styxfire

The CruiseCritic regulars came out in force to detract from the main subject of this post.

Here's what I accidentally posted on the RCL forum the other day (I forgot where I was)... From an industry summary of Thursday morning's (Oct.6) comments, Del Rio said: the key is to have consumers feel they get a deal. By allowing consumers buy dining and beverage packages up front, as well shore excursions, they come onboard with a so-called “fresh wallet” and spend more. Onboard spending on the Norwegian Prima on its trans-Atlantic crossing had been double the company’s average. In 2018, 52% of the passengers bought packages in advance of their cruise. For 2022, it increased to 85%. His interpretation is that more cruises are “sticking,” meaning there are fewer cancellations and higher advance deposits. He said NCL will generate record EBITDA and net yield in 2023. He said bookings for 2023 were up from 2019, including a 16% capacity increase, and at significantly higher prices. Mgmt of all the cruiselines talk as if there IS an end in sight. Whether they're accurate or blowing smoke remains to be seen. I'm invested.

I confess I didn't predict a drop below book-value for CCL... despite some folks saying book-value would be meaningless if selling of assets became necessary. I didn't know until reading this thread that there was a 2nd symbol for it (the CUK). They are both NYSE. Do they both represent the same set of books? I'm a little confused why they trade at a different value. I admit I haven't looked into that. I also certainly didn't expect NCLH to trade this low again, right on the heels of last week's VERY positive statements at the investor summit. I added to my position any time it hits 10's or $11's, and purchased again mid-day, but think I've reach my level of acceptable risk with NCLH. I'm basically banking on the CEO's & CFO's authenticity with their projections. And I'm certainly hoping they know the difference between "inflation demand" versus "product demand"... I don't want to suffer for another year of $0 or negative-appreciation, and then find out when the inflation drivers went away, the cruise demand had weaned also. "They" say we've already been in recession for 2 quarters, because of negative GDP growth. And then "they" tout all these things that are needed to make it a REAL recession... real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales.” And water the definition even further with the political drivel of the day, so basically a recession can "be or not to be", depending on which political party wants it "to be".

I’m curious why the line would assign a guarantee cabin so early? I’ve never booked that category cuz I just can’t give up control of my location on the ship, but…. Isn’t it in the ship’s best interest to wait until almost the last minute, so that preferred locations will be available for higher-paying customers to book?

This boardwalk area looks different than I'd remembered... are the carousel and the hotdog stands missing now? I remembered it being a bit more full & carnival-esque and vibrant... ???

But NCL was bragging about having made smaller, “more intimate” public areas while their competitors were moving in the opposite (wrong) direction by going bigger. My own opinion is that’s a mistake on NCL’s part. One of the most enjoyable things about going to the theater on a cruise ship each night is seeing a massive amount of people and realizing that you’re all together there on the ocean. It’s really the highlight of my day. All day long you’re segmented on board, every person doing their own intimate little activity with a few others, but at night in the theater you are unified, the ship passengers versus the ocean. I guess I just love a big theater. In general I find Taste and Savor to be disappointing dining venues simply because they lack the excitement/flair of the large crowd. That’s one thing I have very much missed on Norwegian ships is the large dining hall experience, and it’s something I’m very much looking forward to when I get back to Royal. Norwegian wants to leave that experience in the dust.

Silverseas is buying one of the Crystal ships. Disney is rumored to be negotiating for Global Dream, which greatly dwarfs the Royal oasis-class ships. And there are new cruiselines popping up in Singapore, as well as Ritz Carlton, Four Seasons and Forbes Travel all starting new cruiselines. Rumors of the demise of cruising demand have been exagerated, imo.

From an industry summary of Thursday morning's comments, Del Rio said: the key is to have consumers feel they get a deal. By allowing consumers buy dining and beverage packages up front, as well shore excursions, they come onboard with a so-called “fresh wallet” and spend more. Onboard spending on the Norwegian Prima on its trans-Atlantic crossing had been double the company’s average. In 2018, 52% of the passengers bought packages in advance of their cruise. For 2022, it increased to 85%. His interpretation is that more cruises are “sticking,” meaning there are fewer cancellations and higher advance deposits. He said NCL will generate record EBITDA and net yield in 2023. He said bookings for 2023 were up from 2019, including a 16% capacity increase, and at significantly higher prices. Mgmt of all the cruiselines talk as if there IS an end in sight. Whether they're accurate or blowing smoke remains to be seen. I'm invested.

Ouch! But thanks, that gives me much more peace of mind than a booster would. (Despite how HORRIBLE it tastes in your throat!) Geez, at $800 per Rx, NCL could be cashflow positive after 1 on-board outbreak! For those who buy medical insurance, might be worth it to confirm if your coverage includes prescriptions such as that.

Bummer, I have 3 AmEx cards, including the Everyday one... and it's not offered on any of mine. You're finding it in the "Offers" section, under the "Travel" subcategory, right?

No such thing as "quick cash", imo... Tallink's ship is now in month SEVEN of its 4-month lease, because there's no way to end it once it starts. The opportunity cost (i.e. forfeiting on-board spend from paying customers) is high. Will be interesting to see who the other "contenders" (besides Tallink & Carnival) are.

I meant can you go to the ship physician & get a Rx for Paxlovid? They provide other medical care, I'm wondering if they can also prescribe Paxlovid? If not, that's an asinine oversight by the cruise industry.

It varies by port, staffing, maybe even season, clientele or the # of embarkations that day.

Does anyone know if Paxlovid is available for a passenger that tests positive on board?

