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Ocean Blue Upcharges

BeachyBoo

By BeachyBoo,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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BeachyBoo

BeachyBoo

Posted
Posted

I’m not sure if this is new, but I don’t remember hearing about it. Just off the Breakaway today and there were a couple of other items on the menu with upcharges for the dining plan, in addition to the shrimp. 

 

The Surf and Turf (petite filet mignon and lobster tail) had a $10.99 upcharge and the steamed or grilled lobster was also a $10.99 upcharge.

 

With that said, the food was really good. My husband and myself had the dining package so we were paying for the meals for my 13 year old son and my 18 year old daughter. Before getting our food, the water glass broke in my sons mouth while he took a drink...luckily he didn’t get cut and was totally fine. We only wanted to let them know so we could get a new glass and drink, as it really wasn’t anyone’s fault.  Very surprisingly, when we received our bill, it was all comped. Including the $12 charge per person. We did not expect them to do this at all, but was very much appreciated!

 

i just wanted to give one of the positives as well since we did have a great cruise overall. 

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vamom76

vamom76

Posted
Posted
13 minutes ago, C cruise said:

wow - thats crazy.. I won't book dinner there.

Definitely your choice, but (for us) it was probably the best meal we had on our last cruise - Dec 2018.

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luv2kroooz Holiday Sharing Rare

luv2kroooz

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, C cruise said:

wow - thats crazy.. I won't book dinner there.

 

We've found it easy to find a local seafood or steakhouse restaurant at home where the food is fresh.... much fresher (and possibly cheaper) than you'll ever find on a ship. Might be the best restaurant at sea, but quality can easily be surpassed by a local, land based joint. Never understood the attraction to these "specialty" restaurants. It's still previously frozen, multiple days old, cruise ship food. We use our platinum vouchers there and enjoy our meal, but wouldn't pay extra to dine there and certainly would never buy a package marketed as free to forego eating food that we paid for in our base cruise fare and then only to have the privilege of paying a 20% surcharge/service fee and most recently to be surcharged on an increasing number of individual items and then paying an additional 20% surcharge on the already surcharged items. Wow, talk about stacking charges and fees.

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FLAHAM

FLAHAM

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

I was aware of the extra charge but we plan on eating there anyway. What I didn't know and it is disappointing is there will be an additional charge if we choose a Lobster dish Darn!!!

 

i have repeatedly found the grilled fresh fish to be superior to the steamed lobster. 

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

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19 hours ago, FLAHAM said:

 

i have repeatedly found the grilled fresh fish to be superior to the steamed lobster. 

you are right I am sure. I guess it is just the thought of Lobster even though most of us realize the Lobster we are likely to get on any line is not going to be top quality as one would get at a land based sea food restaurant along the eastern coast 

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Zippeedee

Zippeedee

Posted
Posted

I do not understand the comparisons. When I am on a ship. I choose from the available options. I'm not going to compare those options to my local choices.  I am not likely to order lobster, I am picky and know I won't enjoy it unless I cook it myself. That being said, I'm not going to avoid an excellent dining experience because there are better restaurants all around the world. If it costs extra, as long as it is delicious, so what? I'm on vacation. I can save money the rest of the year. I'm going to enjoy my vacation, not deprive myself of an enjoyable experience to save $5 or $10.

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Cruise Junky

Cruise Junky

Posted
Posted
50 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

I do not understand the comparisons. When I am on a ship. I choose from the available options. I'm not going to compare those options to my local choices.  I am not likely to order lobster, I am picky and know I won't enjoy it unless I cook it myself. That being said, I'm not going to avoid an excellent dining experience because there are better restaurants all around the world. If it costs extra, as long as it is delicious, so what? I'm on vacation. I can save money the rest of the year. I'm going to enjoy my vacation, not deprive myself of an enjoyable experience to save $5 or $10.

wouldn't it be closer to saving $25 - $30 pp? $12 to eat there and then extra charges on top of that $5 for shrimp, $10 for lobster + services charges?  ,

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luv2kroooz

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Posted (edited)

Yes, the comparison is if you have x dollars to spend on a "gourmet" dining experience, you can spend it onboard a cruise ship or you can forego the "gourmet" experience onboard and eat in the acceptable main dining room which is included in your cruise fare and use the x dollars on a fine dining experience on land.

