The new 'enhancements' to the Latitudes tiers are actually a downgrade! More NICkLE and DIMING!!!

[TSUmom]

Just now, pandncruisers said:

I just checked our cruises the b2b 01/23 & 01/30 still has the 60minutes but the 03/13 cruise (which was just paid for yesterday) does not have the 60minutes

I guess I will keep checking and see if or when it disappears.

[KeithJenner]

It may be that NCL are grandfathering people in with the old internet. My bookings also show the free minutes, and there isn’t a discount showing to book packages.

 

Usually the changes apply regardless of booking dates. For example when they changed the meals last time it happened straight away. The same with the other perks.

 

I suspect we will only find out for sure when people try it onboard

[Travelicious]

All of my current bookings are still showing the Latitudes internet minutes.  All were booked before announcement of the new scheme on Monday.

[Norway97]

1 hour ago, KeithJenner said:

Any discussions about priority boarding tend to get confused between check in (very little benefit to going to that latitudes desks for the middle levels, and usually a slightly shorter queue at higher levels) and priority embarkation, which is a massive benefit for many who qualify.

 

We know that we don’t have to turn up at the port really early to get onboard first, which means we can get anything done that we need to (adjust restaurant bookings if necessary, etc) before most people have started boarding without having to rush to the port.

 

Any discussion on the subject of priority boarding is usually confused by people who aren’t aware of it and are just talking about check in.

There have always been 2 Latitudes check in lines. One for all tiers that IS as long or longer than the regular line, and one for Platinum and above which generally has 5-10 people in line and gives boarding #1. That was a significant benefit, not only for ease of check in, but early boarding, allowing for a quicker start/extra day of vacation. Quite distressed to see this taken away…just as happy to see it reinstated after complaints.

[KeithJenner]

Just now, Norway97 said:

There have always been 2 Latitudes check in lines. One for all tiers that IS as long or longer than the regular line, and one for Platinum and above which generally has 5-10 people in line and gives boarding #1. That was a significant benefit, not only for ease of check in, but early boarding, allowing for a quicker start/extra day of vacation. Quite distressed to see this taken away…just as happy to see it reinstated after complaints.

Yes, I understand that and usually use that queue myself. I even mentioned it in my post (shorter queue for higher levels).

 

However, in my opinion it pales into significance compared to being able to turn up just before boarding starts and be able to go onboard almost straight away.

 

My main point though was that whenever people are discussing the priority boarding perk the discussion is always confused by people who think that we are referring to the latitudes check in and state that it is no quicker than normal.

[david_sobe]

4 hours ago, Married90 said:

Priority check in now starts with platinum level so bronze, silver, gold are not included. 

That was the point that I made, no?  That the lines were so overwhelmed that nobody boarded with priority and priority boarding should mean priority boarding.  If this limits the amount of people in priority boarding and NCL can accomplish it, then I say its an improvement. 

Edited January 13, 2022 by david_sobe

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

psst.. not everyone pays full price like you.

 

before covid/sailing at 50% capacity, the solo 'sail away' price was $50/day.

i expect that pricing again once they raise capacity limits

What are you talking about?  I didn't pay a penny for those 250 minutes.

[OzCanuck]

Thank god they left the free artwork. 

[complawyer]

it seems that no matter what ncl does or tries to do, some people are never satisfied. awhile back, there were numerous complaints about the distance between platinum+ and ambassador. so ncl implements a new system and now people are bi**hing about lost perks.

 

1st off, the perks are free courtesy of ncl. 2nd, we've been platinum + for a while (and i never has any illusions of reaching ambassador status in my life time (im 74and have 196 points)

 

the only perks i really use and consider worthwhile, is the laundry package, and maybe the 15% off on shore excursions added onto the $50 off everyone gets. Even with these, i find ncl excurions rather pricey.  i dont need to have dinner with the officers, or get a tour of the ship. 

 

if you book a suite or a haven, priority embarkation and disembarkation is included. im very happy and satisfied that  the concierge can get me off the ship in 15-20 minutes. to me its worth slipping him a 50.

my reasons for taking any particular cruise are (1) ports of call (2) price of cabin (3) sea days, and not what other freebies i may get. i wont turn them down, but it doesnt enter my decision(s) 

 

get me on a ship, a cold beer or glass of champagne, let me veg out on my balcony and i'm a most happy camper. what perks come or dont come with the cruise after that are irrelevant. you  seem to forget one major item (and i'm     not a  cheerleader for ncl)! any point status, or level (and the perks that come with that status) is a gift from ncl... They dont owe you a point program. seriously consider the old saying "dont look a gift horse in the mouth"

 

nuff said!!!

