Turn Down to be reduced to once a day 2023!

[Laszlo]

31 minutes ago, DaCruiseBug said:

Upcoming NCL enhancements:

 

1. Toilet paper will no longer be provided. BYOTP (available in gift shop for $10 per roll)

2. $25 check-in fee at the port to enhance your boarding experience

3. $5 charge per piece of luggage you don't carry-on or carry-off the ship

4. $7 daily fee for nightly entertainment

5. $15 charge for Howl at the Moon

6. $4 buffet upkeep charge

7. $5 water fee so you can enjoy daily showers and the ability to flush

8. $3 daily "washy washy" fee for hand sanitizer cost

9. $5 guest services staff fee

10. $5 NCL CEO Golden Parachute fee so he can retire without financial hardships

All kidding aside, its amazing how much less TP you use with a Bidet at home..... https://amzn.to/3i3B10H

 

Got one two years ago and miss it when we travel Lol

[cruiseny4life]

36 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

I can see this resulting in even more rubbish being dumped in the hallways.

If I were in a stateroom category with only once per day service, that's exactly what I'd do. Heck, if I were in one of those categories, I'd probably do with twice per day service as the rooms are so tiny. I base this on my voracious appetite of cruise ship YouTube videos showing me balcony and interior rooms. Because, YouTube knows all! But really, I would put the dishes and tied garbage bag in the hallway. 

 

EDIT: I know, I'm a terrible, awful, no good, no manners person for putting anything in the hallway. How dare I?

 

22 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

Not saying the grass is greener elsewhere but going to have a difficult time telling Mrs. to continue to be generous in tipping extras onboard. 

I'd think this change, of any of them, would be the one that would force a guest's hand to dump the daily service charge. More expensive daily service charge, less service = decrease in the daily service charge at Guest Services. I know I'd certainly consider it if my second service of the day were taken away. 

 

Now, having said that, unlike hallway garbage, I won't be decreasing the DSC. 

 

1. I sail in categories that will maintain twice a day service (for now).

2. We actually decline the one of the two services per day, about half the days we cruise. We keep the room tidy and don't really have food brought to us (rare exceptions). 

3. The crew works hard, aren't responsible for Frankie boy's decisions, and I value the service I receive across the ship.

 

But, I would not blame one soul for reducing/eliminating the DSC due to this increase.

Edited December 29, 2022 by cruiseny4life

[graphicguy]

While this doesn’t really bother me at all, I always had to chuckle when hotels (and now cruise lines) encouraged towels to be reused to somehow make them look environmentally concious.  If there was ever an industry with a worse environmental impact than the cruise industry, I can’t think of it.

 

If you’re cutting services to save money, just say it.  I would appreciate the honesty more than the excuses.

[EllieinNJ]

After booking my first MSC cruise for next year when I heard the Meraviglia was coming to NY, I started reading the MSC forum here and found out MSC will no longer provide tissues.  They even put a metal plate over where the tissue dispenser is.

[roger001]

Eliminating  positions but not the service charge amount.  

 

This will involve a consolidation of staff roles as the stateroom steward and junior stateroom steward positions will be adjusted to a single job title in stateroom attendant.

The company said in the letter that the elimination of these position will phase out over time, allowing crew to complete current contracts.

[Honolulu Blue]

36 minutes ago, prmssk said:

 Why would a current Stateroom Steward sign another contract with NCL after this salary cut?

 

27 minutes ago, European_CruiseGirl said:

Perhaps they don’t even want them to sign? Business as usual (unfortunately) in corporate world. Get rid of the higher paid professionals and keep/hire more juniors to do these tasks…

 

Maybe with the increase in "mandatory" gratuities and the increase in the number of cabins covered, the old cabin stewards will break even or perhaps get more in overall wages despite the salary decrease.  I'm sort of reaching here, but I don't have all the information, so I want to give NCL the benefit of the doubt on this.

 

They are, of course, expecting some to leave or not renew their contracts.  It's part of the corporate game.

[mz-s]

It's a shame that cruising is no longer a special vacation with the entry-level lines. The good news is the level of service, food, entertainment, etc., we've come to expect is still available in the industry.

[Honolulu Blue]

17 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

If there was ever an industry with a worse environmental impact than the cruise industry, I can’t think of it.

I'll start with the mining industry. Cruise ships don't, in general, rip open the ground and make life where they pass uninhabitable.

 

Manufacturing in general was pretty horrible for the environment until they were forced to clean up their act.

