laudergayle

Nothing about loyalty..it was the difference between 30, 26, 21 days. No communicated consistency. BTF = Burn The Floor

@dbrown84 I’m envious of those who can just go with the flow and live life as it comes your way. Unfortunately, I was blessed/cursed with the planning gene. My earliest days of planning came in the mid-70’s by doing the weekly grocery list with just $35 to spend and that had to also cover the 6-pack of 16 oz. Miller Lite and Taco flavored Doritos. Boiled shrimp and a bottle of cheap Rose’ (the one with a handle) were major splurges. I appreciate your approach to life.

Prima inaugural cruises had a more robust fixed menu that had some very nice items like Beef Wellington, along with maybe 10-12 sides, the pasta combo you referenced. At the start of 2023, they reduced the menu significantly. No more beef wells, the pastas were fixed plates and the sides dwindled to around 6-8. April 30 was the first Prima cruise where they went to the standard NCL rotating menu. This topic starts out suggesting that NCL will be testing a fixed menu on the Getaway at some point. What a fixed menu looks like is anyone’s guess. It likely would not be either of the Prima’s two fixed menus.

March 2025 is a very long time from now. All the cruise lines are still adjusting things to figure out how to rebound from Covid shutdown. And every year, typically starting in January, changes are made. as of right now, yes definitely book specialty dining at the 120 day mark.

But you see, we here on NCL CC board are loyalists. We do not represent the general population. While freestyle cruising is a nice-to-have, it does not give a NCL a significant advantage. There occupancy should be significantly greater than their competitors if this freestyle positioning was the driver. So, if NCL adapted a fixed dining time, but kept the casual nature of the cruise, would you stop cruising NCL? I asked myself that question, and the answer was…1) probably not unless they mess with the 2 dinner platinum reward 2) we would continue to cruise but probably buy more specialty dining, 3) we would hope more complimentary freestyle concepts like Indulge, Local, O’Sheehans became available. I’m not saying I know what NCL is going to do, I’m just saying just because you (us) find it valuable, nice, convenient, etc…that doesn’t mean NCL won’t change it.

What you say is accurate. Freestyle dining is not a competitive advantage for NCL. Cruisers are not choosing cruise line based on dining hours as a main part of their selection criteria. They are likely choosing based on cost/itinerary/convenience, and a certain % are choosing based on loyalty. I don’t know if fixed dining is less expensive than freestyle dining, but my instinct says that fixed might be less expensive…which is why so many cruise lines do fixed. NCL has said they will leave no stone unturned and have hired a consultant to find these cost cutting areas. This could be one area they are eyeing 🤷‍♀️

That would be such a Blessing for everyone. 🙏🏻

@rscales2 sorry…the steak and eggs is on the Haven breakfast menu.

It looks like it is on the breakfast menu from the Encore that @BirdTravels posted on its LIVE Encore thread. I would link it but don’t know how.

Leave it to NCL…so predictable and consistent 🤣

From my experience, if the balcony is less than your studio, you cannot upgrade…which seems silly. You have to upgrade to a cabin that costs more than what you paid for the studio. Or, you can request a FCC for the price difference between current studio vs what you paid. One time adjustment and must be requested at least 2 weeks before sailing. No adjustments T-14 days.

Thanks or bringing us along on your cruise. Where to next?

It’s nice to see a robust lineup of entertainment. Some of the ships sailing now have a paltry amount of shows.

Yes, 21 days is accurate for some entertainment, mainly the production shows. Comedy and some of the other shows do not take reservations.

Wow, who knew!!! I wish we would have known that tidbit. We were told it was random so be sure to have your key card scanned upon entrance. Needless to say we weren’t called as contestants.

Mom looks so pretty and so content in this picture. So happy for you both.

Yes add a morning arrival time for the day of the cruise on a major airline. Then next day go to the Baggage Claim area for that airline. Just make sure the hotel has reliable shuttle service. Read their reviews for that topic. in regards to @www3traveler we book through NCL so we don’t have a TA.

IKR makes my brain hurt at times🤕.

We don’t stay in the cabin, we have one drink before dinner in the cabin then swing by after dinner, grab our drink then head off for entertainment. By the time we’re finished with that one the bars are typically open (except Victoria). Probably more work for many, but I am a planner what can I say.

We are mostly beer and wine drinkers…so we think ahead when going to Canadian ports and get a couple beers and glasses of wine and put them our cabin fridge.

That’s how I look with Amex/Delta…thinking about rethinking my card mix.

Probably only one. Try doing a mock booking for an excursion and see if guest 1 & 2 get the credit.

Wow, that’s a crazy situation. Not being from the area I had no idea the expansiveness of the marathon.

Or just go directly to Brooklyn the day before the cruise and stay there overnight.

Perhaps. I’m just speculating. While Freestyle Dining may be a big draw, if the other cruise lines that have fixed dining are running at full occupancy it really isn’t a competitive advantage for NCL. And if anytime dining costs more to execute it would definitely be something NCL might consider. I shared in a previous post that on our November cruise on Bliss, we can only reserve Taste and Manhattan MDR for 6:30 or 8:30…which is a switch from previous cruises where could reserve on the half hour. Savor was not available to reserve until onboard. Again, just speculation…they could be experimenting with dining model similar to MSC. For an upcharge you can book anytime dining in Savor, with overflow into one section of another MDR. Also spectulation…NCL may be considering a new brand positioning moving away from Freestyle Truth is…none of us here on CC has any idea what NCL May or may not do.