LAST STRAW! My Last Cruise With Norwegian!

[NLH Arizona]

I think the problem is they have been changing things after final payment. In this case less than a week before sailing, I believe.

No matter when they make the changes, it will be after someone's final payment or a week before someone's sailing. Should they make their changes 2 years ahead....I don't know any company that would agree to that.

[electro]

No matter when they make the changes, it will be after someone's final payment or a week before someone's sailing. Should they make their changes 2 years ahead....I don't know any company that would agree to that.

 

No, 120 days out would be before anyone's final payment and a reasonable time frame to announce changes before they are implemented.

[jmele999]

What do you think would be a reasonable length of time into the future to sell a cruise? Using your comments I guess NCL should sell only 120 days into the future while all the other cruise lines sell 2 years out. If you are upset about policy changes then maybe you should never purchase a cruise until you are within 120 days of sailing and then these policy changes won't affect you.

 

I think that changes should only be implemented after people have been informed and have had a chance to decide whether or not they want to cancel (without penalty). For example, people who boarded Escape yesteday were informed about the changes to Margaritaville on Friday. That should never happen.

Edited November 29, 2015 by jmele999

[NLH Arizona]

No, 120 days out would be before anyone's final payment and a reasonable time frame to announce changes before they are implemented.

Didn't they do that with the a la carte pricing and there are still those that have an issue with it. Didn't they grandfather those in on the DSC increases and folks still have an issue with it. Also, at 120 days prior to a cruise, don't most people have their airfare purchased already. I guess they would just be out of luck and have to pay the change fee. No matter when NCL announces changes, there will be folks with issues, so if I were NCL, I'd do what best suits the company's agenda, because they are in a no win situation no matter when they do it, because there will always be someone with an issue.

[broberts]

Didn't they do that with the a la carte pricing and there are still those that have an issue with it. Didn't they grandfather those in on the DSC increases and folks still have an issue with it. Also, at 120 days prior to a cruise, don't most people have their airfare purchased already. I guess they would just be out of luck and have to pay the change fee. No matter when NCL announces changes, there will be folks with issues, so if I were NCL, I'd do what best suits the company's agenda, because they are in a no win situation no matter when they do it, because there will always be someone with an issue.

 

Announcing a change 120 - 150 days prior to its effective date would inconvenience the least number of people. Anyone who felt the change was sufficient to consider canceling can do so without penalty. If they have already booked air, they can still consider another cruise line or decide just how much the change really matters.

 

But this is a practice of companies interested in maintaining good customer relations. Going company first, last, and always will do little to elevate a #4 company.

[ourfamilylovescruising]

Just got off the Escape great ship the staff were some of the best we've had waited very little for drinks. we were hearing that they would charge for margaritville and really they needed to do something if they didn't charge they needed to make it more like a buffet like Carnival does for the Guy burgers the wait was always at least an hour and half and once you sat down it was another half hour to get your food unless you just ordered the appetizers. if they just cut it down to just burgers it would work better instead of making you order like a regular restaurant.

 

I have to say the selection on the Buffet were great we went with friends who have not cruised in over 10 years and could not believe how nice the dining rooms were and the buffet. that is all they talked about and now they cant wait to cruise again. :D

[macandlucy]

I don't know if that figure is correct or not, but in most of the home countries of the crew, tip income is not reported or taxed.

 

So let's say Monday your boss comes to you and says "What if I reduce your pay to $50 and we legally exempt all the rest of your income from our high tax rates?" Would you say "yes" or would you say "no"?

 

$50 of their income is taxed. The rest is tax free. Pretty good deal, huh?

 

I think in the interest of accuracy you'd have to add one additional detail to that deal, and that is, any money you make over that $50 a month will come, in large part, from a fund that is (at least technically--morality aside) payable, or not, at the passenger's discretion. It seems a little less sweet when you include that, at least from my perspective.

 

And are you suggesting that I would ever take an opportunity to not pay my country its due? For shame, Sir, for shame!

[SuiteCruiser]

Didn't they do that with the a la carte pricing and there are still those that have an issue with it. Didn't they grandfather those in on the DSC increases and folks still have an issue with it. Also, at 120 days prior to a cruise, don't most people have their airfare purchased already. I guess they would just be out of luck and have to pay the change fee. No matter when NCL announces changes, there will be folks with issues, so if I were NCL, I'd do what best suits the company's agenda, because they are in a no win situation no matter when they do it, because there will always be someone with an issue.

 

When and if people book their airfare doesn't matter in this case, it sure does when NCL charters their ship and they're left with airfare and no cruise. It's not NCL's fault if people book their airfare early.