[Liljo22]

26 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

While this doesn’t really bother me at all, I always had to chuckle when hotels (and now cruise lines) encouraged towels to be reused to somehow make them look environmentally concious.  If there was ever an industry with a worse environmental impact than the cruise industry, I can’t think of it.

 

If you’re cutting services to save money, just say it.  I would appreciate the honesty more than the excuses.

What's crazy though is that all my cruises that asked this still replaced the towels every night.  

[dbrown84]

2 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

What's crazy though is that all my cruises that asked this still replaced the towels every night.  

I've noticed the same, even in hotels.

[Liljo22]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Yeah, Carnival started all this.  At first, they gave passengers the choice of morning or evening service - or both.  It seems that as time went on there was increasing pressure put on the stewards and passengers to choose one or the other.  After the restart, Carnival no longer offered twice daily service at all.  AFAIK, passengers there still have the choice to choose either evening or morning service.  I hope NCL does the same. 

I was on one of the first cruises after they started this and while I read on here that they would do both if you made a stink, the card they handed me only had Morning or Evening listed.  I chose morning and the steward would still come by at night and fix the bed.  From what others have said, they no longer do that.  

[graphicguy]

9 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

I'll start with the mining industry. Cruise ships don't, in general, rip open the ground and make life where they pass uninhabitable.

 

Manufacturing in general was pretty horrible for the environment until they were forced to clean up their act.

OK…that’s one.  

 

I recall a cruise line being fined over and over for serious environmental sins they caused.  I want to say it was Princess (no surprise).  

 

When the Costa Concordia ran aground, I recall an environmental impact study of the area stating the area around the ship would take decades to recover.

 

 

[mking8288]

Perhaps, these changes will eventually bring positive forward-looking news on NCL (and other lines) quarterly financials.  Why not just impost an all-inclusive daily resort fees or "supplement" instead on a per stateroom/suite basis, except $20 p/p per day to clean a studio/solo cabin at 110 sq.ft. isn't exactly the same as a large club balcony suite sleeping 4, even once a day for the "attendant" ... I suspect we all know, some cabins will be rather messy with more towels, garbage and bedsheets to "service" everyday.  

 

***  Quoting from "Cruise Center" as a footnote:  The first ship to implement the new policy will be Norwegian Epic, starting January 8, 2023. The new company policy will be rolled out to the entire fleet in the following three-month period, expected to be completed with the Norwegian Pearl on March 31, 2023 ... Crew currently holding the junior role will see an increase in salary, but the salary will be reduced for the current Stateroom Stewards.

 

Somehow, I don't see all the stewards smiling & singing happy, happy, washy, washy - and, yes, they signed the contract.  

[Captain-John]

13 hours ago, Cruising Lynne said:

I really feel for families with multiple people in a room. There is only room to hang up a couple of towels to dry and re-use. I think a quick refresh of the room to check if dry towels are needed and empty the trash is nice to have.

 

I'll be calling for fresh towels when I need them, I am sure they will not refuse an ad-hoc request like this.

 

I only hope that with further spiralling inflation and tighter customer wallets (not evident yet as people just seem to pay 'whatever') we will return to a model of discounting to fill, or improving (rather than reducing!) a service to attract passengers to a given line over another.

 

[laudergayle]

10 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

haven't a clue what you are talking about.  Drama? 

Dramatic not to imply angry or b$&chy, rather dramatic to create a reaction, or theatrical effect. Sometimes aka smart @ss.  My comment wasn’t intended to offend you…I was just being dramatic. Looks like I succeeded with both 🙃

[AwesomO]

I'm guessing no, but has anyone come across the roll out schedule for the different ships?

[vacation44]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

I can see this resulting in even more rubbish being dumped in the hallways.

I agree and can also understand why someone would do it when this change takes effect.  

[HowardK]

I heard they will also be removing toasters from the buffet to save on electric costs. This is ridiclous.

I will be sure to wave my DSC. I'll then have to turn down the bed myself. 

 

Will the fancy people in haven still get turn down service though? I would hate it if the fortunate ones were affected in anyway.

 

I guess I'll hand out notes to everyone saying I have to cut down on manual tipping. I'll just say I don't travel with cash its not safe and that due to the economy I had to make cutbacks myself. Not going to be guilted into handing any extra cash out.

 

Anyway, looking forward to my 5 day cruise in November! First one in 5 years!

My cousin Dave from Dayton heard they were removing some of the more expensive ice cream flavors like pistachio and might go to vanilla chocolate only. Also, at the shareholders meeting I think they decided to cut chocolate syrup due to the increase in coca costs.

