing.  I love staying in the Haven.  I’ve never had a better vacation experience than sailing the Haven.  But, I think my least expensive Haven cabin was $4,300, including tips, perks, etc.  The most I’ve ever paid was $4,800. Both were in a spa suite which included free spa access, around $800-$1,200 OBC, all the perks, etc.  Looking at it from a total cost perspective, it was less expensive than a Disney trip, or a Sandals Resort vacation I took a few years ago.

 

Can’t just complain about the things that are no longer available.  You have to look at the whole picture.  They didn’t just change things, they added some pretty nice things, too.

[WickedRed]

I was on the Gem 2 weeks ago.  Still got a towel animal every day but the last one without asking for them.  It was a pleasant surprise.  Can't say I've ever seen a coffee maker in an inside cabin, but I don't drink coffee so really never looked for one.  No ice bucket was a surprise, but I don't usually need ice so no big deal.  Maybe as a company they found most people aren't using the ice buckets or coffee makers as much.  Working in retail, if our customers aren't buying a specific product.  We don't keep it in stock. I know a number of people who had coffee delivered to their rooms every morning.  They said it was the best coffee on the ship.  I'm sure if you had asked for either, you would have received them.  Enjoy doing whatever you decide.

[rtread]

18 minutes ago, WickedRed said:

I I know a number of people who had coffee delivered to their rooms every morning.  They said it was the best coffee on the ship.  

 

Good info! Thanks!

[newmexicoNita]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Having been a cruising fan for about 30+ years (took my first cruise on my Honeymoon....SS Norway), I’ve seen changes happen all over the industry.  None of this has been done in a vacuum.

 

While the buffet is still pretty good on all these lines, the main dining room food has not kept pace.  But, that gave rise to the specialty restaurant.  Was really reluctant to pay for a meal on a cruise, given all food was free up until that point.  We went to Chop’s and Giovanni’s Table on Royal’s Allure of the Seas.  Was really good food, but you had to pay extra to get it.  That was the first shock.

 

The flip side of that, cabins are much nicer and bigger.  I had an inside on the SS Norway.  You could not both be standing inside the cabin at the same time.  One of you either had to be in the bathroom or on the bed, just not both at the same time.  Even solo cabins on NCL are bigger and nicer than they were on the SS Norway.

 

The biggest change is the entertainment.  There is A LOT more choices on today’s cruises.  And, the quality of the entertainment is infinitely better than anything I’ve seen on a cruise even from 10 years ago.

 

Add in things like rock climbing walls, tube slides (which take up the space of bigger pools), bionic bartenders, etc, and the differences from the past are glaring.

 

There was NOTHING even remotely close to Choir of Man (the last show I saw with NCL on the Escape).  Choir of Man was immensely better....as was Million Dollar Quartet (which I saw a couple of cruises ago), Blue Man Group, etc.

 

Now, the most surprising is the fact that I remember paying about $1,000 for the fare on the SS Norway inside cabin back in the ‘80s.  These days I travel solo a lot.  But, the last solo cabin I had with NCL was around $1,250.  Not sure how that stacks up figuring inflation, but I’d bet those fares are pretty close.  Plus, I only had to pay the service charges or tips for the drinks on NCL, which was WAY LESS EXPENSIVE than my bar bill in the SS Norway.

 

Bottom line....somethings are better.  Some things are worse.  All these cruise lines are competing for your vacation dollar.  When you compare them, compare them to each other, and to what you got in comparison from the past.

 

There’s another thread talking about NCL’S Haven pricing.  I love staying in the Haven.  I’ve never had a better vacation experience than sailing the Haven.  But, I think my least expensive Haven cabin was $4,300, including tips, perks, etc.  The most I’ve ever paid was $4,800. Both were in a spa suite which included free spa access, around $800-$1,200 OBC, all the perks, etc.  Looking at it from a total cost perspective, it was less expensive than a Disney trip, or a Sandals Resort vacation I took a few years ago.

 

Can’t just complain about the things that are no longer available.  You have to look at the whole picture.  They didn’t just change things, they added some pretty nice things, too.

Yes, the fares are pretty close when you do take inflation into account plus something very few people are aware of is the Norway had so many type of cabins. At inside wasn't just the same like they are today. Today there are different catagories I know but the size of an inside is that size for all insides. The differences pretty much depend on the location and a few other things. On the Norway, you could have one inside cabin twice as big or twice as nice than the one down the hall. Thus it is very hard to compare prices. Other than that I agree with your post 100%

[Homosassa]

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

 

I first cruised NCL in 1978. No ice buckets, towel animals or coffee makers then. Of course, there was also no refrigerators, TVs, and the cabin was being upgraded to add two channels of piped in music.

[Surfsup2017]

I find the towel animals annoying, particularly when one of your dedicated towels is used to make it (has happened). Its like "bring to child to work day" where you have to acknowledge and comment on how cute the kid is that is distracting the work day, same when you see the steward and pretend how much you loved that monkey hanging from the ceiling that startled you when you woke up.   My next cruise will be the first spent inside, instead of in a balcony or a mini-suite, so it will be interesting to see if there is a noticeable difference in service or amenities.  Since this  will be my 30+ time cruising on NCL and it is the Gem's 14 day super expensive holiday cruise, I didn't think the balcony was worth twice the price of a cabin "across the hall".  Travelling by myself, the inside will be an interesting change as I rarely sat on the balcony, would rather grab a book for a cocktail out back on the aft deck of the Great Outdoors.  Would rather spend the money saved on the balcony room for good wine and other cruise amenities like upgraded excursions.

