Why Do NCL's Itineraries Lack Innovation??

[nbsjcruiser]

I know I'll get flamed for saying this but I just don't understand why people are so loyal to one particular cruiseline anyway. I've been told it's because NCL has freestyle dining. They all have some form of freestyle dining! We've sailed PCL, RCCL, CCL, and NCL, and I've got to say that there just isn't that much difference between them which is why we always go with the best itinerary. I will admit that RCCL and sometimes PCL are costlier, but besides that I just don't see enough difference to make me or my family become loyal to any particular cruiseline.

 

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm loyal to my pocketbook first and my preferences second. We've cruised on Princess once, RCI 4 times and Carnival 4 times. We're branching out to NCL next year and I really liked the Jewel Eastern itinerary for the following year. In fact I was in the process of getting in touch with my TA to book it when it was moved.

 

The loyalty programs are all hokum as far as I'm concerned. You get very little for staying loyal. They're not worth it.

[islandmandan]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm loyal to my pocketbook first and my preferences second. We've cruised on Princess once, RCI 4 times and Carnival 4 times. We're branching out to NCL next year and I really liked the Jewel Eastern itinerary for the following year. In fact I was in the process of getting in touch with my TA to book it when it was moved.

 

The loyalty programs are all hokum as far as I'm concerned. You get very little for staying loyal. They're not worth it.

 

That's the way I see it too. No disrespect to the loyal crowd

[ben55124]

Here's my free innovative idea for ncl...

 

NCL Great Stirrup Cay War

 

Have all NCL Caribbean ships converge on Great Stirrup Cay for a couple days. Organize competitions between the ships passengers and crew. The winning ship gets a prize (i.e. credit towards next cruise, free drinks, etc)

 

Allow guests to visit other ship's common areas.

 

Would save on port costs and add something exciting to the private island.

[4774Papa]

Cruise lines, like any other successful businesses, work to know their core market and what their customers want.

 

So if you're a cruiseline scheduling your next season's destinations and you know your bread and butter customer happens to be the greenback-waving, St. Thomas/Cozumel-shopping type crowd looking for duty free/cheap booze/cigars/jewelry, etc., do you think your customers are going to be happy in a place like St. Bart's, for example, with it's euro denominated, French-inspired high end atmosphere? They won't, so you won't make that one of your ports of call. Unfortunately.

 

It would be nice if they could find a way to offer some less visited ports of call here and there during the season. Even if charging a little more for those cruises if they need to. After a number of cruises in the Caribbean and Med, it's getting harder to find cruises that go to places we have not already been. So it's the Baltic capitals for our next cruise.

sunworshiper, have you considered cruises to South America, Australia/NZ, or Asia? Celebrity has some great cruises.