Norwegians shocking demise of quality on all fronts

[UKstages]

7 minutes ago, sprint180 said:

I have not noticed NCL going down hill in any area really but I'm sure they are trying to cut costs like all lines.  Entertainment on NCL has always been amazing but was sad to see they are cutting. 

 

you haven’t noticed them going downhill, and yet you’ve noticed that they’re cutting entertainment. did their entertainment cuts improve the entertainment? if not, is it not fair to say they’ve gone downhill?

 

Edited March 8 by UKstages

[sprint180]

2 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

you haven’t noticed them going downhill, and yet you’ve noticed that they’re cutting entertainment. did their entertainment cuts improve the entertainment? if not, is it not fair to say they’ve gone downhill?

 

No I have not noticed them going down hill.  Yes there is less entertainment but it is not worse entertainment, for me anyway.  I don't really mind the less entertainment I find plenty to do.  

[Niffernay]

20 hours ago, UKstages said:

Oh, there is A LOT of patronizing on cruise critic.

Understatement of the day 🤣

[graphicguy]

20 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm not comfortable with sharing my personal information on this site.  I would share it in person.  too bad we don't have PM.

Another one of the friends I've made on cruises.  We just cruised together and had a wonderful conversation.  

 

I'll assure anyone here, both @RocketMan275 and his charing wife are quite literally, Rocket and Munitions Scientists.  Both a delight to talk to, also!

[graphicguy]

10 hours ago, JT222 said:

Original poster update.

 

Please don’t bore us all with economic justifications blah blah. THIS IS ABOUT HOW NCL ARE NOT AS GOOD AS THEY WERE BUT CHARGE MORE. 

 

They seem on a par with MSC now so despite all my invitations and emails to management to address concerns there seems to be a blackout taking place. Maybe there debts are much worse than they report, which is fraud in itself for investors. 

Regards

 

 

See....this is why it's hard to take many posters seriously.  

 

NCLH is public.  Their financial filings are public.  The above statement flies in the face of their financials and has no basis in fact.  Yes, like all cruise lines, they have a lot of debt.  They're working it down, quickly I might add.

 

There is plenty of evidence showing fares to be relatively stable for the last 5 years.  I've provided some.  Are their outliers?  Of course.  You can find large fare swings in both directions if you look hard enough.  Shop a little and you'll see they MUST stay competitive with the other cruise companies.

 

I don't care if anyone sails NCL.  They've changed some itineraries.  They've changed some entertainment options.  They've changed some dining options (especially on Prima/Viva).  

 

They're sailing full, which seems to irk some people.  Not sure why.

 

But, as my late great Father used to tell me when I was complaining about something....."if you don't like it, why keep doing it?"  If you don't like the food, if you don't like the entertainment, if you don't like the itineraries, if you don't like the ships....stop sailing them.

 

OP...you are right.  There are plenty of other itineraries on many other cruise ships, that have offerings which may suit you better.  It's your money.  Spend it however you want.  No one is forcing you to sail any cruise ship or cruise line.

 

Obviously, they aren't responding to your communications, and nothing you post here is going to change that.

 

 

[DCGuy64]

3 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

OP...you are right.  There are plenty of other itineraries on many other cruise ships, that have offerings which may suit you better.  It's your money.  Spend it however you want.  No one is forcing you to sail any cruise ship or cruise line.

 

Obviously, they aren't responding to your communications, and nothing you post here is going to change that.

 

Some people seem to view CC as their personal support group, where they air their grievances and only want to be assured by others that they are 100% correct, nothing is their fault, and the cruise line is always to blame. And, as my wife likes to point out, some people aren't happy unless they're unhappy. It beggars belief that people will slam a cruise line and then continue to sail with them over and over. I don't get it. We just move on. And for the record, we like NCL (and MSC) a lot. We would like to explore other options just to try them, such as Princess and Celebrity, but we are happy with NCL.

[UKstages]

there’s a difference between making changes and diminishing the product.

 

the indulge food hall is a change that’s been widely embraced and accepted as a good thing. it would be hard to find somebody who thinks the reduction in quality and variety at the buffets across the fleet are a good thing. once a day housekeeping doesn’t bother a lot people, but few people, objectively, would not agree that it’s a reduction in services. similarly, throughout the fleet, we can point to all the cutbacks and reductions in quality and service, as detailed in this thread. we can also point to increases in onboard service charges and nuisance fees and up-charges in restaurants. so, when somebody offers an opinion that states that NCL is not as good as it used to be and that prices are higher… i find that statement - objectively - credible.

