Trying to keep an open mind about NCL

[cruisegeek1974]

5 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

I agree with the OP that NCL's pricing on the website is a complicated mess.   The open bar option requires prepayment of about $20 per person per day for tips, and the specialty dinner option also requires prepayment of tips.  And which promos are available for which category cabin during any given promo period is anything but clear.  

 

When choosing an NCL cruise, I could decline the special offers and take a guarantee cabin (a "sailaway" rate), I didn't like that option.   I turned to an experience cruise travel agent, and told her I wasn't interested in the bar or dining freebies that involved prepaid tips, I wanted to make my own air arrangements, but I would like any amount of free internet time and excursion discounts - and I wanted to choose my cabin.    She did whatever negotiating was necessary and got me what I wanted at a price I was satisfied with.

 

If the OP prefers not to use a TA, then he or she could phone NCL rather than trying to book online.  A live person should be able to explain the options and may have the discretion to customize the choices.   

Do you mean you can ask your TA to approach the cruise line and request more of a custom package of add ons? 

 

I'm looking at doing a Caribbean cruise in Jan/Feb 2022, but because I don't really need all the add ons i will likely do a Sail Away guarantee cabin.  I hate not picking my cabin, but in a perfect world, I would want one wifi package (for my wife), and one drink package (for me).  When i get on the ship i typically am happy to shut off my phone and store it in the safe for the entire week.  As for drinks, my wife has a few diet pops and maybe one virgin frozen drink/slushy whereas i will typically either bring some wine bottles on board or buy a wine bottle package (if available).  I do find it a little annoying that I can't pay a few bucks extra to just pick my cabin without getting any of the add ons.

[Joanne G.]

cruisegeek, I can't promise what a given travel agent might be able to do, but I have used the same one for over 20 cruises since 1998, and it works for me to have her put together a deal for a specific cabin and perks that closely matches my wishes.   Once she got me a rate that included prepaid gratuities, which I hadn't seen as an option when I did the preliminary research.  Travel agents can be good or bad, so if you don't have an established relationship with one, calling NCL may be the best way to ask about your particular preferences.  

 

My recently booked NCL cruises have been as a solo, which may or may not make a difference in the perks.  It's likely an alcohol package has to be included for all adults in the cabin.  Not sure about the wifi if only one person expects to use it.  

 

I also wish there was a price level that allowed us to pick the cabin and pay more than the sailaway rate but less than the rate with the "free" add-ons, which we all know aren't really free.   All the major lines seem to have their pricing gimmicks.   

 

 

[tinkr2]

On 11/20/2021 at 5:30 PM, coaster said:

Ok, unfortunately recent posters here  never  got the pleasure to experience NCL before Star cruises bought them out in the early 2000’s.  

 

On 11/20/2021 at 5:44 PM, ontheweb said:

Nice theory. We have been on 2 NCL cruises. On the first, I was really looking forward to freestyle, but then I discovered you could not just go to any dining room any time; they were all booked well before the cruise.

 

On the second, there was an excursion we bought before the cruise that we really, really wanted. We were warned that there did not seem to be enough passengers booking it for it to happen. As the date got nearer and we kept checking, one of the crew who were selling excursions said it was a great excursion, and that he would push it. But it did not happen.

 

The next year, we were at a cruise expo, and I spoke to the NCL representative and told her about it. Her reply was "You should do what everyone else does." I wanted to ask her how that answer could possibly be in agreement with do what you want, when you want. (BTW, the excursion was to Arles from the port of Marseilles).

 

On 11/21/2021 at 8:59 AM, Joanne G. said:

I agree with the OP that NCL's pricing on the website is a complicated mess.   The open bar option requires prepayment of about $20 per person per day for tips, and the specialty dinner option also requires prepayment of tips.  And which promos are available for which category cabin during any given promo period is anything but clear.  

 

When choosing an NCL cruise, I could decline the special offers and take a guarantee cabin (a "sailaway" rate), I didn't like that option.   I turned to an experience cruise travel agent, and told her I wasn't interested in the bar or dining freebies that involved prepaid tips, I wanted to make my own air arrangements, but I would like any amount of free internet time and excursion discounts - and I wanted to choose my cabin.    She did whatever negotiating was necessary and got me what I wanted at a price I was satisfied with.

 

If the OP prefers not to use a TA, then he or she could phone NCL rather than trying to book online.  A live person should be able to explain the options and may have the discretion to customize the choices.   

This is so silly. You simply uncheck the drinks and specialty dining. It requires no skill and certainly does not require any negotiation .

