Have you seen how much NCL has Cutback?

[STARFISH*4]

most of the cut-backs that the OP mentioned dont affect me so dont much care, as for like no champagne that wasnt a big deal either.

 

its not just cut-backs for cruising its everywhere....just was out to eat tonight and hadnt been at this particular place and portions were smaller, menus changed...prices go up on things and changes have to be made; its just part of life and we deal with it...

 

..none of those things are a GOOD TIME CRUISER BREAKER for me!!

[Steamboatin]

BooHooooooooo........Sorry the world is being so cruel to you. Most of us have better things to worry about:rolleyes:

 

 

Your spelling is really bad.

 

It is Beauxeaux Heauxeaux ...........that is Cajun style spelling as in Geaux Tigers.:D

[Starry Eyes]

LOL.... Igor as I called him was a late night intruder on our balcony. When I came out of the bathroom I heard a noise out on the balcony. Thinking it was DH who snuck in the room and out on the balcony to give me a scare , I was quite surprised when I pulled open the curtain and flipped on the light to see " IGOR".. A big hawk looking kind of bird...IGOR had a big beak and large claws...We LOVED sleeping with our balcony door opened on every cruise. This changed that. All I thought of afterwards was "Imagine waking up with him in the room " ...

I HAD to take pictures thinking DH would return to no bird and my story and he'd wonder what I was drinking in the bathrub ! Luckily for me he walked in and saw me talking to the bird...We were too far out to sea for them to fly to land so their stowaways !

 

Wow, that is quite a story. I am glad you shared it...your earlier post had me imagining a human intruder climbing between balconies. A large winged intruder is bad enough...

[buckirj1]

I realize folks have different expectations of a cruise experience, but some of you are putting far too much emphasis on food cutbacks. I like to eat as much as anybody, and probably more than most, but I've not yet managed to leave a dining area still hungry.

 

...and I love the Igor story...I want to see a bird like that on a cruise someday (provided there was a glass wall between me and him)

[time2cruise1]

I am on the Pearl. Black Angus is still served at Cagney's. No cutback there.:-).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nikimouse]

cant miss what youve never had but im disapointed that they stopped giving a glass of bubbly at embarkation. I will eat mostly at the buffet and blue lagoon but want to try tepenyaki and the main dining room. The inside cabins are good value. Any first time cruisers will be impressed even if cruising isnt as good as people claim it used to be, more people are cruising now than in the past so its better to cut back than raise prices!

[mafig]

im disapointed that they stopped giving a glass of bubbly at embarkation

 

 

I'm disappointed also. If you read a lot of reviews like I do you'll notice that people who haven't been on NCL in awhile always mention that there's no "champagne." It's noticed!

[Medtech2]

I'm disappointed also. If you read a lot of reviews like I do you'll notice that people who haven't been on NCL in awhile always mention that there's no "champagne." It's noticed!

If it is anything like the bubbly at the art auction it was horrendous! I could not even drink it.

[sparks1093]

If it is anything like the bubbly at the art auction it was horrendous! I could not even drink it.

 

The only good thing about it was that it was free.

[newmexicoNita]

Wow, that is quite a story. I am glad you shared it...your earlier post had me imagining a human intruder climbing between balconies. A large winged intruder is bad enough...

 

me too, thanks for sharing your relationship with Igor..

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

cant miss what youve never had but im disapointed that they stopped giving a glass of bubbly at embarkation. I will eat mostly at the buffet and blue lagoon but want to try tepenyaki and the main dining room. The inside cabins are good value. Any first time cruisers will be impressed even if cruising isnt as good as people claim it used to be, more people are cruising now than in the past so its better to cut back than raise prices!

 

and I really don't miss the bubbly..I remember being assured we would be so impressed with Celebrity cause they were a step or so above, just because of things like the bubbly. Yes, it was nice, but it didn't make a single bit of difference to us and this goes for when NCL decided to add it and then discontinue it. The champagne was not a good quality, you could see 1/2 drank glasses everywhere and I don't think it fit into NCLs personality truthfully. I tnink 2.0 was marketed to give NCL a new look, thanks I want to stick with the old look and only change small things, not the whole personality of the fleet.

 

Nita

[david_sobe]

I just got back from the Sky 3 weeks ago. We had a great cruise and some of our best meals ever (although we say that every trip into Cagneys). But we did notice a few cut backs since our last NCL cruise just 8 months prior.

As someone mentioned, the shrimp at Cagneys are not the jumbo they used to be.

The side of mushrooms was only a table spoon full

No more 2 for 1 martinis at Plantation lounge

 

But the lobster is $2 cheaper now $8 instead of $10

 

Did not impact our cruise and I suspect ALL cruise lines and EVERY business are looking for ways to save money.

 

But as someone pointed out the gold standard black angus is still served in Cagneys and still as good as ever.

 

On another note, I hear people complain about drink prices on cruise ships. I live in Miami and I am sure other big city people can confirm the drink prices on ships are very cheap compared to land.

For example: My neighborhood would charge $10-$12 for a martini but on NCL they are only $8.

So we NEVER complain about drink prices. For us, we think they are cheap.

