The more I read about other lines, the more I like Princess

[Casshew]

Between bowling alleys, ice skating and rock climbing, new botox treatments and now this?

 

 

Would you pay to get into a nightclub on a cruise ship? Norwegian Cruise Line is betting you will.

 

The line announced this week that its next ship will have several exclusive adult-only, Vegas-style venues that come with a charge.

 

The Ice Bar. Billed as the first true ice bar at sea, the frozen chamber (illustration above) will feature a bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and life-size sculptures all made of ice. The exclusive venue will hold just 25 passengers at a time who will be given fur coats, gloves and hats to keep warm (the rooms temperature will not rise above 17 degrees).

 

I just want a nice atmosphere, good food & service, interesting ports - is there something wrong with me? :rolleyes:

[pungo3]

Between bowling alleys, ice skating and rock climbing, new botox treatments and now this?

 

 

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I just want a nice atmosphere, good food & service, interesting ports - is there something wrong with me? :rolleyes:

Nope, I think you are normal. I really don't need all the 'fluff'. I just want good food, good service and plenty of relaxation. Heck, I don't even use the spa service.

[cruisemom42]

I couldn't agree more! :)

 

 

I've noticed that there seems to be more of an "Entertain me!" mentality among cruisers than there used to be. People SAY they want a quiet, relaxing vacation, but what they really seem to want is Las Vegas on a boat.

 

As for me, I like to "escape completely"!

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Unbelievable. :rolleyes:

[Casshew]

I think the whole ship should be for everyone to enjoy, it bothers me to have so many places that now require cover charges to enjoy. I feel the same way about the sanctuary (although if there were tons of kids on board I would use it!) and also the pay dining, although I understand why they have to charge.

 

That NCL article is just getting silly though, too many venues - I think they will have to phase them out once the novelty wears off and no one uses them.

 

Also, I'm not trying to knock the other lines, I think new innovations are important to keep passengers returning and attract new ones, but none on the NCL list appeal to me in particular.

[CGinMTL]

but none on the NCL list appeal to me in particular.

.

I agree that NCL is going too far. IT seems they want people that are spending the big bucks. The new program gives privileges to $$$$ instead of loyalty or repeat cruisers. I booked NCL for March 2009 BEFORE they made the change. Hopefully, it will phase out by then.

[flamomo]

Princess offers enough to entertain me the way I want to be entertained. Seems like the stuff NCL is offering is geared to the younger cruisers - as in 20-30 somethings. Maybe that makes me a dull fogey

[coffee39]

The Ice Bar. Billed as the first true ice bar at sea, the frozen chamber (illustration above) will feature a bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and life-size sculptures all made of ice. The exclusive venue will hold just 25 passengers at a time who will be given fur coats, gloves and hats to keep warm (the rooms temperature will not rise above 17 degrees).

 

Come to Saskatchewan in January...we will let you in free:D

[cruzinchris]

The Ice Bar. Billed as the first true ice bar at sea, the frozen chamber (illustration above) will feature a bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and life-size sculptures all made of ice. The exclusive venue will hold just 25 passengers at a time who will be given fur coats, gloves and hats to keep warm (the rooms temperature will not rise above 17 degrees).

 

Come to Saskatchewan in January...we will let you in free:D

 

I was thinking the same thing. DH and I cruise in late January/early February to escape our harsh Michigan winters. If I want to sit in a frozen chamber, I'll just step outside, thank you very much :D

 

Bon Voyage!

Chris

[Judyjay]

The good news is that when they figure out that no one is going to pay to go into an ice bar on a cruise ship they can just let it melt and be done with it.

[ggprincess2004]

Couldn't agree more with you Casshew, which is probably a large part of why Princess is our cruise line of choice.....:)

[woodofpine]

I guess I'm one that REALLY appreciates the (formerly) all inclusive nature of cruise travel. I have become... a fuddy duddy... :D

 

As a prior poster opined - sanctuary, pay extra dining etc. has always rubbed me mildly the wrong way. Not so much to get in a snit but just enough to lament a little...

 

It's no surprise that NCL is leading the way with this sort of thing; hopefully, it'll stay with them. Over time, my generl review of fares has given me the impression that NCL is the lowest priced line on most routes. So that's what you get with it (businesses must make some money); in sum, fairly little - and the typical NCL cruiser therefore gets schematically nickle and dimed until one spends a sum comparable to a RCI/Carnival Corp. cruise line passenger.

 

Different strokes for different folks.

