Basic Romance Package now $135?

[Ms belp]

We were supposed to order the romance package as a Valentine's gift but Chris says it is now $135 instead of $79 in the past. Can anyone confirm? Also, has the price of a bar set up gone up as well? Anyone have a bar menu to post? We are sailing on the Gem, April 24, 2010 out of Venice. I just learned this is new for NCL; I hope it goes well.

[SuiteRose]

We were supposed to order the romance package as a Valentine's gift but Chris says it is now $135 instead of $79 in the past. Can anyone confirm? Also, has the price of a bar set up gone up as well? Anyone have a bar menu to post? We are sailing on the Gem, April 24, 2010 out of Venice. I just learned this is new for NCL; I hope it goes well.

 

The NCL webpage says $135 for the same items that used to be $79... we have done that several times in the past... but not next time (unless they rethink the hugh increase).. not such a good deal anymore.

[STARFISH*4]

there were several threads on this back in november i believe--seems about the time the price went up

[STARFISH*4]

speaking about the ROMANCE PACKAGE...i do know that went up...dont know about the BAR one

[neverthought]

Very Very disappoint in NCL!!! We would order the anniversary pkg. for each cruise. The cost of $79 was reasonably and fair. I don't know how they justify a $56 increase!! I'm sure it is the same wine, same size picture, same glass of bubbly, same sliver of cake, same # of canapes and strawberries and the same menu selection at LeBistro. IMHO, that $56 increase is not reasonable or fair...we WILL NOT be ordering it again either! So much for their "customer loyalty and satisfaction"...NCL is really starting to nickel and dime its passengers. We are thinking it may be time for us to start looking at other lines.:( Tomorrow I'll call Corporate and express our disappointment in their decision to raise the rate...lol, if they even care.

Neverthought

[uneamie]

Very Very disappoint in NCL!!! We would order the anniversary pkg. for each cruise. The cost of $79 was reasonably and fair. I don't know how they justify a $56 increase!! I'm sure it is the same wine, same size picture, same glass of bubbly, same sliver of cake, same # of canapes and strawberries and the same menu selection at LeBistro. IMHO, that $56 increase is not reasonable or fair...we WILL NOT be ordering it again either! So much for their "customer loyalty and satisfaction"...NCL is really starting to nickel and dime its passengers. We are thinking it may be time for us to start looking at other lines.:( Tomorrow I'll call Corporate and express our disappointment in their decision to raise the rate...lol, if they even care.

Neverthought

 

It might be even wiser to look into "all inclusive" vacations for your next one. We love sailing on the ocean....love, love, love it! But, ,our past cruise experience was extremely costly.....parking, staying in a hotel the night before, service charges, and paying for many activities. We've decided to do an "all inclusive" vacation next time on land.....perhaps in Mexico or Jamica.

[pmd98052]

Tomorrow I'll call Corporate and express our disappointment in their decision to raise the rate...lol, if they even care.

 

Please do call and write (via real mail) to complain. Only if they hear about it from enough people will anything change. Per the other poster its also well worth looking at alternative vacation options - be they land or sea based.

[iheartbda]

Discussed at length here.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1085398&highlight=romance+package

[newmexicoNita]

We were supposed to order the romance package as a Valentine's gift but Chris says it is now $135 instead of $79 in the past. Can anyone confirm? Also, has the price of a bar set up gone up as well? Anyone have a bar menu to post? We are sailing on the Gem, April 24, 2010 out of Venice. I just learned this is new for NCL; I hope it goes well.

 

yep, the great romance package deal has caught up with all the rest of the cruise lines and is not such a great deal anymore. As for the bar set up, it went up about a year or so ago..From bottles starting at $40 to now starting at $60. Again, what the other lines charge for bar set ups. I say other lines, there are only a couple that offer the bar set up.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Just did some checking: Carnival doesn't list their prices

Princess starts at $140.00

RCI: $125.00 without dinner

Celebrity: $125.00 and it is breakfast in bed, not dinner. The only one that includes dinner is over $200 but includes more.

 

THis is something that none of us like, but it is fact, prices are going up. We can all say we will just change lines, which is ok, but better yet, for us anyway, we just will not order the package anymore.

 

Nita

[LN50]

Just did some checking: Carnival doesn't list their prices

Princess starts at $140.00

RCI: $125.00 without dinner

Celebrity: $125.00 and it is breakfast in bed, not dinner. The only one that includes dinner is over $200 but includes more.

 

THis is something that none of us like, but it is fact, prices are going up. We can all say we will just change lines, which is ok, but better yet, for us anyway, we just will not order the package anymore.

 

Nita

 

Having Just returned from the Jade and enjoyed our anniversary package, I would say that at $79 it is extremely good value at $135 it is not good value.

Is it not better for the cruise ships to encourage more people to spend by offering good value rather than not have people spend on what I percieve to not be good value.

Surely they can get more revenue by encouarging more spend on good value items.

 

We also noticed that the price of wine and drinks generally had risen way above the usual inflation prices. Consequently our drink spend was much reduced, not that we cannot afford it rather that we do not like to pay WAY over the odds for it.

[newmexicoNita]

Having Just returned from the Jade and enjoyed our anniversary package, I would say that at $79 it is extremely good value at $135 it is not good value.

Is it not better for the cruise ships to encourage more people to spend by offering good value rather than not have people spend on what I percieve to not be good value.

Surely they can get more revenue by encouarging more spend on good value items.

 

We also noticed that the price of wine and drinks generally had risen way above the usual inflation prices. Consequently our drink spend was much reduced, not that we cannot afford it rather that we do not like to pay WAY over the odds for it.

 

oh, I agree with you completely, my point is simply, the cruise lines follow each other on pricing of amenties pretty closely..For some to say, I will cruise another line because a package is too high doesn't make much sense when all are within a few cents in price or maybe a few dollars. Yes, I do agree, jacking up the prices can be counter productive. We don't buy as many drinks as we used to because of cost (regardless of the line) we are curtailing our hours in the casino because of the tight machines and we will not purchase the romance package.. In fact, that used to be a perk I sometimes gave clients, not anymore. again, I am not defending the cruise lines, but simply saying don't think NCL is the only one raising prices for onboard features.

[sparks1093]

Here's what you get in the package:

 

Sparkling Wine and strawberries in your stateroom upon embarkation

Canapés delivered to your stateroom one evening

Honeymooners' Champagne and Cake party

Honeymoon photograph

Romantic dinner for two in Bistro with a complimentary bottle of wine

 

According to the wine list on the website the least expensive sparkling wine is $32, wine is around $35 so that's $67. Dinner for two in Le Bistro is $40 so we're at $107. A posed photograph (8x10) is about $20 (or it was on the Sky last year) so that's $127. They don't specify whether the strawberries are chocolate covered but that runs $10.80. In any event, are the strawberries, canapes and the champagne/cake party worth $8? Probably. So it may not be the great value as it was but it looks like it's still worth the money.

[kff1]

It not an 8x10 Photo, but a 5x7 worth about $12.