NCL Goes Down a few notches in my book!!

[mkad1109]

I see that NCL has provided you a way to not worry. No surprise there. I have posted before, but I wanted to share with you. For our 20th anniversary we went to Le Bistro and my DH went to the maitre'd (ostensibly he was in the bathroom while I waited in the champagne bar). He gave her our video camera, requested a corner table and a diamond ring.

 

We LOVE Le Bistro, and I was so excited that we got a corner table. When two glasses of champagne came out, there was a jewelry box as well and the maitre'd filmed the whole event while my DH got on one knee and asked me to marry him all over again~~!!! So Romantic and caught on tape by our wonderful maitre'd so he could prove to our children that he really did it! I was so impressed by the trouble they went through and as usual my DH did NOT plan in advance...and yet STILL they came through...this is why we LOVE NCL (and why I love my husband!!!)

!

[fiftyguy]

Dear dongordon,

We'll be happy to make a reservation for you. Please email us at publicrelations@ncl.com with the details and we will set it up for you.

 

We are in the process of rolling out a fleetwide dining booking and reservation system that will enable guests to pre-purchase specialty dining. Please stay tuned for more information in the near future.

 

Best,

Norwegian Cruise Line Public Relations

 

 

Hey NCL - kudos for helping this gentleman out - classy act.

 

I look forward to the rollout of prebooking my dining choices.

 

Have a great day!

[weltek]

I see that NCL has provided you a way to not worry. No surprise there. I have posted before, but I wanted to share with you. For our 20th anniversary we went to Le Bistro and my DH went to the maitre'd (ostensibly he was in the bathroom while I waited in the champagne bar). He gave her our video camera, requested a corner table and a diamond ring.

 

We LOVE Le Bistro, and I was so excited that we got a corner table. When two glasses of champagne came out, there was a jewelry box as well and the maitre'd filmed the whole event while my DH got on one knee and asked me to marry him all over again~~!!! So Romantic and caught on tape by our wonderful maitre'd so he could prove to our children that he really did it! I was so impressed by the trouble they went through and as usual my DH did NOT plan in advance...and yet STILL they came through...this is why we LOVE NCL (and why I love my husband!!!)

!

 

Well that just made me a little misty-eyed. Thanks for sharing again for those of us who missed the story before!

[jaja]

More kudos to NCL...:D

[che5904]

Happy for the OP and even happier for his lucky wife. To have a DH to go to such lengths to make their anniversary special. Happy 40th OP.

However, I’m not impressed that NCL is considering putting in a fleet wide reservations system for pre-purchased specialty dining. That’s one of the big things I don’t like about the Epic, all the prethinking/prebooking you have to do. Unless they are also going to allow you to know exactly what the freestyle dailies have pre-purchase. I like to make my reservations around what I wish to do the next day off the dailies. As well I barely know what I want to eat the day of, let alone a month in advance. So much for freestyle of no schedules!

[tarheelmjfan]

OP, unlike some of the females here, I would be thrilled if my DH surprised me like this. This is a great thing you're doing. Your wife is a very lucky lady. Enjoy the planning. I hope you have the best trip of your life. :)

 

I like the idea of pre-booking specialty restaurants. We plan to dine in one every evening on our 14 day cruise. I wasn't looking forward to my DH needing to book them on a daily basis. The wording sounds like we will need to prepay. I don't mind that, as long as there's a cancellation policy. You never know what could happen, when you're booking in advance.

[sparks1093]

So much for freestyle of no schedules!

 

 

 

Completely your choice to do this or not, isn't that what freestyle all about? ;-)

[LizG12]

I like to make my reservations around what I wish to do the next day off the dailies. As well I barely know what I want to eat the day of, let alone a month in advance. So much for freestyle of no schedules!

 

 

 

hopefully they'll leave spaces open for people who want to book on the cruise - prebooking allowed up to maybe 50% of capacity kind of thing.

[che5904]

hopefully they'll leave spaces open for people who want to book on the cruise - prebooking allowed up to maybe 50% of capacity kind of thing.

 

i doubt it, they don't with the shows on the Epic

[skram99]

Yeah ncl!!

[che5904]

Completely your choice to do this or not, isn't that what freestyle all about? ;-)

 

Not completely, I also thought freestyle was you didn't have to live on schedule: bottom of daily "OK, we know this looks like a schedule (gasp!). This is no different than MDRs in traditional cruising then. You have to plan way ahead what time you wish to eat on what particular day.

 

Not really a choice I like, since like the shows on the Epic (and I can't speak for the specialty restaurants because I really haven't read much on that), they all book up in advance so you can't decide when you are on the ship because they are full and therefore leaving you SOL. Since this is one of my favorite things about freestyle is lack of total planning ahead that may leave me with finding other vacations to enjoy.

[sparks1093]

Not completely, I also thought freestyle was you didn't have to live on schedule: bottom of daily "OK, we know this looks like a schedule (gasp!). This is no different than MDRs in traditional cruising then. You have to plan way ahead what time you wish to eat on what particular day.

 

Not really a choice I like, since like the shows on the Epic (and I can't speak for the specialty restaurants because I really haven't read much on that), they all book up in advance so you can't decide when you are on the ship because they are full and therefore leaving you SOL. Since this is one of my favorite things about freestyle is lack of total planning ahead that may leave me with finding other vacations to enjoy.

 

I get where you are coming from, I don't use the specialty restaurants 1) because I'm so cheap money squeaks when it leaves my hand and 2) I'm not going to make a reservation for dinner when I don't know when I'll be ready for dinner. I may someday eat in a specialty restaurant on a whim if I'm passing by and they have room (which I understand does happen), but then there's still that #1 reason. Still and all, it's not a schedule that is imposed by NCL which is at the heart of freestyle, you are still choosing when you wish to eat, even if you are making the choice 30 days before you sail.