[booklady26]

Between NCL's F3 and RCI's Oasis of the Seas annoucements this week, I get the feeling that cruise lines are forgetting why many people choose to cruise in the first place.

 

If I wanted trendy clubs like the F3 will have, I'd go to South Beach. If I wanted an amusement park like the Oasis will have, I'd go to Disney. At least there you get the real deal and not bogus imitation at sea.

 

I don't even care about the extra charges. I've come to accept that as a way of life in cruising these days. I don't mind paying for services that I enjoy, like alternative dining and spas. That's part of why I cruise. I don't care bout ice cream, spinning classes, arts and crafts, computer labs or any of the other pay as you go options.

 

But the day a cruise line starts charging to see, hear and smell the big, beautiful ocean or beautiful sunrises, sunsets or moonlit nights at sea is the day that I'll really complain about "nickel and diming". You just can't put a price tag on that experience. That is what differentiates a cruise vacation from a land vacation and is a big part of why I choose to cruise.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I was thinking the same thing. DH and I cruise in late January/early February to escape our harsh Michigan winters. If I want to sit in a frozen chamber, I'll just step outside, thank you very much :D

I agree with you, and would put the "snowfall in the atrium" thing that Princess offers in the same category. I'm usually cruise in January simply because I want to leave the snowfall behind.

 

I've read that only 8% or some very small number of people have ever taken a cruise, and it's not hard to realize why the cruise lines are doing this stuff. They're trying to attract the other 92% to cruising, and every so often they come up with something that really does pull them in. RC has been very successful with their health and exercise oriented ships. Some people swear by NCL's freestyle concept. Since we're part of the 8% who are happy with things the way they were, it makes sense that most of us don't appreciate the changes.

[Racegoer]

Having been on both I would still choose NCL over Princess especially if I was going o book a suite. The privacy that an NCL suite offers is something Princess simply can't compare to. Now don't get me wrong we liked Princess overall and the mini-suite we had on the CP was very nice and a good size. The dining room food was very good as well.

 

Some advantages of NCL. Privacy you can't get to the top floor unless you have a suite there. This not only gives you privacy it gives you space. The Garden Villa is awesome with its swimming pool, comfortable loungers and a hot tub not full of kids jumping and screaming. There is the private sundeck, no worry about chair hogs here. You can eat breakfast & lunch at Cagney's steak restaurant where it is quiet, not crowded and get service the regular dining room on Princess can't come close to. The Cigar bar on NCL was open all day not just from 6PM until midnight. The coffee on Princess was awful a brown watery substance. ON NCL Suites have specialty coffee makers that you can get espresso, regular coffee etc, all room had in room 4 cup coffee makers. Hand dipped Ice Cream all day as long the buffet is open not just for an hour or two.

 

Also fresh fruit in the cabins, chocolate covered strawberries in the suites before dinner is a treat. Lobster every night, pillow top mattresses in suites, memory foam in all other cabins. Robes and high thread count sheets. A bottle of White star Champagne for suites. You can order a bar set-up for you room and make drinks right there in your room. Room service menu that is much better on NCL than Princess peanut butter and Jelly sandwich. All guests will be welcomed onboard with a glass of bubbly -- a nice touch.

 

I could keep listing amenities of NCL but I just don't have the time. NCL easily wins out over Princess. Now if you are going to eat lots of food and eat in the dining room then stick with Princess for traditional dining as they probably do a better job of that than anybody, well maybe Celebrity is better but we can't say. NCL is not offering gimmicks they are offering freedom of choice and amenities and We will gladly sail with them again.

[blindrid]

I, for one, actually enjoy NCL over the experiences I've had with Princess. I've had better service experiences with NCL and the food has been pretty much even with Princess.

 

Let's face it, all of them are pretty much mainline cruises that don't differ a lot. I believe that the ship and itinerary makes the difference, not line.

[Casshew]

My daughter likes the look of the new oasis of the seas - 5400 passengers, a coney island style amusement park, a water show, a zip line lol

 

(of course she is 13 years old!!)

[Djptcp]

I agree with most of the responders. I look at the RCCL Oasis and I think "never in a hundred years would I ever want to go on that ship" and the Ice Bar looks just plain ridiculous to me. DH and I cruise to get away from our stressful management positions and to relax, enjoy good food, gamble, see some sights and, did I say relax? I also agree with the aforementioned "Entertain Me" -- people have lost sight that they can easily entertain themselves if they would get off from their computers, cell phones and blackberries. How awful a life to expect someone or something to always have to entertain you and your lack of imagination prevents you from thinking for yourself.

