maywell

I totally agree with your observations. I don't think NCL will ever become a luxury line or a premium line, like Crystal or Celebrity, but it could certainly compete with mainstream lines like Royal Caribbean and Princess and I think that is realistically the position in the cruising ranks that Mr. Del Rio is looking at.

 

I agree as well with both observations - NCL looks more Royal with the pricing and amenities/features than Carnival, which is, let's be honest; bottom of the barrel. But at same time, it's no Oceania or Cunard - it's not whom NCL is primarily targeting in most of the regular cabins, anyway; they're aiming for people who don't mind spending $5-50 a day on the ship, definitely not Oceania level of money spending. Carnival works well for some people, not all people; likewise with NCL/Royal /Oceania/Cunard- it's not for everyone.

 

 

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Nice find ... we can further lower that by at $100 per stateroom in extra OBC, stackable on top of anything else by the line and/or TA. Disclosure - for us, that's from stockholder's perks, easy cash "back" on top of our very nice quarterly dividends. Not so much for NCLH (which we don't own) Baltimore might just be on our radar for next Spring - and the extended clan will likely be coming along as they usually do. [emoji14] We don't need x # of upcharge dining, ice bar, water slides or rope course, etc. - a matter of personal preference & priorities.

 

Back to the big revenue dream, however, cabins going vacant approaching the cruise date, i.e. Thanksgiving, coming up on the BA - which shouldn't be too difficult to sell out quick, etc. - is not necessary good for Wall Street. Prices dropping - really, last minute - like flies - OX is just $699 p/p + taxes/fees, etc. Wait, BX lowered to be the same price @ $699 p/p ... Thus, just $50 more than IX and there is now Studio availability, woohoo - those solo travelers must be getting nice upgrades, or not ?? Many don't care for a GTY cabin but we are fine with them - should we hit the button & go last minute again, but - "no" - not going.

 

Allright, standby for the "spinning" next ...

 

Use it - the Ignore list - easy to skip reading & not respond to nonsense, there is a difference on an open forum, on agreeing to disagree.

 

I don't travel on holidays or summer especially Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas/New Year's because got to make a appreance at family 's mini reunion - in NYC, no less... But the week after Thanksgiving is perfectly nice for since it's low price, my birthday week and no Christmas songs/carols shove down my throat, lol.

 

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Oh ok. Saving $896 on the price of UBP is not a deal. Right. You must have learned some alternate math. And by the way, I am a seasoned cruiser.

 

 

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I think he's not liking that he has to pay $80 autotips per person aka "Fake free promo", lol. And that's the thing most of the complainers are whining about, paying a fee for choices that other people are not paying/eating and thinking it matters to those that are not paying/eating it.

 

For example, prime rib that's usually a small cut, being free on Tuesday & Thursday - now has a every day charge of $15 and is a larger cut with no bone in it. They can go knock themselves and be angry over that because I don't see NCL (or any cruise line) serving up my favorite cut of pork in my prefer style of cooking anywhere, not even in the specialty restaurant. Is not having my favorite pork cut on a cruise trip (or any trip for that matter) going to ruin my good time? No, because 1)their other food to eat that I can survive on and 2) its not that freaking important especially when you're on ship with 2000-4000 others aka masses, I'll be lucky if they even seasoned the food with Adobo / black pepper/garlic/onion/cumin/cilantro/curry/etc and it actually has taste.

 

What's important and favorite food choice for one, is not the same for EVERYONE. And if its that important and serious, you either budget for it or go somewhere else that still has it included in the fare.

[quote name='3kidsncats']I don't get it either --I find it almost boggling. The only thing that I can really think is that they really don't have to budget like I do -- and maybe they don't realize how disrespectful and condescending they appear. I have a party of six I'm paying for -- several of whom would want the prime-rib -- so that $15 extra is now $30, $45, $60, etc. for us to enjoy something we would have gotten (yes, a smaller portion which we would be delighted with) as included had we been able to pick an earlier sailing date.

I keep seeing the word "choice" related to pay for the upgrade or not, it's your choice. When for me, the choice was to buy the cruise in the first place, with the understanding that certain things were included. A "choice" that comes along later, requiring me to pay for what I already feel like I paid for, isn't really a choice.[/QUOTE]


I can't speak for other but I can definitely tell you for myself - I know that 1) things/policies/rules change at any given time without notice, so either pay it up or don't. And 2) when stuff changes like every other week /month and one think it's for the worst before their trips months down the line - that should be the anvil-dropping hint to go elsewhere / run like hell; whether it's a cruise line or a land vacation....



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It's listed under "Classic Favorites", along with Dorado Ceviche (everyone's classic favorite :D:confused:), Caesar Salad, Rotisserie Chicken, Poached Salmon, and Shrimp Rigatoni. So that section is a mix of starters/salads and main dishes. A plate of steak fries is neither. The MDR menus do not list side dishes like vegetables and fries separately.

 

The side dishes /add-on for each entree is under the name of dish. Steak frites is exactly what it is - a main dish of Steak with fries with a side dish of tomato, watercress and herb butter, lol.

 

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They tried 2 in a studio in the very beginning, didn't work out well and was soon discontinued.

No, I mean there's literally connecting studios on the Breakaway-class ships where the mirror door is the divider between the 2 rooms. Not many, but they're there.

 

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You can do a connecting rooms that'll make the 100 Sq ft to 200 for both, but you have to pay the fare of 1 in each room....

 

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Sorry Steak Frites mean large french fries..

Jancruz1

No, it's the French/Belgium wording of Steak with fries (Steak frites), not the other wording of a verison of French fries (steak fries aka potato wedges).

 

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:( it doesn't have them listed.... But it does have some other great items on there!!!

