Cagney's for lunch...for a fee?

[big green]

Hmm...this all makes me wonder: Are suite passengers guarenteed a "quick seating" or a "free seating"? Is there any stipulation on this?

 

I certainly do not want to see suite passengers lose any perks....but if the cruise line wants to find more ways to make a profit to keep our fares low and reasonable....then I say "suite passengers" will have to suck it up and compromise...you are getting these restaurants for "free" what more do you want? Not only that....but you have the option of having your "butler" deliver these menus to your cabin...so if you can't get a table then you can still have it delivered to your room...."nice perk".

 

you need to worry about your own booking and quit making suggestions to

others who book the suites because of certain advertised perks to suck it up--when you put out the cash for a suite then maybe you would have the right to suggest what you did. So please do not not think you can preach what suite passengers should get in their package without booking suites yourself. Also I could care less if the cruise line makes a profit etc, etc what i am concerned with what I get for the money I put out.

 

Big Green

[big green]

So how would you identify what type of stateroom the people sitting next to you booked and how would this distract from your dining experience?

 

Seriously :confused:

 

A lot of us book the suites for these perks--the exclusive use of Cagney's for

lunch and breakfast is high up the list--if you book suites then you have a vote if not ----?????????? why do you care?? if you want this perk then book a suite.

 

Big Green

[ruffs]

Technically none of us really have a vote, but seriously though if they wanted to provide a really nice perk they could keep one restaurant exclusively for VIP's even for dinner.

[big green]

Technically none of us really have a vote, but seriously though if they wanted to provide a really nice perk they could keep one restaurant exclusively for VIP's even for dinner.

 

Wrong--my vote would be to no longer book suites on NCL if these suite perks were compromised or eliminated.

 

Big Green

[ruffs]

Wrong--my vote would be to no longer book suites on NCL if these suite perks were compromised or eliminated.

 

Big Green

It's possible you are taking the situation too seriously given that they've ended their experiment and didn't take your entitlement away, but who knows.

 

My point was they will not literally give you a ballot just because you are booked into a suite, they will make the decision based on what is best long term for their business - ultimately that should benefit us consumers so we aren't encouraged to go elsewhere.

[Planer's Edge]

It's possible you are taking the situation too seriously given that they've ended their experiment and didn't take your entitlement away, but who knows.

 

 

Just a question for clarities sake. How did a perk become an entitlement??

 

A perk is something that someone earns and an entitlement is something that is endowed upon someone for whatever reason. Also an entitlement is usually payed for by others that usually don't benefit from it.

 

As I said this is asked for clarities sake. :rolleyes:

 

PE

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

Obviously, the exclusivity and additional benefits are worth the $1,000's of dollars extra that people pay for suites. If a couple were allowed to pay for breakfast and lunch every day in Cagney's that would set them back about $350 total. Why would people pay SO much more if they can purchase the items ala carte later? In other words, people may be paying nickels and dimes for something that we were paying dollars for. (STILL hate that phrase nickel and dime...)

 

In both the Owners Suites and Garden Villa we paid well over $10,000 for a 7 day cruise...not because we wanted to throw money away, but because it was still considered a value to us. When it is not longer a value in our opinion, we will move on. It's not how much it costs, that's secondary, it's value. Think about the folks that pay $400 a person for a 7 day inside cabin...maybe that's a great value for them. For us, we just have different interpretations of value; for example, we wouldn't take a cruise in an inside/outside cabin...even if it was free...that, to us, has zero value as we know we wouldn't enjoy it.

 

Next month Disney Cruise Line. :)

[snorklinbarb]

It's possible you are taking the situation too seriously given that they've ended their experiment and didn't take your entitlement away, but who knows.

 

My point was they will not literally give you a ballot just because you are booked into a suite, they will make the decision based on what is best long term for their business - ultimately that should benefit us consumers so we aren't encouraged to go elsewhere.

 

From what I understand it was a very short lived "experiment" on the Spirit. Still big green, worth mentioning to the HD to make sure they don't float another trial balloon.;)

[DMH15]

I agree with BG and rick, one of the reasons I moved up to suites. If that perk disappeared, I would look more seriously at Crystal, Azamara, Silversea, etc. But I love NCL's suite perks so until they change, I am happy with the "whole package" they offer. I am one of those folks who chooses to cruise less, but in a suite.

