NCL Does Not "Nickle and Dime"

[boatseller]

Look, I find this whole "Nickle and Dime" complaint a bit silly. All the major cruise lines offer a great all-inclusive experience and no guest is required to pay one additional dime, or even a nickle, on board.

 

To put some perspective on this, here's a list of totally plausible but ridiculous charges that would be legitimately called nickles and dimes.

 

1. In the MDR, 3 complimentary items and 10 upcharge items.
   
2. In the MDR, charging for additional appeitzer, main and dessert.
   
3. A preferred table charge to sit by the window, even at night.
   
4. An upcharge section in the buffet.
   
5. The Beverage Package covering only 1 pour in a cocktail. For example, you order a Black Russion and the vodka is covered but you have to pay $5 for the Kahlua.
   
6. A printing fee in the Photo Gallery.
   
7. A charge to just take pictures.
   
8. A Pool Towel Rental fee.
   
9. Deck chair reservation fee, by the hour.
   
10. A security fee every time you board the ship, even in ports of call.
    
11. A charge for Main Theater shows.
    
12. A charge for comedy shows.
    
13. A no-show charge for dining reservations.
    
14. Room to room phone calls billed by the minute.
    
15. A fine for missing the safety drill.
    
16. A storage fee for duty free purchased on board or in port.
    

All the extra charges I see people complaining about, none are secret or hidden in any way. They are all optional and easily avoidable. And none, at least in my perspective are make-or-break for having a great cruise.

[NMLady]

What do you call not reducing the high price of bottled water now that folks cannot bring bottled water aboard?

[Taxgal87]

What do you call not reducing the high price of bottled water now that folks cannot bring bottled water aboard?

 

I call that petty and cheap. They still have time to reduce the price of bottled water onboard and they just might with all the complaints.

 

Also there is FREE water on the ship. If you are one of those who doesn't like tap water, they make reusable water bottles that have built in filters. I have one and they are great.

 

I am a super frugal person and budget for every penny I spend, but even this doesn't bother me.

[punkincc]

Look, I find this whole "Nickle and Dime" complaint a bit silly. All the major cruise lines offer a great all-inclusive experience and no guest is required to pay one additional dime, or even a nickle, on board.

 

To put some perspective on this, here's a list of totally plausible but ridiculous charges that would be legitimately called nickles and dimes.

 

1. In the MDR, 3 complimentary items and 10 upcharge items.
   
2. In the MDR, charging for additional appeitzer, main and dessert.
   
3. A preferred table charge to sit by the window, even at night.
   
4. An upcharge section in the buffet.
   
5. The Beverage Package covering only 1 pour in a cocktail. For example, you order a Black Russion and the vodka is covered but you have to pay $5 for the Kahlua.
   
6. A printing fee in the Photo Gallery.
   
7. A charge to just take pictures.
   
8. A Pool Towel Rental fee.
   
9. Deck chair reservation fee, by the hour.
   
10. A security fee every time you board the ship, even in ports of call.
    
11. A charge for Main Theater shows.
    
12. A charge for comedy shows.
    
13. A no-show charge for dining reservations.
    
14. Room to room phone calls billed by the minute.
    
15. A fine for missing the safety drill.
    
16. A storage fee for duty free purchased on board or in port.
    

All the extra charges I see people complaining about, none are secret or hidden in any way. They are all optional and easily avoidable. And none, at least in my perspective are make-or-break for having a great cruise.

 

 

Now you've done it! I can see some accounting department Jr Exec who is burning to make a name for himself running into the next department meeting with your list of "recommendations" for ways to further "enhance" on board spending.

[Beaver1975]

What do you call not reducing the high price of bottled water now that folks cannot bring bottled water aboard?

 

There is free filtered water all over the ship that is as clean or cleaner than bottled water. It is your choice to pay for bottled water. Once again this is another example of people taking advantage of something that NCL allowed and had to cancel due to abuses by a small minority.

[Shawnino]

What do you call not reducing the high price of bottled water now that folks cannot bring bottled water aboard?

 

She can't hear you over her pom-poms.

[Forewatch]

There is free filtered water all over the ship that is as clean or cleaner than bottled water. It is your choice to pay for bottled water. Once again this is another example of people taking advantage of something that NCL allowed and had to cancel due to abuses by a small minority.

 

Actually, it's not about the abuses of passengers. They can still smuggle in booze in a mouthwash bottle or in any other number of ways (I don't drink alcohol.. just making the point). But you can't smuggle in alcohol in a sealed juice box or plastic shrink wrapped bottles of water.

