Turn Down to be reduced to once a day 2023!

[casofilia]

They are upping the DSC by USD4 per person/day and this is the start of also removing some Daily Services.   

Which are next?   

Same plate for starter and main?   Same glass if you have red wine and then white?  Carry your own napkin to breakfast, lunch and dinner before getting a clean one for the next day?   Daily limit on the value of drinks in the "Free" package?

[mianmike]

25% increase in the DSC 10 months after the last increase, now we hear cabin cleaning is cut 50%.  Hard to spin this as a positive for the customer so they brought out the tried and true: in the interest of saving the environment we are charging more and providing less.  

 

To make the 25% DSC increase more palatable maybe NCL should advertise that a percentage of the DSC will go to incentive programs designed to enhance the environment for the world's cutest animal (as determined by a poll of NCL cruisers)    

[ulster-cruiser]

9 hours ago, laudergayle said:

I hope they will allow guests to select an am or pm housekeeping.  Personally I’d give up am service for a nightly turndown. I like coming back to a cabin with the lights on, bed turned down, fresh towels, a new Daily, and sometimes a surprise treat.

 

And, of course we would be on the first ship to adopt this policy.  Epic in February.  Since we booked this cruise, DSC went up $4 pp/pd, daily service reduced by 50%, complimentary daily breakfast went from free to $4.95+20%, and they eliminated the major off-broadway production of Priscilla.  I understand the need to regain a positive cash balance…but holy cow.  NCL is the new Fed.  Except NCL is contributing to consumer spending…or, perhaps, not for long.

What are they replacing Priscilla with? My favourite show at sea 😞

[casofilia]

@ulster-cruiser

 

What are they replacing Priscilla with? 

 

The Cruise Director and the General Manager doing the same "One Man Show" on alternate nights!! 

 

The Special will be the Food & Beverage Manager juggling menus!!

[Honolulu Blue]

7 hours ago, Hannodcruise said:

My thought is that they can  maybe repurpose some of the steward staff to better cover the bar, pool service, and other places that are under staffed now.

 

Maybe, but this isn't a good look for NCL, IMHO.  Bumping up the "mandatory" gratuities while cutting provided services.  Oh, and cutting some salaries and laying others off in the process.  From the Crew Center article at Norwegian Cruise Line to Reduce Stateroom Cleaning Services | Crew Center (crew-center.com) :

 

 

What does this mean for crew members working in the Housekeeping department?

 

In order to accommodate these changes the onboard position titles “Stateroom Steward” and “Junior Stateroom Steward” will no longer exist and will be adjusted in a singular position titled “Stateroom Attendant”. With this change the crew holding the position of Junior Stateroom Steward will see an increase in salary, however, this will scale down the salary for the current Stateroom Stewards.

 

"The elimination of these positions will phase out over time, allowing Stateroom Stewards to complete their current contract. The Jr. Stateroom Stewards onboard will be promoted to Stateroom Attendants on dates according to the implementation dates of the new structure.” NCL said.

 

7 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

Actually Carnival started this back in 2017. 
 

When they did it, they cut the number of stewards and increased the number of cabins per steward.  You were given the option of morning or evening service.  

 

Yeah, Carnival started all this.  At first, they gave passengers the choice of morning or evening service - or both.  It seems that as time went on there was increasing pressure put on the stewards and passengers to choose one or the other.  After the restart, Carnival no longer offered twice daily service at all.  AFAIK, passengers there still have the choice to choose either evening or morning service.  I hope NCL does the same. 

[AnitaVacation]

9 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

Not being stupid though, I do notice that we will be paying a bit more and getting a bit less.  Also, since I'm not stupid I do feel the NCL doubletalk nonsense is both hilarious and a bit insulting to the intelligence.  At least this one didn't have the words "out of an abundance of caution . . ."

Or 'unforeseen circumstances' 🙄

 

[JezzaC]

I don’t mind the change. I hope customers can then choose either AM or PM daily service.

 

They should cut the environment crap though and say honestly that they want to cut costs.

 

What comes to daily service charge raise - it doesn’t make sense since customers are now getting less service and increase was quite big in percentage.

Edited December 29, 2022 by JezzaC

[Beer Belly]

We are doing an All Inclusive a week prior to our next sailing, comparison shopping. The increases won't effect us this time around, NCL Rep covering them. The once a day Cabin service we're fine with as long as they provide clean linens and towels. For some, this would mean the attendant will have a bigger mess to deal with being they pop in once a day to maintain.

[SunshineGal2022]

I think this affects people with 3+ people in their cabin the most.  Those cabins should have 2x a day service, even if the nightly service is only to make up the extra bed(s).  I imagine if you called and needed the help with the beds, they would still come and help at night (they probably would walk quicker if tipped extra to do this.)

[luv2kroooz]

Educate yourselves! There are so many great vacations out there right now outside of the cruise space. I am typing this from a land based resort where we just spent three nights. Live entertainment every night including comedy, dealing pianos, singers. Christmas decorations everywhere. Indoor pool and hot tubs. No surcharges, surcharges, etc. It is wonderful and compares very favorably from a pricing perspective.

 

We have enjoyed cruising in the past. I can't see us booking a cruise on any cruise ship in the near term. Someone else will have to subsidize their COVID losses. It ain't going to be us.

[New2cruise2022]

9 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

Educate yourselves! There are so many great vacations out there right now outside of the cruise space. I am typing this from a land based resort where we just spent three nights. Live entertainment every night including comedy, dealing pianos, singers. Christmas decorations everywhere. Indoor pool and hot tubs. No surcharges, surcharges, etc. It is wonderful and compares very favorably from a pricing perspective.

