UBP Price Increase

[willsears94]

Can't say I care for the price increase of $2 a day given that a lot of drinks are pre-made. It is obnoxious to have to instruct a bartender how to make a drink from scratch. They should know and or should do it every time, given the menu cost/drink and the 20% service fee.

Being in my early 30s, I am not going to cry a river. I will continue to sail RCCL and NCL as they do not have a cap on the number of drinks you may have.

 

When I give up on life, I will go the way of Celebrity, MSC, and Regents. Rewards Programs today literally mean nothing other than the individual person to feel important and/or they achieved something. In the end, it is not worth the bang for the buck.

Edited October 3, 2018 by lukewheller

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Fee@Sea Strikes Again!

 

Even before this back-door fare increase NCL routinely priced out at or above similar length cruises, in similar cabin types, with Celebrity (excluding the EDGE) when pricing Celebrity with the GoBest Package (which is a far better value - Premium Drink Package, $300 per cabin OBC, Unlimited wifi for 2 and Pre-Paid Gratuities!). Add in the fact that Celebrity, Princess and Holland DO NOT make guest pay a service fee when offering Beverage Packages as booking perks and it makes NCL less and less attractive by the day! And yes, I know Princess and Holland do not always have a free beverage package, but when they do it is usually a better value overall compared to similar NCL sailings.

 

At this point it's just getting to be an insult, and a money grab. NCL is officially on the "Do Not Book" list!

[BNBR]

Can't say I care for the price increase of $2 a day given that a lot of drinks are pre-made. It is obnoxious to have to instruct a bartender how to make a drink from scratch. They should know and or should do it every time, given the menu cost/drink and the 20% service fee.

Being in my early 30s, I am not going to cry a river. I will continue to sail RCCL and NCL as they do not have a cap on the number of drinks you may have.

 

When I give up on life, I will go the way of Celebrity, MSC, and Regents. Rewards Programs today literally mean nothing other than the individual person to feel important and/or they achieved something. In the end, it is not worth the bang for the buck.

 

The rewards programs may not mean a lot, necessarily, but they do mean something. Platinum on Carnival and you get priority boarding plus your room ready when you board. I think that's a nice benefit. On Royal, Diamond get free drinks every day, which may not be enough for you, but for many, it saves the cost of the drink package which is a huge benefit.

[TFLG]

Before they started including it (for free:rolleyes:) the beverage package was $49 a day plus 15% ( about $56 a day). Now the cabin prices are much higher and the beverage package price is just a total fantasy jacked up to increase the service charge cost. Got to admit they have done a great job with this one making a lot of people think they are getting some kind of deal.

[JillK]

It's irksome to continue to see price increases but this isn't a surprise based on all the warm and fuzzy customer-focused stuff Del Rio was saying publicly not that long ago.

 

With the exorbitant prices they are charging for drinks, the price to pay as you go can add up really quickly even for a moderate drinker. On my last cruise aboard the Brilliance of the Seas, we were paying a la carte and one beer in the late afternoon, a glass of wine with dinner and a soda at the show for both of us a day still added up quickly.

 

At least with the UBP I don't have to worry about how much it will cost me because I've already paid a fixed price that was acceptable. For others the math might not work out and if it doesn't, then it certainly isn't a perk.

 

I think that we will continue to see these "subtle" price adjustments over the next few years - Del Rio seems interested in seeing how far he can push NCL's customer base before the brand looses traction in the marketplace and becomes a less desirable cruising option (he's pretty open about wanting to once again push the final payment date back even further).

[GA Dave]

Best way to beat the price increases? Stay home! If they have enough half-empty ships for a time, the prices will drop.

Me, I am counting down to the next one. Med!!!

[Medtech2]

What was your incentive to cruise exclusively NCL to get to Platinum?

