Free At Sea changes for new bookings made on & after Jan 18, 2022

[Selion]

Haven't seen anyone mention these changes yet.  So here it is.  Those of you who are on the fence about booking longer cruises (7+) and enjoy NCL's specialty restaurants, better book them now.

 

 

DINING:
For dining, the number of nights in the promotional offering will now be based on Sail Length and Category Booked.

EXAMPLE: Currently, if I book an inside on a 7-night cruise in an inside cabin, I would receive 2 specialty dining meals.  If I book this same exact cruise on 1/18 or beyond, I will now receive 1 specialty dining meal.

Wi-Fi:
For Wi-Fi minutes, the promotional offering will now be based on the Number of Wi-Fi Minutes Per Person.  With an additional number of minutes per stateroom being added as of 1/18/22

EXAMPLE:  If I currently book a 3-day cruise, the stateroom would receive a package = to 100 minutes of Wi-Fi.  If I book this exact same cruise on 1/18 or beyond, I will receive 75 minutes of Wi-Fi as Guest #1, and my traveling companion, Guest #2 would receive another set of 75 minutes of Wi-Fi.  So an additional 50 minutes of Wi-Fi

[Calvin]

Yeah, it's tough. Cruise lines have to raise revenue, and they usually try to raise it in a way that doesn't SEEM like they are doing it. IE, over the years, containers of OJ  we bought from the supermarket went to 59 oz. from 64, and cans went from 16 oz. to 14 1/2 with similar pricing. The specialty dining offers used to be 3 nights, instead of 2. No one likes price increases but I suspect it's a necessary evil.

[oteixeira]

Been happening for a long time.  I booked a 7 day in 2015 on Escape that sailed in 2016, I had 4, yes 4 included meals.  Booked a cruise 6 months later, and it had 3, then just before Covid it went to 2....

[smplybcause]

Wonder if you sail solo whether you get the two logins or if you now get 100 minutes less. 

[Middleager]

1 hour ago, Selion said:

Haven't seen anyone mention these changes yet.  So here it is.  Those of you who are on the fence about booking longer cruises (7+) and enjoy NCL's specialty restaurants, better book them now.

 

 

DINING:
For dining, the number of nights in the promotional offering will now be based on Sail Length and Category Booked.

EXAMPLE: Currently, if I book an inside on a 7-night cruise in an inside cabin, I would receive 2 specialty dining meals.  If I book this same exact cruise on 1/18 or beyond, I will now receive 1 specialty dining meal.

Wi-Fi:
For Wi-Fi minutes, the promotional offering will now be based on the Number of Wi-Fi Minutes Per Person.  With an additional number of minutes per stateroom being added as of 1/18/22

EXAMPLE:  If I currently book a 3-day cruise, the stateroom would receive a package = to 100 minutes of Wi-Fi.  If I book this exact same cruise on 1/18 or beyond, I will receive 75 minutes of Wi-Fi as Guest #1, and my traveling companion, Guest #2 would receive another set of 75 minutes of Wi-Fi.  So an additional 50 minutes of Wi-Fi

Thanks for this info.  Where did you get it, is it in some link?

[shof515]

i wont be surprised to see the gratuity go up in the next few months now

[hallux]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

Wonder if you sail solo whether you get the two logins or if you now get 100 minutes less. 

That's an excellent question!

[vacation44]

3 hours ago, Selion said:

Haven't seen anyone mention these changes yet.  So here it is.  Those of you who are on the fence about booking longer cruises (7+) and enjoy NCL's specialty restaurants, better book them now.

 

 

DINING:
For dining, the number of nights in the promotional offering will now be based on Sail Length and Category Booked.

EXAMPLE: Currently, if I book an inside on a 7-night cruise in an inside cabin, I would receive 2 specialty dining meals.  If I book this same exact cruise on 1/18 or beyond, I will now receive 1 specialty dining meal.

Wi-Fi:
For Wi-Fi minutes, the promotional offering will now be based on the Number of Wi-Fi Minutes Per Person.  With an additional number of minutes per stateroom being added as of 1/18/22

EXAMPLE:  If I currently book a 3-day cruise, the stateroom would receive a package = to 100 minutes of Wi-Fi.  If I book this exact same cruise on 1/18 or beyond, I will receive 75 minutes of Wi-Fi as Guest #1, and my traveling companion, Guest #2 would receive another set of 75 minutes of Wi-Fi.  So an additional 50 minutes of Wi-Fi

Thank you for the information. 

[Selion]

2 hours ago, Middleager said:

Thanks for this info.  Where did you get it, is it in some link?

You're welcome.  My TA sent it this evening.  We were looking at NCL cruises for later this year.

