Will Not complain about Carnival's Beverage Policy again

[hlb76]

Well said...I am a coke girl...and probably would then have to bring a camping Britta water purifirer something or other..I could make it all work but it is nasty...still want to try them..but lousy rules with the choice and allowances. And that water not included...that is much worse than the wine or pop choice issue. Hope they have ice tea and lemonade free...something...

 

We sailed NCL for the first time on March. Now my memory of the beverage stations is not overly vivid but I do recall them having plain water which I drank just like I do on CCL. They also had some flavored waters that I found to be very weak. I found one milk station in the buffet but it was open very limited hours and type. They did have juice and cartons of milk in the AM. I never found hot chocolate like CCL which I drink a lot of. That's about it. So yes they do have other things on the buffets drink stations.

[Warm Breezes]

We sailed NCL for the first time on March. Now my memory of the beverage stations is not overly vivid but I do recall them having plain water which I drank just like I do on CCL. They also had some flavored waters that I found to be very weak. I found one milk station in the buffet but it was open very limited hours and type. They did have juice and cartons of milk in the AM. I never found hot chocolate like CCL which I drink a lot of. That's about it. So yes they do have other things on the buffets drink stations.

 

They also have ice tea and lemonade :)

[Computer Nerd]

Yes, you do pay an 18% gratuity fee per day on NCL for the UBP which for a 7 day cruise is approximately $96, but when you sail Carnival, don't you pay $49 per day pp for their beverage package and then pay 15% pp per day in gratuities?

 

Why are people so appalled that on NCL you have to pay gratuities for the beverage package but on Carnival it is okay to have to pay $49 per day PLUS 15% gratuities?:confused:

 

no, i don't pay for carnival's package because i don't drink anywhere enough to make it useful.

 

what appalls people is one, how ncl markets this is a free package when it absolutely is not free and two, how they increase the cabin price to cover the free program. if a person chooses to not take any package, they can get a cheaper per person cabin price so ncl's free alcohol package is about as far from free as one can possible get and that is what appalls me and yet so many people are taken hook, line, and sinker by the slick advertising.

[poobears]

I don't drink soda or alcohol so I have zero interest in paying a higher cruise price to receive a "free" soda or alcohol package. Which is basically what you do anytime they offer you free anything they just tack it to the bottom line in most cases. Occasionally you get lucky and get an actual free upgrade offer but when it's offered to everyone you know it's not free.

 

Like one year we were considering a trip to WDW and staying at their hotel couldn't quite decide, rep wanted us to book but I wouldn't pull the trigger even though the final price offered was very good and they had already included free (actual free with no mark up) water park passes. As I was ready to hang up to think it over they tossed in free (again free with no mark up) family meal deal passes and that was the old days when the meal deal covered everything. The bonuses offered brought our package to a dirt cheap price and they were things we would actually use and enjoy so of course I booked it and we had a great trip.

 

It's only a bonus though if #1 you aren't paying extra for it and #2 you will actually use it. In NCLs case I wouldn't use it and they are charging more for it so where's the bonus/free part? It's like selling something on by one get one free for $10 and everyone buys it out when the original price was $4.50 each.

[cruizin4sho]

Up until the last few years, NCL has been my favorite cruiseline....however, I can honestly say that Carnival is now my favorite. Unfortunately, we have booked an 11 day Alaska/West coast cruise with NCL...and it is paid for...and we are excited for the trip...so we are going, but it will probably be the last trip we book with NCL.

 

The no carry on beverage seems like a small thing on the surface, however when combined with all the other "changes", it is the proverbial straw for us. We do have an all inclusive beverage package on this sailing, BUT....it doesn't include bottled water, nor does it include cans of soda. I like to wake up and have a cold can of soda to start my day. I don't want to have to find a bar that is open at 0600 to get my morning soda. I certainly am not going to pay $40 for bottled water. The beverage package has very little value for my husband and I as we are not drinkers. We usually have 7 or 8 drinks TOTAL over the course of a cruise. We want bottled water and cans of soda and we can't get them with the all inclusive drink package. And we can't carry them on.....

 

Goodbye NCL..........Goodluck!

 

Just read the article. Come on NCL!!!smh

Edited July 11, 2016 by cruizin4sho

[Jdfireman]

Great policy change.... Who will be next

[sjn911]

We sailed NCL for the first time on March. Now my memory of the beverage stations is not overly vivid but I do recall them having plain water which I drank just like I do on CCL. They also had some flavored waters that I found to be very weak. I found one milk station in the buffet but it was open very limited hours and type. They did have juice and cartons of milk in the AM. I never found hot chocolate like CCL which I drink a lot of. That's about it. So yes they do have other things on the buffets drink stations.

Thanks!!!

:)

 

Thanks Warm Breezes on the tea and lemonade.

 

I can see where these top notch stay cold forever large mugs would be fabulous make a big Arnold Palmer for your room..lol tacky but I love my old big steel thermos..somehow showing up with that at station would be bad..lol...Sarah

Edited July 12, 2016 by sjn911

[crusinpsychRN]

Reading NCL boards not many are mad about this. More cheerleaders over there than here! They charge almost $8 for ANY room service.

