cacj

Let's see if I can remember the questions asked above.

Out of LA the weather was grey and cold, but the first sea day was well attended at the pool. The last sea day, too cold, bleak and windy.

The ports were sunny and warm. We did not get off the ship to do any excursions as this is about our 5th Mex Riv cruise. And, my DH has some health issues that make being away from the ship for length of time a bit hazardous. We would love to do a Pacific Coastal thru NCL, but alas, all they offer is this cruise during the winter months.

Our last Mex Riv was on the Jewel, if I remember correctly, our last NCL Star cruise was a bit further back in time. The UBP was just being rolled out fleetwide, at that time on the Jewel, and it was just chaos and the choices were so awful for many wines and libations.

Pre mixed mixers are too sweet and syrupy.

There is no upper level officers Latitudes cocktail invite at all any longer. Just one open 45 minute Latitudes free for all.

The vouchers for Platinum are a silver fold out, with three coupons attached that you must bring to the restaurant of your choice. They have it in their system that you have a voucher and they ask if you will be using it tonight, you are asked for the voucher at that time. We used ours for La Cucina and for Le Bistro, as we don't enjoy Moderno food at all.

We did not have any issues with the buffet, but we hardly used that, as we dined mostly at Versailles or a specialty. On port days we grabbed lunch at the buffet or O'Sheehans.

Oh, they had prime rib on the menu for main dining on the first night. For those who like it. We are seafood folks mostly, so we did not order the p.r.

We did not hear about the dry dock plans, but we noticed a lot of fresh carpeting thru the ship. The balcony had a few "rough" edges of wear and rust, but the stateroom was in good shape.

My husband found the bed comfy, me less so. Our steward was top notch. No request too small or overlooked.

We used the continental breakfast several mornings, and attended Versailles for the remainder, and the buffet once.

The usual annoying repetitive announcements for art auction and days events happened, but we tuned them out eventually and just let them yak on.

We didn't get to see Jason at 5 oclock...glad to know he was enjoyable.

I hope that covers some of the questions posed.

Just a quick note to say that we were pleasantly surprised with the improvements we found on the Star. The dining has definitely improved from our last experience. Chefs seem to have been given the choice of better quality ingredients and have been given permission to use their talent and imagination.

Drink service was prompt, and there seems to be an expanded choice of wines and libations since last time. The process of awaiting receipts has stopped...that was a real improvement to service. Also, one stateroom card is all that is required for 2 drinks, (we were 2 in the cabin) so that helped speed things up.

Staff and crew were very hospitable.

The dilution of platinum benefits (i.e. dinner vouchers and cocktail parties) was the only minus. The so-called Latitudes party is not special at all, it is not exclusive, the people were let in with no check, so many who attended were not really "qualified" which seems to be what NCL wants, as the party was just an opportunity for Cruise Next advertising. Snacks were one round only. Music was okay.

We had a great time. The shows were very good, especially Marambola, the acrobatic act. High energy in the Production dancers and singers. Felicia at the piano bar, so good! The trio at the Atrium, fun and varied music. All in all, we found the experience to be very good.

"You dont see that as your duty to recieve things"??? you have got to be kidding me??? Its a cruiseship! Not all of us can always do cruises...THIS is why bartenders and waitstaff on ships are ignorant and pissed off!! You cant be for real. So you got the UBP as a perk and now they owe you something?? OMG no wonder people are complaining on here:rolleyes:

I am afraid I don't understand your reply. I don't understand your hostility either. I did not say what you are implying at all.

I believe the reference was directed toward tipping the bar staff, not paying above the $15 per drink threshold. Just to be clear - I'm not agreeing with the original sentiment, if that's what it was.

 

Edit: Nevermind - you're probably right.

Well, yes, we don't mind tipping the bar staff from time to time, but we don't see that as our duty in order to receive things "above and beyond." We have a budget, and the cruise is in most part paid upfront. Extras are allowed for, tipping included, but why should it be necessary if you already paid the gratuities. It seems that the poster who suggests handing extra often to the bartenders, suggests that is the way to win over and above the limitations placed through the UBP. Or is this a misunderstanding?

Then do what I have done on my past 4 cruises and skip UBP and bring your wine paying corkage. No one said that UBP was for everyone.

 

I am anxious to try it trading my good wines for scotch, bourbon and whiskey. It is helpful for me to know that only crap wines are included so I can prepare my drinking plan!