21 hours ago, cruisegeek1974 said:

Do you mean you can ask your TA to approach the cruise line and request more of a custom package of add ons? 

 

I'm looking at doing a Caribbean cruise in Jan/Feb 2022, but because I don't really need all the add ons i will likely do a Sail Away guarantee cabin.  I hate not picking my cabin, but in a perfect world, I would want one wifi package (for my wife), and one drink package (for me).  When i get on the ship i typically am happy to shut off my phone and store it in the safe for the entire week.  As for drinks, my wife has a few diet pops and maybe one virgin frozen drink/slushy whereas i will typically either bring some wine bottles on board or buy a wine bottle package (if available).  I do find it a little annoying that I can't pay a few bucks extra to just pick my cabin without getting any of the add ons.

No you simply select the non sail away rate, pick your cabin and then when the perks window comes up, you decline the 2 that you have to pay tips on, which are specialty dining and drinks. The wifi and shore credit costs nothing. The specialty dining is so inexpensive to have, I never understand its removal but you can.

[tinkr2]

@coaster You making the assumption that no one has been cruising a long time is inaccurate. I don't mind the assigned seating with strangers and still think its a nice way to meet new friends. I still have friends from past cruises of people I was assigned to eat with. However, younger generations do not like this. Most don't ever answer their door or a their phone unless they know who is there. I went to meet our new neighbors, they did not answer the door. But it also very nice to just go eat when I want. If I like a server, I request him every night.

[tinkr2]

@onthewebI have never had that problem with dinner. People do make reservations, just like on land but there is always a standby list. The excursion issue...why not just book privately if it was important to you? Or go on your roll call and sell it yourself? NCL can not force people to sign up.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, tinkr2 said:

 

 

This is so silly. You simply uncheck the drinks and specialty dining. It requires no skill and certainly does not require any negotiation .

No you simply select the non sail away rate, pick your cabin and then when the perks window comes up, you decline the 2 that you have to pay tips on, which are specialty dining and drinks. The wifi and shore credit costs nothing. The specialty dining is so inexpensive to have, I never understand its removal but you can.

Actually, I told our TA we did not want the drink package. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 11/21/2021 at 9:49 AM, RocketMan275 said:

Actually, there are many of us who do not see traditional dining as a desirable feature.

Yep.  It's about 98% at this point....

[billslowsky]

10 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Actually, I told our TA we did not want the drink package. 

 

If you found a TA that could click the decline box, you have a real keeper there.

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, tinkr2 said:

@onthewebI have never had that problem with dinner. People do make reservations, just like on land but there is always a standby list. The excursion issue...why not just book privately if it was important to you? Or go on your roll call and sell it yourself? NCL can not force people to sign up.

That you have never had that problem does not mean that others including me have not had that problem. 

 

And we prebooked the cruise excursion, IIRC, the only one we prebooked. We did not find out it was possibly cancelled until a few days, or maybe it was a day, before the scheduled excursion. One of the people selling excursions promised to push it as he said it was a great excursion. So, we did not know for sure it was cancelled until the day of the excursion. Not sure, but I think they said they were getting closer to the number needed.

 

BTW, I let them know how unhappy I was about an excursion we had already paid for on our credit card before the cruise being cancelled. To their credit, they asked what would make us happy. They did find us another excursion that was more expensive, but did not charge us the difference. It turned out to be pretty good in the morning, but BORING in the afternoon. So, I will give them that they tried to do what they could. The excursion substituted was to Avignon in the first part, but I really do not remember the second place as there was nothing but shopping. This was in 2012, so forgive me if I do not remember every detail. 

[ontheweb]

6 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yep.  It's about 98% at this point....

I'm the one who originally asked about dining with others on NCL, and I agree with you about not wanting traditional dining. After it was available to us on other lines, we always took the anytime or your time or whatever it was called dining.  But I do think there are on other lines enough who do pick traditional dining to make your 98% figure a bit high.

[ontheweb]

4 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

 

If you found a TA that could click the decline box, you have a real keeper there.

Yes, we have used him for years with excellent results.

[coaster]

My bad was loving traditional dining I guess when I first started cruising in my early 20's. Table-mates were always awesome. Went on a cruise a few weeks ago and it seemed so shallow at first. Requested  a table for six. Tables split apart due to Covid and no table sharing at a specific time with other cruisers who we bond with over several days, but luckily found a couple of men who we cruised with that we met on a cruise with traditional dining right before Covid almost 18 months before.