Sad that mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders and pot pie is gone but at least they kept the wings and hamburgers....

 

Edit- Forgot they add pouting to the menu - I love those!

 

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24 days til 12 day :D

 

387 days til 3 week B2B :D

24 days til 12 day Breakaway trip :D

 

387 days til 3 week Escape & Getaway B2B :)

Waiting to do what you describe for my 12 day coming up later this month - Well, minus the Vibe and spa passes, don't really use them that much anyway...:o But definitely breakfast & lunch at Uptown Grill, tasting, and a stroll / seating down on the Waterfront - it wouldn't be much of a good cruise without doing neither. :D

Well if no one buys it I bet we end up with Lobster Bisque and Lobster Surprise on the Buffet on the 6 day. [emoji2]

I thought that's what the lobster / seafood pasta in the buffet was...

 

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Eew... Frozen Lobster. No thanks, that's one I don't have to worry about spending money on.

That's why I'm not that hung up on lobster on cruise lines like NCL - feeding 2000-4000 people on any ships and what water tanks to hold those things so they alive when tossed in pots or cut & broil, for 2 nights on a 7 day cruise?

 

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Okay, just for grins I priced a 2017 cruise out of the northeast. Breakaway out of NYC in April 2017 midship balcony on a Bahamas itinterary comes in at $3600

 

Pride out of Baltimore in April 2017 midship balcony on an Eastern Caribbean itinerary comes in at $1900.

 

I know that some would pick the BA because it's newer but I'm not one of those;).

 

You do know that's springbreak weeks, right? Easter is April 16th for 2017. Same situation for 2016 when it falls on March 27 - neither are a good times for people that don't like to around too many kids.

 

You also know that you compared Carnival Pride that about the same size as the Sky with even less amenities than that ship, to a megaship like the Breakaway - of course, the Pride is going to be dirt cheap, lol. And it's Baltimore, not everyone is clamoring to visit there either....

 

Edit- If you're going to compare 'small' ships - Gem is sailing from NYC for those 2 time periods. True, longer itinerary than both the Pride and Breakaway, but for the same price of the Breakaway for a 10-14 day trip.

 

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Am I missing something, but what happened to the choice of Garden Spring Mix or Ceasar Salad under the "starters"? Looks like the French Onion soup is gone too.

 

Those are my go-to appetizers if nothing else looks good.

 

:confused:

Cesear Salad is now everyday main dish/entree under "Classics". The other 2, is like once or 2 a trip, from the looks of the menus.

 

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Could be, or it could be something else. Elsewhere on the menu they have "Cream of Grana Padano", what does Google tell you about that?*

 

*Rhetorical question, we have Google here, too.

Cheese soup/chowder/puree made out of Grand Padano cheese. Remember, who the bulk of NCL customers are - Americans (US and Canada), where some are foodies and others are not. And for those who are not foodies, it has to be worded differently to be appealing to them aka have to be fancied up or dumbed down.

 

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Cream of mozzarella = Burrata

 

Google for the win! [emoji14]

 

Edit - Carpaccio (thinly sliced) and tartare (thinly minced /grounded up) are exactly what they are - just fancy worded differently for American audience.Some will know exactly what those terms means and rest will think that sounds good to eat or not.[emoji5]

 

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I'm guessing that they mean cassolette. Sure, it's almost the same word, but it's like mixing up "hash browns" and "hash brownies". Close enough, right? And elsewhere on the menu, they do use the word correctly ("Tarbais Bean Cassoulet").

 

NCL's menus are full of foreign language terms because people see words they don't understand and they conclude it must be fine dining. They have obviously put some effort into getting things right ("crème brûlée", "ragù", "tiramisù", most people would not have bothered with all those accents), so it's a shame they haven't corrected this escargot thing.

 

Could had been worst confusing American pants with English/British pants - same spelling, different meaning. Or same word and meaning but different spelling like color and colour.

 

Regarding NCL Menu - the meals themselves are from different parts of the world and some are just Americanized for easy spelling and/or understanding especially to an mostly American audience sailing from the Americas. I wouldn't take completely to heart, considering who most of the intend audience is, especially when it's in standard American English.

 

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Oh no, they're still calling it "Escargot Cassoulet" :eek:

Its the americanized word version of the same thing - snails slowed cooked casserole-style. [emoji9]

 

Otherwise, I'm liking the new menus - it's less items, that's true; but good multiple interesting choices every night. It's going to be hard for me to figure out when to go to specialty restaurants for dinner.[emoji5]

 

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It's completely automated via DSC for complimentary and 18% for specialty restaurants /drinks not include in the fare. You can tip additional if you want via cash or signing it on the receipt, but it's not necessary.

 

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You can make a payment when you 1st login to MyNCL.com on the box that says "make a payment" in the "My Cruise Vacation (s)". Or when you go to "view reservation", then in the "Vacation summary", in the tab labeled "Payment". You call also call NCL to make a payment, too.

 

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Also, did I mention you can download current menus?

Thank you for the menus, the complimentary dishes look more interesting than the 3 upcharges - I'm going to have a even harder time stepping into specialty restaurants at night, especially if NCL changes them in the MDR before the end of this year.[emoji5]

 

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What type of lunch do they have in Moderno?

 

Its a complimentary buffet.

 

I thought that Cagney's only serves breakfast to suite passengers....

What do they charge if not in a suite?

 

I think you're confusing it with the Dawn- and Jewel-class ships, since they don't have a equivalent of Haven/Suite restaurant on them. On the Breakaway (Getaway, Escape, & Epic, too), Haven have their own completely separate restaurant in their area for breakfast / lunch / dinner.

Thanks for the full MDR menus, the complimentary offerings look interesting.