Per Cruise industry News, NYC officials & Norwegian Cruise Line did not come to an agreement over a housing charter. City officials are quoted mentioning they have received better deals, with the New York Post citing Carnival and ferry operator Tallink as potential players, also mentioning they were in talks with four separate companies. (A 20-ur-old Tallink ferry is currently being used for Ukrainian refugees in Europe, although the original 4-month lease already passed.) Industry sources that asked not to be quoted said a charter for a megaship would run in the mid six-figure range on a per day basis. That matches the rough math I posted here a couple days ago, ~$16 mil/mo., which exceeded the cost of NYC’s $15mil/mo. tent-city. (The mayor had previously said he expected a cruise ship would be less than the tent-city.)

CCL traded this week at book value. I.e The value of liquidating all its ships & assets. How much lower could it go than that?

I’ve been on somewhere between 12 and 15 cruises in the last decade, and three of them have had itinerary changes after going on board. All due to weather. And other cruises have had changes such as entertainment getting canceled, or excursions getting canceled. So you have to be willing to go with the flow to some extent… The alternative is to be crabby. To this day I am still disappointed by those cruises in which our itineraries changed, so I sympathize with your predicament. At least they’re announcing in advance. Also, some Bermuda stops have been cancelled recently due to excess fees. For your cruise, Since they’ve added an extra port stop, you may want to find out if they’re increasing your port fees, or are they throwing in that extra stop for free?

I’ve been on somewhere between 12 and 15 cruises in the last decade, and three of them have had itinerary changes after going on board. All due to weather. And other cruises have had changes such as entertainment getting canceled, or excursions getting canceled. So you have to be willing to go with the flow to some extent… The alternative is to be crabby. To this day I am still disappointed by those cruises in which our itineraries changed, so I sympathize with your predicament. At least they’re announcing in advance. Also, some Bermuda stops have been cancelled recently due to excess fees. For your cruise, Since they’ve added an extra port stop, you may want to find out if they’re increasing your port fees, or are they throwing in that extra stop for free?

I’ve been on somewhere between 12 and 15 cruises in the last decade, and three of them have had itinerary changes after going on board. All due to weather. And other cruises have had changes such as entertainment getting canceled, or excursions getting canceled. So you have to be willing to go with the flow to some extent… The alternative is to be crabby. To this day I am still disappointed by those cruises in which our itineraries changed, so I sympathize with your predicament. At least they’re announcing in advance. Also, some Bermuda stops have been cancelled recently due to excess fees. For your cruise, Since they’ve added an extra port stop, you may want to find out if they’re increasing your port fees, or are they throwing in that extra stop for free?

Here's the O.P question: I'd like to be able to book specialty restaurants, shore excursions etc together - has anyone had success in linking reservations so you can book together...?

It's really NOT your business, because you are not next door to Frogger's cabin right now. You opined on a sleeping arrangement, yet Frogger's inquiry had nothing to do with who was sleeping where, or kids' behaviors. That came out of "trust"? It sounded more like a Harriet Olesen lecture. (Little House on the Prairie lol) But the bulk of your response, in which you addressed Frogger's questions, was very thorough and I found it helpful, as well. Thanks,

I too have made the switch... at least with my bookings. I've been on the fence for the last year, because of NCL's pricing. I do have 2 more cruises booked with NCL in 2023 as I finish up my bucket list of entertainment I want to see. But my early-2024 cruise is booked on Royal, and I will be doing one on Carnival sandwiched in-between the others. I'm sure the NCL advocates will say I'll get a lesser experience on the other lines. But at this point, I'd rather go on MORE cruises than fewer. The way to do that is to change lines. I do feel a sense of relief that I've seen all the NCL offerings I wanted & that I'm not stuck with NCL's higher prices in the future. I've enjoyed every NCL cruise but don't enjoy being taken advantage of... which is how NCL has made me feel.

The way to nip this dining-drought in the bud, and make sure it never expands beyond the Prima, is to specifically mention it in the post-cruise reviews that Norwegian asks you to fill out. Norwegian has minced no words in explaining to investors how they plan to extract maximum money from cruisers while on board,... by up-charging for things that were formerly included. But the main dining menu is a step too far. 7 days is TOO MANY FOR THE SAME MENU. It's honestly insulting to guests. Yes I understand that there are NCL advocates posting here that tell us the solution is to do more specialty dining; i.e. getting bored with the same choices is YOUR problem, and you can fix YOUR problem by paying extra for food. People don't care to be reminded all-cruise-long that they're only getting a low-end experience unless they pay extra. That's as big a turn-off as the limited choices are. Until you speak up about it to the cruiseline itself, they'll continue to treat you like summer-camp mouths. Seriously, who pays several thousand to go on a cruise where they give you pasta 7 days in a row, and you're supposed to be satisfied by choosing a different sauce each night? It blows my mind that a few cruisers are actually invalidating the people who view this as a major dining downgrade.

Which reminds me of the one time I asked a passenger for directions to a restaurant on the ship, and he replied with "I'm more interested in the color of your panties." Sometimes things aren't someone else's business.

Sorry! But good save on your part... it lost >23%, so at least you avoided that. Make sure to NOT purchase any CCL for the next 30 days (wash rule). I did enter into CCL for the first time on Friday. I made multiple long purchases throughout the day. Ended the day with a 9% paper loss on the first day of holding it, LOL!! I do see some upside potential. It feels to me like gambling, though. My NCLH holdings are continuing to oscillate between losses and break-even... can't get above that hump. I would like to see the "Fact Set" forecast #s be more closely aligned with the companies' own forecasts. Currently, many analysts are still projecting forecasts higher than the companies. So it seems to be engineered to CAUSE a "disappointment", which allows the most risk-tolerant funds to accumulate at bargain prices.