 

as i explained upthread, there is still a viable value prop for me and i continue to sail them. but that doesn’t mean i can’t credibly and objectively claim at the very same time that the product has been diminished.

[graphicguy]

52 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Some people seem to view CC as their personal support group, where they air their grievances and only want to be assured by others that they are 100% correct, nothing is their fault, and the cruise line is always to blame. And, as my wife likes to point out, some people aren't happy unless they're unhappy. It beggars belief that people will slam a cruise line and then continue to sail with them over and over. I don't get it. We just move on. And for the record, we like NCL (and MSC) a lot. We would like to explore other options just to try them, such as Princess and Celebrity, but we are happy with NCL.

Have not sailed Princess or Virgin.  Anxious to try both.  But, their fares and/or itineraries have never worked out for me.

 

I keep looking, though!

 

So, I continue with NCL with a glance at Royal, Celebrity and MSC on occasion!

[laudergayle]

If you really look at the sentiment behind this thread, it is a group of NCL loyalists who are disappointed in the brand they once loved without condition. For many, their relationship with NCL has changed. The brand has evolved (positive wording for those who are ok with the changes) to a point where loyalists can no longer love unconditionally.  We want our voices heard…perhaps a cry out before we find another love.  We presume that NCL monitors these boards, so this is a perfect place to subjectively share our thoughts and emotions.  It’s a perfect focus group for NCL.

[Capitan Obvious]

7 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

 It’s a perfect focus group for NCL.

 

Hardly. It is more of an echo chamber for the perpetually aggrieved and others in the never ending search for "compensation".

[laudergayle]

10 minutes ago, Capitan Obvious said:

 

Hardly. It is more of an echo chamber for the perpetually aggrieved and others in the never ending search for "compensation".

Using you signature as reference, I guess one could say you’ve become ignorant.

 

Willingness to listen to the experience and opinions of others, especially those with whom you disagree, makes you "open-minded". 

When you ignore the experience and opinions of others, you simply become "ignorant".

[UKstages]

14 pages... i'd be hard pressed to find anybody looking for "compensation." nor would i be able to find anybody who seems "perpetually aggrieved," except perhaps those who repeatedly criticize folks for expressing their opinions on the decline of the NCL product.

 

what i've seen here is, as laudergayle suggests above, a bunch of NCL fan boys and fan girls (huge consumers of NCL product who have returned to sail again and again) who have been disappointed and disillusioned by never ending cutbacks and what they perceive as an erosion in quality and service. they are the canaries in the coal mine. NCL can choose to listen to the feedback or not. the choice is theirs. the overall recurring theme is that you can't make many more changes without completely destroying the product. some feel they're already there.

 

compensation?

 

gimme a break.

 

the false narrative that supports is that there must be a reason, a motive, for somebody to offer critical feedback. the motive is simply to be heard and understood and acknowledged, in the hope that NCL takes course correction and sets out to improve its product.

 

Edited March 8 by UKstages

[laudergayle]

@graphicguy I typically am aligned with you and your opinions.  This time around, I cannot get on the same page with you.  It is clear that you have remained extremely loyal to NCL and are not bothered by their “evolution”.  I can certainly understand why.  For some unknown reason, you have been given numerous incentives to continue to love NCL.  IIRC last year you were given a 50% discount off a European cruise, you’ve also received a random 10% off a cruise. You were showered with extra food goodies on your recent Prima cruise (recognizing of course you earned some of those).  And, you not only got a follow phone call from corporate after your slip &fall, you also got a FCC.  These types of incentives definitely would make me a profound loyalist able to look beyond change.  I say YAY for you.  I am truly happy that NCL finds value in your loyalty.  Wishing you many more pleasant experiences with NCL and still hope to meet on a sailing one day.🐀

[Capitan Obvious]

22 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Using you signature as reference, I guess one could say you’ve become ignorant.

 

 

Willingness to listen to the experience and opinions of others, especially those with whom you disagree, makes you "open-minded". 

When you ignore the experience and opinions of others, you simply become "ignorant".

 

Seems like someone might want to improve their reading comprehension skills a bit.

 

Willingness to listen doesn't mean one has to accept or agree with another's opinion, but they simply have to be open enough to listen to it.

 

You become ignorant when you ignore the experience and opinions of others...typically through the use of the "ignore feature". 

 

I guess one could say that you can measure someone's ignorance level by the length of their ignore list.

