Room service and to go food

[SissasMomE]

We were on the Epic last week and had no problem taking food from the buffet to eat else where we saw lots of people doing this and no one was told they couldn`t take food from the buffet restaurant . Hope this helps some of you x

 

I'd like to see them try ;)

[BigGuy25]

THEY ARE DOING IT TO MAKE MORE MONEY !!!!

 

This is exactly right! I always get up early, walk a few miles on deck and then take coffee, maybe a croissant or pastry, and some fruit back to the room to enjoy on the balcony with my DW. And, I do this on my variable schedule, not on a pre-arranged room service schedule. I enjoy this so much that (speaking just for me) this would be a reason to look to other cruise lines. I don't think this is a smart "customer oriented" policy. They're trying their best to "spin" the reason ... but it doesn't make sense. It's all about the $$$!

[Movieguy214]

This is definitely confusing. I can understand the specialty restaurants and main dining, but people taking food out of the buffet is almost a staple of cruising.

 

What's the difference if I went up to the breakfast buffet and brought my food to my room to eat vs ordering room service? I mean, the crowds at breakfast on the Breakaway were staggering. This just doesn't seem like a policy that will last for the good of the line.

[vols_159]

So I dislike this policy and I may not take another cruise with NCL over the recent changes... This happened true story

 

Our 2nd cruise over all 1st on the SUN the wifey and I went to the MDR after leaving cozumel And boy was the ship rocking... It was bad you couldnt walk down the hall It was truly bad... We made it to the MDR wife started getting sea sick.. We ordered ate some bread about the time the food came out the wife go sick very sick and went running for the bathroom (she made it) I went to check on her she said she couldnt eat So I went back to the MDR to tell the wait staff ... The nice lady said no problem let me box it up just take it back to your cabin.. I hate ate yet either the meal just had got to the table ... She packed up our meal got dessert and brought it out to me The wife had already went back to the room.. I went back ate my meal in the cabin.. She woke up a couple hrs later ate some of hers... It worked out just fine We didnt "junk" up the the cabin and the plates were gone a couple hrs later..

[Chesneygirl]

The main dining room and specialty restaurants is not that big of a deal to us.

 

But if the buffet is part of this new policy then this will be VERY disappointing. We've always enjoyed getting late afternoon snacks from the buffet to bring back to our cabin to enjoy on our balcony while we unwind from the day and get ready for the evening.

[lettienets]

I don't take much food to my room, sometimes fruit or cookies and tea (bring my own mug) and I intend to continue. If I order something at O'S I just might even dodge out of there with it and see who comes running. I think staff will not feel happy policing some of this and will turn a blind eye. People should be able take food to sick friends and relatives or to eat on balcony or in room.

Food is a big part of the culture of cruising. NCL should be careful messing with it.

[CarRex]

I am a Latitudes Platinum level cruiser, and enjoy a late night snack like milk & cookies on my balcony at night. I usually pick up a milk carton at breakfast and a few cookies at lunch and keep them in the fridge for just before bedtime. If I can no longer do that, I'll have to change cruise lines.

Edited May 6, 2015 by CarRex

[SissasMomE]

Let's see if NCL responds to this.

Edited May 6, 2015 by SissasMomE

[MissDaisyofTexas]

Has NCL officially responded that this new rule does not apply to the buffets?

 

Thanks.

[legion3]

This might be the final straw in our planned Escape cruise. This is just silly.

[FreestyleNovice]

Maybe they will set up a fee table at the exit of the buffet like the corkage fee one. ;)

[FreestyleNovice]

This might be the final straw in our planned Escape cruise. This is just silly.

 

My plan was making it to Platinum on NCL but our next to be booking will be Celebrity, with their 123Go promo a terrific deal. I am getting too old for those water slides anyway. :D

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Since reports back from some passengers, who have encountered this new rule, say it is still okay to take food out of the buffet, possibly you could stop there before it closes and pick up a snack for the next morning. Just a thought.

 

I know I'm late to the party but you did see that you cannot take food out of the buffet as well according to cruise critic NOT just me starting a rumor

 

Geri

[NLH Arizona]

I know I'm late to the party but you did see that you cannot take food out of the buffet as well according to cruise critic NOT just me starting a rumor

 

Geri

Yes, I did read their article and ask that they check to make sure, since passengers just returning from cruises have said that there have been no issues taking food from the buffet. While others have said they can't take food out of the MDR and specialty restaurants and O'Sheehans.

