When did Margaritaville become a specialty on Escape?

[MisterFidgetpants]

I feel the same as you, however I was/am the planner. We sail within the next month, and prepaid the DSC within just the last week. We were still able to pay the original 12.00 a day.

 

About Margaritaville, it is a big irritant for me since as a family we enjoy just popping down at a venue, some eating some not. Although it won't take the sting out of the whole Margaritaville mess, please pass this on to your cousin. I sent an email last night to DelRio expressing my disgust with the issue along with all the other "changes" within the last 6 months. Thinking nothing would come of it, not even an answer, I said I felt an OBC or a voucher to a specialty restaurant was at least in order. I was quite surprised when within an hour I had a response from one of DelRio's minions saying that he had arranged for the 7 of us to have a meal at Margaritaville.

 

Although it doesn't change the fact that I still feel like we are being cheated out of what we paid for months ago, at least it resulted in something. Could you please pass the information above to your cousin, perhaps her result could be the same as mine.

What email address? We are booked and I just read the change this morning.

[LadySpoilt]

What email address? We are booked and I just read the change this morning.

 

frankdelrio@nclcorp.com

[bmwman]

Big family cruise. We have 15 cabins booked, and sail in 3 months. Free booze - we will have fun ... but I doubt I will book NCL again for a long, long time ... and that's a shame. In the past 7 years, I have been on 22 NCL cruises :cool:

I don't like the changes, or where the line seems to be headed. Time will tell!

 

Yeah get it and understand not nice. Where the line is going - I think they are a bit adrift at this time are they NCL+ or prestige

 

This debacle has certainly cost them some friends and clients

[sunline2000]

Just off the Escape ....We were told by the Food Director on Nov 21 as we ate lunch that on Nov 28 Margerittaville would become a Alacart menu no longer Complimentary

They could not keep up with the cruisers who wished to eat there....lines started before it would open.

We ate there food and service good to slow.Food good to above good.

[MisterFidgetpants]

frankdelrio@nclcorp.com

 

Thank you for the fast followup.

[dna529]

I think we should flood them with emails about this.

[electro]

No it's the fault of all the people crowding it the first week, during my 3 day like I said before it was a two hour wait. That's insane for a restaurant.

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line that designs a restaurant with 30 tables but designs a galley for it that can only handle 15 tables?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line for not having longer opening hours to spread out the demand?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line for not planning for enough staff to handle the demand?

 

The guest don't make the decisions and they are not at fault because NCL can't get their act together and will do anything to get more money from its passengers.

 

Lois

[sjbdtz]

completely unbundles? It is already well-known to be the line with mostly unfriendly/aloof crews, and such detachment leaves them far behind Carnival in the smiles department.

 

 

Seriously? I think you have these two brands backwards.

 

NCL is known for the friendliest, most approachable crews.

 

I'm guessing you've never sailed on NCL.

 

 

 

.

[motleyfan]

What email address? We are booked and I just read the change this morning.

 

OMG now everybody is going to email. The whining is actually picking up longer this goes on lol. I thought it would die down. Then I guess forgot the mo of the whiners complain complain complain, create multiple threads on the same topic, until Ncl gives in.

[motleyfan]

On a different thread somebody else made a good point y'all didn't complain when Shanghai became free. It's hypocritical to complain about one change and then welcome another. Good Norwegian gives away free stuff everybody's happy but God forbid that decide to become a business and make a little extra money. Y'all talk about the customers wants well I'm a customer and I pay quite a bit for my Cruises and I was fairly upset that I couldn't go to Margaritaville during my 3 day Cruise due to how packed it was constantly. The pay restaurants were never that packed I mean they had quite a few people there but they were never packed. Plus for the people who say the Margaritaville food was so so I'm pretty sure now that it's at a restaurant the quality of the food increases.

[dna529]

OMG now everybody is going to email. The whining is actually picking up longer this goes on lol. I thought it would die down. Then I guess forgot the mo of the whiners complain complain complain, create multiple threads on the same topic, until Ncl gives in.

 

You've already been on your cruise and enjoyed Margaritaville. Please allow those of us who are on a site called "cruise critic" to discuss as we please without "complaining".

[motleyfan]

You've already been on your cruise and enjoyed Margaritaville. Please allow those of us who are on a site called "cruise critic" to discuss as we please without "complaining".