[UKstages]

you should not listen to others at the expense of listening to yourself. 

 

never discount your own experience or instincts.

 

most people can "read" other people pretty well. most people can realize after "listening" to somebody for a short while, whether that person is worth continuing to listen to. do their arguments make sense? do they propel the conversation forward and challenge the ideas of others respectfully? do they build upon the contributions of others, while sharing their own experience?

 

in an online forum, you can tell pretty quickly who came to share their thoughts and opinions and who came mostly to be rude and to mock others. i'd listen to the former all day long, even when they disagree with me.  the latter get put on "ignore" after a few transgressions. 

 

you are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.

 

putting people on "ignore" is not a sign of ignorance; it's a sign of strength.

 

Edited March 8 by UKstages

[graphicguy]

38 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

@graphicguy I typically am aligned with you and your opinions.  This time around, I cannot get on the same page with you.  It is clear that you have remained extremely loyal to NCL and are not bothered by their “evolution”.  I can certainly understand why.  For some unknown reason, you have been given numerous incentives to continue to love NCL.  IIRC last year you were given a 50% discount off a European cruise, you’ve also received a random 10% off a cruise. You were showered with extra food goodies on your recent Prima cruise (recognizing of course you earned some of those).  And, you not only got a follow phone call from corporate after your slip &fall, you also got a FCC.  These types of incentives definitely would make me a profound loyalist able to look beyond change.  I say YAY for you.  I am truly happy that NCL finds value in your loyalty.  Wishing you many more pleasant experiences with NCL and still hope to meet on a sailing one day.🐀

Thanks for your perception.  Appreciate your posts.  

 

Maybe.  Maybe not!  It's not like I have only cruised NCL.  I've cruised all the others (save for Virgin), too.

 

Believe me...NCL has "PO'd" me more than once.  I've even gone so far as to swear I'd never cruise them again after having a "guaranteed" cruise cancelled.  I was on the Escape "listing" cruise where we got hit with a blast of wind and was thrown out of bed.  I saw the reactions to that cruise here on CC.  People were trying to blame NCL for purposely sailing "into the wind", which was ridiculous.

 

I've seen and heard people wanting compensation for the silliest things.  I'll assume these same people would demand something from the other cruise lines for the same silly things.

 

Yeah...they've given me some chocolate covered strawberries and some cheap wine/proseco (which holds little value to me).  

 

Since you followed the Prima live review, you heard how frustrated I was with their on board response to my slip and fall on a puddle in the Local.  Yes, they reached out where they generously  and apologetically sincere.  I didn't demand, nor want anything from them.  They did all that on their own.

 

The discounts offered in the past weren't only offered to me, they were offered to others, too....many of whom post here. Not sure how they decide who gets what.  I'm not 

Ambassador or Diamond.  So, I'm not even their best guest.

 

I see this in other cruise line threads, too.  It's the incessant complaining.  Someone here stated they reached out to NCL with their complaints and NCL didn't respond.  Is it because it was nothing more than complaining?  Or, did the author state their case in a professional manner?  I don't know. 

 

What I do know is if you have a legitimate beef, and you let NCL know of your beef while on board, they will bend over backwards to rectify it.  Further, sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it.  We've all been at Customer Service only to hear the people next to us become loud an belligerent.  Does anyone really think by being out and  belligerent that the crew would be more or less willing to help?

 

Same with reading about the Concierge not going over the top to help one poster.  They can do a lot, especially if they believe the guest will appreciate their extraordinary efforts.

 

Anyway, I look at other cruise lines.  Recently, none of them appeal as much as NCL.  If that does not fit someone else's idea of a cruise, I get it.  NCL is changing. I personally prefer them changing than to remain stagnant doing the same old same old all the time.  That's a recipe for disaster.  

 

But, complaining here isn't going to make them bring back someone's favorite broadway show.  It's not going to make them stop presenting game shows (which I'm not a fan of, either) because they seem pretty danged popular.  I can always find something to do which I enjoy on the ship.

 

Sometimes that "something to do" is little more than sitting outside Cavern Club or Syd's and listen to the band at the outside bar and watch the water go by.

 

Anyway, you caught me in a stream of thought.  We all have the wherewithal to cruise.  That's amazing in and of itself.  

 

Don't ruin it for those of us who enjoy it because you're not allowed to smoke where you want to, or you can't find cookies (or worse, want to sell cookies), can't find hash browns, want unlimited free Lobster Tails....etc, etc, etc.

