laudergayle

If you really look at the sentiment behind this thread, it is a group of NCL loyalists who are disappointed in the brand they once loved without condition. For many, their relationship with NCL has changed. The brand has evolved (positive wording for those who are ok with the changes) to a point where loyalists can no longer love unconditionally. We want our voices heard…perhaps a cry out before we find another love. We presume that NCL monitors these boards, so this is a perfect place to subjectively share our thoughts and emotions. It’s a perfect focus group for NCL.

YES., OUI, JA, JE, SIM…

Book your inside cabin (preferably an IA if you want best pick for balcony) through your PCC. You can use your Cruise Next as your deposit. Just tell your PCC to apply it. Once booked, do a mock booking for balcony cabins to identify one you want. Then call the WP number and request the 60k point upgrade from Inside to Balcony. Hopefully the cabin you want will be available through the WP rep. You don’t have to have your booking paid in full. Enjoy your cruise. Also, an upgrade is a much better value than a statement credit.

Your statement is too simplistic. Are you speaking of net cost per passenger at capacity? Are you referring to the cost of delivering a specific service? Not sure what you’re really suggesting? A cruise is an emotional experience (as witnessed here on cc). It is not like buying a hammer…which is transactional. If I can spend more to deliver a cruise experience that emotionally connects to you, the more likely you are to choose my cruise, and pay a premium. That’s why loyalty programs exist. If I can fill my ship before yours (assuming we have effective revenue strategies), my cruise will likely do less discounting.

For all those wondering about target market. It is likely everyone in the mid market …which is broad. Therefore they really need a reason why NCL is the right choice. NCL’s current positioning is probably something like the following. It defines the industry segment, their target market, and Freestyle being their competitive advantage. NCL is the mid market cruise line for leisure travelers seeking an unparalleled experience with freestyle cruising. Our cruisers have the choice to dine when and where they want with industry leading dining options. Freestyle cruising offers the freedom and flexibility to ensure you have time to enjoy all of our onboard entertainment. From this positioning statement it would be up to NCL marketing and operations to vet what those industry leading dining options and onboard entertainment is that creates an unparalleled experience. Post 2021, all of the changes NCL has made have denigrated the elements that deliver an “unparalleled” experience. Yes they still have Freestyle cruising…but it doesn’t link back to anything that makes them more special than any other cruise line. The ops (cost cutters) team is getting their choices at the expense of the branding team(experience and emotional connection). This can only last so long. There will be one mid market cruise line that starts delivering that emotional experience better than the others…and that brand will win. Sent from my iPad

Spot on. The winner will be the one who takes advantage of this same/same situation.

11 pages now, and there is one truth we can all agree on. NCL has cut service, eliminated some crowd favorites, modified menus and in some cases is using lower quality ingredients, has changed entertainment direction, and…for all different reasons has skipped scheduled ports of call. NCL ships are sailing full…at the moment. NCL no longer offers a competitive advantage or differentiator from other cruise lines. Why is this important? The competitive advantage is what keeps cruisers loyal to a brand. Lacking this, cruisers are more likely to shop around. Shopping around has become a frequent comment of posters on this thread. The thread for those of us who like NCL enough to participate in the NCL forum on CC. This should be a Big Red Light for the NCL brand marketing team.

Yes lol. But, one of our fore fathers branded hotel/motel was Kemmons Wilson. The motel chain he started over 65 years ago is now part of historical America. Seriously…how many movie/song references mention Holiday Inn? And, while the British operating company may not admit…the Holiday Inn brand is, and will be, the corner stone of their worldwide hotel brand portfolio.

Actually, I liked the show. I liked the biographical entertainment, and I’m sorry others won’t know her story. My comment was more satirical around NCL downgrading nightly entertainment.

Well, that’s the new entertainment! Watch as The Donna Summer Show disappears…it’s the new Magic Show. Yay!