 

 

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We appreciate your suggestion, but carrying bottles of wine in baggage is not an attractive alternative for us. We are just asking that NCL offer something better than the current offerings for wine in the UBP. And again, we agree, the UBP isn't for everyone. We tried it in January, and we found it disappointing, as stated earlier. To limit wines to the few that they offer at bars and dinner in that package is low end. And we found the mixed drinks made with prepackaged generics pretty off for our tastes.

But if one does think of a cruise as an experience that includes fine dining and enjoying a wine with dinner, why can't we hope for it?

Again, we don't drink shots, nor do we have high expectations to get what some refer to as premium spirits...we don't even know what folks mean by that term. Is it Glenlivet or Johnny Walker Blue? Is it some fancy name we don't know about?

We are just sharing our experience, and it is just as valid as anyone's. It is a true experience, not made up.

Okay, I will share this will CC one more time on this subject. The UBP is what it is but if you take care of the bartenders, tip them, visit them often, you can get just about whatever you want. We had the UBP on our last sailing on the Gem and by day 3, my wife entered the cabin with a bucket of beer for me and about a half solo cup of jaeger for me to enjoy cause our bartender heard I was relaxing on our balcony and wouldnt be out till later......NOW that is service!!!! All you have to do is take care of the workers.....thats it!;)

Congratulations on finding a system that meets your needs and adds to your enjoyment.

But why should anyone of us feel that in order to receive something more than the current low grade wines or beer or spirits we MUST pay out even more money. If one buys the UBP, that is a great hunk of change, and add the gratuities on top, it is pretty huge. If one got the FREE at Sea offer of the UBP, they still (most) had to pay gratuities at time of booking. So, the gratuities were prepaid.

The problem is that NCL is gaming the system. Lower than average mostly undrinkable wine offerings, premixed cartons of mixers that are generic and pretty awful.

Your method works for you, but for us, we ask : why should we have to spend even more money to get what we want, which for us is just some fair choices at drinkable wines.

We are not asking the moon here, or for excessive top shelf offerings, but please, it is an insult to the paying customer to offer the junk wines and to limit the choices to just them.

And yes, there are many low cost drinkable wines. We are not wine snobs by any means, and we don't do taste tests, but we know what we like. Just as many beer drinkers prefer a specific lager...it is about preference and choice.

If one enjoys a wine that complements their meal, the UBP choices are barely drinkable. If one doesn't care about the taste or quality, just wants to get drunk, I guess it works as good as anything.

The mixed drinks are also pretty downgraded. We were on Jewel in Jan. There are cartons of "mixers" added to most mixed drinks. The mixers are cheap, sugary and just plain awful. The strategy is to fill the glass with as much ice as possible, pour in the swill mixer and top off with the shot which gives the person a false sense that the beverage has some alcohol in it. The shot is not visibly measured, it is just a pour out of a bottle. We doubt the shot is "standard sized."

As for the experience of enjoying a cruise, having a decent beverage is not too much to ask. But the UBP is not the way to get it, unless of course you prefer drinking shots...which is not our preference.

We don't think the UBP is worth the cost of gratuities.

NCL has become less enjoyable as they continue to try to "upgrade" the cruise experience.

Thanks for all the thoughtful and insightful replies.

We have witnessed so many uncool behaviors on a ship, it is amazing that the crew can keep up and reverse the infection so quickly.

I had a bartender share that it was amazing how many folks would just swoop in and try to grab a garnish from the container (like a cherry, lemon, lime wedge) and he had to call them out on it. He said people would defend their behavior ("I only grabbed it by the stem" or "I only touched the one I took" or "my hands are clean, I just washed them"). He would politely say, "you are welcome to have one, but please, please ASK me for it."

He felt overwhelmed sometimes by the frequency of the occurrence. He said that he himself had his hands in a bucket of bleach hundreds of times a day, and pointed to the bucket he had nearby. His hands were sore from the exposure.

We trust the level of dedication the crew and leaders on ships have in the fight against infections.

It is the lack of awareness by our fellow shipmates that can be frightening.

Again, thanks for the great information by all who answered. Happy sailing.

We have sailed and witnessed how diligently crew work around the ship to sanitize walls, elevators, dining, and hallways/railings/public spaces.

But with turnaround time so fast once the ship enters port, all passengers debark and embarkation starts, how on earth do the room stewards really sanitize all the surfaces in the staterooms?