 

We were able to get a table together and enjoyed catching up on things. Never would of remembered them had we been assigned random MDR seating in the past. I understand assigned dining is not for everyone, but I am glad it is still offered outside of NCL.

Edited November 22, 2021 by coaster

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

BTW, I let them know how unhappy I was about an excursion we had already paid for on our credit card before the cruise being cancelled.

What does prepayment have to do with anything?  If it's cancelled, you get your money back.

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

But I do think there are on other lines enough who do pick traditional dining to make your 98% figure a bit high.

Could be on "other lines."  We're talking about NCL here, and 98% is probably too low. 😎

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

What does prepayment have to do with anything?  If it's cancelled, you get your money back.

Could be on "other lines."  We're talking about NCL here, and 98% is probably too low. 😎

Prepayment meant they already had our money for a period of time. It also meant we wanted that particular excursion enough to pay for it in advance.

 

Your original statement of 98% don't want traditional dining was ambiguous as to whether it meant all cruise passengers (which I took it to mean) or just NCL passengers (which I now see is how you intended it to be taken.)

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Prepayment meant they already had our money for a period of time. It also meant we wanted that particular excursion enough to pay for it in advance.

 

Your original statement of 98% don't want traditional dining was ambiguous as to whether it meant all cruise passengers (which I took it to mean) or just NCL passengers (which I now see is how you intended it to be taken.)

I'll boil this down...  Prepayment doesn't mean anything when we are earning zero percent on our savings accounts.  Nobody wants to dine with strangers.  

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'll boil this down...  Prepayment doesn't mean anything when we are earning zero percent on our savings accounts.  Nobody wants to dine with strangers.  

This was several years ago, before interest rates paid by banks were very close to zero.

 

And the fact that some people on other lines still pick traditional dining shows that some people still want to eat with strangers. And some of those people will be coming to NCL as they approve of 100% vaccinations required as opposed to granting some exemptions. 

[billslowsky]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

This was several years ago, before interest rates paid by banks were very close to zero.

 

And the fact that some people on other lines still pick traditional dining shows that some people still want to eat with strangers. And some of those people will be coming to NCL as they approve of 100% vaccinations required as opposed to granting some exemptions. 

What do you think banks are paying now?  Even closer to zero.  

 

So they gained virtually nothing for the "use" of your money.  And prepayment grants you a spot in the tour in the event that it sells out after you've boarded, so you chose to go that way.

 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, billslowsky said:

What do you think banks are paying now?  Even closer to zero.  

 

So they gained virtually nothing for the "use" of your money.  And prepayment grants you a spot in the tour in the event that it sells out after you've boarded, so you chose to go that way.

 

Banks were not paying next to zero several years ago when we pre-purchased that tour. 

 

And now they are, so we doubled the amount we paid as a deposit on our 2023 Prima cruise losing next to nothing and gaining a $125 credit from Amex.

[billslowsky]

2 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Banks were not paying next to zero several years ago when we pre-purchased that tour. 

 

And now they are, so we doubled the amount we paid as a deposit on our 2023 Prima cruise losing next to nothing and gaining a $125 credit from Amex.

Interest rates have been in the dumpster for years. 

 

[billslowsky]

And it doesn't get any better.  20 years of this so far.

 

[ontheweb]

3 hours ago, billslowsky said:

And it doesn't get any better.  20 years of this so far.

 

It was not a recent cruise. 2007 to be exact. Interest rates were not great, but not nearly as low as they are now.

[wampuscat7]

On 11/21/2021 at 2:00 PM, Joanne G. said:

cruisegeek, I can't promise what a given travel agent might be able to do, but I have used the same one for over 20 cruises since 1998, and it works for me to have her put together a deal for a specific cabin and perks that closely matches my wishes.   Once she got me a rate that included prepaid gratuities, which I hadn't seen as an option when I did the preliminary research.  Travel agents can be good or bad, so if you don't have an established relationship with one, calling NCL may be the best way to ask about your particular preferences.  

I've never used a TA that couldn't get me free gratuities or OBC. If they're not offering me something of value beyond what the NCL site or calling a PCC will do, I have no purpose for using a TA.

 

As for the subject at hand, I've only cruise Carnival and Royal. I did enjoy having the same wait staff. It was nice to get to know them, and it was also nice that they knew our preferences (and had a plate of finger food ready for my small kiddo). But dining with others and dressing up to dine with others at exactly 7 pm is not for me. 

[billslowsky]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

It was not a recent cruise. 2007 to be exact. Interest rates were not great, but not nearly as low as they are now.

You said it was 2012.  Make up your mind.  

 

Better yet, don't.