Oh, for the love of Cookies! Say it ain't so...

[laudergayle]

6 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Shrinken, petite strawberries with faked chocolate coating ... could smaller cookies be next, no frills & sugarless.  NCL's procurement must be continuously challenged with their bulk purchasing leverage in negotiating prices to keep it low.  

 

What's next on the chopping block ... just don't touch my smoked salmon in the MDR at breakfast time  😬   Actually, the size of the half toasted bagel and even the bakery items like white/whole wheat toast, buns for the burger, etc. have all gotten smaller lately.  Pennies saved, added together multipled by 50,000 serving units a week ... times X number of ships - sure, add up in substantial savings toward the bottomline for shareholders.  

 

 

Shrinkflation is real.

 

Here’s a good one.

 

NCL announces their newest entertainment lineup. Introducing the Greatest Magic Show at Sea.  Right before your very eyes, watch in disbelief as cookies magically vanish, and dark chocolate turns to white.  The magic will have you gripping your seat as jumbo shrimp turn back time and become baby shrimp. Where an 8 oz filet becomes a strip sirloin.  This jelly-packed show (previously jam-) will leave you scratching your head…and wanting more.

[mking8288]

18 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Shrinkflation is real ... This jelly-packed show (previously jam-) will leave you scratching your head…and wanting more.

The best is yet to come ... And, it is complimentary, absolutely free to join and all guests are strongly urged to stay (the grass isn't always greener or better across the way with others ... true & sad)

 

Of course, we are all either going to love it or hate it ... to sail & sustain, as part of the "enhanced" guest experience onboard of a lifetime & beyond.  Just check our upgrade bidding option, LOL on the starting minimum bid ... in the thousands & up.  Gotta cruise with a good, healthy dose of humor, go with the flow and make the most out of it all. 

Edited February 9 by mking8288

[cruiseny4life]

9 hours ago, spotfish said:

Emma will NOT be happy to here this year if true!

Darn it! You beat me to the @emmacruises comment! Perhaps she'll boycott NCL until cookies make a return. Is that even her real account? She is the best of the YouTubers...except maybe, possibly Gary Bambridge, but I don't think he raises dough for charity.

 

As for me, I want the hash browns back too!

 

 But, do we even know for sure cookies are really going away (gone)? Or, is this one report, from one ship, one time?

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

NCL announces their newest entertainment lineup. Introducing the Greatest Magic Show at Sea.

Absolutely read this as a Magic Mike Show! Had to do a double take to realize that is NOT what you meant. Haha

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Next to go…chocolate covered strawberries.  WBTW, are now mostly covered with the fake white chocolate.

 

mine have always been covered in dark chocolate.

 

when i say "mine," i mean my strawberries... strawberries delivered as an amenity to my room.

 

they are, however, increasingly shriveled and shrunken and a fraction of their former size. they look forlorn and rather lonely.

 

again, i should clarify... i'm talking about strawberries!

[vacation44]

10 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Darn it! You beat me to the @emmacruises

 

As for me, I want the hash browns back too!

 

Do not forget the mozzarella sticks that used to be available at O'Sheehans!   Not on the same level as the American Diner ones, but at least they were on the menu.

[schmoopie17]

Sounds like NCL tossed their cookies.

The good news is, you won't have to if the seas become rough.

[vacation44]

4 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Just ask in the buffet. 

We certainly will!   And will in the Vibe too!

[david_sobe]

16 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

No cookies are a good thing. When they deliver them as snacks, they go into the trash. 

Now you have went too far.  Attacking cookies?  That should cause an immediate 3 day ban 😁

Seriously though.  Cookies are the cheapest and most popular buffet dessert or snack.  If cookies are too expensive then I hate to think what's in those cakes 🤢

[knitlady037]

I just sailed Getaway in February. I could not believe the cutbacks I noticed. No waffles on buffet for breakfast, no cookies. no pretzel rolls, no breadsticks and no fresh veggie nibbles. I had to look at my program to make sure I was on the correct ship! Quite a few other cutbacks in every department. Very disappointing. I sailed Getaway last year in February and it was a totally different experience. I have grandkids that are veggie lovers and salads and veggies were very limited. The whole buffet experience was a let down. I never really eat there, maybe to get soup for lunch, and thought the food options were very limited.

 

[IAcruising]

2 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Now you have went too far. 

 

Now? That was what it took for you?  🤣

[Birdnutty]

7 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Shrinkflation is real.

 

Here’s a good one.

 

NCL announces their newest entertainment lineup. Introducing the Greatest Magic Show at Sea.  Right before your very eyes, watch in disbelief as cookies magically vanish, and dark chocolate turns to white.  The magic will have you gripping your seat as jumbo shrimp turn back time and become baby shrimp. Where an 8 oz filet becomes a strip sirloin.  This jelly-packed show (previously jam-) will leave you scratching your head…and wanting more.

Thanks for the giggle!  I noticed that last time I was on the Gem, about a year ago, there were no prunes.  Really?  That's a staple some of us older folks have come to rely on.  You could ask for prune juice, I was told.  Which put me in a conundrum.  I had found my magic formula to be 5 prunes.  No more, no less.  So, how much juice does it take to equate to 5 real prunes?  Too little, and it doesn't work, too much and...well... you know.  

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, Birdnutty said:

There were no prunes.

Well that’s just crappy if you ask me!

Edited February 9 by laudergayle

[cruiser2015]

5 hours ago, vacation44 said:

We certainly will!   And will in the Vibe too!

We were on the last sailing of the Bliss 2 weeks ago.

