PATRLR

32 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I think food has improved.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.  As I said elsewhere, we thought the MDR was so bad on Viva that for the first time ever (35 years) we planned to eat dinner in the buffet just to see if that might be a better experience.

I agree that the concept of Indulge is an improvement over buffets, I don't necessarily think the food itself is all that much better in Indulge today than the buffets of the past (pre covid).  Indulge did have better food than the buffet during my one experience on Viva in December, but some of what I liked in Indulge was just relocated from buffets on other ships (e.g. Indian).

Thanks for the response. 

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

OP states NCL has cut "quality across the board".  That's false.  They have not.

@graphicguy I like reading your posts, generally agree with your opinions but this one really caught me.   

So your opinion (observation?) is that over the last few years, the quality on NCL has remained steady, no decrease?  Your post talks about "changes".  Changes can include decreases in quality, right?  

As one example, the change from filet to sirloin in Teppenyaki - would that not be a decrease in quality?  How about the elimination of 1/2 and 1/2 in favor of whatever-it-is-the-use now for coffee creamer?  Would that not be a change representative of a decrease in quality?

I too intend to continue cruising on NCL.  We've got some CNs still to use, I suspect our planned 2025 Med will be on NCL (if not something sooner).  But that doesn't mean I haven't noticed a decrease in quality, similar to what the OP describes.

34 minutes ago, CruiseMH said:

Based on my experience in business it is exactly the other way around.It is not hard to acquire new customers but it is really hard to keep them especially when the competition is as tough as it is in the cruise industry.

 

But maybe it depends on the type of business.

As someone stated earlier in this thread, I don't think there is a business school in the country that would agree with "It is not hard to acquire new customers but it is really hard to keep them especially when the competition is as tough as it is in the cruise industry."  Especially the first part (customer acquisition). 

I'm not challenging your experiences, just challenging the thought that it is common in business.

1 hour ago, seemoreroyals said:

NCL replaced tipping with envelopes to cabin stewards a long time ago. 

Unfortunately there seems to be a relatively large contingent doing everything they can to bring the envelopes back.

4 minutes ago, EngrJones said:

It may not make sense, but it happens a LOT.  Have you gotten pizza from Pizza Hut or Dominos recently?

No.  Intersting choice for comparison though.

I acknowledge an error in my statement above, I should have said:  The alternative is to lower the quality of the product while maintaining the price - I'm not sure in what business model that would make sense over the long term. 

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Considering that inflation is driving all costs skyward, what do you think NCL should do to maintain profit margins?  Increase prices or would that be nickle and diming?  Reduce offerings or cheaper offerings or would that be nickel and diming?

They should increase prices.  No question in my mind.   Continue to deliver a quality product and charge what they need to maintain profitability.  The alternative is to lower the quality of the product while maintaining the price - I'm not sure in what business model that would make sense. 
 

46 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

My point of the pricing exercise, and I quoted the fares I was personally trying to book, is the fallacy of NCL nickel and diming.

I think you have a different understanding of "nickel and diming" than I do.  Certainly different than how I use the term and I use it frequently on these boards.   

Just showing that NCL has a cheaper cost than others doesn't say anything about nickel and diming.  Where nickel and diming will come into play is when I consider the costs are relatively the same, I'm trying one of the other lines because NCL no longer has anything to cause me to stick with them.   

1 hour ago, bkrickles1 said:

The only flaw in what you're saying is that NCL continues to increase the scope of the Haven with every new ship and they've doubled the size of Vibe on almost every ship 🚢. 

The demographic you mention would not be interested in these amenities or can't afford them. 

Perhaps.  There are 107 Haven cabins on Viva.  That's still less than 10% of the 3219 double occupancy capacity.  Don't know Viva's Vibe capacity but I'd guess around 100 or so.  Again, low percentage of the total.

48 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

NCL is clearly now going after first time cruisers. and they have been very successful at attracting them. the problem is that isn't a business model. you can't rely on an endless stream of first time cruisers. you have to knock their socks off or at least please them, so they'll come back.

I don't think it's exclusively new cruisers they are going after, I think they are going after a different demographic with lower socioeconomic status.  It's the same demographic that hugely successful restaurant chains target, for example.  Like new cruisers, many in this demographic simply don't know any better.