 

That just shows how little you read, I have said multiple times I did not get to enjoy Margaritaville because of the hoards of crowd in line for the free. Let's be honest this has nothing to do with Margaritaville it could have been any free venue that they took away.

[travelinmoma]

So today I logged into my NCL account and noticed I had a $25 onboard credit that wasn't there before. I'm wondering if this is some sort of compensation for the Margaritaville thing. Did anyone else notice this?

[travelinmoma]

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line that designs a restaurant with 30 tables but designs a galley for it that can only handle 15 tables?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line for not having longer opening hours to spread out the demand?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line for not planning for enough staff to handle the demand?

 

The guest don't make the decisions and they are not at fault because NCL can't get their act together and will do anything to get more money from its passengers.

 

Lois

 

Well said!!!

[SeaWatcher65]

Exactly! 4,000+ passengers.... a small pool area...but NCL takes the ONLY poolside food place and makes it a sit down place for 15-30 tables? It's the same space as Flamingo Grill on NCL Getaway which had a bar, drink stations, and grab and go items and some made to order items. Was not table service. Never had a wait and food was great. What was wrong with that model?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line that designs a restaurant with 30 tables but designs a galley for it that can only handle 15 tables?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line for not having longer opening hours to spread out the demand?

 

Why is it not the fault of the cruise line for not planning for enough staff to handle the demand?

 

The guest don't make the decisions and they are not at fault because NCL can't get their act together and will do anything to get more money from its passengers.

 

Lois

Edited November 29, 2015 by SeaWatcher65

[motleyfan]

Exactly! 4,000+ passengers.... a small pool area...but NCL takes the ONLY poolside food place and makes it a sit down place for 15-30 tables? It's the same space as Flamingo Grill on NCL Getaway which had a bar, drink stations, and grab and go items and some made to order items. Never had a wait and food was great. What was wrong with that model?

 

Is it Ncl fault that 4000 passengers can't rub two brain cells together and figure out that they can go other places to eat? Let's see if your model is correct, let's see if these 4000 passengers still go there when they got to pay a little bit. Let's see if it's actually about location or if it's just about the free lol.

[SuiteCruiser]

I feel the same as you, however I was/am the planner. We sail within the next month, and prepaid the DSC within just the last week. We were still able to pay the original 12.00 a day.

 

About Margaritaville, it is a big irritant for me since as a family we enjoy just popping down at a venue, some eating some not. Although it won't take the sting out of the whole Margaritaville mess, please pass this on to your cousin. I sent an email last night to DelRio expressing my disgust with the issue along with all the other "changes" within the last 6 months. Thinking nothing would come of it, not even an answer, I said I felt an OBC or a voucher to a specialty restaurant was at least in order. I was quite surprised when within an hour I had a response from one of DelRio's minions saying that he had arranged for the 7 of us to have a meal at Margaritaville.

 

Although it doesn't change the fact that I still feel like we are being cheated out of what we paid for months ago, at least it resulted in something. Could you please pass the information above to your cousin, perhaps her result could be the same as mine.

 

Thanks for this and I will definitely pass it along!

[motleyfan]

I feel the same as you, however I was/am the planner. We sail within the next month, and prepaid the DSC within just the last week. We were still able to pay the original 12.00 a day.

 

About Margaritaville, it is a big irritant for me since as a family we enjoy just popping down at a venue, some eating some not. Although it won't take the sting out of the whole Margaritaville mess, please pass this on to your cousin. I sent an email last night to DelRio expressing my disgust with the issue along with all the other "changes" within the last 6 months. Thinking nothing would come of it, not even an answer, I said I felt an OBC or a voucher to a specialty restaurant was at least in order. I was quite surprised when within an hour I had a response from one of DelRio's minions saying that he had arranged for the 7 of us to have a meal at Margaritaville.

 

Although it doesn't change the fact that I still feel like we are being cheated out of what we paid for months ago, at least it resulted in something. Could you please pass the information above to your cousin, perhaps her result could be the same as mine.

 

STING? STING? You realize it's just a Cruise restaurant right? No one in your family smacked you in the back of the head lol.

[LadySpoilt]

OMG now everybody is going to email. The whining is actually picking up longer this goes on lol. I thought it would die down. Then I guess forgot the mo of the whiners complain complain complain, create multiple threads on the same topic, until Ncl gives in.

 

Motley

Since I am the one that posted the email address I will respond. You are considering it to be whining about something that was included when you made the deposit and final payment.....correct?