 

well, first, when we started cruising Kevin S was in charge and the customer service we received was so outstanding we just kept coming back. Staff actually recognized us years later on different ships and sought us out to say hello. A CD actually ran down a gang plank to hug me good bye. Stewards were highly visible and all of them on a floor would be calling out hello to us, not just our own. The overall experience, at least for us, was far superior to the experiences we had on Carnival. Prices were reasonable also. So soon it was very realistic to say, gee, I want to get to Platinum for the free laundry and the BTS tour. Not a big deal per se, but the very personalized experience we enjoyed was great. I also had a goal of cruising every ship just for the fun of collecting the ship pins. Those are now gone also.

 

fast forward to now and the customer service is not there. Staff has been cut so that there are no visible stewards. They work very specific hours, they're not around and are either poorly trained or so overworked there is no service to match previous levels. The next tier Platinum Plus is so far up in points needed for minimal extra benefit. For those who haven't cruised until recently they wouldn't know the difference but I can say the experience now matches the experience we have gotten on Carnival when it comes to staff, So, IMO we may as well branch out and Carnival ships are either in our own back yard or within driving distance so the cost difference for the trip is even greater

[welove2cruise2014]

Before they started including it (for free:rolleyes:) the beverage package was $49 a day plus 15% ( about $56 a day). Now the cabin prices are much higher and the beverage package price is just a total fantasy jacked up to increase the service charge cost. Got to admit they have done a great job with this one making a lot of people think they are getting some kind of deal.

I think the 49/day was still in effect on our 1st cruise in 2013. Then the perks got real good... UBP, UDP all 7 nights, 300 OBC... which got us hooked. Lol.

 

Sent from my SM-J737T using Forums mobile app

[welove2cruise2014]

Best way to beat the price increases? Stay home! If they have enough half-empty ships for a time, the prices will drop.

Me, I am counting down to the next one. Med!!!

Great point. I think about the folks who swear that NCL will never get their business again for this reason or that... and quite frankly, as long as ships are sailing full or close to it, NCL doesn't CARE if they are new cruisers or Platinum cruisers. And some people take that personally. But in my opinion it is just business and makes sense to me.

 

Sent from my SM-J737T using Forums mobile app

[ano]

As someone who has cruised maybe 25 times over the last 25 years, and just got off my second NCL cruise (others on RC, Carnival, Princess, Celebrity) this last cruise is the end for me, at least with these lines. We got the UBP as a "free" perk and after paying gratuity, probably lost money on the deal. I MAYBE had two drinks a day, wife doesn't drink at all. We did have lots of sodas. But so many restrictions, can't have specialty coffees, Gatorade, bottled water, etc. We also got the "free" excursions which gives you $50 per port ($25 per person), of course most excursions are $119 or more.

 

Its interesting, when in my room I checked my account, and didn't see my $50 per port credit, but we had booked excursions at each port that they were clearly charging us for. So off to Customer Service. Apparently the $50 credit is ONLY credited if you actually show up for each excursion, but obviously they still charge you if you show up or not. Yet another "we got you" from NCL, and another double standard. We did go to all of them, but that still seems really deceptive, and yet another way to get money from you. Lets say very bad weather, or your sick. You lose the excursion cost obviously but NCL keeps their credit in another "got you."

 

So we are done, because going on a cruise with these companies has turned into reading pages and pages of fine print, and just reading this thread shows you that. I chose to spend my vacation other ways.

 

Our next cruise is Oceania (owned by NCL) and if that doesn't prove to be less bait-and-switch, it will be our last cruise. Its already looking better. Travel agent covered the gratuities, you can go to the specialty restaurants for free, etc. We took the "8 free excursion" deal, and have actually booked 8 excursions for free. Yes Oceania costs more than NCL, but if you price out the extras, its not really THAT different. Even more interesting, Oceania is CHEAPER than Haven on NCL.

 

We'd like to try Viking Ocean too, but they sell-out so fast, its difficult.

Edited October 3, 2018 by ano
Spacing

[Aesop081]

Where are you getting your info? 1000 tons an hour in fuel?? A quick Google search shows shows research that puts this number closer to 250 tons a DAY... Not 1000 per hour.

