Any changes for the BETTER?

[myra711]

I am an infrequent cruiser and go on the message boards feverishly when I am booking/have booked a cruise. I have been seeing so many negative comments about the change in management. Are there any good changes that have resulted from it? I know that in the original press release, the new guy was saying that improving the food was a big priority. I see many people complaining about new charges; is the food better at least?:confused:

[OneWord]

Yes

[kbailey1734]

I like the UBP and UDP.

[bostongal965]

We were on the Getaway 2/14, and I thought the food was much, much better!! Not every meal was a home run, but a significant number of them were far better.

[txagfan]

I like the UBP promos? I liked UDP, but think that's become very complicated with all the a la carte and stuff.

[LrgPizza]

The UDP was old and has been discontinued. I like the new SDP, which allows us to save on specialty dining, but we can buy for just some of the days instead of all, like the old UDP.

 

 

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[triptolemus]

One pesky room service charge and a change to the smoking rules and you'd think the sky was falling around here.

 

The promotions have been a boon for me, personally. Over the course of my last few cruises where I would have ordinarily purchased the UBP at $850 for two, I received it free with my cruise fares staying equal to or only slightly higher than previous similar trips.

 

Part of the problem with the new management isn't really the changes, it's the way they have gone about them. From Del Rio's cocky-ass attitude (I will get $5 more from your wife), to the lack of any communication when changes affected people after final payment... these are things that really stick in the craw of many. And legitimately so. There have been quite a few take-aways (some with questionable value to begin with) with little added in return for what many see as substantially higher fares.

[Sizzlechest]

Yes

 

I think the OP meant better for the customer.

[BirdTravels]

I am an infrequent cruiser and go on the message boards feverishly when I am booking/have booked a cruise. I have been seeing so many negative comments about the change in management. Are there any good changes that have resulted from it? I know that in the original press release, the new guy was saying that improving the food was a big priority. I see many people complaining about new charges; is the food better at least?:confused:

 

Let me qualify my comments by saying that we have been on 10 NCL cruises over the past 2 years,,, through the change in leadership.

 

I think that all the changes are good. They show progress. They are aligning the offerings onboard to the contemporary cruiser. Gone are the days of 10 top tables at fixed dining times. Gone are the days where you were "expected" to be in a suit/tux and long dress on formal nights in the Caribbean.

 

Investments in top Broadway shows. Specialty dining by top chefs and brands. Investments in modernizing all ships in the fleet. Investments in new ships. Investments in overhauling MDR menus.

 

We don't want to live in the past.

 

Change is hard. There are dozens and dozens of books on change management. Because change is hard for people to accept.

 

We like change.

 

(Oh yeah, the picture above is the QE2, our first cruise many, many years ago. In retrospect, we like cruising today much more than the days of the QE2,,,,, because of change)

Edited March 17, 2016 by BirdTravels

[LrgPizza]

Another good recent change is not requiring people with the UBP to sign drink tickets.

 

Also, Asian restaurants on board are now complimentary, with the exception of Teppanyaki and sushi.

Edited March 17, 2016 by LrgPizza

[SPB in da RVA]

Restricting smoking more especially banning it on balconies.

[SteveH2508]

Restricting smoking more especially banning it on balconies.

 

Smoking has been banned on balconies since November 2014 - enforcement of the rules is another question altogether.

[Demonyte]

 

I think that all the changes are good. They show progress. They are aligning the offerings onboard to the contemporary cruiser. Gone are the days of 10 top tables at fixed dining times. Gone are the days where you were "expected" to be in a suit/tux and long dress on formal nights in the Caribbean.

 

 

 

Investments in top Broadway shows. Specialty dining by top chefs and brands. Investments in modernizing all ships in the fleet. Investments in new ships. Investments in overhauling MDR menus.

 

 

 

We don't want to live in the past.

 

 

None of these things are result of the new management and have not changed in any way during the two years you have cruised with them 10 times. These things started happening on NCL already almost two decades and at least two CEOs ago. You clearly think that Freestyle Cruising is good but it has nothing to do with what FDR has done.