 

This new issue is all about the money. For me, it's not about the money-- it's about what I will or won't put in my body. I only drink Mountain Valley Bottled Water. I only drink organic juice. So what do I do now? Simple, NCL gives me no other choice but to cruise on other lines so that I can bring with me the water and juice I drink.

[pieshops]

What do you call not reducing the high price of bottled water now that folks cannot bring bottled water aboard?

 

Thats called being in business and being responsible to your shareholders to maximize profits.

 

Now if they charged 10 dollars a bottle and there was no access to drinkable water anywhere on the ship, thats a whole different story.

[sparks1093]

Thats called being in business and being responsible to your shareholders to maximize profits.

 

Now if they charged 10 dollars a bottle and there was no access to drinkable water anywhere on the ship, thats a whole different story.

 

Then that's what they should have said instead of the hokey "it's for security reasons".

 

NCL charges more for things than other cruise lines and they charge for things other cruise lines don't charge for. If that isn't nickle and diming I don't know what is (and the fact that the passenger can avoid the fee is irrelevant).

[cruisebie]

I agree. NCL does not nickel and dime it's passengers. It's more like $5 and $10.

[Loralye]

I agree. NCL does not nickel and dime it's passengers. It's more like $5 and $10.

 

I wish there was a like button... love this!!!

[boatseller]

Did it ever occur to anyone that there may have been a problem with theft of the water packages on board? Especially when left in front of the stateroom with the rest of the luggage? Swiping a commodity item, like a package of water, is must less icky than taking someone's suitcase.

[boatseller]

I agree. NCL does not nickel and dime it's passengers. It's more like $5 and $10.

 

Such as?

[pieshops]

Then that's what they should have said instead of the hokey "it's for security reasons".

 

NCL charges more for things than other cruise lines and they charge for things other cruise lines don't charge for. If that isn't nickle and diming I don't know what is (and the fact that the passenger can avoid the fee is irrelevant).

 

My definition of nickel and diming is when you go to a hotel and are charged for a towel or to use the pool or parking in a hotels private lot things that are normally free being charged for.

 

I do not know of anything such as the above that NCL Charges for. I do not bowl so why should the fee for bowling be put into my fare, I don't play bingo, I don't buy bottled water or soda I drink the ships water, I don't get room service etc.

 

Why should I have to pay for these things I do not use in the ships fare if I don't use them?

 

As far as them charging more or for more things then other lines, lets use Disney for an example, I can do 2 NCL cruises for the price of a Disney cruise but hey they give free soda. This is a free market, if you feel you are being mis treated don't sail on NCL it is that easy. If enough do this they will reconsider their fees etc

[sparks1093]

My definition of nickel and diming is when you go to a hotel and are charged for a towel or to use the pool or parking in a hotels private lot things that are normally free being charged for.

 

I do not know of anything such as the above that NCL Charges for. I do not bowl so why should the fee for bowling be put into my fare, I don't play bingo, I don't buy bottled water or soda I drink the ships water, I don't get room service etc.

 

Why should I have to pay for these things I do not use in the ships fare if I don't use them?

 

As far as them charging more or for more things then other lines, lets use Disney for an example, I can do 2 NCL cruises for the price of a Disney cruise but hey they give free soda. This is a free market, if you feel you are being mis treated don't sail on NCL it is that easy. If enough do this they will reconsider their fees etc

 

We obviously have a different definition of "nickle and dime" and hence will never agree. (And just so you know, room service is free on other cruise lines, so NCL is charging for things that are "normally free", which is actually part of your definition;).)

[cruisebie]

Such as?

 

Just a few examples:

$7.95 fee for room service

$22.95 + 18% for a 6 pk of water

Free UBP or UDP but you have to pay the 18% service charge.

 

All the mass market cruise lines have extra charges for some things, but NCL takes it to a whole nuther level.

[boatseller]

Just a few examples:

$7.95 fee for room service

$22.95 + 18% for a 6 pk of water

Free UBP or UDP but you have to pay the 18% service charge.

 

All the mass market cruise lines have extra charges for some things, but NCL takes it to a whole nuther level.

 

Sorry, but the whole water argument just doesn't..well...hold water.

 

And if you understood the economics of Room Service, you would understand that as one who doesn't ever use Room Service, I appreciate the charge.

 

Neither of these are "nickle and diming", they are premium services you are perfectly free to avoid.

[Taxgal87]

Just a few examples:

$7.95 fee for room service

$22.95 + 18% for a 6 pk of water

Free UBP or UDP but you have to pay the 18% service charge.

 

All the mass market cruise lines have extra charges for some things, but NCL takes it to a whole nuther level.