[uneamie]

you need to worry about your own booking and quit making suggestions to

others who book the suites because of certain advertised perks to suck it up--when you put out the cash for a suite then maybe you would have the right to suggest what you did. So please do not not think you can preach what suite passengers should get in their package without booking suites yourself. Also I could care less if the cruise line makes a profit etc, etc what i am concerned with what I get for the money I put out.

 

Big Green

 

No you need to realize that you did pay a "suite price" to have exclusivity on these boards. If I want to post my suggestions I will do so and you can just not read them.

 

BTW...perhaps you could care less if the cruise line makes money because you can afford to cruise regardless of the price. Lucky you! There are others who can barely afford an inside cabin. That may not be your problem but the cost of a cruise is based on "profits" and that is rightfully a concern for those less fortunate than you who'd like to see the price of a cruise remain reasonable.

[gbcruise]

So how would you identify what type of stateroom the people sitting next to you booked and how would this distract from your dining experience?

 

Seriously :confused:

 

I will try & clear up your confusion. One of the reasons people book suites with the listed benefit of exclusiveness of eating in Cagneys for breakfast & lunch is because on some ships the buffet is very crowded & seating can be hard, if not impossible to find. If our dining neighbors have a suite then they are just as entitled as I to eat at Cagneys. If everyone at Cagneys are suite guests & I have to wait for a table then thats fine. It would not be fine with me if non suite guests paid for breakfast or lunch & I would have to wait for a table, that would greatly distract me & make my experience much less satisfying.

[mpk218]

I will try & clear up your confusion. One of the reasons people book suites with the listed benefit of exclusiveness of eating in Cagneys for breakfast & lunch is because on some ships the buffet is very crowded & seating can be hard, if not impossible to find. If our dining neighbors have a suite then they are just as entitled as I to eat at Cagneys. If everyone at Cagneys are suite guests & I have to wait for a table then thats fine. It would not be fine with me if non suite guests paid for breakfast or lunch & I would have to wait for a table, that would greatly distract me & make my experience much less satisfying.

 

 

Makes perfect sense to me ;)

[mpk218]

And just in case " The NCL watcher " is paying attention .

I too will be very unhappy with a change in this suite perk . One of the main reason's I book suites " exclusively" on NCL is because they have ," currently" ,the best suite perks available. ;)

[MMastell]

We first experienced this perk as VIP guests and loved it so much that we booked suites on our next two NCL cruises. Giving us the majority of the suite benefits (daily , Cagney's hor d'oeuvres and VIP reception) enticed us to "Drink the Kool-Aid" and book suites. BTW: The Kool-Aid was delicious. :D

 

If they opened up Cagney's to all passengers, even for a fee, I would reconsider booking a suite and perhaps reconsider booking an NCL cruise.

 

Having a leisurely breakfast or lunch at Cagney's is one of the nicest part of the cruise. It wouldn't be enjoyable if you are sitting there enjoying a last cup of coffee while a line of people are waiting to be seated.

 

Take care,

Mike

[Arwenmark]

I also book the suite for the extra benefits and I DO pay for those benefits they are not perks. If they cheapen the benefits they become like most all the other mainstream lines when it comes to suites. you get a bit nicer perhaps larger cabin and that is ALL. That is not worth twice or three or four times the price of say a balcony cabin.

Also there are things about NCL I Don't like, the deterioration in formality to the point of lowest common denominator and they still have the same smoking policy as always. Not trying to start a smoking debate but this is something I care about personally when I cruise. If NCL cheapens the suite experience I WILL switch completely over to Celebrity since they now offer both smoke free balconies and have anytime dining, though in it's infancy.

As it stands NCL still has the best suites and benefits so for now I stay put.

[uneamie]

I also book the suite for the extra benefits and I DO pay for those benefits they are not perks. If they cheapen the benefits they become like most all the other mainstream lines when it comes to suites. you get a bit nicer perhaps larger cabin and that is ALL. That is not worth twice or three or four times the price of say a balcony cabin.

Also there are things about NCL I Don't like, the deterioration in formality to the point of lowest common denominator and they still have the same smoking policy as always. Not trying to start a smoking debate but this is something I care about personally when I cruise. If NCL cheapens the suite experience I WILL switch completely over to Celebrity since they now offer both smoke free balconies and have anytime dining, though in it's infancy.

As it stands NCL still has the best suites and benefits so for now I stay put.

 

Hmm.....the free Cagney's breakfast and lunch ( benefit or perks....what's the difference? ), in any case....it is a fairly new addition to the benefits of booking a suite. This "perk or benefit" was not always the case. There must have been plenty of reasons to book a suite "before" this perk was created for there are lots of people here on these boards who always booked suites even before this. So I don't really get people saying they will go to another cruise line if they lose this benefit. Mini suites use to get "concierge service" an now they don't.......so should I head for another cruise line because of it? Perhaps some would, but I would not.