Then let me ask you a question, why in the world did you complain about the spa situation and not being able to use it and readily take their 100.00 for your "inconvenience? Very same principal,,, you paid for something with the understanding you were going to get it. So why did you take the money? Shouldn't it have just been "well NCL didn't plan on that"? And secondly did you go to pursers desk or what....inquiring minds want to know.

 

And lastly YES I do encourage people to speak up and or email. Isn't that one of the jobs of management, to be aware of their customer base and how it feels about the product?

 

Another thing, a little further down you made snide remarks about the people "complaining" about Margaritaville now costing were the same ones that cheered when the Noodle Bar became free. Wrong again, I never once cheered or anything else, I don't care for it. So you see again you and your idiotic blanket remarks about people are once again wrong.

[SuiteCruiser]

Is it Ncl fault that 4000 passengers can't rub two brain cells together and figure out that they can go other places to eat? Let's see if your model is correct, let's see if these 4000 passengers still go there when they got to pay a little bit. Let's see if it's actually about location or if it's just about the free lol.

 

If they're unwilling or unable to add staff to the venue, then they should have instituted a small $5 fee. That would be enough to disperse the crowds and send them to the buffet.

 

For lunch, 1 MDR is open, buffet and O'Sheehan's. I don't think 4000 people can fit all that well into those 3 places over a 2 hour period. Take out the Haven people, who have another option, and you're still in trouble.

 

If people don't want to pay for their lunch, they've now displaced another 250 people over a 2 hour period, so now there will be lines everywhere else.

 

It's really poor planning

Edited November 29, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[Warm-Water Diver]

This disgusts me. Margaritaville was one of the main features that most looked forward to when booking the Escape. NCL could have easily solved the wait time by adding additional staff to accommodate the crowds. Instead, they took the easy way out.

 

Add ala carte charges which will:

 

1) increase revenue

 

2) immediately decrease the wait time

 

I will NOT be paying to dine at this ala carte offering. Shame on NCL and Del Rio.

[TheDougOut]

Then let me ask you a question, why in the world did you complain about the spa situation and not being able to use it and readily take their 100.00 for your "inconvenience? Very same principal...

 

Personally, I don't think that's a great comparison. I believe he booked a "spa room" that lacked spa privileges. That's a little bit different than booking a cruise and having one of the many dining options alter course before boarding.

 

But I understand the frustration. I, too, am disappointed by the slimming down of available dining options on the Escape.

[motleyfan]

If they're unwilling or unable to add staff to the venue, then they should have instituted a small $5 fee. That would be enough to disperse the crowds and send them to the buffet.

 

For lunch, 1 MDR is open, buffet and O'Sheehan's. I don't think 4000 people can fit all that well into those 3 places over a 2 hour period. Take out the Haven people, who have another option, and you're still in trouble.

 

If people don't want to pay for their lunch, you've now displaced another 250 people over a 2 hour period, so now there will be lines everywhere else.

 

It's really poor planning

 

Yeah but in all honesty I don't think $5 is enough. I would be happy with a $20 fee. It really isn't fair to everybody when people are already to line up for the free. I tried to tell people on the ship that the pay restaurants are actually better, better quality food and much tastier. I'm serious people are all about the free.

[TheDougOut]

It's really poor planning

 

+1

 

That's what discourages me the most... the apparent lack of proper planning. I want everything on board to simply "make sense". I want the feeling that every little detail on board was purposely planned and executed in an effort to enhance the overall experience. This "figuring it out as we go along" just doesn't sit well.

[SuiteCruiser]

Yeah but in all honesty I don't think $5 is enough. I would be happy with a $20 fee. It really isn't fair to everybody when people are already to line up for the free. I tried to tell people on the ship that the pay restaurants are actually better, better quality food and much tastier. I'm serious people are all about the free.

 

That's because you're paying for one person. You need to realize that families book cruises and every change is compounded by 3,4,5,6 times for those people.

 

I agree that the changes are easier for a single person to take, but your $20 idea means that families would be paying $60-$120 for a lunch that was free last week.

 

Edit to add: I went 3 times for lunch and really enjoyed it. If my family was with me, we would have done the same, so we went from $80 x 3 = $240 add on. If we went once and enjoyed it, we would likely never go back because it's too expensive, and feel like we were missing out.

Edited November 29, 2015 by SuiteCruiser