[cruiserjanet]

There is another cruise line that has had a certain "reputation" for years. I won't mention the name here because I don't want to get slayed by people who cruise different lines and may like this particular line. Anyway, we have decided that cruise line is not for us for those and other reasons. One of my commuter friends loves this particular line and said that "reputation" was in the past and not what it is today. Well, I read the Boards, I read reviews, I talk to people, etc. and I've heard that that same "reputation" is still in place. My commuter friend was so adamant that they are wrong that he was starting to become belligerent. So, he goes on his cruise and I ask him how it was. The first words out of his mouth were about several instances that indicated that the "reputation" was still in tact. I kept my mouth shut instead of saying that I told him so.

[Griff4AU]

My daughter likes the look of the new oasis of the seas - 5400 passengers, a coney island style amusement park, a water show, a zip line lol

 

(of course she is 13 years old!!)

So do my daughters (12 &14), but they would still rather sail Princess.

 

I still tell the story of my daughters' first cruise. Spring Break '07 on the Crown. One day (I think St. Thomas) we're docked next to a RCL Super- Mega Ship. My girls are amazed at what they see. So I ask them, "next time, would you like to try RCL?" The responded, basically in unison, that while the ship looked "cool", they would rather stay with Princess. The following night at the Captain's Circle reception, I mentioned the exchange with my daughters to the Captain after he asked them if they were having a nice time. The Captain and Cruise Director (standing next to him) both lit up and both of them went out of their way to say hello to my daughters whenever they saw them for the rest of the cruise. I think my daughters are hooked on Princess. They still stay in touch with others from the children's club. Princess fits OUR comfort zone very nicely.

[isujim]

Between bowling alleys, ice skating and rock climbing, new botox treatments and now this?

 

 

[/color][/i]

 

I just want a nice atmosphere, good food & service, interesting ports - is there something wrong with me? :rolleyes:

 

You are certainly not alone. There are many RC cruisers, myself included that are now looking at alternatives. I can't speak to NCL.....but believe me there are many not interested in a floating resort hotel at sea. We have booked the Pacific Princess and can't wait to experience the small ship.

[cruzinchris]

Unfortunately, many folks who haven't cruised are mistakenly under the impression that this type of vacation is "all-inclusive". Just recently, some friends were invited to join a group cruise and asked DH and I for advice about whether or not it was a "good deal". Haven't sailed on that particular cruiseline since the mid-1980s (the one that cruiserjanet is referring to, I think ;) ), so we did some research.

 

Our friends were advised by the trip coordinator to upgrade to a "balcony" stateroom, which they knew would cost more than the base price (inside stateroom). They were also informed about fuel surcharges, shore excursions, and tips. Beyond that, I don't think they realized how many other things they would have to pay for: bottled water, soda, alcoholic beverages, etc. We know they'd want to purchase photos, and that in itself could be disastrous :eek:

 

We also pointed out that there would be transfer costs from Orlando airport to Port Canaveral (70 miles) and, with the ship sailing at 4PM, they might want to consider flying down the day before so they didn't risk missing the boat. So many things that are familiar to those of us who are regular cruisers are unknown variables to those who haven't cruised previously. Even those who cruised many years ago but haven't done so recently would be quite surprised at how much things have changed.

 

Our friends decided not to make the deposit on the cruise because they felt that there seemed to be too many hidden costs that they hadn't anticipated. They were very appreciative of the information that we provided and promised to join us on a future Princess cruise :)

 

Bon Voyage!

Chris

[Sea Hag]

As long as so many people are willing to pay for extras, the cruiselines are going to keep rolling them out. My opinion only, and I am after all the person who thinks the specialty restaurants are an unnecessary extra.

[Sandytoes]

The more I read about other lines, the more I like Princess

 

I have found Princess to be absolutely great- delicious food, attentive service, unique itineraries, exotic destinations, with a wide variety activities on board, and excellent value for your money.

Overall our Princess experience is wonderful, would highly recommend it.

[chasetf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by from above link

The Ice Bar. Billed as the first true ice bar at sea, the frozen chamber (illustration above) will feature a bar, walls, tables, stools, glasses and life-size sculptures all made of ice. The exclusive venue will hold just 25 passengers at a time who will be given fur coats, gloves and hats to keep warm (the rooms temperature will not rise above 17 degrees).

 

Should go over really well on the Alaska itineraries. ;) :rolleyes: