LeBistro closed for entire Encore sailing due to private event

[julig22]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm guessing that no food will be served there and it's just the footprint that will be used.  The chefs/waiters/etc. will likely be added to other restaurants and serving capacity will be the same.

Or the group will always eat there and not at any of the other restaurants - think kosher food/isolated kitchen as has apparently been done in the past. If it was just for meetings, they could assign meeting rooms.

You'll have to report back to us and let us know! Maybe the proposed CC cruise could commandeer parts of the ship LOL.

[Ticatraveler]

6 hours ago, DebbieCruises said:

But but but... where will you get to drink Veuve Clicquot without buying a whole bottle?

That's exactly my first thought!  If they would offer the champagne elsewhere, I would be ok with that.  Le Bistro's quality and menu has changed so much, that it's not my first choice any more.

[MiniJeffrey]

12 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Do you  think there should be a warning on all cruises for each specialty dining stating that this restaurant may not be available for any specific night?  If that's good, then should there be a similar warning for any feature?  For example, should there be warnings that the go-carts may not be operating?  Or warnings about the non-availability for specific wines or beverages? Or, perhaps a warning that a specific dish may or maynot be available on all days or at all seatings?  

 

Where does this end?

 

All your examples are what reasonably could occur during your cruise. However a venue being closed for the duration of the cruise and on purpose is not reasonable anymore.

 

So yeah, the closing of the Le Bistro should be announced to passengers, others things not.

[commodoredave]

7 hours ago, complawyer said:

commodore dave, sorry old buddy, you still havent addressed the issue, knowing that any given restaurant

 was unavailable during the time you chose to cruise, and given sufficient time to cancel with no penalty, would you cancel the entire cruise.

 

by the way, technically, you paid for a cabin on a cruise ship. unless you specifically booked a reservation ahead of time, there was no guarantee that you'd be eating at le bistro.

i imagine, some people can go the entire length of their cruise, and not spend extra money on a specialty restaurant. 

and really, sir, how many nights did you  intend to eat at le bistro? come on, it's just a minor inconvenience.

 

look at it from the other perspective, since it's reserved for a charter group, are the people in the group forced to eat there every night? seems like your argument isnt getting much support from other cc posters.

 

tell you what. if we're on a cruise together, and le bistro is unavailable, dinner  at cagneys is on me!

I have no choice at this point as we have booked 3 cabins, paid for 8 non-refundable airfares, and paid for 8 non-refundable trip cancellation insurance policies for the cruise. So cancelling would cost several thousand dollars. Maybe I should declare our group as a charter and take over Cagney’s for the cruise!😀

[commodoredave]

8 hours ago, gizfish said:

Let Bistro and other specialty restaurants are technically not something you have paid for.  Their availability is not part of the inclusive cruise price.  A charter group booking the main theater, the main pool, the buffet, etc., for the cruise would be something that you paid for in your cruise price.  Even stretching this to say specialty restaurants are something you are entitled to with FAS doesn't make a good argument since it isn't like all the restaurants are unavailable, just the one you happen to want. Yep it sucks to look forward to something and then find it's not available for your cruise.  And it sucks when weather makes a port stop not possible, or a show is cancelled due to high seas, or the buffet runs out of something.  But stuff happens.  So where do you draw the line with making an inconvenience into a much bigger issue?

It’s my money, so I am allowed to have my opinion about what I think is an issue or not. The same is true for you. 

[complawyer]

ok commodore, one last time. since at this  time you claim "you have no choice" and i can appreciate that. will you enjoy this cruise any less now that  you cannot eat at le bistro, and im still asking, if you had the choice, more  than 120 days before sailing, and knew that le bistro was not available, would  you cancel ,the entire cruise,  assuming that you had not as yet bought the airfare and trip insurance. as yes, it's your money, but again, unless you prebooked the dinner reservation, your money, emphatically, did not pay  for a specific dinner at a specialty restaurant!

 

 

[commodoredave]

3 hours ago, complawyer said:

ok commodore, one last time. since at this  time you claim "you have no choice" and i can appreciate that. will you enjoy this cruise any less now that  you cannot eat at le bistro, and im still asking, if you had the choice, more  than 120 days before sailing, and knew that le bistro was not available, would  you cancel ,the entire cruise,  assuming that you had not as yet bought the airfare and trip insurance. as yes, it's your money, but again, unless you prebooked the dinner reservation, your money, emphatically, did not pay  for a specific dinner at a specialty restaurant!

 

 

I would at least be able to look at what other cruise options were available for a similar time period. Of course, a lot would go into that decision including the new cruise fare. But if I could switch to another sailing with not too much hassle, I would definitely consider it. However, I don’t have that choice this time, so my experience this time can only be reflected in future decisions.

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 hours ago, julig22 said:

If it was just for meetings, they could assign meeting rooms.

Are there large meeting rooms on the Encore?  I really don't know.

