No More Breakfast in Observation Lounge

[UKstages]

everything has a knock-on effect.

 

a main reason breakfast items existed in the OL was to provide a place for early risers to get something to eat, particularly for those with early excursions. and, later in the morning, the availability of food in the OL serves to alleviate crowding in the MDRs and the buffet and the local.

 

NCL is not necessarily saving much money; people will just crowd the buffet (where they are actually more likely to consume more costly food, since the food isn't served in micro portions, as it is in the OL. and there will be more folks in the MDRs, as well.

 

a few hundred people are not just going to wait until lunch... they have to go somewhere.

 

Edited February 20 by UKstages

[pamelanj]

3 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

NCL really is pushing more and more people towards other lines by messing with the quality, quantity, and availability of one of the elements needed for human survival…FOOD. (Okay, I’m ready for the 🙄 and 🤣.)

 

And, while we all know no one will starve on a cruise, food offers comfort and enjoyment to most of us.  Cruises have historically been a place where we can indulge beyond our norms with food items we don’t typically eat at home.

 

IMO, NCL has gone overboard.  First it was quality, then portion size, then reduced operating hours in buffet, then the elimination of crowd favorites (hash browns, crepes, cookies)…now reducing the number of venues offering food & beverage.  
 

My prediction of next to go:  bacon (less often in buffet, fewer pieces put out at a time), French fries (they will be frozen baked not fried), specialty dinner bread will be now basic dinner rolls, butter will be margarine, half and half will be coffeemate, OJ will be cut with water, ice cream will carry a charge.  
 

There is a reason I still have unused CF certificates.  We have two NCL cruises booked, but more snd more we are checking out competitive cruise lines, with 2 already booked on MSC.

We just got off our first MSC cruise. One thing was definitely better was the overall service. We haven’t seen that level on NCL in a few years. 
 

I am not knocking NCL because we still love them but I agree that they do have competition. Everyone we spoke to on the MSC cruise were previously exclusively NCL.

 

We always have fun whatever cruise it is and no line is perfect. 😊

[CptJLMcCrea]

4 minutes ago, pamelanj said:

People spilling stuff all over is different.

 

Yes, very different. Fortunately, I have not witnessed this particular problem.

 

[david_sobe]

Did it really serve breakfast such as hot or grill items?  Was it not a continental style breakfast with muffins, fruit, juice, and coffee?
That's in the Haven Observation lounge.

Just trying to clarify because I dont remember hot cakes, French toast or eggs there. Or was it there?
No snacks even in the afternoon or evening either?

Someone reported there were cookies in the Observation lounge recently. I suppose they are gone too. NCL continues their war on cookies.

It must be stopped!

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, CptJLMcCrea said:

Isn't the removal of plates, glasses, etc. in the OL a staffing issue? I must be missing something here.

 

I wouldn't know where to bring my used plate.

 

Take it back to where you got it.

[UKstages]

24 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Was it not a continental style breakfast with muffins, fruit, juice, and coffee?

 

that's exactly what it was... perhaps a bit more substantial, a light breakfast with pastries and fruit, yogurt, cereal, bread (toast), oatmeal, sometimes nutrition bars. it was a step down from the haven's horizon lounge, but similar.

[CptJLMcCrea]

9 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Take it back to where you got it.

 

Uhhh... can you be more specific? I don't recall any dirty dish stations near the food. Besides, who are you, my wife? 🫤

 

 

[RocketMan275]

4 minutes ago, CptJLMcCrea said:

 

Uhhh... can you be more specific? I don't recall any dirty dish stations near the food. Besides, who are you, my wife? 🫤

 

 

If  you got in the Garden Cafe, leave it on a table there.  

I'm sure  your wife will tell you the same thing.

[CptJLMcCrea]

6 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

If  you got in the Garden Cafe, leave it on a table there.  

I'm sure  your wife will tell you the same thing.

 

You have no idea the number of things my wife tells me to do! 😂  But, I'm not some kind of pig that brings buffet food to the OL. Apologies to the pigs. I only get what's served in the OL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 20 by CptJLMcCrea

[Travelling2Some]

Sad to hear this.  I very much enjoyed the peaceful early morning atmosphere in the OL and the ability to get coffee and a croissant and enjoy the view.  

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, pete_coach said:

Yes but the staff was there to remove drinking glasses, not half eaten plates, some from the Garden Cafe which should not hve been there.

Yes, the staff is supposed to control but can you imaging the sh__ storm if a passenger is told to take the food back to the cafe??/ LOL

Who says the staff is only there to remove drinking glasses and not half eaten plates?  The OL serves food, who was supposed to pick up those plates?  And who said that passengers MUST eat everything on their plates (i.e. don't leave "half eaten plates").  If you could point me to the rules for the OL that explains this, that would be most helpful (or point me to whatever documenation you have to support your claims).  

 

 

1 hour ago, pete_coach said:

Unfair.

They have staff to do all the service required. When people abuse things, the staff cannot keep up.

It is the passenger that brought this on. No nickle and diming at all, this is a result of  poor behaviour.