 

Maybe Royal will allow you to do those things...maybe Carnival...maybe MSC.  If so, you know which direction you need to go.

Edited March 8 by graphicguy

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

If you really look at the sentiment behind this thread, it is a group of NCL loyalists who are disappointed in the brand they once loved without condition. For many, their relationship with NCL has changed. The brand has evolved (positive wording for those who are ok with the changes) to a point where loyalists can no longer love unconditionally.  We want our voices heard…perhaps a cry out before we find another love.  We presume that NCL monitors these boards, so this is a perfect place to subjectively share our thoughts and emotions.  It’s a perfect focus group for NCL.

Wonderful.  Now NCL must adapt to inflated prices across the gamut of the products they must purchase while they carry a large debt load from the pandemic. 

There are only three ways to adapt.  One they can reduce costs.  Two they can increase fares.  Three, a combination of one and two.  

 

Which do you think NCL should choose?

[JT222]

1 hour ago, laudergayle said:

If you really look at the sentiment behind this thread, it is a group of NCL loyalists who are disappointed in the brand they once loved without condition. For many, their relationship with NCL has changed. The brand has evolved (positive wording for those who are ok with the changes) to a point where loyalists can no longer love unconditionally.  We want our voices heard…perhaps a cry out before we find another love.  We presume that NCL monitors these boards, so this is a perfect place to subjectively share our thoughts and emotions.  It’s a perfect focus group for NCL.

Well said. I think you summed up a lot peoples thoughts there. Your still going to get the argumentative people on here who make no sense whatsoever. They would say left is right and up is down. Debts are not the customers problem. Would you work for free if your boss was in debt until they balanced the books etc.Would you pay the same for cable tv if they said they were taking 90% of the channels away. I shall prepare myself for the next boreathon from the superior brigade.😴

[laudergayle]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

Wonderful.  Now NCL must adapt to inflated prices across the gamut of the products they must purchase while they carry a large debt load from the pandemic. 

There are only three ways to adapt.  One they can reduce costs.  Two they can increase fares.  Three, a combination of one and two.  

 

Which do you think NCL should choose?

I’ve never said NCL shouldn’t change.  I’m defending our right to share our opinions about the changes and how that has changed our relationship with the brand.  I also shared my opinion on how NCL needs to differentiate their brand now that they look like every one of their competitors.  Nowhere did I say they shouldn’t change or charge more. EOD

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Thanks for your perception.  Appreciate your posts.  

 

Maybe.  Maybe not!  It's not like I have only cruised NCL.  I've cruised all the others (save for Virgin), too.

 

Believe me...NCL has "PO'd" me more than once.  I've even gone so far as to swear I'd never cruise them again after having a "guaranteed" cruise cancelled.  I was on the Escape "listing" cruise where we got hit with a blast of wind and was thrown out of bed.  I saw the reactions to that cruise here on CC.  People were trying to blame NCL for purposely sailing "into the wind", which was ridiculous.

 

I've seen and heard people wanting compensation for the silliest things.  I'll assume these same people would demand something from the other cruise lines for the same silly things.

 

Yeah...they've given me some chocolate covered strawberries and some cheap wine/proseco (which holds little value to me).  

 

Since you followed the Prima live review, you heard how frustrated I was with their on board response to my slip and fall on a puddle in the Local.  Yes, they reached out where they generously  and apologetically sincere.  I didn't demand, nor want anything from them.  They did all that on their own.

 

The discounts offered in the past weren't only offered to me, they were offered to others, too....many of whom post here. Not sure how they decide who gets what.  I'm not 

Ambassador or Diamond.  So, I'm not even their best guest.

 

I see this in other cruise line threads, too.  It's the incessant complaining.  Someone here stated they reached out to NCL with their complaints and NCL didn't respond.  Is it because it was nothing more than complaining?  Or, did the author state their case in a professional manner?  I don't know. 

 

What I do know is if you have a legitimate beef, and you let NCL know of your beef while on board, they will bend over backwards to rectify it.  Further, sometimes it's not what you say, but how you say it.  We've all been at Customer Service only to hear the people next to us become loud an belligerent.  Does anyone really think by being out and  belligerent that the crew would be more or less willing to help?

 

Same with reading about the Concierge not going over the top to help one poster.  They can do a lot, especially if they believe the guest will appreciate their extraordinary efforts.