[peacefulOR]

Reading NCL boards not many are mad about this. More cheerleaders over there than here! They charge almost $8 for ANY room service.

 

Really? I'm on the NCL board and I heartily disagree. There have been news stories, cancellations from long-time clients, letters, e-mails, and phone calls that are knocking the new policy. We don't like the $7.95 room service fee (continental breakfast items still delivered FREE) but the uproar has been about bottled water more than lack of non-alcoholic beverages. Just remember, if a "bad" policy works for one line it spreads. Some of us travel on different lines, not just one.

[crusinpsychRN]

Really? I'm on the NCL board and I heartily disagree. There have been news stories, cancellations from long-time clients, letters, e-mails, and phone calls that are knocking the new policy. We don't like the $7.95 room service fee (continental breakfast items still delivered FREE) but the uproar has been about bottled water more than lack of non-alcoholic beverages. Just remember, if a "bad" policy works for one line it spreads. Some of us travel on different lines, not just one.

 

Read a long thread and most said they didn't care about a long list of changes posted. Said it would make it a more upscale line.

[sparks1093]

Read a long thread and most said they didn't care about a long list of changes posted. Said it would make it a more upscale line.

 

That's not the takeaway that I got after participating in the thread but I'm not going to go count posts for and against.;)

[sternfanla]

Monkey see, Monkey doo.

[Jimmy Geegitz]

NCL.....NCL and DME. Pay Up!!!

[Jimmy Geegitz]

Soon they will be charging cover charges at the bars and shows and give it to u as a "free" package if you book today.

[crusinpsychRN]

That's not the takeaway that I got after participating in the thread but I'm not going to go count posts for and against.;)

 

I was surprised they weren't all outraged by the changes.

[peacefulOR]

That's not the takeaway that I got after participating in the thread but I'm not going to go count posts for and against.;)

 

Yep. I've read ALL of the thread as I'm currently housebound and have participated since the beginning as well. I don't know why I looked over here as I haven't sailed Carnival since last year. Currently going Royal and then 16 nights on Norwegian next Spring. It will be interesting to see the changes over the next year.

[sparks1093]

I was surprised they weren't all outraged by the changes.

 

Well, there are some that feel NCL can do no wrong, so it's not so surprising.

[nealstuber]

While NCL may be the industry leader, it doesn't mean everything they do is for the better or that other cruise lines will follow. Does anyone remember their policy about "not bringing food back to your room"? !!!

 

 

Of late Carnival has had their share of stupid ideas, I've been pretty active on the thread for twice a. Day cabin service thread on this board.. Looks like CCL might have figured out that was a bad idea.

 

One thing I like about RCCL, when they hit one in the tall grass, they're not afraid to take a step back and re-evaluate...(Not so dynamic dining).

Edited July 13, 2016 by nealstuber

[Warm Breezes]

I was surprised they weren't all outraged by the changes.

 

Well, there are some that feel NCL can do no wrong, so it's not so surprising.

 

I personally am not outraged by the changes and I currently have a cruise booked on NCL and CCL. I'm not loyal to any line but I am loyal to my budget and the changes that were made have no impact on my budget. Since we got the UBP promo with our room, we had already decided not to carry on any beverages before the change was made. I was aware before I booked my cruise of the 18% gratuity on the UBP and SDP promos as well of the higher DSC since we last sailed. We took that all in consideration when deciding which ship to sail for that vacation.

 

It's not so much that people feel NCL can do no wrong, it's more the changes they are making either have no or little impact on their current vacation or future vacations they have planned so why be outraged by them. It's not a personal attack on you by the cruise line. It's a business decision made by a cruise line to make a change. They all make changes all the time. As the consumer it is up to you to choose the vacation that is best for you. If one line doesn't do that for you anymore then choose a different ship. I think that not being loyal to any line makes it a lot easier for someone like me to not got upset over changes made by one individual line.

[sparks1093]

I personally am not outraged by the changes and I currently have a cruise booked on NCL and CCL. I'm not loyal to any line but I am loyal to my budget and the changes that were made have no impact on my budget. Since we got the UBP promo with our room, we had already decided not to carry on any beverages before the change was made. I was aware before I booked my cruise of the 18% gratuity on the UBP and SDP promos as well of the higher DSC since we last sailed. We took that all in consideration when deciding which ship to sail for that vacation.

 

It's not so much that people feel NCL can do no wrong, it's more the changes they are making either have no or little impact on their current vacation or future vacations they have planned so why be outraged by them. It's not a personal attack on you by the cruise line. It's a business decision made by a cruise line to make a change. They all make changes all the time. As the consumer it is up to you to choose the vacation that is best for you. If one line doesn't do that for you anymore then choose a different ship. I think that not being loyal to any line makes it a lot easier for someone like me to not got upset over changes made by one individual line.

 

It's not a big deal to me, would never carry on water and only carried on soda every now and then. I don't like losing the option to do this, but it's not a deal breaker by itself. I also am not brand loyal. However I do have empathy for those it does impact and I can see this from their side. I see this as another passenger unfriendly policy that is designed only to increase revenue without a resultant increase in value.