[RocketMan275]

It still hasn't been established that this closure is for group dining.  It could be a business such as Mark West that has reserved Le Bistro.  They have a history of such.  IIRC they tried to take over the observation lounge for an entire cruise.  They might taking over Le Bistro since the Observation Lounge was a fiasco.

[julig22]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

It still hasn't been established that this closure is for group dining.  It could be a business such as Mark West that has reserved Le Bistro.  They have a history of such.  IIRC they tried to take over the observation lounge for an entire cruise.  They might taking over Le Bistro since the Observation Lounge was a fiasco.

Don't think it's Mark West - if you go to the website, the only cruise listed isn't on the Encore.

Highly doubtful anyone here will know what the deal is prior to the cruise unless someone comes upon a large-group sailing for that voyage. Maybe a TA amongst the group can do some sleuthing?

[MagnoliaBlossom]

On 9/5/2024 at 4:00 PM, mjcatlvr said:

We had this happen on a past cruise. A very large group was sailing with us and the food that was prepared for them had to be handled a certain way and had to be cooked in a dedicated kitchen that was cleaned and prepared to the rules of their religion. We also saw families eating in some of the other restaurants with "off ship" pre-prepared types of food wrapped in plastic and delivered to the table for them with plastic utensils. We were impressed with the respect that was offered to this group by NCL. It did not negatively affect our vacation in any way, many other options for dining. Just very interesting.

We saw this on the Star in 2022, but it wasn’t a specialty restaurant it was the smaller main dining room.  It was a very large group of Orthodox Jews and it was very impressive.  I heard some griping about it, but, there was still ample space in the larger MDR.  I think if it had been a specialty restaurant I would have thought it untoward.  Certainly they could have split it between several of the specialty restaurants,  it what do I know,  it’s their ship, they will do as they please.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

20 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I believe it was on the Sun.  It had a full couch and about twice the closet space (which I really don't use) as most. Like I said, I can be happy in most situations on the ship.

I’ve had those “sideways” insides on the Sun several times and they are great cabins.  Separate closets, roomy seating, plenty of room for two people to dress without getting in each there’s’ way.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Okay, you folks made me google it.  This is what I got:

 

"Mark Andre West (born November 5, 1960) is an American retired professional basketball player. A center from Old Dominion University, West was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (30th overall) of the 1983 NBA draft."

 

I guess he could have a big appetite....🤣

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I’ve had those “sideways” insides on the Sun several times and they are great cabins.  Separate closets, roomy seating, plenty of room for two people to dress without getting in each there’s’ way.

Yep!  That's the one.😎

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Highly doubtful anyone here will know what the deal is prior to the cruise

Yep.  I'll make a mental note to walk by the LeBistro and try to gain some clues.

 

disclaimer: I often get distracted while on board and forget about stuff like this.  I once missed an opportunity to meet @ggTexasGal at a meet and greet because I was "busy."🍺🍸🍷🍔 (the Chief's four basic food groups on a cruise)

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Okay, you folks made me google it.  This is what I got:

 

"Mark Andre West (born November 5, 1960) is an American retired professional basketball player. A center from Old Dominion University, West was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round (30th overall) of the 1983 NBA draft."

 

I guess he could have a big appetite....🤣

And lousy taste in art.

[RocketMan275]

10 hours ago, MiniJeffrey said:

 

All your examples are what reasonably could occur during your cruise. However a venue being closed for the duration of the cruise and on purpose is not reasonable anymore.

 

So yeah, the closing of the Le Bistro should be announced to passengers, others things not.

So when would this be announced to the passengers?  

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, julig22 said:

Don't think it's Mark West - if you go to the website, the only cruise listed isn't on the Encore.

Highly doubtful anyone here will know what the deal is prior to the cruise unless someone comes upon a large-group sailing for that voyage. Maybe a TA amongst the group can do some sleuthing?

My apologies, OP mentioned Park West.  I was confused.

[commodoredave]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

So when would this be announced to the passengers?  

 It should be described up front as part of the booking process. Cruise lines have been forced by law to now disclose all additional costs of a cruise upfront. I suspect in time that they will be forced to disclose up front that what people are paying for may not be actually available on the cruise. It’s just common sense and basic consumer protection.

[yakcruiser]

9 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

 It should be described up front as part of the booking process. Cruise lines have been forced by law to now disclose all additional costs of a cruise upfront. I suspect in time that they will be forced to disclose up front that what people are paying for may not be actually available on the cruise. It’s just common sense and basic consumer protection.

I am sure there are lawyers already drafting another five pages of fine print just to cover situations like this.

[RocketMan275]

22 minutes ago, commodoredave said:

 It should be described up front as part of the booking process. Cruise lines have been forced by law to now disclose all additional costs of a cruise upfront. I suspect in time that they will be forced to disclose up front that what people are paying for may not be actually available on the cruise. It’s just common sense and basic consumer protection.