Unfair?  Not unfair at all, especialyl considering NCL's well established track record for cost cutting.  

You may not agree with my statement, you may have your own opinion as to why this cut was implemented, but that doesn't make my statement, my opinion, "unfair".

[PATRLR]

5 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

Sad to hear this.  I very much enjoyed the peaceful early morning atmosphere in the OL and the ability to get coffee and a croissant and enjoy the view.  

Exactly.  The OL and in particular the early morning just as you describe is one of those significant "plusses" that NCL had going for it, IMO.  Now there is one less.

[RocketMan275]

22 minutes ago, CptJLMcCrea said:

 

You have no idea the number of things my wife tells me to do! 😂  But, I'm not some kind of pig that brings buffet food to the OL. Apologies to the pigs. I only get what's served in the OL.

No need to apologize.  The pigs couldn't care less.

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, CptJLMcCrea said:

I wouldn't know where to bring my used plate.

 

47 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Take it back to where you got it.

Back where you got it?  That would be wrong, you got it from the clean plate pile which was right near the unserved food.  I don't think used plates go there and I don't recall a station or some other location to return dirty dishes.  Staff took care of the dirty dishes.

[trivia addict]

Is the Starbucks still in the Observation Lounge?

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

a main reason breakfast items existed in the OL was to provide a place for early risers to get something to eat, particularly for those with early excursions. and, later in the morning, the availability of food in the OL serves to alleviate crowding in the MDRs and the buffet and the local.

Oh - so will they be increasing the hours of the buffet now to make up for this?  I'll betcha a beverage if we ever share a cruise together the answer is "no".

I suppose for some people it was an early morning breakfast option, but as someone who spent quite a few very early mornings in the OLs, most of what I saw was people drinking coffee and having a pastry or muffin. 

[PATRLR]

2 minutes ago, trivia addict said:

Is the Starbucks still in the Observation Lounge?

I don't recall there being a Starbucks or Starbucks station in an OL.  Which ship was that?

 

[RocketMan275]

4 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

 

Back where you got it?  That would be wrong, you got it from the clean plate pile which was right near the unserved food.  I don't think used plates go there and I don't recall a station or some other location to return dirty dishes.  Staff took care of the dirty dishes.

OK, just take them back to your room and leave them outside your door in the hallway.

[cruiser2015]

2 hours ago, CptJLMcCrea said:

Isn't the removal of plates, glasses, etc. in the OL a staffing issue? I must be missing something here.

 

I wouldn't know where to bring my used plate.

 

How about the spot upfront with the trash receptacles and a bit of counter area surrounding them.

You do it at McDonalds (etc.). No need to leave all of the clutter around a lounging area.

[PATRLR]

Just now, RocketMan275 said:

OK, just take them back to your room and leave them outside your door in the hallway.

Of course, yes, that's the right place.  Thank you.  😉

[OrangeCatRamblers]

I'll say it takes a lot to shock me these days, but wow! I find this shocking!

[yakcruiser]

A few months back when Harry said they were only in the 4th inning of cost cutting y'all should have believed him. And for our European friends a baseball game is 9 innings.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I had a sinking feeling there would be drastic measures when NCLH fell 0.08% today.

 

[Oceansaway17]

2 hours ago, laudergayle said:

NCL really is pushing more and more people towards other lines by messing with the quality, quantity, and availability of one of the elements needed for human survival…FOOD. (Okay, I’m ready for the 🙄 and 🤣.)

 

And, while we all know no one will starve on a cruise, food offers comfort and enjoyment to most of us.  Cruises have historically been a place where we can indulge beyond our norms with food items we don’t typically eat at home.

 

IMO, NCL has gone overboard.  First it was quality, then portion size, then reduced operating hours in buffet, then the elimination of crowd favorites (hash browns, crepes, cookies)…now reducing the number of venues offering food & beverage.  
 

My prediction of next to go:  bacon (less often in buffet, fewer pieces put out at a time), French fries (they will be frozen baked not fried), specialty dinner bread will be now basic dinner rolls, butter will be margarine, half and half will be coffeemate, OJ will be cut with water, ice cream will carry a charge.  
 

There is a reason I still have unused CF certificates.  We have two NCL cruises booked, but more snd more we are checking out competitive cruise lines, with 2 already booked on MSC.

while I agree with you, I still use NCL for Europe as I can go in solo studio and get good prices.

NCL Escape has a nicer itinerary for western Med than say RCI or Celebrity.  I have a nice 10 day.

Next year the Viva has a nice itinerary out of Venice for Greece.  So I will overlook a few things for their itineraries.

[cruiseny4life]

Sweet lord, tell me you've never used the light snack station in the Observation Lounge. Well, my Haven friends, it's just like the Haven Observation Lounge, except forget a counter to place your plate. These places don't exist. I wandered the Observation Lounge on Joy and Pr1ma multiple times with a plate or cup or glass. I never found a "station" to put dirty dishes. So, I suppose I'm a proud piggy and just left the dish on a table that had no one near it. 

 

Gosh, I'll go back to my trough now that society's high falutin folks have spoken. 

Edited February 21 by cruiseny4life