vicnsue

Thank you for the positive post! 
We should be on a TA cruise right now, but instead of crying about it, I followed NCL’s  FCC instructions. We received 125% credit without any drama and booked another cruise with an additional 25% off and we still have FCC’s remaining. The newly booked cruise created a 14 day B2B. 
As Jimmy Buffett says. 
If life gives you Limes make Margaritas!

7 minutes ago, kaprin02 said:

 

We got ours the day after we should have disembarked. Had an April 8 sailing canceled, scheduled disembarkation on April 19, points were credited April 20.

 

There was also another thread here on CC about this a couple weeks ago, so this seems to have been happening since the beginning of the suspension of operations.  No idea if they'll pull them back, or if this is some sort of unannounced goodwill gesture.  We took the FCC, and the cruise stayed "active" (although it showed that payment was still needed - even though fully paid) in my online account until the scheduled embarkation day.  Then, on the NCL app, the cruise changed to "on-board mode" (where it asks you to connect to ship wifi), until the scheduled disembarkation.  Now it shows in my cruise history, and I've been credited the points. 

Thank you for the info. We can only hope they do the same for us. 🤞🏻

We had a 15 day TA sailing April 18 canceled, and we didn’t get our points. Damn shame too, that would have bumped us up to platinum. 😢

1 hour ago, pokerpro5 said:

 

Been there, done that.

 

1) Get balcony room, book one adult and one child

2) Get inside cabin, book one adult and one child

3) If children are old enough, let them sleep together.  If not, parents split up and each stays with one child overnight.

4) During the day, everyone hangs out in the balcony room, unless someone wants to be alone or take a nap, and then they have a quiet place to go (the inside).

 

Also, this way there are two bathrooms (huge difference for 4 people).

 

Since balconies and insides tend to be plentiful, you just don't book these until after final payment date (except on high demand cruises), and then you get everything for a great price.

 

Everyone has enough space to stretch out.  The family is together for the entire day, just splits up to sleep or to nap.

 

I found this solution to be 10000000000x better than cramming 4 people in one small stateroom.

What an excellent idea! 
Just when you think you know all the ins and outs of cruising.

We were on the Breakaway the first week of March. The manager of the Cruise Next office said he expected the 2022 schedule to be released in six months. 
 

Who knows if he had any inside information or it was just a wild guess. 

Thank you for your input, sounds like a non issue. 😁

It has been at least 15 years since our last Princess Cruise. I have heard a rumor that Princess is no longer making up beds with a top sheet. Has anyone experienced this? We have been sailing with Celebrity the past few years and thought about giving Princess another try, but are having second thoughts if this is true.

I had my eye on the 1-5 sailing and looked this morning to check prices, and it was gone!

My first thought was they were concerned they couldn’t fill two 12 day cruises in the same month. Maybe splitting those 24 days up into smaller sailings makes more sense to the bean counters. 

On 2/19/2019 at 11:37 AM, mjkacmom said:

The escape is much newer with a lot more bells and whistles.

For that price difference I will bring my own bells and whistles! 

My wife and I are taking a TA in April, our first NCL cruise in nine years. Many other cruises , just not NCL. 

I was just coming to terms with Pepsi not Coke, Jack and Pepsi is nasty, now this money grab. We thought we could live with the price increase, not happy but we think we can make it work.

 Until we started thinking about wine with dinner, if we can’t get a decent wine without paying the up charge I am confident this will be our last NCL cruise.

16 hours ago, AlexandNessa said:

It's ridic.  And those of us bothered should help spread the word on other social media,  Twiiter,  Instagram,  FB. Maybe this will give first-time cruisers pause when considering NCL, being lured by the "free" drink package. 

 

Want a double shot of Grey Goose? Here's the cost breakdown:

 

Without UBP perk: $47.88 each double

 

With UBP perk: $11.88 each double,  plus $19.80 daily service charge on UBP.

 

With "premium" UBP: covered at a cost of $54.60 per person per day. 

 

The $54.60 pp/pd is fairly inline with what other lines charge in the first place. NCL's UBP is pretty much a bad joke at this point, especially as offered as a "perk." 

 

 

 

I agree the first time cruiser should be informed. Social media may work, but a major newspaper or television network would really get Frank’s attention.

1 hour ago, dexddd said:

Often Long Islands are pre mixed sitting in large containers at bar.  No taste at all.

Know that’s sad, but really after the second one can you taste anything, or walk for that matter. 🤪

14 minutes ago, blcruising said:

Aw man, I love this strategy! Lets rip off and gouge affluent people. They can afford it, and might enjoy being gouged. I don't know too many affluent people that enjoy being ripped off on a regular basis.  I wonder why more businesses haven't thought of this, first. Or maybe they have, and failed miserably.

 

The fact remains NCL is the entry level (budget) brand for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.  Many of NCL passengers are budget-minded, working class folks, that spend their hard earned money to enjoy a vacation. It is the Carnival of Carnival Corporation and the Royal Caribbean of the RCL Group. When a think about upscale cruise lines, I think Silversea, Cunard, or Regent Seven Seas and Oceania (which are part of  NCL Holdings).