 

We have enjoyed cruising in the past. I can't see us booking a cruise on any cruise ship in the near term. Someone else will have to subsidize their COVID losses. It ain't going to be us.

Which all-inclusive are you enjoying? I have gone to Jamaica in the past, but am always on the hunt for something truly all inclusive. I don’t require a lot of fanfare when it comes to excursions or activities. Just a good beach with good variety of food and nice roomed and service. 

[luv2kroooz]

3 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Which all-inclusive are you enjoying?

We are here in the US Midwest, right on one of the Great Lakes.

[New2cruise2022]

1 minute ago, luv2kroooz said:

We are here in the US Midwest, right on one of the Great Lakes.

There is an all-inclusive stateside? TIL

[TSUmom]

I enjoy my cabin being ready for me in the evening but honestly I am one of those that make the bed every morning straighten up my cabin and reuse towels for a few days.  My cabin stewards always comment that it is like nobody is even staying there.  Will I miss have twice a day service?  Maybe a bit but it will not ruin my cruises.

[Beer Belly]

Not too long ago, 7 day cruises would have 3 specialty dining FAS, now down to 2🙄

[prmssk]

2 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

In order to accommodate these changes the onboard position titles “Stateroom Steward” and “Junior Stateroom Steward” will no longer exist and will be adjusted in a singular position titled “Stateroom Attendant”. With this change the crew holding the position of Junior Stateroom Steward will see an increase in salary, however, this will scale down the salary for the current Stateroom Stewards.

 

I'm disappointed in this change not because I need a lot but just because it is nice to have someone check on the room in the evening to remove glasses and trash.  But to me, the biggest problem I have with this change is the above.  Spreading cabin stewards over more cabins and decreasing the pay of some of them (along with the other recent restrictions crew are facing from NCL) doesn't sound like a smart idea at a time when they can't get enough crew to begin with.  Why would a current Stateroom Steward sign another contract with NCL after this salary cut?

[DaCruiseBug]

Upcoming NCL enhancements:

 

1. Toilet paper will no longer be provided. BYOTP (available in gift shop for $10 per roll)

2. $25 check-in fee at the port to enhance your boarding experience

3. $5 charge per piece of luggage you don't carry-on or carry-off the ship

4. $7 daily fee for nightly entertainment

5. $15 charge for Howl at the Moon

6. $4 buffet upkeep charge

7. $5 water fee so you can enjoy daily showers and the ability to flush

8. $3 daily "washy washy" fee for hand sanitizer cost

9. $5 guest services staff fee

10. $5 NCL CEO Golden Parachute fee so he can retire without financial hardships

[ziggyuk]

I can see this resulting in even more rubbish being dumped in the hallways.

[njkate]

Sadly with the reduction of services, increase in DSC, no more free continental breakfast, the increase of fares, hell on some cruises I’m looking at what I would pay for 2 in a balcony in the past only gets me an inside, tips to the crew will be less and many will line up to either reduce or remove the DSC

[AdoraBelle]

59 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

There is an all-inclusive stateside? TIL

They were pretty careful not to use the phrase “all inclusive” in their post while still sort of implying that they weren’t making an apples and oranges comparison.

[European_CruiseGirl]

7 minutes ago, prmssk said:

 Why would a current Stateroom Steward sign another contract with NCL after this salary cut?

Perhaps they don’t even want them to sign? Business as usual (unfortunately) in corporate world. Get rid of the higher paid professionals and keep/hire more juniors to do these tasks…

[Topdog52]

38 minutes ago, TSUmom said:

I enjoy my cabin being ready for me in the evening but honestly I am one of those that make the bed every morning straighten up my cabin and reuse towels for a few days.  My cabin stewards always comment that it is like nobody is even staying there.  Will I miss have twice a day service?  Maybe a bit but it will not ruin my cruises.

I agree, but if you are going to cut the service, then cut the cost!!

[DCGuy64]

8 hours ago, vacation44 said:

Not happy with this change as we enjoy both morning and afternoon service. 

 

I am not 100% sure offhand,  but aren't the DSC the same for the club balcony suites as the non-Haven suites and Haven suites?  If I am correct,  the club balcony suites still should be entitled to twice a day in my opinion. 

No, that isn't correct. The DSC is higher for Haven than Club Balcony.

[mking8288]

For "your" convenience, of course, I'm sure NCL will cheerfully provide an extra daily housekeeping evening service routine for a nominal upcharge, say $20 or $25, on demand, LOL.   

 

Not buying - IMHO - the notion and concept of "environmental sustainability" by scaling back service level while raising the mandatory daily charges.  Why can't NCLH be direct, straight forward and honest with us, the customers behind the products - namely, cruising - and say, it is to (also ??) help maintain & restore its financial well-beings too.  

 

Whether the stewards and others below deck are well paid, competitively, or not ... in the cruise industry remains a private matter & close door topics with NCL and the signing agencies that recruited & placed them.  From cruise news sources, it's clear that job titles are being changed, reclassified and some will be realigned into other functions onboard.  Perhaps, this helped partially explain grumpy crew onboard these days.  

 

And, not to go off-topics substantially, some of the "non-verified" reports lately of live onboard entertainments being replaced with big-screen movie shown in the main theater are just comical, LOL.  Pretty soon, we might see the gallery (and formerly housekeeping) crew on stage doing talent shows as the primary and lounge show with robotics AI ... LOL (hey, gotta have a sense of humor these days.)  Not saying the grass is greener elsewhere but going to have a difficult time telling Mrs. to continue to be generous in tipping extras onboard.  

[MagnoliaBlossom]

13 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Royal Caribbean has already started this. NCL is following their lead. 
 

RIP

Carnival started this three years ago, but you get to choose which you want,morning or evening.