 

Here is one post from today from June123: Well i can confirm that you could take food from the buffet to eat where ever you wanted on the Epic last week . We would occasionally take out a snack for later and saw lots of people doing the same .Hope this is a help to you all

 

I guess we will have to see if Cruise Critic finds out if it is true or not.

[hpecorari]

For our guests’ well-being and to maintain a beautiful clean environment for all of our guests to enjoy, we ask that they enjoy their meals while dining at one of our many restaurants. Every ship in the Norwegian fleet offers dining at any time day or night for guests to enjoy, with a wide variety of options and cuisines available complimentary.

 

My SIL is a diabetic and takes Insulin. There have been times in the past where it has dropped so low that if it weren't for the little bit of 'take away' food we had in the cabin I'd have to call the medics. When her sugar is too low she gets so dizzy that she can't leave the cabin to get food and room service would take to long.

 

I can understand the new rule, although I believe the timing of it along with the new room service fee is a bit......well, strange. However, I do believe that there should be certain exceptions. Medical reasons being one. Unruly kids being another. I'd actually prefer the parents to take their food they've ordered with their unruly child and leave then to have to *try* to enjoy my meal with their unruly child.

 

Harriet

[sinkers22]

Something I don't get is those that order a dessert knowing they are too full to eat it. Then they want to take it back to their room.

Would you eat in a restaurant back home, order a dessert and take it home?

Just sound like a bunch of slobs to me. Not like there isn't tons of food to be had 24 hrs a day on board.

 

Of course I would do that! There is a little restaurant near us that makes the best homemade pies and we never have room after dinner. We always take a piece home to eat later.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I saw it but that's strange to me because many times we take our food from the buffet and bring it out to a table by the pool to enjoy.

 

Harriet

 

 

 

I said that because it wasn't me who stated this information it was cruise critic. And since I made the first initial post of this thread which I copied from a post on FB I was told I Was starting rumors by various posters. I personally think it's ridiculous that you can't take food to go. Maybe they mean meals and not cookies or fruit. But who knows. I'll try and take some of those in two weeks on the breakaway and see what happens. There are tables outside of the buffet I have no clue how they plan on stopping people. Maybe have security guards at the elevators and stairs lol who knows.

 

Geri

[NLH Arizona]

I said that because it wasn't me who stated this information it was cruise critic. And since I made the first initial post of this thread which I copied from a post on FB I was told I Was starting rumors by various posters. I personally think it's ridiculous that you can't take food to go. Maybe they mean meals and not cookies or fruit. But who knows. I'll try and take some of those in two weeks on the breakaway and see what happens. There are tables outside of the buffet I have no clue how they plan on stopping people. Maybe have security guards at the elevators and stairs lol who knows.

 

Geri

I don't think it is true for a number of reasons, biggest being that there is not enough seating at the buffet for even a small majority of the passengers. Could you imagine the issues onboard with people not being able to get food, because there were no seats. Add to that, that people eat at their loungers or the tables by the pool or at another restaurant used for overflow seating and the fact that returning passengers have said that it has not been and issue (while others have said that it has been an issue at the restaurants)and then add to that that it would be a really stupid idea and unenforceable.

 

I did call my person at NCL, but he didn't really have an answer, but said he would send it up the chain and see if they will clarify it on here. I also sent an email to Cruise Critic and asked them to check into it.

 

If it is true, I guess I won't be doing my 3:00pm run for cookies or chips anymore.

[Kenlorz]

For our guests’ well-being and to maintain a beautiful clean environment for all of our guests to enjoy, we ask that they enjoy their meals while dining at one of our many restaurants. Every ship in the Norwegian fleet offers dining at any time day or night for guests to enjoy, with a wide variety of options and cuisines available complimentary.

 

NCL, please do not insult the intelligence of your passengers with this drivel. If you're going to make a change, supposedly for our betterment, then at least give us an explaination that we can actually understand. Because this response I find to be highly insulting.*

 

*"For our guests' well-being"....

