MrMike45

Actually have a legit question, if someone knows the answer to it:

On the Breakaway and Escape (only 2 other ships with Vibe I have been on), the Vibe passes are now $200+ and I want to say are limited to ~100 passes per cruise.

On the Getaway, with the expanded Vibe...how much are they going for, and how many passes are there?  Does anyone know? 

12 hours ago, elwood_98034 said:

We are paying 10x the price of an inside cabin just so that when we walk on deck we don't have 10x people standing there with us. I'm sorry. We four are paying for those forty other people not to be there with us.

 

We have bid on a H2. The DOS. If we get that I doubt that we will even leave the cabin. We probably won't even let the butler in.

Must have been a good sale...few posts prior you claimed 20x as much 

I know I said I would back out, but this right here...this is why the bid system is good.  Clearly these people won something they will cherish by bidding (presumably unable to pay for it at advertised price).  And the excitement alone is awesome

Was on this same cruise, and literally didn't encounter a single one of these issues.  Maybe it's cause I'm one of those 30-60 year olds with tattoos who like to drink.  

With all due respect...sounds like the OP would be better off on an off-season cruise to Canada or something where the demographic tends to be an older crowd.  

4 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

MrMike, I know you have bowed out of the convo so you might not see this, but you are quite the NCL cruiser, from looking at your signature. I appreciate your perspective. Since you brought it up, I thought I would say that when we were looking for a replacement for the MSC Armonia cruise we'd booked (due to the cancellation of the Cuba port of call), we considered NCL but, as you said, it seems you get charged individually for a lot of things. Doing an apples to apples comparison, we decided that MSC was the better value. Thanks again for your perspective!

Got the notice of your reply...NCL really has changed their pricing over the years, for the worst IMO.  For example, it is such a minor charge in the grand scheme of how much we spent on the cruise, but for some reason, a month later, I am still super annoyed by it:

We are platinum plus with NCL so we get a few free specialty dinners ever cruise.  In addition, we always take the Specialty Dining perk as one of our selections.  So on a 7 day cruise we took in May, we wound up with 5 nights/dinners at one of their specialty restaurants.  Cagney's is their steakhouse.  It is ala carte pricing, but with the SDP, you are covered for 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 dessert per person.  We chose the SDP as a perk, and paid 18% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Fine.

So we go to Cagney's and my wife and I both order Shrimp Cocktail for an appetizer.  We are informed that there is an up charge, above the SDP package plus gratuity we already paid for of $3.99 for Shrimp Cocktail.  I ask when did this start and they say a few months ago.  Obviously we both say fine, it's $4 for what we want, who is going to say no on vacation.  The bill comes at the end, and the charge is for $9.44.  We are both charged the $3.99 plus an 18% gratuity on the shrimp cocktail.  So I ask why, and they say that is the standard pricing.  So let me get this straight...if we ordered any of the other 10 appetizers on the menu, no gratuity fee to deliver the plate from the kitchen to our table.  But because we ordered the one that was an upcharge of $4, you add in 18% tip on that one item?  Did it take any more work to bring it from the kitchen to our table?  Obviously, we paid the bill, added in a cash tip for our waiter who was just doing her job and following what she was told to do, and 100% not her fault.  But it annoyed the hell out of me.

And that is basically what NCL has become.  Any place they can squeeze a penny out of you, they will.  

Ate - first let me compliment you on a very intelligent and well written reply.  I still respectively disagree with you, but very respectively.  I did some quick research (under 5 minutes, so very quick):

- NCL's bid program seems to have gone into effect ~ Feb 2017.....as my first cruise with them was 7 years prior, I can 100% attest to the fact that prices were on the rise a great deal prior to the bidding beginning

- RCI's bid program seems to have gone into effect ~ Nov 2018....never been on an RCI cruise, but in what I have heard and read, their prices were all increasing quite a bit before then.

I do not agree that the bidding is the cause of the top end rooms being more expensive.  I still believe that it is due to the newer/larger ships, with newer/more expensive attractions that is causing the costs to rise across the board.  Even NCL ships which do not have a Haven are significantly more expensive than they were only a few years ago.  Same as lines like Carnival who do not have a bidding system.  It is a product of increased interest, new ships, and supply and demand...if we can charge that much and people pay/why wouldn't we?  