[Two Wheels Only]

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

i wont be surprised to see the gratuity go up in the next few months now

 

DSC increases usually happen in April.......(stay tuned). 😉

[AtlantaCruiser72]

I’ve been looking at an 11nt Canada/NE cruise for 2024 in an inside cabin. Currently we’d get 4nts specialty dining. With this change we’d get one 😖. Paying for 3nts extra dining would be $118.80pp/$237.60 total.  That’s not small change in savings for booking before the 18th!!!
 

Seems like now is the time to poo or get off the pot on this one!

[tallnthensome]

NCL was my go to line for quite a while for its value. Now based on my research and bookings the value, or lack there of, changes, and high pricing makes NCL one of the worst. 

[mking8288]

Thanks for the heads up ... I wonder what solo cruisers including those booked in a studio (larger & newer ships) think vs. the cheerleading loyalists.  

 

Factor in the changes with the new Latitude tiered perk modifications, to us, the free WiFi minutes gone (Sapphire tier @ 60 min x 2 = 120 minutes) - net loss is 10 min x 2 or 20 minutes for 7 nights, if we are on FAS and will now get 150 min x 2 = 300 minutes vs. 250 min + 60 min x 2 people = 320 minutes under the current/soon "old" grandfathered one.)  Retail value gone up so doing an upgrade to unlimited non-streaming WiFi could be much less than now ... assuming bundled prices not going up & discount given and properly applied.  

 

Specialty Dining with 20% gratuities being scaled back isn't going to be popular, but ... it is what it is, balancing the choices between bottom line numbers and passengers loyalty & satisfaction, etc.  Between inflation and revenue targets, putting NCL in a no-win situation.  Well, short term - there are probably fair amount of non-refundable OBC/FCC among the hard core cruisers on CC to be applied to offset the changes with new bookings.  

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Specialty Dining with 20% gratuities being scaled back isn't going to be popular, but ... it is what it is, balancing the choices between bottom line numbers and passengers loyalty & satisfaction, etc.  Between inflation and revenue targets, putting NCL in a no-win situation.  Well, short term - there are probably fair amount of non-refundable OBC/FCC among the hard core cruisers on CC to be applied to offset the changes with new bookings.  

For several years NCL has been offering more frequent and easier access to free specialty dining.  With double or sometimes triple points, getting to Platinum and it's two free specialty dinners has come sooner for more and more passengers.  There was a time when Inside cabins received maybe one Free at Sea option, Ocean View got one or two, and Balconies had their choice of two perks.  Now it seems that everyone gets all of the perks on every cruise.  That makes for a lot more folks wanting reservations in specialty restaurants.  I think NCL finally realized that "their mouth wrote a check that their butt couldn't cash" and they needed to cut down on the number of freebies that they were handing out.  It's a bummer for us, but it may be a stark reality of what's going to happen when ships again start sailing at or near full capacity.  There simply may not be enough seats at the table if they continue with their old policies.

[wacruiselover]

22 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

"their mouth wrote a check that their butt couldn't cash"

That comment makes the entire thread worth reading!

[coastcat]

1 hour ago, mking8288 said:

Thanks for the heads up ... I wonder what solo cruisers including those booked in a studio (larger & newer ships) think vs. the cheerleading loyalists.  

 

Eh, we solos are already kind of hosed with NCL. I'm a loyalist but I'm also good at math. If I book a cabin (excluding Studios) with Free at Sea included, and there's no reduction on the solo supplement, then I'm paying the same fare for one person as I would if I somehow managed to drag my husband onboard (nope, not happening). As a couple we would get two sets of specialty dining credits and two PBPs. As a solo I get one of each. Therefore I am paying double the Free At Sea premium but not getting everything I paid for.

 

I was annoyed when Celebrity moved to the "Always Included" pricing because a solo cruiser would pay double but only get one wifi login and drink package. And then it dawned on me that NCL has been doing that to solos all along - although we at least have the option to book a Sail Away cabin.

 

I'm set to go Platinum after my next booked cruise and will get two free specialty dinners to augment my single Studio dining credit in the future. That benefit is dinner for two and if you're solo, it's still dinner for two. Hmm, I wonder if I can make the case that I'm therefore entitled to two entrees?

 

The changes remind me of a prior version of Free At Sea in which the number of perks you got depended on the cabin category you booked. IIRC, Studios and inside cabins got one perk of your choice, oceanview two perks, and balconies & above could take all four.

 

NCL has the reputation as the solo-friendly cruise line, but RCI and Princess are decidedly better for solos who want to pay only for perks they actually get to use.

[eileeshb]

The WiFi change is a bit of a kick in the teeth to solos, I’d be curious to know if/when the same changes will roll out to European customers. They already downgraded the drink package a couple of years back when they added the €99 fee to get the “free at sea” elements. We used to get free specialty coffees with meals (didnt bother me as I’m not a coffee drinker) and 6 bottles of water (does bother me as I would use twice that amount). 