And there you have it! 

Frank Del Rio wants NCL’s profit margin to mirror his upscale lines. If he is  successful, he will be the hero. If not.........?

2 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Yeah, but once NCL would import that liquor into the US to load it on their ships, they would have to pay that tax.

3 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Yeah, but once NCL would import that liquor into the US to load it on their ships, they would have to pay that tax.

Correct again! Bottom line for us, our TA in April is are last NCL cruise.

10 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Lots and lots of unsupported assumptions in this thread. (Nothing new for Cruise Critic, amiright?)

 

Maybe they do purchase on a pallet basis, and maybe they don't. Maybe that gives them a discount, and maybe it doesn't. Maybe it is a large discount, and maybe it isn't. We have no verifiable facts, only conjecture. 

 

Are we also to believe that they buy liquor in a country because of a lower tax rate (that would be sales tax which most places don't charge when you are buying stuff for resale, btw) and then they are shipping (importing) that liquor to the US to be transported to the port and loaded on the Cruise Ships each week? Are they also paying for warehouse space to store all of this liquor? And they do this just to have a lower tax rate?

 

Even pretzels aren't this twisted.

So true about assumptions, and of course I don’t know how the supply chain of the cruise industry works. My assumption on the tax issue was the US’s high liquor tax not the sales tax. 

1 hour ago, SeaShark said:

 

Maybe in fantasy land, but in the real world there is a LOT more involved in pricing than what a bottle costs at Costco. Sorry, but the base cost of alcohol is only one small part of the price of a drink.

Correct, but also keep in mind NCL buys liquor by the pallet, and I would suspect in a country that has a lower tax rate then the US. 

24 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Try Celebrity, Jamie. They have the best pricing with perks right now of the next level up cruise lines. Few kids, better food, better service, anytime dining. We have chosen the Celebrity Silhoutte for 2020. The entire fleet is going thru a 500 million dollar renovation as well. I’ll give you an idea of pricing. We (family of four) sail the Bliss for 15 days here in March. Inside cabin with drink package was $5775. Next year 12 days on the Celebrity Silhoutte (family of four) A1 angled balcony cabin, drink package for 2, $100 OBC ....$6005.96. All things considered, the prices are very similar. I think you’ll find NCL, CCL, and Royal more the same than different.  

Wait, inside cabin vs balcony? I think I would choose Celebrity. 

10 minutes ago, Cafedumonde said:

Carnival has become a great cruise line under Arnold Donald.  They are not perfect but they have become very responsive to customers.  The NCL ceo has such a negative and condescending attitude.   It is such a turn off.

Hey there Cafedumonde.

We live in Alabama, only three hours away from NOLA. We are taking a TA in April on the Pearl. Looking ahead to 2020 we had our eye on the Getaway in January.

Sorry NCL another repeat customer taking their business elsewhere.

2 hours ago, c r u i s e said:

All the whining in the world will not change a darn thing.

If past experience is any indication, NCL will just stick to their guns.

I suppose the only exception was that "no food to be taken out of the buffet" fiasco.

Other than that, I really do not recall NCL ever backtracking from any decisions they take.

There are a bunch of other cruise lines to consider other than NCL, at least that is what we do.

Whining on Cruise Critic achieves nothing, it certainly is not going to make NCL reconsider. 😞 😞 

 

Thank you

You may be right, but Carnival on January 2  announced plans to start charging for room service. Five days later they reversed the decision, because of their customer outrage on CC.

We are talking about two different companies, but don’t understand estimate the power of unhappy consumers.

Booklady26

Thank you, that was a great email! 

My Wife and I will be taking a TA in April, our first NCL cruise in 9 years. During the booking process I was shocked that the “FREE” drink package wasn’t free after all, but continued on because we couldn’t resist the itinerary. Now I have to stop and wonder if I need to reconsider and future NCL cruises.

Last year we boarded two Celebrity Cruise (17 days) with their free drink package including gratuities. My bar bill for both cruises after upcharges for drinks over their limit was $18.00. Now I am old enough to realize nothing in life is free, and Celebrity builds the price of the drink package into their fare. 

Both cruise lines are in business to make money everyone understands that, but bait and switch or nickel and dime what ever you call it I think NCL’s business plan is flawed. 

My advice NCL, adjust your fares and stop these ridiculous pricing games.

My advice to loyal NCL customers, continue to complain and if NCL doesn’t pay attention, there are other lines that would love your business.

I don't see any cruise lines doing Canada/New England cruises in November 2019.:confused:

 

Bill

Sorry I got my cruises mixed up we were looking at the Anthem in September.

We were seriously looking at a New England cruise in November 2019, until I found out about the non refundable deposits. Sorry Royal you are not the only line running this itinerary. We will book with someone else.

Coco Cay doesn't require a taxi/uber/etc to get to the beach. Plus lunch is included and drinks if you have a pkg.

 

Miami will cost extra for all that.

 

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Exactly!

Not true. Miami was a scheduled port of call on my Seattle-Port Canaveral itinerary.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My point was, on a seven night Caribbean cruise Miami is a departing port, not a port of call. A repositioning cruise from west to east is another story.