I did a quick look at the next 8 MSC ships scheduled for departures over the next week or so.

Of the 10 cruises:

2 are completely sold out

2 only have Yacht Club Deluxe Suites available

2 have Balcony and Inside rooms

2 only have Inside or OV rooms available

So if MSC can take a bid on the 2 cruises with YC rooms, and fill those with people already booked in a lower level room, and make a few extra bucks while the passenger gets to upgrade at a cheaper rate...why is this not win-win?  Same with the balcony rooms if someone with an inside bids up.  

As you said, the holding back of rooms cannot be confirmed and is speculative.  IF they are doing that, I will agree with you 100%, but until someone can prove that, I do not have issue with the bidding system from either side, the company or the passenger.

I stand by my original post though.  There are quite a few replies in this thread that give off the vibe that people do not want "normal cruisers" in their yacht club at a discounted rate thru the bidding system.  Whether it be sour grapes that someone might get in their for cheaper than they pay, or it be that they are worried that the YC might turn into a less than prestigious area than it previously was (as some have claimed with the NCL Haven).  Not every response though, so not one think I am pointing the finger at them please.  

With that being said, I will drop out of this conversation as I don't want it to escalate and turn into a back and forth.  We can disagree on the economics and increase in pricing on cruises.  I am looking forward to my first MSC cruise in October, and hope we like the product, for the simple reason being that lately, the NCL product has no longer lived up to the cost.  It used to be much more bang for the buck.  But with a lot of their attractions and services turning into "pay-to-play" we decided to try another line.  Mind you, we are comped rooms thru the casino, and pay for upgrades only (not bidding, thru the casino when booking).  Even with those discounts, we have not been as happy with their product and pricing, so we are looking to try other lines, even at a more expensive rate.  And if I get the bid up email, I will bid on a Yacht Club room, even though they are listed as sold out, and hope we can score one.  They were sold out when we booked in May, so never had a chance to see how much they cost and if it was something we wanted to book.  

Happy cruising all, Mike 

58 minutes ago, Até said:

Sorry, NCL's current bidding system affects all levels of cabin's asking prices from day one, and NCL can now hold to that inflated pricing longer, regardless if the category isn't selling well.  The people who only want that specific type of cabin or are not willing to gamble on location are forced to pay that inflated price or not book.  NCL has a database of pending minimum bids to calculate total revenue to be absolutely sure they will never have net revenue less than if they sold the cabins outright without a bid system.  Inflated asking prices are pretty much key to a bidding systems basic operation - if net revenue has to remain the same, or hopefully be higher, someone has to pay more in order for someone else to pay less - paying "less" is the very lure of the bidding system itself.  Their best case theoretical scenario would be everyone pays more, but that doesn't seem to happen as I haven't heard of a sailing where absolutely no bids were won.  Sure, several people will win bids that get a cabin for less than that asking price, a few may even get it for below original pre bid system prices - but all at the expense of those who were forced to pay a premium, because the net revenue is going to be the same at the very least. 

 

I understand these cabin pricing forces have always been "naturally" at work in the background, but I just don't like a system that actively encourages offering of deals to some passengers at the expense of others.  And people need to realize this affects all cabin types that you can bid on, so ocean view and above.  It adversely affects anyone who wants a specific cabin class or location, encompassing those not willing to take a guarantee, even insides.  The only people who are definitely going to win in NCL's bidding system are the back up pool of those people happy with last minute heavily discounted guarantee insides that they use to fill the bottom empty cabins after the bids are awarded.

Multiple disagreements with your statement.  

First, I have been on 17 NCL cruises, as I stated.  The price "inflation" is not due to the bidding system IMO.  It is due to A) popularity increase of cruises as a vacation over the last 10-15 years or so, as reflected by all the major cruise lines coming out with more and larger capacity ships.  B) those new and large capacity ships, with new attractions such as go karts or laser tag or virtual reality or whatever that now need to be paid for.  And C) all the "added free" perks that NCL gives, that really are not free.  They jack the baseline cruise fare price and call their drink package free.  Net result is same amount of income for the company, but the customer thinks they just got a great deal on the drink package.  

