What do you think is the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising?

[Host CMLA]

This is biggest misconception numero uno. See Cecilia's Post #1, which started this thread.

 

Automatic tipping only means that the money is automatically debited to your account. It does NOT mean that every staff member automatically receives an equal share of the pool. Each staff member still has plenty of incentive to perform well.

Exactly. Having the gratuity added is a convenience and not meant to make people feel like they're being forced to tip and get lousy service. Sure, lousy service exists but autoatic tipping doesn't equal bad service. I don't get tips for my job but if I don't perform well, I won't get paid. My incentive is to do a good job and get paid. It's the same for cruise ship staff no matter how their tips come to them.

 

How was your Vegas trip? We had fun even though we lost BIG! Although the trip was to see my grandfather and gamble was second. And of course watch the Saints win!

[cruisingfromMN]

:D . It is amazing. I don't know what these people are doing to get poor service. I have never ever experienced poor service on NCL...NEVER. I think there must be some sort of victim mentality that these people have or something. Oh, and add me to the brainwashed cult as well.

 

You can add me to the brainwashed cult as well!

 

Some here would cringe to know that DH and I had a goal to be on three NCL ships between April 7, 2006 and April 7, 2007. We almost hit the goal. Missed it by a week. Going on the Star, April 15, 2007. We must be REALLY brainwashed.

[cruisingfromMN]

Back to the question...

 

I think the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising is that the Free in Freestyle means that everything should be free, especially the Specialty Restaurants.

[newmexicoNita]

This is biggest misconception numero uno. See Cecilia's Post #1, which started this thread.

 

Automatic tipping only means that the money is automatically debited to your account. It does NOT mean that every staff member automatically receives an equal share of the pool. Each staff member still has plenty of incentive to perform well.

For those who feel automatic tippin affect the service, what about the other lines. Do you feel service is affected as almost every line has added auto tipping: the ones that have not recommend more than the $10 per day as minumum. NMnita

[denims]

You can add me to the brainwashed cult as well!

 

Some here would cringe to know that DH and I had a goal to be on three NCL ships between April 7, 2006 and April 7, 2007. We almost hit the goal. Missed it by a week. Going on the Star, April 15, 2007. We must be REALLY brainwashed.

 

Lucky Ducks!!!

[Jana]

It just dawned on me that someone coming to this thread out of the blue will come away thinking that newmexiconita, shoreguy, Retired not Expired, dwrist, jana, I, and a long list of other NCL regulars here, willingly board these NCL ships time and again just to wait hours to be seated for dinner every night, to wait thirty or forty-five minutes between every course, and to be served by a lazy, unmotivated, slovenly, uncaring wait staff, and that somehow we must be desensitized, even hypnotized, in some way such that we don't even notice this is happening to us!

 

Because--if you believed some of the nonsense that's been posted here about freestyle--there's only that one possible explanation: that we've all been brainwashed by NCL! That's right. This is all right out of The Manchurian Candidate. We've been programmed by NCL--must be special training for cruise directors or something--to have no recollections at all of all these indignities and inconveniences that we are put through daily, and we are programmed to come here and, in unison, deny that any of these things have ever happened to us in order to entice unsuspecting newbies to join our cult.

 

Amazing, just amazing.

 

OMG, thank you so much! I've been wondering what the heck was wrong with me, now I know! And it's worse than anyone even can imagine, too, because when I am not on an NCL ship, I am dreaming of being on one.

 

Does anyone know any good exorcists or deprogrammers in or around San Diego?

 

Jana

[Retired not Expired]

Here’s what I say to those who say that the auto-tip causes poor service.

 

First, these jobs give these people opportunities they could never get in their home countries. There are thousands out there who would love to have their jobs. They don’t do good or get too many complaints, one of those others will have their jobs. They are gone. They also know that if they go above and beyond, many of us will give more.

 

Second, if they lose their job with NCL over poor service, the best they can hope for is to get a job with another cruise line without the auto-tip where they may be stiffed by some on the tips. According to who you want to believe, between 10 to 30 percent do stiff on those lines either the whole tip or just give a small tip. That in itself can be a morale buster, working hard all week and get stiffed. Of course, the crew can normally tell who will stiff them. It will be the ones complaining about everything. And those doing all the complaining can’t understand why their service is not as good as everyone else say they have.

 

Work for NCL and do a good job and you will get all your pay including tips. Work for another cruise line and do a good job and you MAY get all your pay including tips.

[hotspur]

I don't get tips for my job but if I don't perform well, I won't get paid. My incentive is to do a good job and get paid. It's the same for cruise ship staff no matter how their tips come to them.

One wonders how many of those complainers who say people won't do good work unless they are handed tips directly in fact have jobs where they get tips. If they themselves are NOT in such jobs, then aren't they saying that they themselves by definition don't do good work? And how stupid is it of them to say that? Well, I guess about as stupid as saying service on NCL is bad because of automatic tipping.