We feel assured all the public areas are done meticulously, during all hours of the day and night.

But when a stateroom is occupied...just how is it possible to fully sanitize the cabin in such a short time as is the window between debarkation and embarkation?

We know that sanitization of the public spaces is ongoing, and often occurs during hours when ship is in port (while passengers are off on excursions).

But how does a steward who has X amount of cabins thoroughly prepare a stateroom, insuring that it is as clean as possible for the new guests?

Inquiring minds want to know here, seriously.

In addition to washing hands frequently, and for at least 20 seconds with water and soap, it pays to pack some probiotics just in case. If you should suffer something, the probiotics can help you get back to normal sooner. We take them as preventatives and increase dosage should we get ill...which we have not had happen in many a year since we have included probiotics into our lifestyle.

Thanks to all of you who have been trying to sort through this. A special thanks to Harriet for taking time out and testing the waters! We look forward to hearing from you, Harriet, about the meeting with the HD.

We enjoyed several dinners on the Dawn in 2013. We had heard great things about the Oso buco, which my DH had ordered, but his came out tough (really surprising) and he didn't want it after several bites. Our server noticed he wasn't eating and she inquired and looked at the dish. "Oh sir, you cannot eat this, let me get you a new portion." She whisked it away, and a bit later brought him another which was melt in the mouth great. We still remember how attentive she was and how she really wanted him to have a meal to enjoy. Because of her we returned on the last evening of the cruise.

Sounds like a great idea to get on any ship during the holidays, to disconnect from the wifi, and to explore meeting new people and seeing new places. Bravo for you! Enjoy!

Whether or not people complained during the brief trial for the room service fee it would be hard for us to know. Many may have complained but only to their room service person who handed them the bill. It reminds me how some airlines may interpret "there's no complaint about baggage fees". Sure there are complaints... it shows up in the overhead bins when people are trying to cram overstuffed carry-on bags and are not paying to check their bags. Non compliance is another form of complaining.

When I started seeing that NCL was going to be offering an "enhanced" menu for $7.95, I assumed that it would have exciting, new items that might be worth the fee. Instead, they're offering the same sort of items which are free on Princess. It just doesn't seem worth it to me.

Exactly! And they removed items, and the few "enhanced" items are not appealing to some.

It is not as though NCL guessed at what are popular items...they have clear statistical evidence which items would be best left off the menu to push people into choosing the fee based items should they prefer RS.

I did have an NCL employee tell me that on one of the spring break cruises, some groups of kids, I'm assuming teens, were ordering room service just because it was free & not even eating it, leaving the food just sitting around. Having a charge would at least alert mom or dad that this was going on.

 

Too many people love "free stuff" but it's amazing how often free translates to worthless. I do think $7.95 is a bit high.

Teens do behave oddly and can make it challenging. But I have seen similar waste at the buffet, by any age, with piles of food on plates, left on the table. Sometimes people make a plate that is more than they can truly eat, instead of taking a little, and going back for more, they pile it up and waste what they don't eat.

How exactly does that hurt NCL when they're expecting alot of people to order the free breakfast and big clean up anyway?

Your question is very valid. We don't want to inflict hurt on them...that is not meant here. The fact is the free breakfast has nothing in it that was once offered, such as the fruit and yogurt, cereal. They have deliberately watered the offering down to essentially junk foods of no nutritional help. That is meant to force people who prefer something more nutritious and who want room service for breakfast to order and pay the fee. We continue to object to this money grab. The post to which I was responding was about the idea that they are trying to reduce frivolous orders.

If we were to order the junk they offer, that would be a frivolous order to us. We don't think pastry is a good start to the day.

And yeah, someone here will tell us that we should go to the MDR or buffet if we want a nutritional start, and most mornings we do.

However!!!! for all the reasons we and others have repeatedly stated, sometimes you just want or need to stay in the cabin a little longer and would enjoy the option. I don't like being forced into a fee or being unable to order something like yogurt. I do not see that anywhere on the new menu.

It is also frustrating to see the opinions that room service fees are a way for the line to defray the cost of giveaways like the UDP and UBP.

We don't drink in mass quantities, and the specialty restaurants have no appeal to us every night.

Yet, it seems okay by some that room service fees should now become the subsidy for these giveaways.