I do not believe that NCL holds back Haven rooms for bids in any way, shape or form.  Nor have I seen any proof of that, which I would be very interested in seeing and it might change my opinion.  They put on sale a cruise on the NCL Escape, which has 4400 passengers.  They send out the bid invites 120 days prior to sale date.  You can bid on any category of room above the one you have booked.  They are still taking reservations on all the Haven rooms.  Even if I put in a bid today on the last Haven room, but you call tomorrow and book at the advertised price, they are not going to tell you no, sorry it's sold out.  My bid will ultimately be rejected because of no vacancy.  

If I cannot afford the advertised price of a Haven/Yacht Club cabin, I will not book one.  I have seen the cruise price increase over the years since we have been cruising, but again, I do not believe this is due to the bidding system, but rather the cruise line industry economics as a whole.  Bigger, shiny newer ships, higher costs with more "pay-to-play" added charge activities.  I think the bidding system is a way for cruise lines to fill the more expensive rooms on their ships, and offers your average passenger a chance at upgrading at a cost they are comfortable with.  

18 minutes ago, DMH15 said:

This is absolutely not true!   Not only am I totally NOT stuck up If you met me at trivia or at the spa I would likely strike up a conversation with you.  

 

Here is the deal.  I am NOT rich... but I budget for my suite cruise every orher year.   My job of almost 30 years has me catering to people on a daily basis.  A lot.  When I vacation I look forward to being pampered.  I choose a line like MSC or (the old) NCL where I can have pampering without being amongst snobs that I would be on a luxury line.  I do not have tons of money to throw away.  Value is important to me. 

 

MSC, I thought, had it right.  Price suites correctly, where the product is in demand and might sell out but some availability can be found.  In the case of NCL they upped the suite prices, in many cases doubling them.  So, less people booked them.  I know that is when I tried MSC.  

 

No, I do not want to book a balcony and then try for the bid.  I am an organized planner.   I like to

know exactly what I am buying.  For that reason I usually book early.  And book the suite I want.  

 

The losers are folks like me.  I cruised solo in an inside on Seaside in May.  I booked a year in advance. It was a little over $3,000.   So now, with the new model, if that same cruise costs me $5000 and the person next to me booked s balcony for $1,500 and bid $1,000 to updrade I am paying an inflated price.  

 

This to model is for people who like to play the game.  It is not for me.  I make no apologies.  But it has thing to do with being stuck up. 

First, I did not single any one person out, so I don't get why you are so defensive.  Second, I am entitled to my opinion.  I have never cruised on MSC, we have our first booked for October, so I really never frequented these forums until recently.  I have posted on occasion, but in reading this specific thread, as an outsider from NCL with 17 cruises with them, that is how many of the posts come of.  Again though, I did not single any individual or specific post, merely a general observation.  

Here is my take on it.  Everyone else does it, so why not cruise lines?

When I check into a hotel I ask the front desk if they have any suite upgrades they can offer me.  I booked a normal room, I didn't want to spend double a night on a suite.  But if the hotel has one available, and they offer it to me at a discounted rate that I feel is good value and affordable, why should I not ask and accept that price?  So what's the difference with cruise lines?  You are assuming they will inflate prices of rooms because of this new bidding system.  But the bidding system only comes in to play, if there is a room to bid on.  

On our October cruise, the Yacht Club has been sold out since May when we booked.  If I got a "bid up" email, I could bid $10,000 on a yacht club room, and it means nothing.  There is no availability.  If there are rooms available, and if they offer them, and if Joe Schmoe decides I can't afford full price for YC but I can afford $500 more pp, and if his bids wins and he scores a room for his family he could not otherwise afford...who cares?  Good for him and his family.  He scored a nice deal.  And he gets to experience something that they otherwise couldn't afford.  

Nice! Enjoy.  Hopefully you get lucky and get a nice spot or even bumped up to a mini or something. 

Of all the places to go, Bermuda would be the most ideal for last minute/no time to plan anything.  It's go to the beach, or go to the beach, or go to the beach lol.  