[weltek]

Yes, think of all the money they must be saving by not buying bananas, butter, brown sugar and a splash of rum! With such an expensive dessert, it's clearly a cost-cutting measure. :rolleyes:

[boca7]

Cigar smoke is a very offensive odor to most non smokers & many who do smoke & the smell travels a great distance on a ship, lets be considerate of the many guests who can`t stand the smell or go charter your own ship & fo what you want........

[DMH15]

Yes, think of all the money they must be saving by not buying bananas, butter, brown sugar and a splash of rum! With such an expensive dessert, it's clearly a cost-cutting measure. :rolleyes:

 

It is labor intensive compared to cake, pie or cheesecake. That's where the cost-cutting measures are. Along with having to have fresh produce - bananas.

[nona0541]

Yes, think of all the money they must be saving by not buying bananas, butter, brown sugar and a splash of rum! With such an expensive dessert, it's clearly a cost-cutting measure. :rolleyes:

 

could be that not that many people ordered 'bananas foster'. JMHO

[swedish weave]

One of the cruise lines had an incident in which the flaming dessert flared up and caught the ceiling afire. I believe this was a couple of years ago, but not sure when. Since fire is so dangerous on ships, I think that incident prompted most, if not all, cruise lines to stop doing it.

[nikimouse]

If it is anything like the bubbly at the art auction it was horrendous! I could not even drink it.

 

 

oh well I guess Im not missing out then, glad they no longer offer it if it wasnt very nice anyway. Like I said you cant miss what you never had so im not bothered about no champagne or smaller shrimps. But I can understand that when you pay extra for speciality resturants you dont expect them to make cutbacks with the food served there. Someone who cruises in an inside cabin and eats in the main dining room is going to have lower expectations so will probably be happier overall

[leekel619]

LOL.... Igor as I called him was a late night intruder on our balcony.

 

 

I have to try and post the picture here but am not sure how to do a single picture. Any one want to help me figure this out ???

 

I really hope you figure it out!! It took me about a year to get my profile pic or avatar or whatever its called on CC, to post.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing that bird on your balcony. Poor thing, I hope he was ok. I've seen lots of sparrows and I always feel sorry for them when we're way out at sea. WHY do they stay on the ships instead of flying back to shore?? Before its too late....

[BikerAl]

Have fun Jim... hope you continue to report on what you learn from Klaus.

 

Al

[leekel619]

I saw the Igor pictures on the other post! Thanks for sharing!

[doodlesinkentucky]

For those of us who remember the good old days when Freestyle Cruising began, the last few years have seen Norwegian cutting and cutting more of the things that made Freestyle what it was. Here's a short list of just a few:

 

1. The Souffles at Le Bistro, which were great, are GONE.

 

2. The Banana Foster at Cagney's is GONE.

 

3. Espresso at the Specialty Restaurants is now an extra cost.

 

4. The Colossal Shrimp at Cagney's are no more.

 

5. The Chocolate Foundue at Le Bistro no longer kept heated at the table.

 

6. The Onion Soup at Le Bistro no longer topped with gruyere cheese over the bowl-- now the cheese pre-heated on the toast.

 

7. Anyone remember the WARM creme brulee at Le Bistro?-- also gone.

 

8. Espresso or Capuccino in the dining rooms is now an extra cost.

 

9. Effective January 2012, NCL is prohibiting cigar smoking on BALCONIES. For me, this is the opposite of Freestyle. I look forward to smoking 1 fine cigar on my balcony each sea day. If I can't do this anymore on NCL, there are plenty of lines that allow this including Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Carnival.

 

The little things that made cruising special on Norwegian are slowly being eliminated. I have seen it during the last 3 cruises on NCL (EPIC, Jewel and Sky).

 

I am heading back to Royal Caribbean and Holland America, where many of the special things have not been eliminated.

 

 

 

Sorry but I have heard ALL the ships have cut back!!!!

[che5904]

In answer to your heading. Yes, in someplaces I’ve seen it just in the 2 years I have cruised. The champagne on embarkation was a nice touch and so were the chocolates on the pillows. If getting rid of those things allows them keep my cruising cost down, I’m for it.

There are continual changes and no I don’t think they are all due to cutbacks. The changes you have mentioned could be due to many things; cost cutting, not a popular item (because they are your favorite doesn’t mean they are everyones), change in menu, other passengers wishes (the squeaky wheel gets the grease), safety. Life is full of changes, welcome to the real world. Other changes; new menus, new freestyle daily format, new policies, the list is plentiful. If a company doesn’t change things up, they get accused of being stagnant, people stop cruising after many cruises because it’s the same old thing.

IMO for most items on your list would not make me not cruise or change lines. Yes #9 may impact your vacation if that’s the way you chose to relax. But sorry whats on the menu does not make a big impact on my choice of lines. To each his own though.

Hope you find what you are looking for in your future cruises and those lines don’t update their menus.

[Barb Nahoumi]

We were on the Jewel last June, in a balcony cabin, and found no bathrobes in the closet or Elemis products in the bathroom. They were always available in the past.

 

I guess they cut back on those items also.

 

We bring our own toiletries anyway.

[suzequ]

We were on the Jewel last June, in a balcony cabin, and found no bathrobes in the closet or Elemis products in the bathroom. They were always available in the past.

 

I guess they cut back on those items also.

 

We bring our own toiletries anyway.

 

Barb - I don't remember Elemis products being in balcony cabins (suites, yes). Don't know about the bathrobes, we always ignore them. ;)