[shoreguy]

Back to the question...

 

I think the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising is that the Free in Freestyle means that everything should be free, especially the Specialty Restaurants.

 

Very true - followed two British ladies as they exited the Asian restaurant on the Pearl in a huff. One said to the other "they call this freestyle and expect us to pay, the nerve of them"

 

I still believe however the biggest misconception is the first one posted by Cecilia that the auto-gratuity results in poor service. I believe it is the exact opposite. The result is some of the best crews sailing.

 

Without the pool NCL would not have been able to retain quality experienced help. If the staff had to count on only cash tips at the end or as service was provided they would make next to nothing. They found that out when they started freestyle and had to go to the auto-gratuity or loose the best crew members.

[TC Cruiser]

I think the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising is that it's not a hot topic. Just look at how quickly this thread is growing!

 

My wife and I probably only had one event with a long wait for dinner on our first and only NCL cruise. After that we had traditional dining on two RCCI cruises and we really lucked out by having great tablemates and waiters. We looked forward to dinner with them every night.

 

Coming up is our second NCL cruise and we'll find out if Freestyle works for us or if we can expect the dreaded long lines for dinner.

 

I guess that the thing that I didn't like about Freestyle was having to make small talk all over again with each meal. Hi, where ya from? How many cruises have you been on? What are you doing in port tomorrow? Blah blah blah...

[dwrist]

:D

I think the biggest misconception about Freestyle Cruising is that it's not a hot topic. Just look at how quickly this thread is growing!

 

My wife and I probably only had one event with a long wait for dinner on our first and only NCL cruise. After that we had traditional dining on two RCCI cruises and we really lucked out by having great tablemates and waiters. We looked forward to dinner with them every night.

 

Coming up is our second NCL cruise and we'll find out if Freestyle works for us or if we can expect the dreaded long lines for dinner.

 

I guess that the thing that I didn't like about Freestyle was having to make small talk all over again with each meal. Hi, where ya from? How many cruises have you been on? What are you doing in port tomorrow? Blah blah blah...

 

Make friends with another couple and go to dinner with them. That way you are choosing your table mates not the cruise line. :)

 

I wonder how many of those complaining about the $10 charge fill out the cards? Do they ever find a crewmember that did anything right, were nice, went the extra mile and brought a smile to the cruisers faces?

 

Our first cruise was on the Wind which is not designed for freestyle. Not knowing this bit of info, we did not know the difference. We waited maybe 10 minutes after the restaurant opened for our table. (We were early) ((One time we were seated at a table and another couple came up and told us that was their table, move now, no please and the wait staff was embarrassed)) After that first time, we decide to have a drink and wait for the line to disappear. The staff was wonderful, polite, went the extra mile for us. We enjoyed the cruise, loved Fanning Island and found out we love cruising(specially sea days). When we cruised on the Star--total different experience. We fell in love with NCL Freestyle. Again the crew went the extra mile for us. Freestyle fits our lifestyle, fulfills our needs, gives us the choices we want. Now we are spending our childrens' inheritance on our cruises.

[newmexicoNita]

I am glad Hotspur figured out what is wrong with those of us who post often on this board and really do love NCL. It is also important to remember, if you do the auto tipping you will not get good service, has it been brought up, that at least the wait staff and others are guarenteed something for their work? The old fashion way these hard workers couldn't be asurred of tips of any kind as many stiff them. We witnessed this on, at least 2 cruises. I am not going to touch the never ending subject of how long some have to wait. For the majority of us this has never happened. Someone mentioned waiting 30 minutes to get coffee and dessert: again, never and I meant never has this happened to us but we have been on 2 lines that forgot our coffee altogether.

 

For those who really don't like freestyle go to another line and stop coming here just to gripe. I would recommend you jump soon as it appears all lines are about to attempt something similar to "freestyle" without the choice of 8 to 11 eateries. NMnita

[watchdiva]

I'm also onboard for the biggest misconception being auto-tipping has resulted in poor service. We have cruised HAL (auto-tipping) and NCL (auto-tipping) and maybe we're just lucky on both lines but never experienced poor service.

 

We have experienced long waits in the DR for food yes - and on HAL with traditional dining no less! Not enough staff in the main DR results in LONGG waits.

 

We've returned "home" to NCL after two HAL cruises and can't wait for the Pearl in April.

[above sea level cruiser]

If I came across the situation when there are long lines entering a restaurant at 7 PM, I would choose to dine later or earlier the rest of the week. Its doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out many people beat me to the tables and filled up the restaurant. Just like at home, I would dine an hour later or an hour earlier. Why do you wish to show up during the rush? There aren't any 7-8 PM dining times with traditional dining either. Its either early or late table seatings.

