Is Ncl cutting back quality and service or what

[fdk71265]

I dont think its absurd at all. When Ncl decided to change menu's they should have come up with choices and ask the people who are paying the money for their survival what they thought about the new menu. Instead they are getting reamed because they made poor choices and people are not happy. A white meatloaf with bbq sauce on it. It was gross!

[mbisson]

I A white meatloaf with bbq sauce on it. It was gross!

 

I've seen meatloaf a couple times on ship menus, but ya know what, I never ordered it.

 

-Monte

[fdk71265]

When your choices are not very good you settle for something. The meatloaf sounded best on this particular night. Was I ever wrong. 2bites and I asked for the old reliable ceasar chicken salad and salmon. The meatloaf was called momma's meatloaf. If my momma ever cooked a meatloaf like that it would have been dog food for my Doberman. Thor!.

[shoreguy]

I dont think its absurd at all. When Ncl decided to change menu's they should have come up with choices and ask the people who are paying the money for their survival what they thought about the new menu. Instead they are getting reamed because they made poor choices and people are not happy. A white meatloaf with bbq sauce on it. It was gross!

 

I assume that was in Salsa - it has been on the menu since day one.

 

Never had my favorite restaurant call me to check on planned changes.

 

Keep in mine reamed is a bit strong - just follow recent post - some are delighted with the new menu, some have no issues ,and some are not happy - the good news you have lots of other options onboard an NCL ship including several with no additional cost.

 

What I do and I think good advice for others when I look at booking a cruise I look at the cost and add $15 a day to my budget and then decide if it is still a good value. I may not spend that but this way when I do it is not an unexpected expense and I have never eaten a dinner I did not enjoy even with the new menus.

[fdk71265]

I'm not talking about my favorite restaurant. IF it's your favorite restaurant its for a reason its good and no there is no need to call and ask you what you want. A good restaurant lures you in with good food. Thats why you go back. Ncl changed and not for the better according to most post. Only ncl defenders think its better. If you want to believe that its fine. I liked ncl alot last year before the menu change even the buffet was very good. And, No shoreguy you are wrong it was bbq sauce on the meatloaf and it came with mashed potatoes and a veg.

[newmexicoNita]

NewmexicoNita. You make things out to be so hard by always defending the cruiselines especially NCL. When booking your cruise they should have options about what to serve just like when you got to A wedding and you can pick your choice of food.. We have a wedding coming up and I took the seafood and my wife took the steak option. You pick from a choice of meals that ncl serve's what you would like to see in the free restaurants on the menu's. It's not as big a deal as you are making it out to be. That way your not stuck with just settling for something. You ALready know ahead of time what meals will be served. And if it's not cooked to your liking then you still have the buffet or 24 hr. restaurants. I know this to is to wacky for you!

In essense you do have choices: every night there is a meat, vegatarian, seafood and one other choice, plus you can always order Salmon or chicken breast, not to mention there are many specialty restaurants; you mention wedding choices: how many wedding have you gone to that give you a choice? I think you live on the east coast, am I correct? Maybe things are a little different. I have been to 1 wedding where there was a choice: it was our own daughters; we offered prime rib or Salmon: reason, it was a Jewish/Christian wedding and we wanted to be certain there was something for everyone regardless of their religious beliefs. Normally weddings in the southwest and the Pacific coast part of the country offer buffets or just appitizers, but this is totally off the subject. As for choosing to dine in the main dining rooms, specialty restaurants or buffet, the menues are available prior to dining; you can request them at reception or they are posted daily. We always check before we decide where we want to eat. Again, this is true on all lines. I am not trying to defend anything, just pointing out some things about cruising overall. Of course there are places where cruise lines, NCL as well as others could improve, that is why reading the "Wish List" thread is so interesting. NMNita

[newmexicoNita]

When your choices are not very good you settle for something. The meatloaf sounded best on this particular night. Was I ever wrong. 2bites and I asked for the old reliable ceasar chicken salad and salmon. The meatloaf was called momma's meatloaf. If my momma ever cooked a meatloaf like that it would have been dog food for my Doberman. Thor!.

Did you check ahead of time to see what was being served that night? NMNita

[mbisson]

When your choices are not very good you settle for something. The meatloaf sounded best on this particular night. Was I ever wrong. 2bites and I asked for the old reliable ceasar chicken salad and salmon. The meatloaf was called momma's meatloaf. If my momma ever cooked a meatloaf like that it would have been dog food for my Doberman. Thor!.

 

Another choice would be that if you're that unhappy with the food on NCL just don't cruise it again. I've never had the problems you seem to.

 

jmo

-Monte

[Another ship trip]

We're rapidly moving to the absurd here. First it was the quality of the food that was criticized; then, the quality of the choices; now it's the quality of the description of the sauces on the food, and the fact that there isn't beef every night. And--horrors--the cold and hot appetizers are now "lumped together?"