Other than that minor point, I agree with the rest of your post.

17 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

With everything going up in price, including all the vacation alternatives, the first time cruisers will experience value that they can't duplicate with any other type of vacation.

These first time cruisers don't know how things used to be different or if it used to be better. They will eat, drink, be entertained, receive good to excellent service and get it all for way less $$$ than alternative vacation venues. They will become the repeat cruisers!

Exactly.  Your statement works for first time cruiser or for the target demographic I mention above.

14 minutes ago, UKstages said:

the thing is that other cruise lines (such as carnival) serve this market segment better and have been doing it far longer. NCL invented, more or less, freestyle cruising and is throwing away its brand equity by the decline in its product. it is perilously close to no longer being what it once was and will have to compete with others - who do what they are now doing - better.

 

I think it's there now, not just perilously close.  I'm not sure NCL has any advantage over RCCL, it's been a while since we were on Carnival but based on what I knew pre-covid, I'm not sure NCL has an advantage there.  We're going to try Princess this summer and while I understand Princess tends to be more expensive, for our northern Europe cruise this summer they were priced right about the same as Prima - so looking forward to how that one goes.

7 hours ago, LongIsland-Cruiser said:

Nickel and Dime is when you are FORCED to pay for something that you didn't realize or was hidden from you.

That's your interpretation of the phrase.  My interpretation is wider and includes:

• Things that used to be free but now you have to pay for 
• Things that used to be offered but aren't offered at all
• Things that used to be offered but have been replaced by something cheaper
  
  Nickel and diming can occur on both sides of the ledger - NCL getting additional monies from you, or, NCL saving money by offering you less.

@TN Roz As others have said, the ships are nearly identical.  Don't worry about the ship, look closely at the itinerary and especially the time in ports.

If you do Bliss and Dawes Glacier, I strongly recommend the TRACY ARM FJORD & GLACIER EXPLORER excursion in Juneau.  A bit pricey but definitely the best way to see the glacier and the fjord leading up to it.

5 hours ago, NotDutchNotMuch said:

Is Vibe just lounge chairs?

 

Couches, tables/chairs, daybeds on some, covered cabana things for an additional charge.  Also of course seperate bar with dedicated barservers, hot tubs, bathrooms private to Vibe, water feature for cooling off (that may be Encore only).

18 minutes ago, dcipjr said:

 

Probably along the lines of: Heavily inflate the price, then offer an amazing, how can you turn this down "discount".

 

See also: "free second guest".

 

See also just about any jewelry for sale on the ship.

52 minutes ago, EngrJones said:

That doesn't sound very interesting for the others who are dining with you.

Oh, I think it sounds very interesting.  Entertaining even. 😉

7 hours ago, zaylyn2590 said:

I've sailed before gty before and we're 20 days out. I don't have a cabin number yet.Should I wait until the last minute possible to print luggage tags/boarding pass in case they do assign me a room? Or should I print them now with no room number assigned? 

Wait.  

FWIW, I'd guess half the time I show up at the pier with no tags, even when I've had a cabin assigned since booking.  When that happens, I let the porters fill some out for me. Easy peasy.  

38 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Highlighted your quote.  That's the very definition of the "thing" of not getting exactly the same "thing".

OK. @Yesimapirate and @dcipjr I inferred were really referring more to things like the quality of food and entertainment which I maintain could and should be consistent across the brand.  I agree with you that the actual venues and such will be different which leads to a different experience.  

43 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

That's not a thing.  

I'm not sure what "that" refers to in your sentence above.  I think "that" refers to this idea from @Yesimapirate's post: "The entire point of a brand is that you get the same thing across the board. "

That quote most definitely is a thing.  You may not get the same restaurants, entertainment options, ship features, etc on all ships, but, the general quality should be the same if the brand is being properly managed.  Consistency across a brand is how a place like McDonalds, serving at best marginal food, can be so successful.  People know exactly what they are going to get when they order a Big Mac be it in San Diego CA or Portland ME.    

If a cruise line was inconsistent, I suspect loyalists wouldn't be so loyal.  Why would they keep coming back to the line if they didn't know if ship X was going to be consistent with or different from ship Y?