[Warm Breezes]

It's not a big deal to me, would never carry on water and only carried on soda every now and then. I don't like losing the option to do this, but it's not a deal breaker by itself. I also am not brand loyal. However I do have empathy for those it does impact and I can see this from their side. I see this as another passenger unfriendly policy that is designed only to increase revenue without a resultant increase in value.

 

And I just see it as a decision made by a business to increase profits. That is what they are in business for. But then I am an accountant and think like that. I don't take it personally and get mad at them for it. It's not personal. It is just something to possibly consider when making my next cruising decision. As the consumer it is my job to look out for me and weigh my options based on my needs. If NCL no longer met my needs then I would just look elsewhere. I don't see the point in getting so upset over any business decisions they made.

 

As a side note we sailed on Carnival in May shortly after they made the bottle ban. We weren't planning on carrying on water but we usually brought on a couple liter bottles of pop for DH to have in the room at night. No big deal we ended buying a case of water for each room at $2.99 since it was so inexpensive. We never purchased on board or brought water on board before. Lido/MDR water has always been fine with us. We ended up leaving over half of it in our rooms along with one of our bottles of champagne we brought on. I hope the room steward could take them and make use of them.....I was so glad we didn't carry all those on with us just to leave them.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Warm Breezes

[sparks1093]

And I just see it as a decision made by a business to increase profits. That is what they are in business for. But then I am an accountant and think like that. I don't take it personally and get mad at them for it. It's not personal. It is just something to possibly consider when making my next cruising decision. As the consumer it is my job to look out for me and weigh my options based on my needs. If NCL no longer met my needs then I would just look elsewhere. I don't see the point in getting so upset over any business decisions they made.

 

As a side note we sailed on Carnival in May shortly after they made the bottle ban. We weren't planning on carrying on water but we usually brought on a couple liter bottles of pop for DH to have in the room at night. No big deal we ended buying a case of water for each room at $2.99 since it was so inexpensive. We never purchased on board or brought water on board before. Lido/MDR water has always been fine with us. We ended up leaving over half of it in our rooms along with one of our bottles of champagne we brought on. I hope the room steward could take them and make use of them.....I was so glad we didn't carry all those on with us just to leave them.

 

I understand it's a business and I get that businesses change. NCL is rapidly changing into a cruise line that I won't like and that saddens me since it reduces by one my cruising options. NCL has lost what good will they had built up with me but if the fares were right I would give them one more shot because from what I've read the onboard experience hasn't changed and that's where the rubber meets the road. We'll see how it goes.

[jakesnana]

Of late Carnival has had their share of stupid ideas, I've been pretty active on the thread for twice a. Day cabin service thread on this board.. Looks like CCL might have figured out that was a bad idea.

 

One thing I like about RCCL, when they hit one in the tall grass, they're not afraid to take a step back and re-evaluate...(Not so dynamic dining).

 

That's where we differ, and that's O.K.. I don't have a problem with once a day cabin service. Heck, that's what you get when you stay in a hotel. However, it's never been an issue for us since our cabin steward has NEVER asked us which we prefer and has always provided twice a day service, even after the "change". From what I understand (and it has been confirmed by friends who have sailed CCL), when asked about the cabin service you can tell them you want twice a day service and they will gladly provide it. If that's the case, I fail to see the problem.

 

When CCL banned carrying on bottles of beverages they drastically reduced the price of purchasing bottled water onboard. That was a WIN for me as DH always wanted to carry water onboard rather than pay the high price. With the ban (and reduced cost) he agreed to just purchase it onboard. YAY !!!! We still bring a 12 pak of his Caff. Free Diet Dr. Pepper, which is allowed :)

[nealstuber]

That's where we differ, and that's O.K.. I don't have a problem with once a day cabin service. Heck, that's what you get when you stay in a hotel. :)

 

 

We certainly don't need discuss the turn down issue here as there are still a couple of active threads on the subject. However, I dislike it when people compare cruising to staying in a hotel. A hotel does not restrict what beverages you bring to it and I would never tolerate a hotel room that's the size of the average cruise cabin. They're different experiences with different norms and cherry picking one particular aspect of either and using it as an excuse to downgrade a similar aspect of the other only serves to diminish what makes each experience special.

Edited July 13, 2016 by nealstuber

[jakesnana]

We certainly don't need discuss the turn down issue here as there are still a couple of active threads on the subject. However, I dislike it when people compare cruising to staying in a hotel. A hotel does not restrict what beverages you bring to it and I would never tolerate a hotel room that's the size of the average cruise cabin. They're different experiences with different norms and cherry picking one particular aspect of either and using it as an excuse to downgrade a similar aspect of the other only serves to diminish what makes each experience special.

 

I WAS NOT trying to provide an excuse for the lack of cabin service - I stated it wasn't an issue to my and WHY it wasn't an issue. AS I SAID, I have NEVER been asked to choose morning or evening, so I don't have a dog in that fight. The new NCL beverage policy DOES affect me, so I will no longer be sailing with them. Devoting all of my cruise dollars to CCL will help me get to Diamond that much faster :)