Edited May 20, 2019 by Surfsup2017

[bones774]

22 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

They did about 5 or so years ago for a very short time. that was when they were trying to set a new image. It may have even been closer to 10 years ago. They also welcomed everyone onto the ship with a glass of champagne. They were following in Celebrity's steps. It lasted a very short time. Since then it has always been balconies and up for some of these things. The ice bucket it relatively new, but anyone can request any of these things. Why is anyone making a deal out of it? Heck I would love to be able to eat in the VIP dining room for breakfast but I understand with price comes benefits. Turn down service doesn't come with all rooms at a hotel, but if you stay in the top level you do get it with some chains. I don't get free drinks when I fly in coach either, but I do if I pay for business or first. How anyone can think we all are entitled to the same perks is beyond me. 

Some years ago, wasn't one of the lines offering drinks as your came aboard and everyone would think they were complimentary and after you took the drink they would ask for your card?

[newmexicoNita]

41 minutes ago, bones774 said:

Some years ago, wasn't one of the lines offering drinks as your came aboard and everyone would think they were complimentary and after you took the drink they would ask for your card?

Don't  remember NCL doing that, but the first 2 cruises we were on (not NCL) did this. After the second time we learned and I now know: drinks are not free unless you have the UBP. NCL may have done the same thing but my the time we started cruising them we had learned: THEHARD WAY. yes, the 2 lines I am thinking about would wander around the ship before we sailed with the fancy drinks. 

[CPT Trips]

On May 19, 2019 at 8:45 AM, drvmywifecrzy said:

Also remember insides are last to get on the lifeboats

 

Lets rearrange the deck chairs

 

 

[jtheile]

On ‎5‎/‎19‎/‎2019 at 10:55 AM, rrebel94 said:

Thanks.  Now I have to clean the coffee off of my screen.  🤣

 

You should have booked an inside cabin.

[graphicguy]

I remember my late Father talking about his sailing back and forth to his birthplace (Italy) back in the ‘50s and ‘60s.  While he wore a tux (or at least a suit) every evening for dinner, drinks were all a la carte.  There were no “packages”.  He said you could “upgrade” your dining for a “fee”.

 

But, he said you could get a “2nd class” cabin, that didn’t have it’s own bathroom and shower.  Most everything was priced “a la carte”, which amounts to a “SAILAWAY” rate on NCL, except they offer the same entertainment and MDR food.

 

So, as others have said, the more they change, the more they stay the same.

 

I’ll stick with the drink and dining packages offered as perks on NCL.

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, bones774 said:

Some years ago, wasn't one of the lines offering drinks as your came aboard and everyone would think they were complimentary and after you took the drink they would ask for your card?

 

NCL was one of them, it was offered free/complimentary upon embarkation, as you step off the gangway (right here in NYC's Pier 88/90 ... pretty sure it's been over 10 years) - choice of sparkling wine or OJ in a glass, crew members going around to collect the empty/half-empties.  A few dramas since pax loved to do their own "carry-on" & not deal with/tip for porter services to check their oversized cabin bags - wetting the floor at times with spills. 

 

AND, NCL changed it to fees-based, and if you unknowingly take the offer, you are asked on-the-spot for your Guest key card or cabin # for the charges to be posted.   Didn't last long and it was subsequently discontinued ... it was a hot topic then, here on CC.   

[bones774]

15 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

 

NCL was one of them, it was offered free/complimentary upon embarkation, as you step off the gangway (right here in NYC's Pier 88/90 ... pretty sure it's been over 10 years) - choice of sparkling wine or OJ in a glass, crew members going around to collect the empty/half-empties.  A few dramas since pax loved to do their own "carry-on" & not deal with/tip for porter services to check their oversized cabin bags - wetting the floor at times with spills. 

 

AND, NCL changed it to fees-based, and if you unknowingly take the offer, you are asked on-the-spot for your Guest key card or cabin # for the charges to be posted.   Didn't last long and it was subsequently discontinued ... it was a hot topic then, here on CC.   

I'll stop short of calling it a scam, but I got fooled by that one time and one time only, sure felt like I got hustled.

[cruisingnewtoit]

On 5/19/2019 at 6:36 AM, tallnthensome said:

You're not going really going to find any super deals by switching cruise lines. All of them are charging more for less these days. It's the lines that have cut staff and put more work on the backs of their employees. I know this and why I could care less if my already overworked and exhausted room steward makes me towel animals ..... I'm an adult and can live without something I've seen 20 times. I would hope your steward cleans your entire bathroom twice daily as well. You'll have to downgrade to Carnival if you want lower prices but if you want better service you'll have to upgrade to HAL, Celebrity, Princess, etc ..... You'll find gripes on all of them anyhow ...... I do agree about the feeling of a class system on many lines today. 

On Celebrity my steward forgot to clean the toilet numerous times and take out the trash. He was overworked & overwhelmed. I felt sorry for him. He did fix the errors quickly.

[alisonslp]

2 hours ago, bones774 said:

Some years ago, wasn't one of the lines offering drinks as your came aboard and everyone would think they were complimentary and after you took the drink they would ask for your card?

BTDT - just once and we learned our lesson. It was fresh squeezed orange in the buffet either on Carnival or RCCL (mom brain - they all run together). It was our second time cruising and we never ran something like this on our first, which was Disney, so how were we to know? Thankfully it was only 2 of us who went for them, not the whole family.