SeaShark

The real question is "What do you find that is lacking/missing from your RCCL cruises that you are hoping to find elsewhere"? If we knew what you were hoping to find, then we could point you to the NCL ship or ships that provide what you seek.

Sometimes you find the best information on a board dedicated to the topic. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/386-florida-departures/ That is the Cruise Critic forum that covers departures from the Tampa Port. It will have the best information on the terminal and the surrounding area, while this board is geared toward what happens after boarding the ship.

Problem is that the poster you quoted never said anything about the BOTH being at the same rate. You introduced (and argued against) that part...the false logic is all yours.

One additional point, just because NCL has removed the testing requirement, that does not prevent you from taking a test prior to embarkation if you choose to do so....it only means that you aren't REQUIRED to do so.

Well, be specific...are you looking for an actual answer to your question or are you willing to take wild speculation and guesses? You said that you "really need someone to explain this". I took that to mean that you wanted fact...not fiction or opinion.

Well, when somebody makes a rule (like, for example, this one), you really need to ask THEM for the explanation behind their logic. The policy wasn't created by members on Cruise Critic, so we aren't really the right people to ask for the logic.

So I'm just being curious here... What size serving (in ounces) would NCL (or any other line) have to use for soda where you would not label it as "ridiculously small"? IOW, what would you consider a normal serving size for soda?

Sad part of it is that you are only refunded the cost of the service charge on the package. However, even though you aren't taking the package, the cost of it being "included" is still part of your fare, so now you end up paying for something that you won't be receiving.

Or the point was poorly made...🙄

Sure the response was necessary, but only to correct your obvious misunderstanding. Question, does everyone know what a butler is, or do I have to refer to them as "Haven butlers"? And don't be so judgmental...people aren't as bitter as you assume.

You misunderstand... Is is necessary to use the word "Haven" to describe the concierge? Not a question of whether or not the concierge is necessary. (Notice that I didn't have to say "Haven concierge" in that last sentence) Instead of saying "Any word on the Haven concierge?", could someone just say "Any word on the concierge?" It isn't like someone would ask the latter and the response would be "Which concierge?"

Is "Haven" needed? It isn't like there is a non-Haven concierge onboard. Might be funnier if there were inside cabins on deck 7. Or any cabins on deck 7.

?? I see one use of "freebies" in the thread, and a couple times that free was mentioned as part of "Free at Sea" which is the title of the ongoing promotion, but other than that, I'm not seeing anyone (much less everyone) using the word "free"...

Oh, there is definitely a lot of upselling going on. It is just that these things are pre-cruise purchases and not onboard spending....yet the reported increases are in onboard spending. As noted, given that alcohol sales have traditionally been the #1 contributor to onboard spending, you have to wonder how it has increased by so much given that most people are no longer getting a bar bill.

Nope...(and it is Sheehan, btw...O'Sheehan is the restaurant and a play on "Ocean")...it was FDR who started this. This was how Regent did their marketing and FDR carried it over to NCL when he took over. This is all a part of his "Market To Fill" strategy that he believes in over the more common "Discount To Fill" strategy found in the cruise industry. There were drink packages available when Kevin Sheehan was in charge, but those were always offered as an "available for purchase" item, they weren't "included" in the cruise fare until FDR started bundling them in the Free@Sea promotions.

It used to be that the biggest contributor to onboard revenue was alcoholic beverage sales. Since FDR, drinks, specialty dining, internet, shore excursions, etc. are bundled and "included" with your booking. So onboard spending on alcoholic beverages should have dropped like a rock. With all of the things people don't have to pay for onboard...given the freebies...what exactly are people spending so much more money on onboard to cause these increases? Guests who pre-plan spend double onboard over what other guests spend? On what? It would seem that the more you pre-pay, the less you should need to spend onboard.

I posted the above a little more than 2 years ago and received a bit of blowback as a result. Given recent events, I thought it was a good topic to revisit. Lately we have seen: --Carnival has announced a number of service reductions...due to staffing issues. --NCL is contacting people booked on the PoA with "sorry, were cancelling your booking because we don't have enough staff to serve you" --We've seen a number of reports of limited or no availability of kid's clubs due to staffing issues. --Princess had announced the outright cancellation of 11 sailings of the Diamond Princess because of issues staffing the ship. As I predicted, a number of cruise workers who found themselves out of a job due to the pandemic have simply made the choice to move on to other jobs in other fields. I wonder if the naysayers are willing to revise their positions?

Sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear. I have no issue with the officers attending. As a matter of fact, I think it is great that NCL sends them to participate...it shows that NCL appreciate the CC members who choose to cruise on their ships. What I meant is that the officers are not the point of the M&G...the point is to meet and greet the other CC members. I see too many people who only come to brown-nose the staff...while they have no interest in talking to other CC members. I often sit on Roll Calls and see people who make their first (and only) roll call post a couple of days before the cruise just so they can "sign us up for the meet & greet". I wonder just who it is they want to meet given that they have zero participation in the roll call. Its like going to a reunion for a high school you never attended. Your second paragraph is spot on...I agree 100%. I really think NCL should adopt MSC's way of doing the M&G. For MSC, you sign up for the M&G through CC. CC then sends the list to MSC. At some point during the cruise, MSC sends an invitation to each cabin on the list announcing the date, time, and place for the M&G. You need your invitation to be admitted and they don't let anyone in without the invitation...it removes all issues with crashers from other sites.

Really? Please explain. I'm certain that if the agent spent one or two minutes less with each guest that the line would move faster and boarding would be quicker, but you seem to think otherwise. Please explain the details of how less time at the check in counter is not an improvement...or...why not make yourself a boatload of money and explain your more-efficient boarding ideas to the cruise lines...🙄

Well, obviously the people who do this each and every cruise think it is or they wouldn't be doing it, right?

But even when you capitalize WHOLE, you're still referring to the check in process for one/two guests...I'm referring to the ENTIRE process. Saving one minute while boarding you or me adds up to a savings of hours when they have to board an entire ship full of guests.

Those minutes might seem small when looked at from a personal viewpoint, but you have to consider the total. If they have to give out 2000 cards, and each takes just one minute (the lesser of "a minute or two"), those 2000 minutes equates to over 33 hours of saved time in the overall boarding process.

As others have noted...since Carnival has passenger laundry...let it be your friend. Go to YouTube and watch this video: https://youtu.be/mdRl3dBGxRs If you're so inclined, get this book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Packing-Book-Secrets-Carry-Traveler/dp/0898158214

You are exactly correct...the Prima class ships are designed to be mainstream alternatives for Regent guests looking to cruise "on the cheap" as it were.

So this increase is something that some TA claimed? Is there another source (like NCL) that can confirm this? Are we sure that the TA saw $100 and thought it was pp instead of total ($25/pp x 4 = $100)??