Well I stand corrected if they are to be smaller/too small to add a Go Kart track.  Based off the pictures I have seen online, they look significantly bigger, especially the top deck/open area 

Maybe it's because I have been on so many NCL cruises that I am so against this.  It's not about a specific thing, it's about everything as a whole.  It's about adding fees on top of the pay-to-play fees (i.e. buying a dining package to eat at Cagney's, then charging an additional $3.99 plus 18% gratuity (so they need an extra tip to bring this appetizer vs. bringing any other?) for shrimp cocktail.)   It's about taking away more and more of what was included with your $3000 cruise fare, and adding more and more of Well even though you already paid us $3000, this costs an additional $10, that costs an additional $20, that costs an additional $5.   And now, they take away open space to add in paid attractions.  Whether it be to sun bathe, or just hang outside and walk around, the top deck is now 1/3 Vibe-Haven (pay) - 1/3 race track-laser tag (pay) - 1/3 free pool area.  It's more paid areas than not.  I'm not sure other cruise lines are going that far in the "pay-to-play" business model.  

3 minutes ago, First_Time_Cruiser85 said:

Mr’ I cannot believe there is less space to sunbathe’ is back.😂😂😂😂😂

Just curious...what cruise are you booked on?  And how many times, at $7 a race, did you plan to ride the Go Karts?  Since they clearly are a very appealing attraction to you 

10 minutes ago, First_Time_Cruiser85 said:

Mr Mike, show me the proof all NCL ships after Encore will have go kart tracks!

Clearly, I am not in the architectural blue print department for NCL, so I have no proof.  

I do have proof that the last 3 ships that have enough room/strength to support a Go Kart track will have them.  There was also proof given that a ship that will be going into dry dock next year (again with enough room/strength) will have one added.  None of NCL's other ships have the room/strength to support a Go Kart track.  The Project Leonardo ships are all larger than the current builds, so they will be able to support one.  Simple premise of theory here. 

I also do not have proof that the sun will rise tomorrow, but I am pretty sure it will.  

5 minutes ago, First_Time_Cruiser85 said:

Reading these comments and again so many complaining about the go kart track.

They are NOT forcing it on every ship they can think of!

NCL will have 17 ships by the time Encore is finished, go kart tracks are in just 3 of them, Joy, Bliss and now Encore.

3 Out of 17 is clearly not every ship.

The go kart track on Joy was popular and why they added one to Bliss, the track on Bliss was extremely popular and why they added one to Encore.

Encore is the 4th and final ship in NCL breakaway fleet, is there 100 percent proof that the go kart tracks will be added to their new ships through to 2029 on their Leonardo class?

Every company changes whether you have been a loyal customer or not, for better or worse hotels do it, airlines do it, cruise ships do it, restaurants do it etc.

 

 

 

They are adding to the Escape.  All the other ships are not big enough to support the Go Kart track.  Every new ship is.  Do the math 

The fact that they are adding (or attempting to add) Go Karts to other ships people already love is the clearest indication that NCL doesn't give a rat's a$$ about its' loyal customers, but only about how much money those customers can add to their on board spend.  

The Go Karts thing is a cool concept.  I am sure that there are people out there who when planning a vacation are like "that's awesome we have to try that".  But that's it...try it.  You do it once, maybe twice, and you're done.  Having it on one or two ships makes them "the ships with the go kart track".  Forcing it on every ship that it can fit on, even ones that already have great ratings and reviews, killing all the novelty of it, totally different.  And what happens when this all backfires?  And all the latitude (repeat sailing) members don't use the go karts at all.  Are there enough new cruisers on a weekly basis to sustain them?  OR did you just waste 1/3rd of your top side real estate on an attraction that will collect dust after awhile.

I just don't get it, other than Norwegian officially saying screw it.  Let's not even try to hide it anymore.  Everything on board will be an extra fee, take it or leave it.  

on one of our first cruises, i think one of our bags was easily 75 lbs.  We put all our toiletries and shoes and stuff like that in there.  The porter made a comment to the effect of "wow this is one of the heaviest ones of the day" but that was it.  since then we have broken up our heavy stuff with clothes so all the suitcases are more reasonable.   

Wish there was some option to do this.  We booked with the Memorial Day All-In deal which included the Easy drink package.  I drink cider (Angry Orchard/Strongbow) and soda.  My wife drinks 1-2 glasses of wine with dinner and coffee or water.  