 

I think NCL treats their VIP passengers very well, always did, even before this new "benefit".....which is when my husband and I also booked a suite and we thought the perks were good enough to do so back then...unfortunately we had to cancel it due to the death of my son's father......but I know I would have loved that cruise with or without the Cagney's perk. That's just me!

[ieatchickens]

I will try & clear up your confusion. One of the reasons people book suites with the listed benefit of exclusiveness of eating in Cagneys for breakfast & lunch is because on some ships the buffet is very crowded & seating can be hard, if not impossible to find. If our dining neighbors have a suite then they are just as entitled as I to eat at Cagneys. If everyone at Cagneys are suite guests & I have to wait for a table then thats fine. It would not be fine with me if non suite guests paid for breakfast or lunch & I would have to wait for a table, that would greatly distract me & make my experience much less satisfying.

 

Actually there is no confusion on my part. With that being said, this is the first informative post on this thread for sometime. If Cagney's is full to capacity as it is right now with suite passengers I could see the point suite passengers are trying to make.

 

However if Cagney's is not at capacity, there is no way that having an inside passenger who pays for their breakfast/lunch takes away or infringes on your "perk".

 

rcclbound, thanks for making the point so many here cannot make.

[mbisson]

I wonder if there would be such divisiveness about this if Cagney's remained as it presently is (free to suite & VIP guests for breakfast and lunch), AND another dining room were made available with the same menu for a fee

[ruffs]

I wonder if there would be such divisiveness about this if Cagney's remained as it presently is (free to suite & VIP guests for breakfast and lunch), AND another dining room were made available with the same menu for a fee

 

Fantastic idea. I hope they try it.

[Arwenmark]

I wonder if there would be such divisiveness about this if Cagney's remained as it presently is (free to suite & VIP guests for breakfast and lunch), AND another dining room were made available with the same menu for a fee

 

Well all ready the second main dining rooms are reserved for Balcony and higher guests so that takes that one out, and it would me more staffing of yet another dining area at breakfast and lunch which is the only time some of the staff gets to sleep now.

[MrLee]

I wonder if there would be such divisiveness about this if Cagney's remained as it presently is (free to suite & VIP guests for breakfast and lunch), AND another dining room were made available with the same menu for a fee

 

That sounds like something NCL would love too! $$$

[Cubechick]

Well all ready the second main dining rooms are reserved for Balcony and higher guests so that takes that one out, and it would me more staffing of yet another dining area at breakfast and lunch which is the only time some of the staff gets to sleep now.

 

I don't know that this experiment lasted either. On my recent Spirit cruise, the balcony cabins weren't offered a special dining venue.

[big green]

Actually there is no confusion on my part. With that being said, this is the first informative post on this thread for sometime. If Cagney's is full to capacity as it is right now with suite passengers I could see the point suite passengers are trying to make.

 

However if Cagney's is not at capacity, there is no way that having an inside passenger who pays for their breakfast/lunch takes away or infringes on your "perk".

 

rcclbound, thanks for making the point so many here cannot make.

 

This would distract from the exclusive use of Cagney's for only suite/vip

passengers--not acceptable for the price I pay for a suite to get this exclusive use.

 

BG

[njhorseman]

I don't know that this experiment lasted either. On my recent Spirit cruise, the balcony cabins weren't offered a special dining venue.

 

 

This wasn't a short term experiment. It was only in place on a few ships, including the Dawn, that had a significant overload problem in the buffet at breakfast. It wasn't used on the ships that had a "Great Outdoors" type venue with an additional buffet line and seating that relieved the strain on the main buffet. It was actually done for quite a while (sorry but I can't recall exactly how long). At last report it was no longer available on the Dawn...but it was not a limited short term experiment along the lines of the Cagney's test. The Spirit does have an additional outdoor dining area behind the main buffet, so it probably never had the extra dining venue open.

[Arwenmark]

I don't know that this experiment lasted either. On my recent Spirit cruise, the balcony cabins weren't offered a special dining venue.

 

That is not an experiment it is part of the freestyle 2.0 program and is still in effect as far as I know HOWEVER they did not and do not advertise it to guests onboard. If you don't know about it already or hear it from someone onboard then you will not be made aware of it by NCL.

 

[i am referring specifically to the breakfast in second dining room for balcony guests.]