Can't speak for the Vibe or Haven, but there was only ONE time the entire 15 days that I saw cookies.

That was the second amenity in our Club Balcony. No other cookies anywhere. No sign in the buffet to ask for them.

There were pretzel rolls - primarily in the Observation Lounge - daily.

PS

The cookies were quite tasty - I wanted more...

[PATRLR]

5 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

The cookies were quite tasty - I wanted more...

According to the @BirdTravels, the cookies were supposed to go in the trash.  I can't believe you actually ate them. smh.  😉   

(We also got them in our CBS on Viva and also in Vibe and I agree they were very good)

Edited February 9 by PATRLR

[cruiser2015]

1 minute ago, PATRLR said:

According to the @BirdTravels, the cookies were supposed to go in the trash.  I can't believe you actually ate them. smh.  😉   

(We also got them in our CBS on Viva and also in Vibe and I agree they were very good)

Undoubtedly better than the complimentary sparkling wine.

Uncertain, though, as we never opened it.

[BirdTravels]

9 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

According to the @BirdTravels, the cookies were supposed to go in the trash.  I can't believe you actually ate them. smh.  😉   (We also got them in our CBS on Viva and also in Vibe and I agree they were very good)

I didn't say others were suppose to go to the trash. I said that we throw them out.

 

It is an insult to serve buffet left overs as the "special treats" of the day. Our butler loses $50 in tip every time they leave them behind. 

 

 

 

 

A preferred treat are chocolates served in a box made of chocolate, canapés, and a nice cabernet. 

[MCMC100]

I few this as very exciting information which portends well for the future.
 

After significant cost reductions which have included cutbacks to the daily cabin housekeeping services; elimination of Broadway caliber onboard entertainment; reductions in the number of Specialty Dining meals included within the FAS program; switching to lower quality meats in venues such as Teppanyaki; elimination of certain popular alcoholic beverages; price increases to other beverages thereby removing them from the FAS menu and other innumerable items discussed at great length on this forum, NCL Corporate apparently had a meeting at which it was announced -“Our belt tightening has worked!  We are almost back to financial stability!! Only minor adjustments remain.  Anybody have an idea how we can save $379.34 fleetwide to finally reach our goal?”

 

Unfortunately, some idiot said “eliminate cookies in the buffet.”  

[debnjoe1438]

On 2/8/2024 at 5:33 PM, Birdnutty said:

Friends of ours just got off the Getaway last week.  Balcony cabins, so no Haven experience for them.  They said there were no cookies to be found.  Anywhere.  So they asked (and asked, and asked), and were told by the General Manager, Mario, who was sitting next to Captain Luigi, that it was a corporate decision that there were no cookies available except through room service, (and I would imagine in the Haven.)  

 

 Could it just be the Getaway, or could this be one more cutback rolled out fleet wide  to save $$?

 

What gives with that?

Oh no, not just the Getaway. Just got off the Jade and no cookies. Typically there would be cookies in the evening on the Buffet. We asked and was told they would be at the Great Outdoors during tea time (around 3). Well there were no cookies there. However there were cookies on the ship. Asked at our back stage tour. The chef told us we could get them via room service, which equals we pay for them. Well we discovered another way. We asked our waiter in the Main Dinning Room. After asking we got a plate of cookies every evening with our desert. Disappointed they were not out and available. We were told "change in menu by corporate"

[debnjoe1438]

22 hours ago, IAcruising said:

 

Really? That all you need for cookies? What's the big deal then...

 

 

NCL has good cookies

[debnjoe1438]

44 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I didn't say others were suppose to go to the trash. I said that we throw them out.

 

It is an insult to serve buffet left overs as the "special treats" of the day. Our butler loses $50 in tip every time they leave them behind. 

 

 

 

 

A preferred treat are chocolates served in a box made of chocolate, canapés, and a nice cabernet. 

If you told your butler you didn't want them, wouldn't he or she not leave them. The one time DH and I were in a suite we told the bulter what we liked and prefered not to have. She spoiled us rotten, however she didn't bring the snacks we didn't want. 

 

I wish I could justify the cost of a suite....

[IAcruising]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

It is an insult to serve buffet left overs as the "special treats" of the day. Our butler loses $50 in tip every time they leave them behind. 

 

What does your butler say when you tell him not to bring them? "Sorry, it's the rules"?

 

 

[laudergayle]

26 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

What does your butler say when you tell him not to bring them? "Sorry, it's the rules"?

 

 

Nope.  sorry, it’s for your convenience.

[Seas2mountains]

We let the butler know what we like - usually tortilla chips and salsa for me and cheese and  cheese and cheese for DH. 

We will embark on NCL cruise # 26 in less than a week. We have not ever in the first 25 cruises gone to the buffet for a cookie.  
 

Cab NCL bring back the breakfast hasbrowns? 

 

 

[cruiser2015]

3 hours ago, Seas2mountains said:

We let the butler know what we like - usually tortilla chips and salsa for me and cheese and  cheese and cheese for DH. 

We will embark on NCL cruise # 26 in less than a week. We have not ever in the first 25 cruises gone to the buffet for a cookie.  
 

Cab NCL bring back the breakfast hasbrowns? 

 

 

I suppose that if the cookies wouldn't come to you, then they were not worthy.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I am truly a Cookie Monster.  Would rather have cookies than most deserts, especially warm fromthe mid afternoon buffet.  But on the Prima last week I was told they no longer do cookies.  It’s no biggy but I remember from our very first NCL cruise years ago, they would set up a table at the entrance to the buffet with four types of cookies. All very good quality then, and still warm. 😋