[pcakes122]

7 minutes ago, complawyer said:

They dont owe you a point program. seriously consider the old saying "dont look a gift horse in the mouth"

I continue to be amazed at the amount of people who can't stand NCL but still book with them and frequent these boards. (I mean, if you don't cruise with NCL, why are you here?) People, there are SO MANY other cruise lines.  If you can find a better deal, I strongly encourage you to book with that line and STOP stressing yourself to the point where you feel compelled to make posts with a million exclamation points about how NCL is cheating you out of something you feel you rightfully deserve.

 

NCL will survive if you move on, but I'm truly getting worried about some of you folks if you don't!

[ChiefMateJRK]

17 minutes ago, complawyer said:

im very happy and satisfied that  the concierge can get me off the ship in 15-20 minutes. to me its worth slipping him a 50.

We sailed Encore in October.  I had a nice leisurely breakfast in the buffet with 2 (or more) bloody Mary's.  Hung in our cabin until a bit after 9:00 and then walked off the ship in less than your 15-20 minutes.  I didn't have to slip anybody anything!  (I probably did tip our excellent bartenders in the buffet)  We were still having fun enjoying the cruise ship.  Why would we be in any hurry to "escape?"

[luckyinpa]

2 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

I continue to be amazed at the amount of people who can't stand NCL but still book with them and frequent these boards. (I mean, if you don't cruise with NCL, why are you here?) People, there are SO MANY other cruise lines.  If you can find a better deal, I strongly encourage you to book with that line and STOP stressing yourself to the point where you feel compelled to make posts with a million exclamation points about how NCL is cheating you out of something you feel you rightfully deserve.

 

NCL will survive if you move on, but I'm truly getting worried about some of you folks if you don't!

 

the stressing over status is comical to me. but the marketing people have done their job. people constantly working towards status status status..how to book to get the most points etc etc. i dont think for one minute if all status was eliminated that people would stop cruising. does anyone? it costs them money and obviously causes heartache. why would anyone want to live thru the status stress?keep up with the joneses and brag and post all about status.  the thread proves it's a cause of stress. plus when i see any thread starting  "i'm insert status here" you just roll your eyes. 

 

i think if i pay haven pricing i should be treated the same as someone whos titanium status. 

[fstuff1]

4 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

I continue to be amazed at the amount of people who can't stand NCL but still book with them and frequent these boards.

(I mean, if you don't cruise with NCL, why are you here?)

 

free cruises from my land casino. 

they are giving them out like candy.

I've had 6 free ncl cruise offers since Aug  2021. (2 of them for 10 days.)

 

i've taken 3 of them so far.

one more next month.

then a back to back in March.

 

Plus i just received an email saying i have another free ncl offer.

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by fstuff1

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, luckyinpa said:

 

the stressing over status is comical to me. but the marketing people have done their job. people constantly working towards status status status..how to book to get the most points etc etc. i dont think for one minute if all status was eliminated that people would stop cruising. does anyone? it costs them money and obviously causes heartache. why would anyone want to live thru the status stress?keep up with the joneses and brag and post all about status.  the thread proves it's a cause of stress. plus when i see any thread starting  "i'm insert status here" you just roll your eyes. 

 

i think if i pay haven pricing i should be treated the same as someone whos titanium status. 

Wow.  That hasn't been my reading experience at all.  I believe the consensus here is that getting to Platinum is worthwhile because of the two free specialty meals, the free bag of laundry and going to the head of the boarding line (no, I'm NOT talking about the terminal check-in line).  Beyond that, I don't believe that many care.  I see a lot more fixation on "Haven" status.

[don't-use-real-name]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

We sailed Encore in October.  I had a nice leisurely breakfast in the buffet with 2 (or more) bloody Mary's.  Hung in our cabin until a bit after 9:00 and then walked off the ship in less than your 15-20 minutes.  I didn't have to slip anybody anything!  (I probably did tip our excellent bartenders in the buffet)  We were still having fun enjoying the cruise ship.  Why would we be in any hurry to "escape?"

Why would we be in any hurry to "escape?"

 

You were on the Encore not the Escape - you wanted more - sticking around for that

second curtain call !     LOL !

[pcakes122]

4 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

free cruises from my land casino. 

they are giving them out like candy.

I've had 6 free ncl cruise offers since Aug  2021. (2 of them for 10 days.)

 

i've taken 3 of them so far.

one more next month.

then a back to back in March.

 

Plus i just received an email saying i have another free ncl offer.

 

First, as someone who also cruises with NCL strictly on comp casino cruises (pre-pandemic at least 6-8 times a year and always in a suite or Haven), let's not kid ourselves or anyone else that our cruises are "free."  If you truly believe that, that's just a fairytale you tell yourself to make yourself (and your wallet) feel better. 😉🙃

 

That said, if you truly believe your cruises are "free", even MORE reason that you should not be worried that you are not getting your full Is value from NCL. Seriously??  If you are gambling at even a moderate level, you shouldn't be concerned in the least about being "nickeled and dimed." I haven't paid for onboard charges such as streaming internet, specialty dining, spa, shore excursions, drinks, gift shop purchases etc. for YEARS on NCL.  Anything I've charged to my account gets picked up by the casino host on the last night. I could care less if there was even a loyalty tier program at all.  