 

Anyway, I look at other cruise lines.  Recently, none of them appeal as much as NCL.  If that does not fit someone else's idea of a cruise, I get it.  NCL is changing. I personally prefer them changing than to remain stagnant doing the same old same old all the time.  That's a recipe for disaster.  

 

But, complaining here isn't going to make them bring back someone's favorite broadway show.  It's not going to make them stop presenting game shows (which I'm not a fan of, either) because they seem pretty danged popular.  I can always find something to do which I enjoy on the ship.

 

Sometimes that "something to do" is little more than sitting outside Cavern Club or Syd's and listen to the band at the outside bar and watch the water go by.

 

Anyway, you caught me in a stream of thought.  We all have the wherewithal to cruise.  That's amazing in and of itself.  

 

Don't ruin it for those of us who enjoy it because you're not allowed to smoke where you want to, or you can't find cookies (or worse, want to sell cookies), can't find hash browns, want unlimited free Lobster Tails....etc, etc, etc.

 

Maybe Royal will allow you to do those things...maybe Carnival...maybe MSC.  If so, you know which direction you need to go.

Thank you for this post!! One of the reasons I appreciate your posts, @graphicguy, apart from our mutual fondness for Buffalo Trace 😉 is that you are very sensible. Your posts aren't all one-sided. You criticize when it's appropriate, but (unlike some, and I'm not speaking of anyone in this thread right now, so hope no one goes off all offended by this) you are quick to point out the positives. And, I might add, you share my skepticism when people share their "horror" stories. The older I've gotten and the more I've traveled, the more I've come to be very suspicious when people only tell their side of the story and not the whole story. Much of it boils down to attitude. If you're a complainer, you'll find things to complain about. If you're a picky eater, then the food will be awful (too spicy, not spicy enough, too salty, not enough salt, etc.) I hate having to cruise with people like this. They don't ruin it for me, but I run from them like the plague. My wife and I try to make the most out of every vacation, come what may. Before we cruised on the Epic in December 2022, we both got food poisoning (on land, not the ship) and it was cold and rainy in Portugal almost every day of our 5-day pre-cruise trip. So what? We still had a fabulous time and met some wonderful people along the way. It's all about attitude. Again, thank you for another excellent contribution to Cruise Critic.

[EngrJones]

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

And, as my wife likes to point out, some people aren't happy unless they're unhappy.

There is a lot of truth in this, and I just can't understand such people.  

[cruiseny4life]

This thread saddens me. First, simply because I can't trust NCL to provide the product I book. I've spent too much time discussing that here. 

 

But more importantly, because some folks think we "whiners" are looking for compensation or are just complaining about little things. I know that I have not demanded NCL compensate me for anything in this thread. I don't need anything from NCL. My previous vacations were fine. Actually they were great! 

And that's the issue. I had great experiences onboard NCL ships. The crew were wonderful. They provided lovely service. I learned about their lives, their families, and what motivates them through long days for months at a time. The food was (mostly) good. I enjoyed my experience in the thermal suites, on the sundecks, and in the pools. Entertainment was good, some of it being great. We went to almost all the ports we were supposed to get to. Weather caused a couple port cancellations. Bad planning, leading to port congestion, caused one cancellation. 

 

I've written a review or a live on all of my cruises onboard NCL. I think from the tenor of those posts the reader will see that while trivial matters have cropped up, the overall experience was that of a very good to great vacation. Nothing written above by those that come to these boards and constantly bash those who are disappointed or had a less than good vacation is true when it comes to my experience. And yet, they will continue to claim that, since they didn't experience something or don't care about other things, the onboard experience just cannot be degraded. And I call a whole bunch of hooey on that. All the hooey.  

 

I have this nagging feeling that if I book a cruise right now for two months from now or two years from now, I won't have such a great cruise. Throughout all these conversations I have maintained a position of being grateful for the experience I had on NCL. Now, the company has made decisions that just don't give me the confidence to know if, moving forward, I can say that I'll be grateful for the expenditure of money a NCL cruise costs. 

 

I'm not even going to list the cutbacks and there have been cutbacks, despite what a few folks continue to claim. Sorry, not sorry. 

 

I'm also sad because a few people I know through these boards are actively looking to leave NCL. Not really because they want to. The ones that don't care about NCL leave. They might leave a flaming review of horrors which we all know is untrue. But no. These people who are exploring other options are the ones who love NCL. Who enjoyed the really hard working and wonderful crew. Who get the "freestyle" life. Yet, now they are being cast aside by an immovable corporation insistent on degrading what was a great experience. And we sit here on the side writing these depressing posts, hoping that NCL isn't shooting itself in the aft. 