Just now driving home from a short 3-day cruise out of Port Canaveral on MSC Seashore. We’ve been very loyal to NCL since we started cruising again in 2021. We are Platinum on NCL and we really enjoy the 2 Specialty dinners. Our last NCL cruise was n November on Bliss. This was our second quickie MSC cruise. Sold out cruise. We are now huge fans of MSC. The service is exceptional. Fully staffed everywhere. Two x daily room service. $16 pp pd DSC. No charge for morning continental room service if booking Fantastica experience or above. Coffee is excellent everywhere on the ship. Water included in drink package. Buffet food selection and quality surpasses NCL. Quality of beef (burgers, entrees, NY strip on MDR) all cooked to temp and tender. Pasta and pizza delicious. Entertainment on par with NcL…no big productions. Entertainment around ship in lounge venues on MSC has much better choices in larger venues than NCL. Internet included for 2 people, one device each unlimited on MSC, price/value equation on MSC much better. We have 2 future cruises on NCL and will continue to book NCL with a good value/itinerary. Bottom line: MSC is solid. NCL is good, but no longer good enough to keep us from searching for and booking other cruise lines. if the Joy timing and pricing works for you…my thought is you will be fine doing the cruise to Bermuda. If will just make you appreciate the extra nice touches of MSC.

Well my friend, as we say in the south… Count your blessings. That being said, get a travel prescription for generic zofran. You will be thankful you were on CC and someone suggested it.

Lol…right there with you. We actually were much more adventurous with eating before the noro incident. We are sooo cautious now.

Perhaps. DH sat down while I got a cheese plate. Once I smelled the seating area, we moved. Since this was the pinnacle of Covid testing, I actually wiped down the new table with wipes. All I know is it spreads invisibly. To all cruisers, beware and always travel with Zofran.

So what are you saying? Are you suggesting that sitting on a sofa that was contaminated would not make you ill? Are you saying noro cannot be air bound. Confused by what you are saying?

Did Bliss to Mexican Riviera in November right after the switch from daylight saving time. In PV, the ship time was one hour behind PV time. In your case, arriving in PV after switch back to daylight saving time, both ship time and local time should match. 7 am ship time = 7 am PV time.

In May of 2022 we had just arrived at port in Seattle to board the Bliss for our AK cruise. Outside the terminal they were handing out flyers which stated that the previous cruise had a >2% outbreak of Norovirus and they were required by the CDC to inform passengers. We were offered a full refund (don’t know if it was FCC or refund). Well, we thought “what are the chances” and we boarded. Two days in and Hubby was soooo sick. He saw AK from the bed in a balcony cabin. I saw AK from the balcony. If you have never had noro, you have no idea how viscous this illness is. If you have…we’ll then you know. I would be thinking long and hard about whether I would be willing to board the Dawn…and I hope they are offered the option to cancel without penalty. P.s. We have a fairly good idea that he picked up the germ in the Observation Lounge soft seating which had a sour smell as if vomit may have been present at one time. So, it really can happen to even those who are diligent with hand washing and personal hygiene.

Lol…I ended up buying wrist straps, clip ons and phone holder from Amazon. I figure I can adapt as needed based on activity. Thanks everyone!

Thanks @JamieLogical for your detailed review. Loved going along on your adventure. 11 months is way too long for the next cruise!!

Thank everybody for providing great info for new Princess cruisers. Really appreciate insights from others. Thanks 😊

THANK YOU SO MUCH for these links. I appreciate your sharing and not telling me to go search for it myself. Thanks!

Got it…thanks for clarifying.

Sounds perfect! So, with Premier I could order sushi as part of the unlimited casual dining and champagne up to $20 (or pay the cost above $20 plus grat) using the Ocean Now? Besides a tip, is there any other cost associated with a transaction as you outlined? And, to clarify, this is done using your Princess app on your phone. Once it arrives do they scan your medallion for payment, or is paying done automatically through the app?

What’s with the Medallion? We are more old-school types, and while we do have smart phones, we are not really technologically advanced. We are use to carrying a room key for purchases. The Medallion seems like it wants a lot of information about you, and to me it feels a little intrusive. I read on the drink thread that you have a 15 day limit and sometimes the bar tenders won’t use two medallions so the drink count gets out of whack. I also read that if the security photo on the Medsllion doesn’t match you the purchase won’t go through. All of this seems so complicated. Am I overthinking the Medallion?

@OrangeCatRamblers ditto😊