 

I was happy even with the old MDR menus and even with these newest changes (a lot more visible cutbacks than new and improved additions), it's still nothing to brag about - Celebrity still trumps NCL easily.

[Demonyte]

Another good recent change is not requiring people with the UBP to sign drink tickets.

 

 

Granted that it also saves time for the passenger, that is still just a cost cutting measure (even though apparently not all staff is yet able to do that by printing useless receipts).

 

I find that of all changes mentioned here very few (if any at all) has anything to do with adding value to the passenger to justify all the price hikes (not talking only about the fares).

[LrgPizza]

Granted that it also saves time for the passenger, that is still just a cost cutting measure (even though apparently not all staff is yet able to do that by printing useless receipts).

 

I find that of all changes mentioned here very few (if any at all) has anything to do with adding value to the passenger to justify all the price hikes (not talking only about the fares).

 

 

The OP asked for improvements, and I listed some. You might not count them, and that's fine, but the OP didn't require the qualifications you have. So therefore, I simply answered the question asked.

 

 

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[biker@sea]

I am an infrequent cruiser and go on the message boards feverishly when I am booking/have booked a cruise. I have been seeing so many negative comments about the change in management. Are there any good changes that have resulted from it? I know that in the original press release, the new guy was saying that improving the food was a big priority. I see many people complaining about new charges; is the food better at least?:confused:

 

No! :(

[aenglish1609]

Celebrity still trumps NCL easily.

 

 

How can you possibly make such a bold claim?? If anything, at least preface it with "this is my opinion".

[sparks1093]

How can you possibly make such a bold claim?? If anything, at least preface it with "this is my opinion".

 

If it is obviously an opinion does it really need to be labeled as such?;)

 

OP, there have been several threads that have asked your question and there is no consensus- some of the changes benefit some passengers, some more than others. None of the changes would really affect me per se but if given a choice between walking through an empty field or walking through a field with cows in it I would choose the empty field because I don't have to watch where I step as closely. NCL has become more a a field with cows in it (in my opinion, of course).:)

[NLH Arizona]

I have no issues with the changes. Some I like, a la carte pricing in the specialty restaurants, the SDP and not signing for drinks with the UBP and some don't affect me at all or I don't have an issue with; such as, the room service charge, raises in the DSC. Folks have reported that the food is better, but I haven't cruised since the new menus which I'm looking forward to doing.

 

All cruise lines have had changes. I also cruise on Celebrity and they have had their changes as well. Some like the changes and some don't and what is so great about the cruise industry, if you don't like one cruise line, there are a number of others to pick from.

[myra711]

I appreciate all your feedback. I'm glad to see that the changes aren't an unqualified negative, for some cruisers anyway.

[jdycty]

If the food has improved it must have been more flavorless before. We were just on the Gem and didn't really care for the food in the buffets.

there was a lack of flavor.

[Sissaaaaaa]

I am an infrequent cruiser and go on the message boards feverishly when I am booking/have booked a cruise. I have been seeing so many negative comments about the change in management. Are there any good changes that have resulted from it? I know that in the original press release, the new guy was saying that improving the food was a big priority. I see many people complaining about new charges; is the food better at least?:confused:

 

I thought the food was great on our last cruise (Escape, 3/5/16). The portions are also larger. Some things were hit or miss, but that is more due to personal taste than anything being wrong with the food. The extra charges did not add up to much for 4 of us, especially with the free UBP.

Edited March 17, 2016 by Sissaaaaaa

[cheer25mom]

Celebrity still trumps NCL easily.

Yes, but it costs a whole lot more in most cases. I did extensive pricing research before booking with NCL and we would have paid 1 1/2 times what our NCL cruise is costing to cruise Celebrity.

[Sissaaaaaa]

Yes, but it costs a whole lot more in most cases. I did extensive pricing research before booking with NCL and we would have paid 1 1/2 times what our NCL cruise is costing to cruise Celebrity.

 

Is that today's rates? The same cruise I just took last week on the Escape will cost me $600 more for the same exact week (and perks) in 2017. That's a substantial increase.

[aenglish1609]

If it is obviously an opinion does it really need to be labeled as such?;)

 

 

 

Since the statement was made more as fact, than opinion, yes it should be labeled as such.