Bottom line for us is that we won't be booking any NCL cruise until this all shakes out. The many changes thrown at passengers, the ill conceived ideas, the changes to Cagney's that we have read about (even though we are not Cagney's fans, we get how others love the place)...all this has left us on the sideline, with no booking, and none planned for the immediate future. And we usually have 2 cruises booked each year.

We wait and see, and we hope things improve but we are skeptical if the recent news is indicative of this new CEO and his lead.

I'm wondering if part of the reasoning for the new charge is to eliminate having staff running back and forth for frivolous things.

If that is the so-called reasoning, if we ever do book another cruise with NCL, then just to spite them for the $7.95 fee, we just might start ordering the no-fee breakfast each and every day. No matter whether if we want it or not...just as a sign of protest.

Can't folks just grab boxes of cereal and containers of yogurt from the buffet the day before? Even fruit? I have a child with celiac, who can't eat the continental breakfast offerings. Some times you just have to plan ahead - it's not the end of the world.

I hear you. Sure, we can try to plan ahead, but what about those times you cannot.

And why was yogurt taken off the complimentary menu...how hard is it to put on a tray? Unless the contract that NCL has had with some yogurt manufacturer has expired and NCL has turned to just slinging a slop of yogurt into a bowl...why can't they just pop a container of yogurt on the tray?

If I am going to have them bring a pot of coffee to me, why can't they bring me the cereal and yogurt.

Thank you for that, tarps14; it was a stinging barb from that person who has no idea what it is like to travel with a disabled Viet Nam Veteran (who is also diabetic) for whom cruising is a real treat on a fixed income, and every extra charge for things that we do use of necessity takes away a bit of the joy in our situation. In my everyday life (24/7) I have many duties serving others, so that room service on a vacation is truly a luxury much appreciated. We're not lazy, or gluttons. It's just something we have always looked forward to, especially at breakfast (the former light breakfast room service menu that included yoghurt, fruits, and cereals was perfect for us). We have NEVER been charged for room service on ANY of our past cruises to date! I don't understand either why people find the need to say mean and nasty things about others on this site. Perhaps I'm not tough enough to participate in these discussions since I'm almost afraid to post this, knowing I'm probably inviting another scathing response, but here goes---

Thanks for taking the time (and risk) to post this. You say it well.

We object to the change in the service menu, and the room service fee. Your description of what it means to you echoes our very own. We are not lazy or gluttons either, nor are we seeking something so outrageous. A yogurt and fruit with coffee served to us on a tray is one of our UN-guilty pleasures.

We truly are disappointed in the fee and the reactions of some folks who want to insult those of us who want NCL to step up and correct this poor policy.

.... If I want a snack, I'd rather be able to pick out my items myself rather than get a plate of what someone else has picked for me.

Many folks do just that, and that is why it was a good thing that NCL reversed the ban.

However, it is a cruise. And the idea of "being waited on" is one of the touts of taking a cruise. Sit back, relax, let us serve you. That is part of the experience.

Aside from that, some folks NEED room service because of other issues...not just to be served. Sometimes, things happen, and RS is a way to have some food when it is not possible or safe for the persons to go to the restaurant themselves. There is no need to repeat the reasons, they have been stated over and over and over.

When did it become a "societal ill" to take a cruise and expect the cruise to offer service?

At the top of the room service menu posted by the OP, it says $4.95. This seems like the "trial" run menu, not the current RS menu.

It lists yogurt....but we have read here that yogurt is not included and the fee is $7.95. So does anyone have a readable RS menu that is CURRENT.

Again, as I said on another thread. With multiple cameras in all ship hallways, it is easy to spot "filth, trays, plates, glasses, hazards". If the concern is for safety, then the camera would indicate there is a safety hazard, and then someone would need to be assigned to head out to the hall and clean it up.

Really! What is the point of making a claim that the halls are unattended. Every camera attends.

drop it to $4.95 would be great. As you say, if anyone thinks they can protest and get it removed altogether, very unlikely and it may even backfire.

Curious, how backfire?

I don't believe the dishes in the hallway excuse.

On every ship we have sailed, every hallway has multiple cameras. If there were safety issues because of dishes, wouldn't the camera show that the hall needed a pickup? Who is in charge of policing the halls for dishes/trays?

A ship that would allow hours and hours of trays and dishes to sit unattended to, with cameras able to see everything at all times, tells me that someone at the head of the line is not managing the safety of passengers.

As for the room service fee, we are still unhappy about it, but we are glad that NCL walked back on the ban with regard to food being taken from the restaurants.