Do tell, how is the well-being of your dining room guests (or the parents) enhanced by the tantrums of a child simply because they cannot politely pack up their food and remove their child from the room? How is the well-being of a senior enhanced when they can't eat large meals and like to take their dessert back to their room to enjoy later and they must now skip dessert entirely? How is the well-being of a sea-sick guest enhanced when they cannot muster more than a few bites of their food before they need to excuse themselves; and now they must either stay and force the food down their throats and risk being sick or they have to eat the limited late night foods once they feel better? How is the well-being of your guests enhanced who have intentially paid for a balcony cabin because they want to avoid the crowds and enjoy quiet time on their balconcy with take out, but now they are forced to eat every meal in a crowded restaurant... the very crowds they are trying to avoid? Seriously, just WHOSE well-being is this for? WHO exactly does this better...other than you? How do you justify this statement of enhancing the passengers well-being by this new policy? If the rumored "food born illness" argument holds any water and you are trying to umbrella the logic of this "well-being" statement under food safety and improper refrigeration of leftovers, then you MUST include Room Service under this statement. You can't have it both ways. ALL FOOD leaving any restaurant would be subject to the same safety risks. BUT WAIT... this is the very Room Service that you just added a $7.95 'CONVENIENCE FEE' to each order! So, I guess I can 'conveniently' get sick from improperly refrigerated leftover RS, but you will protect me from my improperly refrigerated restaurant foods.*

 

"Maintain a beautiful clean environment for all our guests to enjoy"...

Do tell, how does the food that I take away from a restaurant to eat in my room take away from the beauty of the ship that the others enjoy? The only way that would be possible is if I leave my dishes in the hallway for pickup. Now wait, those dirty dishes piling the hallways would be unsightly and disgusting, correct? Thank you for protecting us all from those ungodly eyesores. EXCEPT, you seem to think the only way a passenger should be allowed to enjoy food in their rooms is to order room service. So I guess THOSE dishes are either invisible or are there for my enjoyment? Again, stop insulting our intelligence!

 

In the infamous words of my dearly departed mother, "You are talking out of both sides of your mouth, dear". At least your staff has the cahoonas to admit that since you implemented your RS Convenience Fee take our orders are skyrocketing and so take out has been ceased. This new policy has been implemented in an attempt to encourage more room service orders. Previously, when RS was free, corporate could have cared less who ordered RS, in fact, it was probably more of a nuisance. NOW, that corporate is trying to bring in revenue, some bean counter somewhere determined that limiting food to the dining rooms only will encourage more dollars to be spent on RS. Can you just grow a pair, NCL, and come out and say "We implemented this new policy, because it just made good financial business sense to do so" and stop insulting our intelligence.*

 

Off my soap box now....

[moobear67]

I am looking into a big family cruise to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary next summer, and Norwegian is one of the lines we were looking into booking.

 

But this is crazy! My 4 young nieces always bring their uneaten dinner back to their cabin to finish later. My 3 teenagers love to bring "snacks" back to the cabin to munch on late at night. My mom loves to have her evening coffee and dessert while curled up in her jammies, while watching tv. There's no way we are going to pay extra for room service every night. Room service for 14 people each night of a week-long cruise would really add up.

 

Unfortunately it looks like we will no longer be looking at Norwegian. It's too bad, too, because I was looking forward to trying Norwegian. :(

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Yes, I did read their article and ask that they check to make sure, since passengers just returning from cruises have said that there have been no issues taking food from the buffet. While others have said they can't take food out of the MDR and specialty restaurants and O'Sheehans.

 

 

 

Here is one post from today from June123: Well i can confirm that you could take food from the buffet to eat where ever you wanted on the Epic last week . We would occasionally take out a snack for later and saw lots of people doing the same .Hope this is a help to you all

 

 

 

I guess we will have to see if Cruise Critic finds out if it is true or not.

 

 

Hopefully they get back to you

[karinad]

So, I guess NCL could say that it's Not So Freestyle sailing now!:eek::eek:

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I don't think it is true for a number of reasons, biggest being that there is not enough seating at the buffet for even a small majority of the passengers. Could you imagine the issues onboard with people not being able to get food, because there were no seats. Add to that, that people eat at their loungers or the tables by the pool or at another restaurant used for overflow seating and the fact that returning passengers have said that it has not been and issue (while others have said that it has been an issue at the restaurants)and then add to that that it would be a really stupid idea and unenforceable.

 

I did call my person at NCL, but he didn't really have an answer, but said he would send it up the chain and see if they will clarify it on here. I also sent an email to Cruise Critic and asked them to check into it.

 

If it is true, I guess I won't be doing my 3:00pm run for cookies or chips anymore.

 

This may be a first but I totally agree with you lol

 

Geri

[hdowney]

So, I guess NCL could say that it's Not So Freestyle sailing now!:eek::eek:

 

Seems that way!

[Betsybill]

My first question is who is the idiot who thought this one up? My second thought is I am glad there are other cruise lines out there that don't have this in effect.

We will probably still cruise with NCL, but if other lines have similiar destinations and pricing we might not choose NCL.