[mking8288]

Accrued airline miles and hotel points aren't the same these days either, devalued and/or needing more to book those "awards" ... let's not volunteer more "ideas" here.  Just "locked" in free Marriott Bonvoy nights for land travel this Fall's foliage trip, their programs changing too in 2022.  

 

From a different corner, it's locking down the known loopholes ... Financially, it remains a very steep uphill climb, off the bottom trenches for the cruise and travel & hospitality sectors after dropping off the cliffs.  For the herds that might not return to cruising in a while, these changes will hardly impact their once or twice-in-a-lifetime enjoyment; and, there will be T/A out there tossing in discount deals and extra perks to sweeten up.  

 

My feeling is that coming out of this and transitioning to an endemic, true good deals and bargains are going to be hard to find in 2023 and beyond, prices are going up and even higher, and the 5% here will just have to choose & decide if the entire bundled package is worthwhile or not - shop and compare, or go elsewhere.   

[The Traveling Man]

11 minutes ago, coastcat said:

The changes remind me of a prior version of Free At Sea in which the number of perks you got depended on the cabin category you booked. IIRC, Studios and inside cabins got one perk of your choice, oceanview two perks, and balconies & above could take all four.

 

I think your memory is better than mine.  I recalled that it was a sliding scale based on cabin type, but I forgot how many perks for what stateroom category.  Thanks for setting it straight.

[The Traveling Man]

8 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

We used to get free specialty coffees with meals (didnt bother me as I’m not a coffee drinker) and 6 bottles of water (does bother me as I would use twice that amount). 

I'm not a coffee drinker, but I know that my wife has ordered a cappuccino or espresso with dinner, both in the MDR and specialty restaurants, and we haven't been charged extra for it.  We have each been Platinum Plus for the past five years, so that may have something to do with it.  Still, I think specialty coffees have been available without charge with a meal, but an extra cost if you order them at a bar.  Our last two NCL cruises were in August 2021 on the Encore and October 2021 on the Epic.  She drank free specialty coffees at dinner on each of those cruises.

[kylenyc]

7 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

NCL was my go to line for quite a while for its value. Now based on my research and bookings the value, or lack there of, changes, and high pricing makes NCL one of the worst. 

There is substantial value to me to have a vacation experience where I'm assured to be surrounded by all vaccinated guests and staff most of whom are of similar values, beliefs and respect -- Those who vaccinate and nearly all consistently wear masks on board where required. I don't see the cost of an NCL cruise to be prohibitive nor do I know of an alternative vacation experience where I can selectively mingle with strangers or served by waitstaff and be assured they are vaccinated.

 

There are no guarantees. This is all about managing risk -- Of contracting the disease and potentially bringing it home to vulnerable family members or delaying my ability to care for them should I be quarantined.

 

I can't blame NCL for running their business. I think the choices they made make good business sense while giving consumers a 100% vaccinated, lower risk (not zero risk) vacation experience.

 

P.S. I sympathize with the folks whose cruises are cancelled or those whose cruises turn into cruises to nowhere. I guess they have better options and experience than those were are stranded over Christmas/New Years by the over a thousand(s) of cancelled flights. Relatively speaking, a cruise is the best and NCL my first choice not only for the safety and experience, but because they aren't illegally dumping and subsequently violating probation (hello CCL). Note: NCL voluntarily reported an improper discharge in Bahamian waters. CCL prefers to pay their fines rather that adhere to the terms of their probation.

 

 

[smplybcause]

2 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Now it seems that everyone gets all of the perks on every cruise. 

 

Hmm so I was thinking it was more of a covid thing to get people to book, but now from your post I'm thinking that maybe all perks are here to stay. Pushing the numbers down so much make it more sustainable to keep. 

[Oxo]

14 hours ago, Selion said:

You're welcome.  My TA sent it this evening.  We were looking at NCL cruises for later this year.

Thank you! Based on your timely and valuable info we just booked 2 NCL PRIMA cruises for 2022.

Your TA should be commended,  too.

Stay Safe and Happy Cruising!

[nferr]

That's a substantial change. I'm booked on a 15 night cruise in a studio. Currently 5 meals in specialty,  will now be only 2 meals for bookings after the 18'th.

[Wendy&Grumpy]

7 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Factor in the changes with the new Latitude tiered perk modifications, to us, the free WiFi minutes gone (Sapphire tier @ 60 min x 2 = 120 minutes) - net loss is 10 min x 2 or 20 minutes for 7 nights, if we are on FAS and will now get 150 min x 2 = 300 minutes vs. 250 min + 60 min x 2 people = 320 minutes under the current/soon "old" grandfathered one.)  Retail value gone up so doing an upgrade to unlimited non-streaming WiFi could be much less than now ... assuming bundled prices not going up & discount given and properly applied.  

 No discount on FaS upgrade.