[Got2Cruise]

Thank you NCL for listening and responding.:)

[RNPJN]

I requested that my travel agent make a special request to book a reservation for me in advance for Le Bistro (my wife's favorite restaurant) on the day of sailing since it is our 40th Anniversary (that day!) and I did not want to spend our special day waiting an hour on line. I am surprising her with the cruise and she will not know about it until we arrive at the dock.

Only the EPIC has advanced reservations for the specialty restaurants.

Even being a Lattitues member doen't count!

Kind of disappointed in NCL since it is my favorite cruise line!

 

I wonder if other cruise lines bend the rules for special events. Probably not....it is still a business.

We have always booked as soon as we got on board and it never took more then 3-4 min. Never an hour:eek:

[jimswims]

Dear dongordon,

We'll be happy to make a reservation for you. Please email us at publicrelations@ncl.com with the details and we will set it up for you.

 

We are in the process of rolling out a fleetwide dining booking and reservation system that will enable guests to pre-purchase specialty dining. Please stay tuned for more information in the near future.

 

Best,

Norwegian Cruise Line Public Relations

 

Another reason why we keep returning to NCL! You read and do your best to accommodate.

 

We will be back on NCL on 8/8 on the Gem!

[crusinmama06]

Dear dongordon,

We'll be happy to make a reservation for you. Please email us at publicrelations@ncl.com with the details and we will set it up for you.

 

We are in the process of rolling out a fleetwide dining booking and reservation system that will enable guests to pre-purchase specialty dining. Please stay tuned for more information in the near future.

 

Best,

Norwegian Cruise Line Public Relations

 

Hey dongordon, NCL should have just skyrocketed into the stratosphere in your book! ;):D

 

I have been very impressed with the response from NCL on these boards! Have to say, I've never seen that on any other line. Great job! :D

[LizG12]

i doubt it, they don't with the shows on the Epic

 

um...I haven't been on/looked at the Epic... the shows aren't included as part of the cruise?

[GSLMOM]

Another shoutout to NCL!!! Love the response!

[che5904]

um...I haven't been on/looked at the Epic... the shows aren't included as part of the cruise?

 

I haven't been either, too many things have not drawn me to it and this having to plan shows and mealtimes ahead being a biggie if you want to add some a la carte option to enhance your cruise experience. Yes there are shows included but there is also special cost shows. Things like

Blue Man Group, Second City, Howl at the Moon, Cirque Dreams and Dinner and Legends at Sea. I don't know if all of those are costs but it seems to me they are. I don't mind the paying extra part as long as it's reasonable and I do have a choice of included shows. I just don't like the booking all this stuff in advance or not having a chance to go if I wait until I'm onboard.

 

Or maybe there will be an included show at the same time that I'd like to see just as much and I don't know that since the freestyle dailies are hush hush till you get onboard.

[LizG12]

I haven't been either, too many things have not drawn me to it and this having to plan shows and mealtimes ahead being a biggie if you want to add some a la carte option to enhance your cruise experience.

 

interesting idea, not sure I like it either. One thing I like about cruises is that you don't have to pre-plan things beyond getting to the cruise and you'll still have a variety of things to choose from.

[quercus alba]

I haven't been either, too many things have not drawn me to it and this having to plan shows and mealtimes ahead being a biggie if you want to add some a la carte option to enhance your cruise experience. Yes there are shows included but there is also special cost shows. Things like

Blue Man Group, Second City, Howl at the Moon, Cirque Dreams and Dinner and Legends at Sea. I don't know if all of those are costs but it seems to me they are. I don't mind the paying extra part as long as it's reasonable and I do have a choice of included shows. I just don't like the booking all this stuff in advance or not having a chance to go if I wait until I'm onboard.

 

Or maybe there will be an included show at the same time that I'd like to see just as much and I don't know that since the freestyle dailies are hush hush till you get onboard.

 

FYI--Cirque is the only show that charges extra--and that includes the meal.

[che5904]

interesting idea, not sure I like it either. One thing I like about cruises is that you don't have to pre-plan things beyond getting to the cruise and you'll still have a variety of things to choose from.

 

Which was my point originally, as well I actually also choose my specialty restaurant nights on whats on the MDR menu that I might really like and if I don't see anything that suits my fancy I will see about reservations then. i budget so I know how many nights I'm going to do specialties just not sure which night. But I'm sure that NCL is making more money this way, with those that afraid they may not get to treat themselves, so they book ahead.

[GSLMOM]

I agree with Che and Liz -- don't want to prebook/plan anything for my cruise - which is one of the things that I love about cruising!!! Having to do that stresses me out!

[LizG12]

Quote:

Originally Posted by che5904

I haven't been either, too many things have not drawn me to it and this having to plan shows and mealtimes ahead being a biggie if you want to add some a la carte option to enhance your cruise experience. Yes there are shows included but there is also special cost shows. Things like

Blue Man Group, Second City, Howl at the Moon, Cirque Dreams and Dinner and Legends at Sea. I don't know if all of those are costs but it seems to me they are. I don't mind the paying extra part as long as it's reasonable and I do have a choice of included shows. I just don't like the booking all this stuff in advance or not having a chance to go if I wait until I'm onboard.

 

Or maybe there will be an included show at the same time that I'd like to see just as much and I don't know that since the freestyle dailies are hush hush till you get onboard.

FYI--Cirque is the only show that charges extra--and that includes the meal.

 

so you just have to reserve a seat to the other shows in advance?

[che5904]

FYI--Cirque is the only show that charges extra--and that includes the meal.

 

Thanks for the info, as I told the poster I didn't know but that a charge was not an issue for me, so I never looked into that. Only that I had to pre-book.