We're booked on an 11 day cruise, so upgrading the drink package would cost around $500 or so.  Or, we stick with the current package, and I drink Heineken or Miller Lite, and/or pay for a cider when I want one.  Stinks that there is no middle ground between the 2 packages.  Per the menus, ciders are $1 more than the $6 limit.  But if I order one, I have to pay $7 plus gratuity.  

2 hours ago, Shoppie124 said:

Am I the only one who noticed the OP only has 3 posts - all about the same thing.  They haven't responded to a single question.

 

Seems we've been TROLLED!

 

 

I said this...about 40 posts ago.  Literally one of these posts every 2 weeks or so.  The last one I believe was from the person who felt singled out about being in a certain category on a certain cruise which may or may not have included a certain jewish demographic of people (yes I am intentionally being as vague as the OPs always are).  

Think that one got over 250 responses.  Wonder how many this troll post will hit

Never been on Princess.  You have to pick whether you want slot cash or chips with Casino comp money?  And if you pick chips, have to pick the game?  Never heard of anything like that before.  

Best bet...have him park somewhere near by, and then give him a call when you are walking down the gangway before you get into the customs building.  From that point it's about 30 mins until you are on the street with your luggage (roughly).  This is what we do with all our cruises/pickups 

The weekly troll, create a new account, post a few vague threads/posts bashing NCL without giving any real details...disappear in a few days never to be heard from again.  

20 minutes ago, First_Time_Cruiser85 said:

Rtkenmore....you think correcting someone’s spelling is winning an argument?😂

Who cares I have not been on any cruises?I already know cruising is not for sunbathing, I go to Tahiti for that!

Cruising is all about the entertainment, restaurants, awesome food and visiting awesome new places.

Like seriously who cares about the public space on Encore.

It’s a ship and just like a hotel it’s sole purpose is to make money, if NCL want to charge people to use the 2 deck beach vibe area so what?

The joy you must bring on cruise ships!LOL!

Not picking sides here, but please just save and remember this post AFTER you're first cruise with NCL ok?  Many of us posting (complaining) here have been on 10-15-20 + NCL cruises.  We are NOT solely complaining about lack of space to sun bathe as you keep referring to.  We are complaining that NCL keeps raising the real estate on the pay-to-play areas and things to do.  

Some people do like to relax.  Some people do like to go to bars and restaurants.  Some people do like to go to the pool and slides.  Some people do like to do shows and live music.  Yes, everyone's idea of what is fun on vacation is different.  But I think everyone can agree that when you spend $2000-3000-4000 for a cruise, you expect that to be the majority of the spend.  If NCL keeps increasing areas that require you to spend more, that amount now doubles.  And from the artist renderings and floor plans, that is exactly what NCL is doing with Encore, and will likely do more with their next batch of ships.  

It's getting to the point, that cruising, which always was great bang for the buck value wise, might not be so much anymore if you have to pay to do anything outside of eat at the buffet.  

Pretty soon, going to cost as much in added expenses after you board the ship, as it costs to book a room to get on the ship.  This rendition has to be inaccurate (I hope).  Looks like way less than 1/3 for the "free" guests.  

Even if they cram 500 people in Vibe/Haven (which is probably a super inflated number), still talking only 25% of the passengers.  How do you give the other 75% so little real estate outside on the pool deck?  

1 hour ago, FranknBeans said:

what if it was a teenager who had nothing to drink but was clowning around crawling between balconies? What if it was someone who committed suicide?  What if alcohol wasn't involved at all?

 

I have no respect for  people who try and don't succeed as they are  just attention getters and teenagers should not be allowed to purchase pkg just like they did years ago at  March break.

Did you really just say you have no respect for people who try to commit suicide but don't succeed, and they are just attention getters?  How is this not grounds for immediate banning from this forum? 

1 minute ago, Young and Restless said:

The cancelation didn't happen , in fact the message I received has about the canceled cruises  has disappeared. 

 

Sailings beyond September 2, 2019 will be automatically cancelled and refunds will be applied to the original form of payment. Guests impacted by these cancellations are offered a 20% discount off current cruise fares on any new voyages booked by August 5, 2019 for sailings no later than December 31, 2020.

 

The itinerary has changed NO Cuba,

Any know what is going on???? 

I would contact NCL, and reference this notice that was sent out yesterday.  Say per the message, the cruise was supposed to be automatically cancelled.  They're probably the only ones who can help you