 

I don't know that NCL announced a la carte for Escape 120 days out, I don't believe they did and the DSC changed immediately, but if you opted to prepay, you could pay at the old rates, they didn't say in 120 days the rates will change.

 

Why don't they do all of these changes 120 days out? Margaritaville was the day before the sailing. The no smoking in the Escape casino before the Miami cruises was never communicated. The service charges on the specialties were not given any notice. I could go on and on, but so many people have had these things thrust upon them with no recourse.

 

We've agreed in the past that NCL's communication is very poor. They are also going the opposite direction of most companies in the way they treat their customers.

Edited November 29, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[NLH Arizona]

Just got off the Escape great ship the staff were some of the best we've had waited very little for drinks. we were hearing that they would charge for margaritville and really they needed to do something if they didn't charge they needed to make it more like a buffet like Carnival does for the Guy burgers the wait was always at least an hour and half and once you sat down it was another half hour to get your food unless you just ordered the appetizers. if they just cut it down to just burgers it would work better instead of making you order like a regular restaurant.

 

I have to say the selection on the Buffet were great we went with friends who have not cruised in over 10 years and could not believe how nice the dining rooms were and the buffet. that is all they talked about and now they cant wait to cruise again. :D

Thanks for some first hand information.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Precisely. THAT is why it's unlikely to change to mandatory....because all of the crew would leave if all of their income was suddenly taxable.

 

 

.

 

Are the tax rates that bad in their home countries that ALL the crew would quit?

 

According to many post on here the crew can make peanuts at best in their home countries. If that is the case you say they can make more money staying at home compared making peanuts oposed to having their $2K - $3k a month being taxed?

 

Bill

[nealstuber]

NCL didn't raise the price of the cruise fare. It would be like if the airline called and said they were now charging for a can of soda, which was free up to that date. If I was thirsty, I'd purchase it and if not, I wouldn't purchase it. .

 

 

Without having seen the cover charge I would still hazard to guess its more than a can of soda on an airline. Charging for bags would be a better comparison.

 

If I got an email from southwest saying I would have to pay for my bags tomorrow after I already factored in the cost of bags in to my purchase decision...

 

But this would not happen under current Southwest management.

 

I'm sorry I missed my chance to cruise NCL after V'tech left and this new guy started.

[SuiteTraveler]

Cruising tomorrow and they have the nerve to tell me that margharitaville is no longer free for food. I got this email less than 12 hours before sailing. That's it! Totally disgusted with NCL!

 

If you have the dining package, it is still free as it is included in that and yes, you can eat there for lunch and go to another specialty restaurant for dinner OR you could go to guest services onboard and explain that it WAS free when you purchased your cruise and you are extremely disappointed and wish to be compensated for this unexpected change in what they offered you when you booked. See what they have to say. I would expect that you would get onboard credit for at least 1 dining experience in Margaritaville. But to blow off NCL now before you have given them the opportunity to make good on this seems a bit silly and short sighted to me.

[nealstuber]

If you have the dining package, it is still free as it is included in that and yes, you can eat there for lunch and go to another specialty restaurant for dinner OR you could go to guest services onboard and explain that it WAS free when you purchased your cruise and you are extremely disappointed and wish to be compensated for this unexpected change in what they offered you when you booked. See what they have to say. I would expect that you would get onboard credit for at least 1 dining experience in Margaritaville. But to blow off NCL now before you have given them the opportunity to make good on this seems a bit silly and short sighted to me.

 

 

Spending time on my vacation to get what I thought I paid for. If they need to make it a pay venue to meet profit goal I get that. But the email that said it was "for pay" could have easily said "it's for pay moving forward. We encourage those who booked previously to take a printed copy of this email with them for a complementary experience at Mville."

[duchesslt]

Spending time on my vacation to get what I thought I paid for. If they need to make it a pay venue to meet profit goal I get that. But the email that said it was "for pay" could have easily said "it's for pay moving forward. We encourage those who booked previously to take a printed copy of this email with them for a complementary experience at Mville."

 

Bingo! That is customer service and honoring your advertising/bargaining.

[hypercafe]

No matter when they make the changes, it will be after someone's final payment or a week before someone's sailing. Should they make their changes 2 years ahead....I don't know any company that would agree to that.

 

This is not true. If they want to change something just make it effective prior to a sailing that is 120 days out and anyone who wants can cancel.