 

RCCL's Freedom of the Seas only hold just over 3500 metric tons of fuel. By your figures, they could travel for 3.5 hours before needing to stop for gas. :-/

 

Yeah I was thinking about that on the way into work this morning. Thinking I must have done something wrong because it sounded ludricrous. I'm not certain what button on the calculator I messed up on. Looks like 2 decimal places to be honest. But thanks for the correction.

 

Back to Grade 8 math class and remedial calculator I go...

 

EDIT: I was using this report from Bright Hub Engineering and messed up the math in conversions

 

Fuel Efficiency for a Large Cruise Ship

 

Just as with cars, larger cruise ships tend to have lower fuel efficiency, at least in gross terms. To give the reader an idea of the fuel efficiency of large cruise ships, I'd like to use the world's largest cruise liner as an example. The MS Oasis of the Seas, completed in 2010, has a total length of 361.8 meters, a height of 72 meters above the sea line, and room in its 16 passenger decks for 6,296 passengers. At its cruising speed of 22.6 knots (26 mph), the Oasis of the Seas burns 11361 gallons of fuel each hour. The fuel efficiency, then, is 0.0023 mpg, or 12.08 feet per gallon!

 

 

But it still expensive...last check the cheapest 'gunk' is 467 bucks a ton and the good clean stuff is 700 a ton.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Aesop081

[willsears94]

The rewards programs may not mean a lot, necessarily, but they do mean something. Platinum on Carnival and you get priority boarding plus your room ready when you board. I think that's a nice benefit. On Royal, Diamond get free drinks every day, which may not be enough for you, but for many, it saves the cost of the drink package which is a huge benefit.

 

Absolutely, and I understand if it important to other people. It just is not to me and the large majority of Millennial folk who started into Rewards programs as they began to tighten up the past ~10 years.

 

Like I said, by the time I give up on life, I will be at these higher-tier rewards levels anyways (not far now) or just give up on cruising all-together. Cruising is no exception to another industry Millenials may decide to destroy. After all, we pride ourselves on it ;p

[ano]

Great point. I think about the folks who swear that NCL will never get their business again for this reason or that... and quite frankly, as long as ships are sailing full or close to it, NCL doesn't CARE if they are new cruisers or Platinum cruisers. And some people take that personally. But in my opinion it is just business and makes sense to me.

 

You are correct, and here is why. I looked at the key cards of people on the last cruise I just got off from NYC. From that I could tell at least 70% or more are first time cruisers. They are lured by the "low" prices, and don't get the "price shock" until the last day, then never come back. NCL would like them back, but knows most won't return. So the cruise business has become a business of luring first-timers, then zapping it to them once they got them. As you say, if they can fill the ship with those people, really, why care about the others? Those first-timers likely spend much more on EVERYTHING than the returning folks that have gotten smarter. On this last cruise we owed $11.50 at the end, for 6 excursions (2 were cancelled when the ship didn't make the port. No pictures, no T-shirts, no "special" braclet sale ;p, very few extras. Yes we had UPB and paid the gratuity in advance, but this is by far, be LEAST extra we ever spend. I remember our first RC cruise 25 years ago, our final bill was $350.

Edited October 3, 2018 by ano

[NLH Arizona]

You are correct, and here is why. I looked at the key cards of people on the last cruise I just got off from NYC. From that I could tell at least 70% or more are first time cruisers.

How could you tell from their key cards that they were first time cruisers? How many people's key cards did you look at? Very curious!!

[ano]

Absolutely, and I understand if it important to other people. It just is not to me and the large majority of Millennial folk who started into Rewards programs as they began to tighten up the past ~10 years.

I'm NOT a Millennial but I'm right with you. I'm not going to let the lure of a free bag of laundry or tote bag or a free drink dictate where or with which company I take a cruise.