On 3/2/2024 at 11:40 PM, Menocchio said:

I don't know if it's so on NCL, but HAL says that its mini-fridges aren't cold enough for medication 

I'm glad to hear that some lines acknowledge this fact. 

One of the problems (not unique to NCL or even cruise ships) is the refrigerators are enclosed in cabinets that don't allow proper air circulation across the evaporator coils.   We like a chilled beverage and try to leave the cabinet door open - it helps a bit.  

On 3/2/2024 at 11:56 PM, itsnotjustme said:

What about ice?

8 hours ago, KarenRB said:

If the med froze, I'd have to toss it.  That's outside the storage parameters. 

Assuming the freeze point of the med is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or below, ice in water will not get below 32 degrees.  The med won't freeze.   Fill a bucket with ice and water and you would be able to keep it chilled.

On 2/29/2024 at 3:43 PM, WITraveler37 said:

Yes, but why? Why does it matter which guest uses the meal? one meal is one meal regardless of who shows up to eat it.

To be crystal clear here, the reason you can't share your meals with your kids is NCL wants you to buy the kids their own meals.  It's really that simple.  If you could give one of your "free" meals to someone else, that decreases the chances of that someone buying their own.  

As reasonable as we all may (or may not) think what you want to do is, NCL only cares about increasing the onboard spend.  Period, end of story. 

Any other reason stated in this thread is BS.

3 hours ago, CRUISERTN said:

Recently on the Jewel, the “ship’s officers” tables were at regular tables in the MDR, same bad MDR menu, and the “officer” hosting the tables were the art auctioneer at one table, the gift shop manager at another, and the “officer” at our table was the spa manager.  Just a regular night at a regular table with a regular menu and someone hosting the table that is NOT a ships officer and merely a contract employee - what an insult to our intelligence.

Wow.  That is unbelievable.  The art auctioneer?  Really?  I'd rather they just picked random crew members to enjoy a dinner with loyal passengers.  A perk for the crew member and a perk for the passengers.  Seriously, I'd rather have dinner with the guy working in the laundry over the art auctioneer.

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

if they want to appeal to younger cruisers, they should be increasing their commitment to broadway-style shows. the average age of the broadway theatregoer in the 2022 - 2023 season was just 40.4 years.

Interesting fact right there.  I wanted to know the trend so went looking and stumbled upon the part you left out:  

• The average age of the Broadway theatregoer was 40.4 years old. That was the youngest in the past twenty seasons.

https://www.usitt.org/news/broadway-demographics-report-reveals-increased-audience-diversity-overall-attendance-trending

A comment worth repeating:

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

NCL is cutting large production shows because they are ridiculously expensive to produce and maintain. end of story.

On 10/10/2020 at 3:11 PM, pthardy said:

We are looking at booking D410 on the Sky which is an extended angled balcony, is anyone familiar with the cabin that can explain what the balcony is like? 

Thanks

I know it's been a few years since this question was posted, but, @pthardy, did you book and sail in this cabin?  Any comments on it?  We're looking at it for our 2024 fjords cruise.

7 hours ago, living at the beach said:

I’m just curious. First of all itinerary is important to me. Then the general vibe on the ship and I like going casual but still nice so  Norwegian has been my cruise line of choice. And so if entertainment after dinner isn’t important at all, what do you do? You say not the casino, so watching tv in your cabin- with so many fewer options than ant land based resort or even your home tv, so again how is after dinner entertainment not an issue?

We are probably more like you than others who've commented.  NCL entertainment, in particular the shows, was always a big "pro" for NCL when weighing pros and cons in our decision making.  NCL no longer has that "pro", just one of many contributing factors to us trying other cruise lines now (and RCCL blew away anything NCL lately). 

As for what we do when there isn't something good in the theatre?  Wonder the ship and usually find something but I'll acknowledge there have been evenings where we went back to our cabin before we were really ready to call it a night.  I don't like doing that. 

1 hour ago, Buford T Justiice said:

Kit (male from South Africa) is now running the Rebel Yell.

Claudia told us she was going to be leaving for a while when we were talking in December, but, I had the impression it wasn't going to be permanent.