You mean NCL isn't the only one?

[coffeebean]

I am a newbie cruiser, and I had no idea that things besides alcohol and excursions might cost extra! I have done a ton of research, and chose based on departure location and price. While I was waffling between RC and NCL, it was NOT clear to me that the things that were tempting me to Royal Caribbean were going to cost extra....the flowrider surfing, Johnny Rockets, ice skating...I didn't know those things would all cost more! If I had known, the choice would have been even easier......NCL seems pretty "inclusive" to me. No ice skating, but I would have had to pay for the kids to do that, anyway. It is really hard to discover the costs on the website, and a newbie like me just assumed those things were included. I know there are charges for some restaurants, which doesn't bother me, there is plenty of free food, too. I would have been irritated to board RC and find out that the flowriders were going to cost, and the ice skating, and Johnny Rockets....those things woulld add a huge chunk to my bill times three kids!

As far as I know, RCCL does not charge for Flow Rider or ice skating.

[turning40withMickey]

I read the article in the OP's link and just figured from the paragraph below that the the flow rider was the artificial wave surfing....two different things? Regardless, I like the choice to purchase or not, but I want to know ahead of time.... I consider researching a vacation fun!

 

 

Copied from article in OP: Some indicate there’s a fee for a product or service without clearly stating that fee. It takes multiple clicks to find the information—if it’s there at all. “The cruise lines advertise these features as if they are included,” says Elissa Fallo, who cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas recently. She poked around the website and cruise forums and found out about the $4.95 per meal upcharge at Johnny Rockets restaurant. She obtained the prices for other activities she wanted to do, like the golf simulator and artificial wave surfing, and pieced together a budget for them.

[iheartbda]

I read the article in the OP's link and just figured from the paragraph below that the the flow rider was the artificial wave surfing....two different things? Regardless, I like the choice to purchase or not, but I want to know ahead of time.... I consider researching a vacation fun!

 

 

Copied from article in OP: Some indicate there’s a fee for a product or service without clearly stating that fee. It takes multiple clicks to find the information—if it’s there at all. “The cruise lines advertise these features as if they are included,” says Elissa Fallo, who cruised on Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas recently. She poked around the website and cruise forums and found out about the $4.95 per meal upcharge at Johnny Rockets restaurant. She obtained the prices for other activities she wanted to do, like the golf simulator and artificial wave surfing, and pieced together a budget for them.

It wouldn't be the first time that there was inaccuracies in an article.;)

There is no charge for the Flowrider or whatever someone wrongly calls it. Now if you want private lessons, which are available, you will pay.

[thejuliet]

I personally like the basic business model of NCL.

 

I don't consider myself a cheapskate but I am a "value" traveler. What's wrong with buying excursions on board? I don't have a problem paying $59.00 per person for a snorkeling tour after traveling 3000 miles across the continent to get to my cruise. I can't see sea turtles where I live and I never swim in the ocean here because even in the summer it is too cold and our rugged beaches are covered in rocks and barnacles. I know the bingo is over priced, but hey they bingo callers are pretty funny so I'm paying a little bit more for being entertained. I never go to bingo at home, but it's a must do on a cruise at least once.

 

I don't by the overpriced drinks but I do take the Martini class, awesome deal.

 

I find the selection of included restaurants is fine, I don't think people should expect Le Bistro quality food when they are paying $70.00 - $100.00 per day for their holiday. The kids club alone is worth $50.00 per day for me and it's included!

[newmexicoNita]

WE have always looked at it this way: don't spend money if you don't want to. For those who do not drink, why would they want an all inclusive cruise and have to pay for those who do. This goes for excursions, specialty dining, whatever. We like the idea of a lower price and we will decide where to spend our extra budgeted money. Now, as for not spending anything on the ship, I have a little problem with that as well. As mentioned, if people stop supporting the cruise lines, by spending money on board the prices will start to sky rocket or the companines will be out of business.

 

Nita

[daffodiliaz]

WE have always looked at it this way: don't spend money if you don't want to. For those who do not drink, why would they want an all inclusive cruise and have to pay for those who do. This goes for excursions, specialty dining, whatever. We like the idea of a lower price and we will decide where to spend our extra budgeted money.