 

If the thought is...I'm on vacation and I'm gonna spend and splurge, even if the quality might be below land based then eat up and enjoy. The specialty restaurants make a nice dining experience. They used to be a good value versus land based, but not anymore. Prices are now at or above land based which is why we don't pay. If someone said to me, Cagneys vs Morton's or Ruth's Chris, I'd take Morton's or Ruth's Chris everyday. Or Ocean Blue vs the local joint that has fresh fish flown in daily.

Edited by blcruising
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Zippeedee

Zippeedee

Posted
Posted
Just now, blcruising said:

Yes, the comparison is if you have x dollars to spend on a "gourmet" dining experience, you can spend it onboard a cruise ship or you can forego the "gourmet" experience onboard and eat in the acceptable main dining room which is included in your cruise fare and use the x dollars on a fine dining experience on land.

 

If the thought is...I'm on vacation and I'm gonna spend and splurge, even if the quality might be below land based then eat up and enjoy. The specialty restaurants make a nice dining experience. They used to be a good value versus land based, but not anymore. Prices are now at or above land based which is why we don't pay. If someone said to me, Cagneys vs Morton's or Ruth's Chris, I'd take Morton's or Ruth's Chris everyday.

Well, at home I choose local over corporate chains, and almost never at a "splurge" price point. On a ship,  I don't have the patience for the MDR, have not eaten in once since I started cruising again in 2015. I buy a dining package to cover 3/4 of the nights of my cruise and fill the rest with Shanghai, Garden Café and O'Sheehan's.  I don't have to worry about feeding a family, it is just me. I also don't worry about saving "nickels and dimes" and deny myself from having what I enjoy. (I do draw the line on that $36 glass of champagne, I may never get over that one but I just won't buy it!)

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willsears94

willsears94

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

34 minutes ago, blcruising said:

Yes, the comparison is if you have x dollars to spend on a "gourmet" dining experience, you can spend it onboard a cruise ship or you can forego the "gourmet" experience onboard and eat in the acceptable main dining room which is included in your cruise fare and use the x dollars on a fine dining experience on land.

 

If the thought is...I'm on vacation and I'm gonna spend and splurge, even if the quality might be below land based then eat up and enjoy. The specialty restaurants make a nice dining experience. They used to be a good value versus land based, but not anymore. Prices are now at or above land based which is why we don't pay. If someone said to me, Cagneys vs Morton's or Ruth's Chris, I'd take Morton's or Ruth's Chris everyday. Or Ocean Blue vs the local joint that has fresh fish flown in daily.

 

I agree with everything you said on preference for land over the sea. 

 

One thing the cruise ships could do is create a supply-chain for an in-port local fresh catch (as I know they do on Alaska cruises, others, etc). It is going to be impossible to replicate cold-water lobster without flash-freezing, as 1 in 3 cruises are in the Carribean.

 

Truly, the cruise industry needs to catch up to the land-based meal, but that all comes with a major cost, one it seems that some people don't understand, is not free.  

 

That also being said, even NCL knows, they will need to continually adapt their pricing structure for SDP and UBP, or change completely. They have no plans for the base rate to subsidize SDP and UBP, as long as there is a paying party. Still, I see they still like to squeeze the base-rate buyer with a higher SAIL AWAY rate than most lines. 

 

In the meantime, as long as people continue to bundle SDP and UBP with Stateroom, over SAIL AWAY, NCL will continue to push the boundaries (and essentially, quality) of SDP and UBP. 

Edited by willsears94
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  • 4 weeks later...
Shak

Shak

Posted
Posted

I have done a number of cruises that include warm and cool weather.  Like many have said layers is the way to go.  

 

As far a jackets go I usually take a lightweight shoulder season jacket and a rain jacket.  I prefer waterproof or water resistant shoulder season jacket to down because if down gets wet your are going to be cold.  It it is really cold I'll wear both jackets or one or the other depending on the weather.  I also have rain pants that I take and wear them as a layer if cool.

 

Shak

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Shak

Shak

Posted
Posted

We booked all the entertainment we could as well as reservations to the main dining rooms.

 

What is the strategy that gives the most out of dining packages since not all are the same price.

 

Shak   

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Shak

Shak

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

Shak, who are those last four responses directed towards?  This is a thread about Ocean Blue/seafood.

 

Anyone with more experience with NCL than I do.  As I understand places like Ocean Blue that have a ala carte price you have to pay extra and some restaurants cost less than the price of the package. 

 

So I guess my questions is there an advantage to booking the packages?   And how do you maximize the package? 

 

Shak

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