[kochleffel]

You are correct, and here is why. I looked at the key cards of people on the last cruise I just got off from NYC. From that I could tell at least 70% or more are first time cruisers. They are lured by the "low" prices, and don't get the "price shock" until the last day, then never come back. NCL would like them back, but knows most won't return. So the cruise business has become a business of luring first-timers, then zapping it to them once they got them. As you say, if they can fill the ship with those people, really, why care about the others? Those first-timers likely spend much more on EVERYTHING than the returning folks that have gotten smarter. On this last cruise we owed $11.50 at the end, for 6 excursions (2 were cancelled when we didn't make the port. No pictures, very few extras. Yes we had UPB and paid the gratuity in advance, but this is by far, be LEAST extra we ever spend. I remember our first RC cruise 25 years ago, our final bill was $350.

 

This was certainly not my experience as a first-time cruise passenger, which was only a few months ago. I expected to have a bar tab, because I had considered the UBP but had concluded that the gratuities were as much as I would likely spend on drinks - which was correct. (In other words, I knew that I wouldn't drink enough to get any value from the UBP.) I had prepaid the standard gratuities. I made one purchase in the onboard shops, and I bought CruiseNext certificates. My bill at the end was what I predicted it would be.

 

Maybe there are people who are so befogged that they sign a dozen bar chits a day without ever noticing the amounts or how many they've signed, but I think that most passengers are at least slightly more alert than that.

[david_sobe]

You are correct, and here is why. I looked at the key cards of people on the last cruise I just got off from NYC. From that I could tell at least 70% or more are first time cruisers. They are lured by the "low" prices, and don't get the "price shock" until the last day, then never come back. NCL would like them back, but knows most won't return. So the cruise business has become a business of luring first-timers, then zapping it to them once they got them. As you say, if they can fill the ship with those people, really, why care about the others? Those first-timers likely spend much more on EVERYTHING than the returning folks that have gotten smarter. On this last cruise we owed $11.50 at the end, for 6 excursions (2 were cancelled when we didn't make the port. No pictures, very few extras. Yes we had UPB and paid the gratuity in advance, but this is by far, be LEAST extra we ever spend. I remember our first RC cruise 25 years ago, our final bill was $350.

 

 

Yes I think you have a point. For many years NCL and other lines have been trying to lure regular cruisers to their brand. The marketing has shifted to another demo.....the new cruiser. MSC is practically giving cruises away and honoring other line's rewards for their first cruise with MSC. The regular cruisers know what things used to cost on NCL....the new cruiser, not so much. They don't care if they come back either. If the ships sail full, that is what counts. They really don't care their loyalists are not as happy as before.

When I was in college I had an elective class "Persuasian and Propaganda". Much of the class was focused on clever marketing techniques. There was a small college that had problems filling their classes. The campus was beautiful, price reasonable, and the professors were top notch. They tried every marketing technique to get more students but nothing ever worked. Until one day the college decided to double tuition. Guess what? The college was full and there was a huge increase in enrollment. No new teachers were added. Nothing fancy added to campus. No new classes or new books. The price increase made parents and students take notice of the school. If its this expensive, it must be really good.

I believe NCL is using this same technique. They equaled their prices with competitors and now NCL is more expensive than some of the other lines. And guess what? Their ships sail full. The marketing of **free** offers makes first time cruisers think they are getting things free. This is why the promo will never die. Its not marketed for us but first time cruisers.

[ready2cruzagain]

When I give up on life, I will go the way of Celebrity, MSC, and Regents.

Wow, really??? Maybe you should try the lines before you knock them.:rolleyes:

[willsears94]

Wow, really??? Maybe you should try the lines before you knock them.:rolleyes:

 

That wasn't a knock, more of a compliment. It was another way of saying that these lines are prone to fewer children and a more subdued environment, along with a higher price point which edged up the median-age on the ship.

 

I look forward to my later years, and potentially cruising those lines. It could happen sooner than later if RCCL and NCL continue down their path of providing a lesser product at a higher price :confused:

[9876]

At this rate the gratuities are going to be the same price as the package on other lines!

[erdoran]

At this rate the gratuities are going to be the same price as the package on other lines!

Yes, it actually occurred to me that NCL is going to keep increasing the gratuities until they approach what the old not-free UBP used to cost! Although justifying $200/day for not-free UBP seems ludicrous!