 

I hope not. I hope I'm wrong. And that in a year from now I'll be posting a live, sipping a capt. and coke while I watch the sun set on another glorious day onboard Norwegian V!va, Bliss, Jewel, or Getaway. Instead, I'm kind of cueing up the funeral dirge.  

 

Ok, uncue the drama. I'm done with this post for now (and I bet you were hoping I'd say bye bye). Let the bashers carry forth telling me that my opinions are wrong, because their experience is so vastly different or that I'm ignorant. I can take it - it's a cruise forum where all we do is talk about our vacations. A place where everyone can share their experiences, opinions, and adventures. I do love those lives! Just not quite so much as before.

[Distinctive-Destinations]

5 hours ago, Capitan Obvious said:

 

Hardly. It is more of an echo chamber for the perpetually aggrieved and others in the never ending search for "compensation".

That and a “how to” guide on circumventing established rules. Well, and complaining about the rules. And complaining about the people who complain about the rules.

[laudergayle]

30 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

This thread saddens me. First, simply because I can't trust NCL to provide the product I book. I've spent too much time discussing that here. 

 

But more importantly, because some folks think we "whiners" are looking for compensation or are just complaining about little things. I know that I have not demanded NCL compensate me for anything in this thread. I don't need anything from NCL. My previous vacations were fine. Actually they were great! 

And that's the issue. I had great experiences onboard NCL ships. The crew were wonderful. They provided lovely service. I learned about their lives, their families, and what motivates them through long days for months at a time. The food was (mostly) good. I enjoyed my experience in the thermal suites, on the sundecks, and in the pools. Entertainment was good, some of it being great. We went to almost all the ports we were supposed to get to. Weather caused a couple port cancellations. Bad planning, leading to port congestion, caused one cancellation. 

 

I've written a review or a live on all of my cruises onboard NCL. I think from the tenor of those posts the reader will see that while trivial matters have cropped up, the overall experience was that of a very good to great vacation. Nothing written above by those that come to these boards and constantly bash those who are disappointed or had a less than good vacation is true when it comes to my experience. And yet, they will continue to claim that, since they didn't experience something or don't care about other things, the onboard experience just cannot be degraded. And I call a whole bunch of hooey on that. All the hooey.  

 

I have this nagging feeling that if I book a cruise right now for two months from now or two years from now, I won't have such a great cruise. Throughout all these conversations I have maintained a position of being grateful for the experience I had on NCL. Now, the company has made decisions that just don't give me the confidence to know if, moving forward, I can say that I'll be grateful for the expenditure of money a NCL cruise costs. 

 

I'm not even going to list the cutbacks and there have been cutbacks, despite what a few folks continue to claim. Sorry, not sorry. 

 

I'm also sad because a few people I know through these boards are actively looking to leave NCL. Not really because they want to. The ones that don't care about NCL leave. They might leave a flaming review of horrors which we all know is untrue. But no. These people who are exploring other options are the ones who love NCL. Who enjoyed the really hard working and wonderful crew. Who get the "freestyle" life. Yet, now they are being cast aside by an immovable corporation insistent on degrading what was a great experience. And we sit here on the side writing these depressing posts, hoping that NCL isn't shooting itself in the aft. 

 

I hope not. I hope I'm wrong. And that in a year from now I'll be posting a live, sipping a capt. and coke while I watch the sun set on another glorious day onboard Norwegian V!va, Bliss, Jewel, or Getaway. Instead, I'm kind of cueing up the funeral dirge.  

 

Ok, uncue the drama. I'm done with this post for now (and I bet you were hoping I'd say bye bye). Let the bashers carry forth telling me that my opinions are wrong, because their experience is so vastly different or that I'm ignorant. I can take it - it's a cruise forum where all we do is talk about our vacations. A place where everyone can share their experiences, opinions, and adventures. I do love those lives! Just not quite so much as before.

Bravo.  Well stated.  I share your emotion on every account.  I, too, am moving  on from this thread.  I am not giving up on NCL entirely, but I am openly and actively dating others.  

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, laudergayle said:

I’ve never said NCL shouldn’t change.  I’m defending our right to share our opinions about the changes and how that has changed our relationship with the brand.  I also shared my opinion on how NCL needs to differentiate their brand now that they look like every one of their competitors.  Nowhere did I say they shouldn’t change or charge more. EOD

So, your solution is NCL should increase prices or reduce profits to increase differentiation?