 

Ok Room Service...I still don't think that's nickel and diming but I miss the days of no charge for that. Other lines even charge a fee if after a certain time of night.

 

Water - RCL also does not allow water to be brought onboard from home (whether or not they enforce this is a different story) but their policy states it cannot be brought onboard. Also their package for bottled water is just as steep.

 

I have no problem paying for the gratuities for UDP or the UBP (if I drank alcohol). In the past drinks have been a la carte + gratuity so now that they are free you should take away the gratuity? NO. The people who serve you are still making most of their money on gratuities and working just as hard if not harder with these packages offered so if gratuities were not added, workers would suffer greatly.

 

I'm sorry but there are just some costs that are unavoidable and taxes and gratuities are some of them.

[sparks1093]

Sorry, but the whole water argument just doesn't..well...hold water.

 

And if you understood the economics of Room Service, you would understand that as one who doesn't ever use Room Service, I appreciate the charge.

 

Neither of these are "nickle and diming", they are premium services you are perfectly free to avoid.

 

A lot depends upon how you define the term "nickle and dime". Can't get people to agree to that then you can't get them to agree to anything.

[trivimp]

I, too, find the whole "nickel & dime" argument to be pretty specious.

 

Bringing drinking water or soda aboard is way more trouble than it's worth to me. But it seems logical to me that NCL would like to eliminate or at least discourage it, because it's more work for the porters & stewards, as well as being something of a safety concern.

 

I was more than happy to pay the 18% gratuity on my UBP for my last cruise -- in my mind, it was analogous to the as-seen-on-teevee sales pitches that offer you something "FREE (just pay shipping & handling!)" I knew what the actual cost was going to be, and if it didn't seem worth it, I would have passed. For that matter, I gladly tipped my favorite bartender an extra buck per drink for learning what we liked & giving us great service the whole time. (We nicknamed him Salvy, because he resembled the catcher for the Kansas City Royals. Salvy makes a great dirty martini.)

 

Room service seemed silly to me -- why eat in your not-terribly-roomy cabin when there's much nicer spaces to enjoy your meal? However, if that's your thing, a small fee is reasonable to offset the time & trouble of someone prepping & delivering your food order. I pay a convenience fee when I order from GrubHub, same idea.

 

I know some people think these things are dealbreakers & will disagree with me. Doesn't bother me in the slightest... it's all just opinions. (I do think the medical waiver thingy should be granted, though.)

[cruisebie]

Here is the definition of nickel & dime according to the Oxford Dictionary.

 

Put a financial*strain*on (someone) by charging small amounts for many minor services:

 

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/nickel-and-dime

 

I'm surprised the NCL logo wasn't pictured on the page.

[Annmeat]

There is free filtered water all over the ship that is as clean or cleaner than bottled water. It is your choice to pay for bottled water. Once again this is another example of people taking advantage of something that NCL allowed and had to cancel due to abuses by a small minority.

 

 

Yup!yes! True!,,

 

The desalinated water is almost identical in composition to the bottled water . In some cases it is more pure than bottled water. It takes three clicks of a mouse to do some research and see that people are neither being pointed or over salted by desalinated ship water. Does everyone refuse to drink the water served at dinner? I've never seen a plastic water bottle at a dining room table in many many cruises.

 

This nickel and dime garbage has been way over played . I don't spend one penny that I don't want to. Letting the loss of a Coke product ruin one' s cruise is insane.

 

We also cruise RCL. There is absolutely a service charge in specialty dining, water bottles, etc. and the bottled warpter is the same damned price as NCL. They do Not allow soda and water to be carried aboard.

 

Such first world problems, folks.

 

5 straight days of this on CC makes me need a laaaaaaarge break.

[boatseller]

I know what "Nickel and Dime" means which is why I'm saying that, NCL is not "nickle and diming" anyone for anything anytime. Neither does RCI and probably Carnival too, for that matter.

 

It's not a matter of perception. It is very easy to leave the ship with a $0 account balance.

 

In practice, the crew warns you so many times about upchage items that A) the don't seem to want your nickles or dimes B) it gets annoying (but I understand why they do it).

[Travel R]

From what I have read here and in other similar posts since coming to the NCL boards, and it could be my inexperience with NCL, but I have found that there is a common definition for nickel and diming:

 

If the cost does not affect me, I don't care how much they charge, but if they charge for something I like, then that is nickel and diming.

[pieshops]

From what I have read here and in other similar posts since coming to the NCL boards, and it could be my inexperience with NCL, but I have found that there is a common definition for nickel and diming:

 

If the cost does not affect me, I don't care how much they charge, but if they charge for something I like, then that is nickel and diming.

 

perfectly sums it up