What exactly should the cruise lines say beyond the cruise line contract: "2. The Contract: The Guest agrees that this Contract governs the relationship between the Guest and the Carrier, regardless of the Guest's age, whether the Guest purchased the ticket on his or her own behalf, and/or whether the ticket has been held and/or presented by another person on behalf of the Guest. The Guest agrees that, except as expressly provided herein, this Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Guest and Carrier, and shall supersede and exclude any prior representations that may have been made in relation to the cruise to the Guest or anyone representing him/her by anyone, including but not limited to anything stated in the Carrier's brochures, advertisements, and other promotional materials, by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL America employees or by third persons such as travel agents. ..."

 

And...

"  3. Terms of Fare: (a) Items Included in Fare: The fare paid by the Guest for this ticket includes transportation on the vessel named herein, full board, and ordinary vessel food, but does not include beer, wine, spirits, sodas or mineral waters, nor expenses incurred for other incidental or personal services/purchases.  ... "

 

Now, there are Norwegian cruises scheduled through Dec 2026 which means every cruise for every date would have to have some kind of disclaimer.  How would you word this disclaimer to cover any eventualities?

 

[commodoredave]

48 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

I am sure there are lawyers already drafting another five pages of fine print just to cover situations like this.

Yes, and I have offered this humble text to assist them in their mission:

Dear NCL customer:

You have probably noticed the incessant emails, promotions and pages on our website promoting the many public venues and dining choices available to you on NCL cruise ships. However, we are now being forced by law to disclose that one or more of these may not be available to you on your cruise despite you paying for them.

The reason is that someone may come along with a group that is prepared to bribe us in to letting them have exclusive use of these venues and dining options, instead of you. We know that some of you don’t mind, and we promise to upgrade you to the Haven in return. On the other hand, if the charter group wants your cabin, we might also downgrade you to an inside cabin, or possibly even the engine room.

For those of you who object to being denied access to public and dining venues despite paying for them, we have to admit you are one smart customer. We just hope there are not too many of you.

[commodoredave]

28 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

What exactly should the cruise lines say beyond the cruise line contract: "2. The Contract: The Guest agrees that this Contract governs the relationship between the Guest and the Carrier, regardless of the Guest's age, whether the Guest purchased the ticket on his or her own behalf, and/or whether the ticket has been held and/or presented by another person on behalf of the Guest. The Guest agrees that, except as expressly provided herein, this Contract constitutes the entire agreement between the Guest and Carrier, and shall supersede and exclude any prior representations that may have been made in relation to the cruise to the Guest or anyone representing him/her by anyone, including but not limited to anything stated in the Carrier's brochures, advertisements, and other promotional materials, by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL America employees or by third persons such as travel agents. ..."

 

And...

"  3. Terms of Fare: (a) Items Included in Fare: The fare paid by the Guest for this ticket includes transportation on the vessel named herein, full board, and ordinary vessel food, but does not include beer, wine, spirits, sodas or mineral waters, nor expenses incurred for other incidental or personal services/purchases.  ... "

 

Now, there are Norwegian cruises scheduled through Dec 2026 which means every cruise for every date would have to have some kind of disclaimer.  How would you word this disclaimer to cover any eventualities?

 

While I posted what NCL should tell customers above, I am reposting it for your benefit:

Dear NCLcustomer:

You have probably noticed the incessant emails, promotions and pages on our website promoting the many public venues and dining choices available to you on NCL cruise ships. However, we are now being forced by law to disclose that one or more of these may not be available to you on your cruise despite you paying for them.

The reason is that someone has come along with a group that is prepared to bribe us in to letting them have exclusive use of these venues and dining options, instead of you. We know that some of you don’t mind, and we promise to upgrade you to the Haven in return. On the other hand, if the charter group wants your cabin, we might also downgrade you to an inside cabin, or possibly even the engine room.

For those of you who object to being denied access to public and dining venues despite paying for them, we have to admit you are one smart customer. We just hope there are not too many of you.

[JSar]

On 9/5/2024 at 5:15 PM, BirdTravels said:

 

 

If there is a large group, for us, it is better if they isolate them and lock them up in one restaurant. 

 

This is what I was thinking. Let them all take over one restaurant instead of the entire ship... I might be disappointed if they took over my favorite restaurant... but if it keeps me from being stuck in crowds that all descend on restaurants at the same time due to their event schedule - then I am all for it! To me - where I dine isn't a make or break a cruise experience. 

[complawyer]

dear commodore dave. your sarcasm is underwhelming. is it really that much of a problem if you cant dine at le bistro for this cruise.  if it really bothers you that much, why dont you see if guest services or  the concierge can get you comped into cagney's or modern's for your trouble? 

 

hopefully, if  you explain how much you love le bistro, always eat there at least once on every ncl cruise you take, and how disappointed you are, you might find a sympathetic ear.

 

i mean  that in a good way. by  the way, your example is wholly incorrect and based on an incorrect assumption.

 

again sir, unless you have pre booked, any specialty restaurant is not paid for nor included in any costs associated with your final payment.

 

it's an extra cost you may or may not wish to incur