 

Do I wish they would rotate the Haven restaurant menu? Yes. Do I wish they had accessible cabins in the Haven on Jewel-class ships? Yes. Do I love every NCL policy or decision? No. But none of this is enough to make me crazy with exclamation points. 

 

 

 

[The Traveling Man]

The listing of the new Latitudes benefits as of Monday omitted any mention of priority check-in or priority boarding.  NCL has since corrected that oversight.  Each of those perks are now back on the list.  As for the free internet minutes, it may be possible that you still will receive them if you booked prior to the changes in the Latitude benefits and have not made any changes to your booking since then.  We have two cruises booked for September and the 60 free internet minutes still show on our confirmations.  We also have an April 2022 cruise for which I just redeemed my Diamond upgrade.  When NCL emailed us a new confirmation, I noticed that both my free 60 minutes and my wife's 60 minutes had been removed from the reservation.  It's possible, of course, that NCL may try to remove those Latitudes free internet minutes from everyone's confirmation.  Maybe someone who sails in the next week or so can post here and let us know how that turns out.

[The Traveling Man]

Everyone has a different opinion as to which Latitudes perks are beneficial and which are inconsequential.  The only change on the new list that seems like a letdown to me concerns the formerly free internet minutes.  If we spend more time on the computer than is covered by the Free at Sea offer, we now will have to pay for extra minutes instead of getting an extra hour each for free.  That's a negative in my view.  On the other hand, the free wine and spirits tastings sound like they may be fun ways to spend a couple of afternoons on board.  The free stateroom upgrade is a definite plus, and we already have redeemed mine.  We'll probably redeem my wife's upgrade soon.  Overall, then, although we'll miss those free internet minutes, I'd say the benefits are slightly improved.

[sandycruzr]

Damn! I LOVED priority embarkation…this will definitely make me rethink my future cruise plans. Why not keep a quality perk like this that costs ncl NOTHING?  Makes no sense!!

[cheersforbeers]

30 minutes ago, sandycruzr said:

Damn! I LOVED priority embarkation…this will definitely make me rethink my future cruise plans. Why not keep a quality perk like this that costs ncl NOTHING?  Makes no sense!!

It’s back! 

[jskinsd]

14 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

free cruises from my land casino. 

they are giving them out like candy.

I've had 6 free ncl cruise offers since Aug  2021. (2 of them for 10 days.)

 

i've taken 3 of them so far.

one more next month.

then a back to back in March.

 

Plus i just received an email saying i have another free ncl offer.

 

You are the king.  I wish I could gamble and receive free cruises.  But I like my money.  How much do you have to gamble to acquire these perks?  Spending five grand in a casino to receive a free cruise.  Sounds like a great deal.✌️

[JGmf]

3 minutes ago, jskinsd said:

You are the king.  I wish I could gamble and receive free cruises.  But I like my money.  How much do you have to gamble to acquire these perks?  Spending five grand in a casino to receive a free cruise.  Sounds like a great deal.✌️

 

It's way more than 5 grand.

 

[pcakes122]

25 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

It's way more than 5 grand.

 

Not true.  The TYPE of comp you are offered (discount, complimentary Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, Haven, etc.) is based on your theoretical loss (which is more about how much you bet and how long you play vs. how much you lose.)  But you do not have to lose $5K or even near that to be offered a comp cruise.

Edited January 14, 2022 by pcakes122

[pcakes122]

29 minutes ago, jskinsd said:

 I wish I could gamble and receive free cruises.  But I like my money.  How much do you have to gamble to acquire these perks?  Spending five grand in a casino to receive a free cruise.  Sounds like a great deal.✌️

The key here is that you don't gamble to chase perks (losing game 1000% of the time.)  But if you DO gamble already, you may be surprised at what the cruise lines (or land casinos) will offer you based on your play.  It's important to always play using your "loyalty card" (for NCL that is your Casinos At Sea card.) Use in the slot machine and hand it to the dealer at table games.  It doesn't take $5K to earn perks - you'd be surprised.

[jskinsd]

10 minutes ago, pcakes122 said:

Not true.  The TYPE of comp you are offered (discount, complimentary Inside, Oceanview, Balcony, Haven, etc.) is based on your theoretical loss (which is more about how much you bet and how long you play vs. how much you lose.)  But you do not have to lose $5K or even near that to be offered a comp cruise.

You just have to bet $5K.  Or can it be only $500.  And what is the return.  Sometimes good but probably most of the time bad.  Like I said sounds like a great deal.  Count me out ✌️