Look like specialty restaurants will be changed to cover charge next year

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, detroitlions said:

Reading the new rules on all of this there  is no longer a $15 max per drink. That must mean some of the real high in stuff will not be available or some kind of special purchase. 

If it is on the "standard menu" it is covered by the beverage package. If it is not on the "standard menu" (e.g., Connoisseur Collection Menu), you pay the difference over $15. 

 

Bottom line: It works exactly the same as before, but they have dropped the price of a few more brands to be included in the standard beverage package. It is all "marketing magic" that make you feel like you getting something more when y. 

[detroitlions]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

If it is on the "standard menu" it is covered by the beverage package. If it is not on the "standard menu" (e.g., Connoisseur Collection Menu), you pay the difference over $15. 

 

Bottom line: It works exactly the same as before, but they have dropped the price of a few more brands to be included in the standard beverage package. It is all "marketing magic" that make you feel like you getting something more when y. 

Thank you for pointing this out. Yea I just picked up on it myself.

[CruisingSince1982]

21 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

It's because you posted this:

 

Why do you think NCL will be refunding us money?

 

20 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

My PCC said there would be no cancelling of Free at Sea, it just wont be available for purchase from tomorrow, those who have it keep it unless doing something like an upgrade when you are compelled to take the latest offer which is More at Sea.

Free at Sea PLUS is most definitely being cancelled. 

[CruisingSince1982]

20 hours ago, Menocchio said:

Well, that looks like a free upgrade for those that already booked under FAS. So I've got that going for me. Wonder what people who already bought FAS+ will get. A refund, I would hope.

 

So, they're killing FAS and replacing it with something more expensive that has a better drinks package (but not as good as the upgraded premium packages curently sold since at a minimum it doesn't include specialty coffee). This sounds bad. I guess I'd need to see the actual price per day for Americans (maybe it is in fact super cheap), but this doesn't sound good. 

 

FAS was bringing something to the table for NCL that the other lines lacked. Everybody has an all-inclusive package. NCL was the only of the big three that gave it away (for gratuities only, but that's still pretty cheap). One less thing they have going for them. 

 

But congrats to Haven people, I guess. This is all good news for them. 

It is not free for Haven guests. I don't know where anyone saw that. 

[BirdTravels]

8 minutes ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

It is not free for Haven guests. I don't know where anyone saw that. 

 

[CruisingSince1982]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

It is not included for US bookings, and I have yet to see anything official from NCL that it is included for European bookings. NCL does not even mention that in their "training" for the travel agents. Time will tell I suppose. 

Edited Tuesday at 05:22 PM by CruisingSince1982

[ziggyuk]

2 hours ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

 

Free at Sea PLUS is most definitely being cancelled. 

 

You quoted the wrong post I never said Free at Sea PLUS was not being cancelled, in fact I never mentioned PLUS!!.

[laudergayle]

2 hours ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

It is not free for Haven guests. I don't know where anyone saw that. 

 

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Even if NCL decides to “include MAS” with Haven and Suites bookings, it’s not like it will be FREE. It will just be buried in the cabin price.  And, actually that’s a bad benefit if one would want to opt out of MAS.

[Menocchio]

27 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

 

Even if NCL decides to “include MAS” with Haven and Suites bookings, it’s not like it will be FREE. It will just be buried in the cabin price.

Not really. The price is what they think you'll pay, not what it actually costs. And they buy food and spirits in bulk, so the actual operating costs of the MAS package is likely a rounding error next to how the fare fluctuates over the sales period. 

[laudergayle]

32 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

Not really. The price is what they think you'll pay, not what it actually costs. And they buy food and spirits in bulk, so the actual operating costs of the MAS package is likely a rounding error next to how the fare fluctuates over the sales period. 

Sure.

[ziggyuk]

16 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

All specialty restaurants will have a cover charge. Cover charges are as follows:

Steak, Teppanyaki, French, and Seafood have a $60 cover charge.

Brazil, Asian, Food Republic, and Sushi have a $50 cover charge.

Italian, BBQ, Pincho, and Mexican have a $40 cover charge.

 

So are we saying Le Bistro & Cagney's are no longer A la carte and are now a fixed price of $60?

That will make booking the Latitude meals hard as you use to have to book fixed price first then the A la carte second to avoid a charge but if they are all fixed price that will make booking Latitude meals pre cruise impossible.

 

 

.

Edited Tuesday at 09:55 PM by ziggyuk

[UKstages]

42 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

So are we saying Le Bistro & Cagney's are no longer A la carte and are now a fixed price of $60?

 

once again, the erroneously-named "cover charge" only applies if you decide to purchase additional specialty dining onboard. there is no MAS "cover charge" when dining in a specialty restaurant with your included MAS dinners.

 

your MAS meals are similar to FAS meals. they will (presumably) already be on your card. no pre-booking snafus are expected, unless NCL's crackerjack team of IT professionals has somehow miscoded the meal options.

 

but, yes, if you decide to eat an additional meal at cagney's or le bistro, you would pay $60 per person at the time you consume the meal. certain menu items, as they are now, may be additional on top of that. 

 

Edited Tuesday at 10:35 PM by UKstages

[ziggyuk]

29 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

once again, the erroneously-named "cover charge" only applies if you decide to purchase additional specialty dining onboard. there is no MAS "cover charge" when dining in a specialty restaurant with your included MAS dinners.

 

your MAS meals are similar to FAS meals. they will (presumably) already be on your card. no pre-booking snafus are expected, unless NCL's crackerjack team of IT professionals has somehow miscoded the meal options.

 

but, yes, if you decide to eat an additional meal at cagney's or le bistro, you would pay $60 per person at the time you consume the meal. certain menu items, as they are now, may be additional on top of that. 

 

 

Yes I know there is no cover charge with FAS or MAS but if I purchase an extra meal at Cagney's I pay $60, so how is it A la carte if nobody actually pays the menu prices?

 

The "system" never recognised the latitude meals in the past so it was necessary to book the FAS as fixed price first followed by A la carte to avoid being charged in advance when booking before boarding.

 

.

Edited Tuesday at 11:02 PM by ziggyuk