[HowardK]

well, first, when we started cruising Kevin S was in charge and the customer service we received was so outstanding we just kept coming back. Staff actually recognized us years later on different ships and sought us out to say hello. A CD actually ran down a gang plank to hug me good bye. Stewards were highly visible and all of them on a floor would be calling out hello to us, not just our own. The overall experience, at least for us, was far superior to the experiences we had on Carnival. Prices were reasonable also. So soon it was very realistic to say, gee, I want to get to Platinum for the free laundry and the BTS tour. Not a big deal per se, but the very personalized experience we enjoyed was great. I also had a goal of cruising every ship just for the fun of collecting the ship pins. Those are now gone also.

 

fast forward to now and the customer service is not there. Staff has been cut so that there are no visible stewards. They work very specific hours, they're not around and are either poorly trained or so overworked there is no service to match previous levels. The next tier Platinum Plus is so far up in points needed for minimal extra benefit. For those who haven't cruised until recently they wouldn't know the difference but I can say the experience now matches the experience we have gotten on Carnival when it comes to staff, So, IMO we may as well branch out and Carnival ships are either in our own back yard or within driving distance so the cost difference for the trip is even greater

 

Hello- I was on a cruise with the both of you either 2013/2014 to Bermuda; I would say compared to then on my Breakaway ships where I lucked out with stewards- that I never saw my steward- perhaps once on my Escape trips this year. In fact my service on the Escape a few weeks ago was dreadful- requests for towels ignored; request to bring towels and make up room met with only 2 towels.

On day 5 they took my AAA card that I was using in the cardholder OUT of the room- I called to have it sent back. I would have waived my daily service charge but felt that unfair to those who helped me- got to the point where a director or someone was helping me out.

[ano]

How could you tell from their key cards that they were first time cruisers? How many people's key cards did you look at? Very curious!!

When your new, your card is salmon color and at the top in giant letters says "Welcome, First Time Norwegian" otherwise its a different color, green on second cruise, and the top of the card says "Welcome Back Norwegian." That gives it away.

 

I think the color may vary per ship, but first timers always say "Welcome, First Time Norwegian" on top.

[ano]

Yes I think you have a point. For many years NCL and other lines have been trying to lure regular cruisers to their brand. The marketing has shifted to another demo.....the new cruiser. MSC is practically giving cruises away and honoring other line's rewards for their first cruise with MSC.

 

They play LOTs of tricks and almost always it benefits newbies. Before NCL and others took "bids" on upgrades, they used to upgrade people for free. (Imagine that.) Anyway, what I would always do was get the cheapest inside room and they almost always would upgrade me for free. Why? Because the cheap rooms sell out fast, and the cruise lines want to keep them available to attract the Newbies. They would rather upgrade a returning cruiser than loose the sale of a Newbie because they ran out of "cheap" rooms.

[Em2mb]

Being in my early 30s, I am not going to cry a river. I will continue to sail RCCL and NCL as they do not have a cap on the number of drinks you may have.

 

I know there are a lot of different conversations happening on this thread at this point, but I see over and over again on this forum, “Who actually can drink enough to make the UBP a good deal?” Well. Millennials can. I shudder to think what my bar bill would be if not for the UBP. For our next cruise, the difference in cost between a Sail Away balcony and a guarantee was $130pp. We paid $124pp in gratuities for the UBP. I would definitely be facing a bar bill in excess of $254 if not for the promo. I’m under no illusion my drinks are “free,” nor are any of the friends I’ve cruised with. But we’ve found a cruise fare with amenities that make it worth it to us.

 

And really, that’s who I think NCL is chasing with the Free at Sea promotion — the next generation of cruisers. There’s a lot of talk about people being surprised by how much they’re paying, and I’d argue my peers who can afford to take even a budget cruise on NCL are pretty good with money. I guarantee they’re looking at total cost, not just the per person cabin rate, when they book. And honestly, now that my friends are a little older and more settled in our careers, we cruise NCL because we can afford to take a nicer cruise than four of us crammed in an inside cabin on the greyhound of the seas.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Em2mb
Grammar