 

Unfortunately there is limited space in the speciality restaurants. The only way you will see a full speciality restaurant all night is if they implemented the dreaded unfreestyle early and late seating arrangements. Since they do book these restaurants a few at a time, every 15 minutes or so, you recieve better service. Of course, it takes about two hours for the restaurant to fill. They can't accept walk ins because the empty table you see will be filled in 30 minutes. The catch is, you can't eat your dinner in 30 minutes, thus the party that did book would be very upset when there isn't a table for them when they arrive. SIMPLE MATH FOLKS, WHY DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND THIS!

 

 

I don't UNDERSTAND this because: (a) I was bad at math or (b)I believe the slogan is "whenever o'clock". NOT late, NOT early.

In my mind, its one or the other. We have been on several cruises with fixed dinning and thought that "whenever o'clock" meant just that. Not get on the ship......run like mad to the restaurauant..... and book next Thursdays dinner time.(not to mention Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays etc.)

A lot of people here say that's what they do. How is that freestyle? To me if you HAVE to book your time and space for eating for the entire cruise the minute you board, wouldn't you be much better off selecting early or late seating on another line?

[Retired not Expired]

On the length of a meal, on NCL we’ve never had one over two hours with most in the 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hour range. The longest we’ve ever had was last year on RCCL with the shortest being two hours and the rest nearer to 2 ½ hours over an 11 days cruise. That didn’t bother me as it was still a great experience. Perhaps it’s because I enjoy that time with my wife and really didn‘t seem that long. It did cause us to miss a show we wanted to see as the seats were all taken by the time we got there and I wasn’t able to stand for that long.

 

Nice thing about NCL is, if you are running late for a show, you can get up and leave and come back to a main dining room after the show to finish. With traditional, leave before you finish a meal and it’s to the buffet to finish. Love that feature. It doesn’t even have to be for a show. Get full before dessert, leave and take a few laps around the Promenade and go back later for dessert.

 

But one of the things about me is I don’t like each cruise, or vacation, to be an exact clone of the last. I like to experience new things. I say “What’s new” rather than, “This isn’t how we did it last time and I‘m going to complain about it”.

[above sea level cruiser]

[

 

Nice thing about NCL is, if you are running late for a show, you can get up and leave and come back to a main dining room after the show to finish. With traditional, leave before you finish a meal and it’s to the buffet to finish. Love that feature. It doesn’t even have to be for a show. Get full before dessert, leave and take a few laps around the Promenade and go back later for dessert.

 

 

So I can "Pop" in to a restaurant (without a reservation:rolleyes: ), quaff down a few escargots, leave and go to a show then come back and get my meal? Now THAT"S Freestyle!!!!:D

[mbisson]

[quote name=above sea level cruiser

 

So I can "Pop" in to a restaurant (without a reservation:rolleyes: ), quaff down a few escargots, leave and go to a show then come back and get my meal? Now THAT"S Freestyle!!!!:D

 

Remember that would apply to the main dining rooms, not the spec rooms that require a reservation, (been a while since I've seen escargot in a main dining room).

 

But we've done basically that (eaten main course, gone to show, come back after show for espresso & dessert-or another main course if it was appealing to us) several times.

 

-Monte

[cruizinwithkids]

(been a while since I've seen escargot in a main dining room).

 

There was definately escargot in the main dining room on the Majesty last July.

[Retired not Expired]

[

 

 

So I can "Pop" in to a restaurant (without a reservation:rolleyes: ), quaff down a few escargots, leave and go to a show then come back and get my meal? Now THAT"S Freestyle!!!!:D

 

Yep, what Monte said, and without a reservation.:D :cool:

[mbisson]

There was definately escargot in the main dining room on the Majesty last July.

 

That's good. Notice I never said they didn't have them, just that I haven't seen them. ;)

 

-Monte

[cruizinwithkids]

That's good. Notice I never said they didn't have them, just that I haven't seen them. ;)

 

-Monte

 

And I may have seen them but I certainly wouldn't eat them. EEWW.:)

[Toyz711]

SIL ordered escargot on lobster night last sept. she and her daughter said they were very good. i, on the other hand, could not even look at them.

[mbisson]

And I may have seen them but I certainly wouldn't eat them. EEWW.:)

 

LOL-I'll admit, I wasn't looking for them!

 

-Monte

[johnql]

How was your Vegas trip? We had fun even though we lost BIG! Although the trip was to see my grandfather and gamble was second. And of course watch the Saints win!

I won on my football bets and lost on the casino gambling (BJ and slots), coming out slightly down. All in all, it was a fun trip. Saw Cirque's "Love" show (great!) and Blue Man Group (always fun). The thing I couldn't believe, tho, was how cold it was all weekend. Never got out of the 40s. Brrrrrr!

[hotspur]

There was definately escargot in the main dining room on the Majesty last July.

And in September. And on Jewel in October/November.