 

What next? The quality of the paper the menus are printed on? Each passenger should be given the ability to customize menus every night for him/herself?

 

Want a little beef with your whine?

Geez, I noted an obvious change over the last 19 cruises and flame-city! I am not whining. I am a huge NCL fan. (Find my POA review when everyone else was griping, we were happy as clams.) Why must one assume that was a criticism? I am making a comment, you know what an observation is? If you have sailed on many NCL cruises, I assume you would notice too. Or maybe not. Lighten up and take your meds!

[newmexicoNita]

Geez, I noted an obvious change over the last 19 cruises and flame-city! I am not whining. I am a huge NCL fan. (Find my POA review when everyone else was griping, we were happy as clams.) Why must one assume that was a criticism? I am making a comment, you know what an observation is? If you have sailed on many NCL cruises, I assume you would notice too. Or maybe not. Lighten up and take your meds!

The only thing to add to your statement is: the quality of food going down hill does not apply to NCL only, but all lines: read some of the other boards. NMNita

[fdk71265]

Good for you! I hope every cruise you take is always problem free. If it were just my wife and I on the cruise that had a problem then I would think something was wrong with us. But I can tell you that we had a large number of get together's and alot of people were saying the same things as us. We were not vocal about anything until asked. Most of these people are/were Ncl loyalists and couldn't believe the changes. I would love to stay loyal to ncl but that have to get their act together. I can't believe the changes they made in 6 months. So I hope you enjoy all your future cruises and you have no problems at all. And yes I do know that I have an option to cruise another cruiseline if i'm not happy with ncl but thanks for the advice and the permission to do so.. I would'nt say we are disgruntled just very let down.

[newmexicoNita]

Good for you! I hope every cruise you take is always problem free. If it were just my wife and I on the cruise that had a problem then I would think something was wrong with us. But I can tell you that we had a large number of get together's and alot of people were saying the same things as us. We were not vocal about anything until asked. Most of these people are/were Ncl loyalists and couldn't believe the changes. I would love to stay loyal to ncl but that have to get their act together. I can't believe the changes they made in 6 months. So I hope you enjoy all your future cruises and you have no problems at all. And yes I do know that I have an option to cruise another cruiseline if i'm not happy with ncl but thanks for the advice and the permission to do so.. I would'nt say we are disgruntled just very let down.

Other than you may be looking for a really inexpensive cruise, which the Dream does offer, why are you even considering trying NCL again? Give another line a try and then compare. You keep referring to: lots of people we talked to: we talked had a few people in our CC group who cruised with us on the Jewel last fall who were not impresssed for several reasons; at least none gal had done NCL a couple times before: We could continue to talk about her dissatifaction or talk about the other 40 plus who loved our cruise from start to finish. NMNita

[shoreguy]

1/3 will hate the changes 1/3 no oinion 1/3 love the changes including the white meatloaf it is all a matter of opinion

[fdk71265]

If it was just us and another couple or person then I would say oh well. Better luck next time. But unfortunately it wasn't. I have contacted ncl to let them know and it isn't just food related. Im not going into detail because it would take to long so I am generalizing about bits and pieces. There are alot of us who had the same situations and we all let ncl know in very well written letters. As I have said in previous post the entertainment, the shore excursions, and room attendant was an 8.5 to 9 Doesn't get any better. The rest of the cruise was a 3 food, service, tables left dirty etc. So after I get a reply from ncl I will let everbody know. I love freestyle and that's what is keeping us onboard as of now. It's a great concept but when you are told the restaurants are full and then you go and check and see 4 tables full and 90% empty thats a problem. When you have a 4 hr wait for room service thats a problem.

[fdk71265]

Shore guy: If 1/3 only love the changes then ncl will be bankrupted soon. If that's acceptable to you then you have very low standards. It would be good for you because you may book an ncl cruise and be the only one on it.;)

[stellasue]

fdk1265: Unless you're going to support NCL 100%, the "regulars" on this board will have no use for you - do what we did...check out the prices for a 10 or11 day out of NYC on HAL's Noordam...only a couple of hundred dollars difference and a world of difference in terms of food, ambiance and the "crowd" in general.....NCL has gone "down the tubes" and the food situation is really not good at all...read "between the posts" on this site and you'll see what I mean.

[fdk71265]

Thanks! Thats the best advice I recieved from all the posts I will look into Holland. Man I didn't know people were going to be so nasty because someone had a complaint about a cruise. Basically its just go somewhere else if you don't like it. Why not try and figure out what went wrong and have ncl work on it. I don't hate ncl. But it seems their defenders have such little room for criticism. Its not just one couple or person folks its many many more then you would like to believe. Sorry deal with it.

[Cosmopolitan]

So after I get a reply from ncl I will let everbody know.