[SuiteCruiser]

If you have the dining package, it is still free as it is included in that and yes, you can eat there for lunch and go to another specialty restaurant for dinner OR you could go to guest services onboard and explain that it WAS free when you purchased your cruise and you are extremely disappointed and wish to be compensated for this unexpected change in what they offered you when you booked. See what they have to say. I would expect that you would get onboard credit for at least 1 dining experience in Margaritaville. But to blow off NCL now before you have given them the opportunity to make good on this seems a bit silly and short sighted to me.

 

 

 

For people with the UDP it is covered, for people with the SDP, they use one of their meals for it. At least, that is what is being reported from those onboard right now.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2284279

Edited November 29, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[Lily815]

No matter when they make the changes, it will be after someone's final payment or a week before someone's sailing. Should they make their changes 2 years ahead....I don't know any company that would agree to that.

 

When Jet Blue went from "free" baggage to charging, anyone booked before a certain date was grandfathered in. They also made sure the new charge date was several months ahead. That is the proper way to conduct business, IMO.

[NLH Arizona]

When Jet Blue went from "free" baggage to charging, anyone booked before a certain date was grandfathered in. They also made sure the new charge date was several months ahead. That is the proper way to conduct business, IMO.

They could grandfather folks in, like they did with the DSC increases, but I guess they choose not to...their business, their rules, so we either live with the changes or we don't. Even when they grandfathered folks in on the DSC increase, there were still those on here that had a major issues with that change, so there is no win for NCL in their changes, even when they changed the Asian restaurant from a for fee venue to a free venue, there were those with issues.

[sjbdtz]

Are the tax rates that bad in their home countries that ALL the crew would quit?

 

According to many post on here the crew can make peanuts at best in their home countries. If that is the case you say they can make more money staying at home compared making peanuts oposed to having their $2K - $3k a month being taxed?

 

Bill

 

 

the good ones would move to another cruiseline where it's not taxable.

 

 

.

[fshagan]

Gotta wonder how that works out for those on the POA.

 

My understanding is that the POA has to meet the American labor laws. I don't know if they are actually considered to be employed in the state of Hawai'i that probably has a higher minimum wage than the national minimum wage, or if ship workers on American flagged vessels have the same wage laws applied to them (fishermen, for example, have several carve outs in the tax code for meals and lodging if they take overnight trips).

[fshagan]

I think in the interest of accuracy you'd have to add one additional detail to that deal, and that is, any money you make over that $50 a month will come, in large part, from a fund that is (at least technically--morality aside) payable, or not, at the passenger's discretion. It seems a little less sweet when you include that, at least from my perspective.

 

And are you suggesting that I would ever take an opportunity to not pay my country its due? For shame, Sir, for shame!

 

For the second question, of course not. Neither do I expect to send in a donation to the treasury of money you do not owe. No citizen is expected to pay a penny more than the law requires, and working toward paying the least the law allows is neither unethical or illegal.

 

For the first, I suspect that the "tip pool" has been carefully crafted to meet the worker's union-negotiated amounts for per hour "tip plus wage" amount (or shift pay, or whatever measure they use). The dirty little secret may be that the Brits and others who refuse to tip are being subsidized by the rest of us, and the DSC has to be raised occasionally to allow for those who reduce it. The company must take in a certain amount to fund the tip pool in order to give it to the employees in the tax free manner. When too many Brits are on the boat what happens? Perhaps they give themselves the flexibility to average it over non-Brit sailings as well.

 

The point is it is probably a lot more complex than we think it is.

[triptolemus]

 

For the first, I suspect that the "tip pool" has been carefully crafted to meet the worker's union-negotiated amounts for per hour "tip plus wage" amount....

 

Uhhhh, what?? Union-negotiated hourly amount? Are you talking about crew? Are you serious? Are you just making things up?

[DreamingBig1]

Isn't it just a hamburger joint? They probably still have a free option someplace for hamburgers.

[jackson bernard]

the good ones would move to another cruiseline where it's not taxable.

 

 

.

 

Oh, Stevie, that's just absurd. Do you think the other cruise lines are just waiting for ex NCL employees to come knocking? They just can't move from one cruise line to another whenever they feel like it you know.

 

If they owe taxes to their home countries, they should pay it. No more, no less. The whole world isn't like Canada you know.

[Sand and Seas]

Isn't it just a hamburger joint? They probably still have a free option someplace for hamburgers.

 

It's a 'hamburger joint' that's occupies the same outdoor deck place as the Flamingo Grill/Uptown Grill on the Away ships. Now that great complimentary option that we enjoyed for casual outdoor lunches is gone. I would rather they take the Margaritaville name off and go back to a complimentary casual lunch place that is NOT a crowded buffet.