 

 

[HowardK]

39 minutes ago, dbrown84 said:

I've noticed the same, even in hotels.

I stay at a hotel quite often, and am pleased they have returned to daily service 

[HowardK]

1 hour ago, DaCruiseBug said:

Upcoming NCL enhancements:

 

1. Toilet paper will no longer be provided. BYOTP (available in gift shop for $10 per roll)

2. $25 check-in fee at the port to enhance your boarding experience

3. $5 charge per piece of luggage you don't carry-on or carry-off the ship

4. $7 daily fee for nightly entertainment

5. $15 charge for Howl at the Moon

6. $4 buffet upkeep charge

7. $5 water fee so you can enjoy daily showers and the ability to flush

8. $3 daily "washy washy" fee for hand sanitizer cost

9. $5 guest services staff fee

10. $5 NCL CEO Golden Parachute fee so he can retire without financial hardships

I could see them charging for reserved VIP tables at Howl at the Moon and Syd Normans/

I heard they were also updating the thermostats and will charge guests for heating and air conditioning!

Also they will have a silverware fee in all dining rooms. Great list!

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, Honolulu Blue said:

Maybe, but this isn't a good look for NCL, IMHO.  Bumping up the "mandatory" gratuities while cutting provided services.  Oh, and cutting some salaries and laying others off in the process. 

Well, the entire cruise industry did just emerge from being shut down for over a year.  It's a minor miracle that they even survived, and if they are ever to regain financial strength it is bound to require some unpopular changes.  The reason that NCL can "get away with this" is because their competition is all likely in the same boat ( 🤣 ).

[ChiefMateJRK]

34 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Dramatic not to imply angry or b$&chy, rather dramatic to create a reaction, or theatrical effect. Sometimes aka smart @ss.  My comment wasn’t intended to offend you…I was just being dramatic. Looks like I succeeded with both 🙃

Offend?  Actually it amused me.  Are you now done amusing me? 🤣 (or will there be more name calling?)  

[Honolulu Blue]

51 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I recall a cruise line being fined over and over for serious environmental sins they caused.  I want to say it was Princess (no surprise).  

It was Carnival Corporation, of which Princess is a subsidiary that was responsible for some, but not all, of the fineable dirty deeds.

 

31 minutes ago, AwesomO said:

I'm guessing no, but has anyone come across the roll out schedule for the different ships?

From the Cruise Industry News article at Norwegian Cruise Line Trimming Stateroom Cleaning, Cutting Crew Roles - Cruise Industry News | Cruise News :

 

• Epic - January 8
• Sky - January 13
• Jewel - January 14
• Sun and Breakaway - January 15

 

The Crew Center article at Norwegian Cruise Line to Reduce Stateroom Cleaning Services | Crew Center (crew-center.com) added (I'm quoting):

 

The new company policy will be rolled out to the entire fleet in the following three-month period, expected to be completed with the Norwegian Pearl on March 31, 2023.

[ChiefMateJRK]

21 minutes ago, HowardK said:

I heard they will also be removing toasters from the buffet to save on electric costs.

 

22 minutes ago, HowardK said:

My cousin Dave from Dayton heard they were removing some of the more expensive ice cream flavors like pistachio and might go to vanilla chocolate only.

 

22 minutes ago, HowardK said:

at the shareholders meeting I think they decided to cut chocolate syrup due to the increase in coca costs.

 

17 minutes ago, HowardK said:

I heard they were also updating the thermostats and will charge guests for heating and air conditioning!

 

17 minutes ago, HowardK said:

Also they will have a silverware fee in all dining rooms. Great list!

You sure seem to hear a lot more than the rest of us. 💩

[European_CruiseGirl]

27 minutes ago, HowardK said:

I guess I'll hand out notes to everyone saying I have to cut down on manual tipping. I'll just say I don't travel with cash its not safe and that due to the economy I had to make cutbacks myself. Not going to be guilted into handing any extra cash out.

 

 

I would suggest handing out notes which state something like the below (for an extra nice touch address the notes to FDR…).

 

—

Our family is committed to driving positive impact on the environment. As part of our family’s sustainability program we are constantly seeking opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint. As part of this initiative we have decided not driving anymore to the bank or ATM machines for getting cash. 
 

Hence, for unforseen reasons, we are unable to tip you like we previously used to. 

 

We appreciate your understanding and trust that you support us on this important sustainability initiative.

 

—

😏
 

Edited December 29, 2022 by European_CruiseGirl