 

So, if NCL offers you a generous discount on a future cruise, will you force yourself to ENDURE another NCL cruise ?!?!?:confused:

[mbisson]

So, if NCL offers you a generous discount on a future cruise, will you force yourself to ENDURE another NCL cruise ?!?!?:confused:

 

Now is that really a fair question? ;)

 

Probably not but IMO it is a fare question! LOL

 

-Monte

[fdk71265]

Nothing to do with a discount. I don't need Ncl's money or discount. It's more of lack of service for money paid and we didn't recieve services paid for and it made for a less enjoyable time and when letting them know about it at the was just not handled. So I think your little sarcastic comments are not nessecary. If it were you your opinion would be completely different. But I would feel for you after having gone through it. I wouldn't sit back sit back and make comments!

[kruzergal]

Some of these people are just so judgemental. Until something happen's to them. Then their attitude would change. Many people sense a change from Ncl and it's not for the better. Why not let them know and have a chance to correct it. It happens everyday in life for example in restaurants. Just because you have a bad meal doesn't mean you never go there again. Especially if you frequent the place often. They will ususally correct it no problem. I'm glad your not acting like a spoiled child and just running away and telling Ncl goodbye. Kudo's to you for giving then another chance. That's the right thing to do and the adult thing to do. Anybody can sit back and judge and pass sly little comments. Until it happens to them.

[hotspur]

Until it happens to them.

I don't know how to tell you this, but "it happens to them" on every cruise line, if you'd bother to read the CC boards for other cruise lines. The trick is not letting the inevitable "it" totally destroy your cruise.

 

I get a kick out of the posting above about how HAL is "a world of difference." Nonsense. The food was not as good as we've had on our NCL cruises, port information was sketchy (all they cared about was getting you to shop in their kick-back stores), entertainment was not up to NCL standards (canned music), and the only "ambience" difference was they required you to overdress for what they offered you. I suppose if it thrills you to have a steward walking around the ship playing dinky chimes telling you it's your required time for dinner, then HAL's for you. Nice library, though.

[cruizinwithkids]

Nothing to do with a discount. I don't need Ncl's money or discount. It's more of lack of service for money paid and we didn't recieve services paid for and it made for a less enjoyable time and when letting them know about it at the was just not handled. So I think your little sarcastic comments are not nessecary. If it were you your opinion would be completely different. But I would feel for you after having gone through it. I wouldn't sit back sit back and make comments!

 

Cosmo may have been being sarcastic? I don't know. You stated that "So after I get a reply from ncl I will let everbody know." What will you let everybody know? Perhaps in a more upbeat way of asking, What would it take for NCL to keep your business?

 

P.S. I am going on my 10th NCL cruise in July and this whole thread has me a wreck. I planned a vacation for 25 people, so it won't be NCL taking the heat on this one.:eek:

[shoreguy]

Some of these people are just so judgemental. Until something happen's to them. Then their attitude would change. Many people sense a change from Ncl and it's not for the better. Why not let them know and have a chance to correct it. .

 

And repeating over and over here is not the best way. Sure great idea to let others know things have changed better to let NCL know you were not pleased and what in your opinion needs to be addressed.

 

I was on one of the first cruises with the new menu trial. Feel free to read my blogs from that cruise in Feb. There is a link below.

 

I did several things. Posted the facts here. Spent time with the leadership onboard to express the concerns posted here prior to the cruise and my concerns. Listened to them to understand what was driving the changes. There was clearly and ongoing difference of opinion between the Miami and the management onboard.

 

Then I followed a rule that has served me well " Don't complain to anyone unless the person you are complaining to can do something about it"

 

Armed with facts I took the time in March to send a letter to Colin Vietch and and several other executives ( in fact these are the people who can make a change). Did not ask for a thing as we had a great cruise but shared the wrong impressions these changes were having on some. For me I ate well every night but missed the old favorites - rack of lamb, beef Wellington, nut encrusted prawns. I heard back several time and it was clear they understood the new menus were not perfect but a work in progress. Changes were coming.

 

The net result of this and am sure many many other's feedback NCL issued a press release on April 17th.

 

MIAMI, April 17, 2006 - NCL Corporation ("NCL") today announced the appointment of Claude Boudoux as its new vice president, food and beverage, effective immediately. Boudoux comes to NCL with a distinguished and varied food & beverage resume.

Most recently he served as the head of F&B at the five-star Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, where he oversaw all food and beverage outlets including the renowned Polo Lounge Restaurant, which was recognized by the Wine Spectator with the “Best Award of Excellence” every year from 2001-2005.

 

Now lets see what Claude can do over the next several months.

[stellasue]

I'll be the first to applaud this news about Claude Boudoux! If anyone can make a difference, he can! We met him a couple of years ago when we were planning an industry dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel and he's really a pro! Let's hope he can get NCL's act together and perhaps even improve on the concept of Freestyle. I wonder how soon the changes will come?