 

Is that you reading my mind? My thoughts exactly. I think about what IS included in the fare, not what's excluded. Our standard balcony is costing roughly as much per night as a nice hotel room in say London, but the cruise includes entertainment, food, not to mention seeing multiple ports. I don't know what RCCL includes that NCL doesn't, but I do know that the same itinerary on RCCL Liberty of the Seas is about $350/pp for a balcony. That $350 can go a long ways towards other things of my choosing. (I've never sailed RCCL, but hear good things, but we know we like NCL and if it ain't broke don't fix it, right?)

[sunshine 229]

I think the article brings up a lot of valid points. When I look at the NCL website, they advertise all the different dining options available. It's only upon further digging that you find out that most of them are available for "a nominal fee." Try to find out what the nominal fee is and you get to the Q&A section with answers along the lines of "because restaurant prices change, NCL does not allow anyone to post what the cost of these restaurants are." Well, "nominal charge" can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. To me, $5 is a nominal charge. *Maybe* $10.

 

And a lot more used to be included. On my first Carnival cruise over 15 years ago, there were free cocktails at the Captain's Party. Free cocktails at the Singles Reception. There were still free cocktail receptions on my RCCL honeymoon many years ago. The room service menus were more inclusive than what I see is offered now. The entertainment options may not have been as diverse, (ie no bowling or ice skating) but all the options available were free. Yes, drinks and excurions cost money, so they weren't completely all-inclusive. But, other than that, you didn't have to constantly ask how much something you wanted to do on the ship was going to cost because the answer would have been nothing.

 

I agree, when I started cruising there were many things included that aren't now; soft drinks were one, as was juice in the buffet throughout the day not just at breakfast. Higher cuts of meat and real lobster (on at least one night of the cruise) was standard and at no additional charge. All the sports activities ( exercise classes, ice skating etc) were included in the basic fare. In addition, it is my perception that even the few extras that I paid for (cocktal tasting for example) were done more generously. The first cocktail demonstration I went to on RCCI cost $10 and the 'samples' came out on trays and were handed out left, right, and center. The more recent ones I've been to, on a few different lines, were more demos, with people vying to be the lucky few awarded one of the drinks the bar tenders mixed up.

So, to valley village, who posted:

I hear that one phrase "cruises used to be all inclusive" a lot! But I wonder, aren't the same things that used to be included still included?

no, in my experience, they aren't.

 

To those of you who suggest taking the cruise and bending over backwards not to spend another penny on board, I say, enjoy it while you can. If many people adopt that plan eventually the base prices will rise or quality will decline to a level where even you may not enjoy it.

 

As someone else pointed out, the cruiselines aren't operating as a charity, right now they seem to feel that the best business model is to lure people in with low ticket prices and then generate more revenue once they have a captive market on the ship. If too many people keep their wallets closed, drink only water and whatever other swill is still included, eat only the lower quality food available in the included dining rooms and tour themselves on shore rather than purchasing ships excursions it won't belong before the cruiselines raise ticket prices or go out of business.

[dockrocker]

I don't think we really need to worry about everyone suddenly ceasing all purchases on board. The majority of people are still going to drink, some a great deal; perhaps a majority will gamble, and some will lose a lot; a good enough percentage will take shore excursions, buy photos and purchase souvenirs. The art auctions, which I would never in a million years patronize (mostly because 99 percent of the art is crap) and the constant jewelry and spa "seminars" wouldn't be offered if people didn't like them. Instead, those events are usually packed on NCL ships.

 

There is a certain percentage of the population that just loves to shop and will buy nearly anything while it's a captive audience on a ship. That's not going to change. Many of the people here are frequent cruisers looking for ways to keep costs down, and there's nothing wrong with taking a good hard look at how you spend your money onboard and deciding what is and isn't worth it.

[carebear71]

I am planning to go on my second cruise this April, my first with NCL. I have been doing a lot of research because I remember even though it was about 12-13 years ago how much the "extras" can add up. So even though we have a total vacation budget of about $5000 for a family of 4, we got an ocean view cabin for less than half of our budget to allow for all of those extra costs; drinks, specialty restaurants, a shore excursion, tip charges, etc. We are going to try to keep our costs down by eating at the included dining areas most of the time, limiting our consumption of beverages that aren't included, only going on one shore excursion booked through the cruise line, avoiding the spa, bingo, casino and shopping aboard the ship, etc. Of course we will occasionally splurge on one or two special restaurants and the occasional soda, glass of wine or cocktail, but we plan to keep it to a minimum so we can stay within our budget. The point is, you need to educate and prepare yourself so you know what all the extra costs are. That way you won't get "sticker shock" when you get the final bill.