Look like specialty restaurants will be changed to cover charge next year

[cruiser1961]

4 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

An optimist!!  😎

Yup, sunny side of the street.

 

One can hope, right? 

[KeithJenner]

8 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

geez, I don’t know how much of a “stretch” it is to say that NCL will be imposing a cover charge on top of the cost of the dinner.  i’m simply rephrasing what NCL put in its own app. the blurb in post #30 says that it’ll be a prix fixe menu. then it says a “20% gratuity” and a “specialty service charge” will be added. 

 

sounds like at least three charges to me, possibly four.

 

• there’s the cost of the “prix fixe” dinner itself. 

 

• there’s a service charge (referred to elsewhere as a “cover charge?” only NCL knows if those are the same thing. many people would say a “service charge” is actually the gratuity!)

 

• and there’s a gratuity on… your guess is as good as mine… the prix fixe? the service charge? both?

 

it remains, as the king of siam was fond of saying… a puzzlement. 

 

i’ve said previously that NCL’s imprecise language may be at fault here. but what they seem to have preliminarily communicated is that they will have a cover charge on top of the price for dinner. if anyone is stretching, it’s NCL.

Whilst you may be correct (this is NCL after all), I don’t see any reason to assume (or even suspect) that NCL will suddenly be using the term “cover charge” in a different way to how they have consistently used it for about 25 years now.

 

The fact that in places a different terminology is used is classic NCL confusion. How many different names does the beverage package go by.

 

I can’t imagine that these changes will be to our benefit (if they start charging for the Asian restaurant then that an instant negative for us), but at the moment the concerns you raise do look fairly unlikely to me.

 

Of course you may be correct.

[JBEAS11]

Just off ship today and read this. Ate at Los lobos 2x with FAS (limited choices on ship). Last night per NCL bill if we dined a la carte charge was 117 plus 20%. This was for 2 diners. 1 app (2 soft tacos each), entree: 1 burrito, 1 enchileda chick. ,side: ear of corn each, dessert: churros and slice tres leches. Meal took 2 hours! Nothing exciting and low cost ingredients not prepared any diffenty then your local tex mex for 50% of price.  Too think 117 is acceptable is ridiculous and a cover charge over $25 each is too much as well without serious menu overhaul. So long NCL. You death spiral continues unabated.

[schmoopie17]

All of the Specialty Restaurants on our Feb 6 reservation show "A la Carte", with the exception of Tepanyaki, which says, "Cover Charge applies".

 

We are able to book restaurants on October 4th, so we'll see if the "big announcement" on October 1st impacts this. Since we have five Specialty dinners (three for a 15 night cruise, plus two Platinum, this is of particular interest to us).

 

On a related note, we had dinner last night with our friend/Travel Agent and I asked her if she knew anything about the October 1st announcement. She was pretty evasive and said she isn't allowed to say anything. (Which I expected, since she is a highly respected agent with lots of contacts high-up in most cruise lines. She's not going to jeopardize her position by leaking something to someone who would blab it all over CC...😁). 

 

Edited Friday at 01:05 PM by schmoopie17

[Bobby Winds]

33 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

She's not going to jeopardize her position by leaking something to someone who would blab it all over CC...😁). 

 

Stop blabbing, just tell us...........................LOL

[Capitan Obvious]

17 hours ago, UKstages said:

geez, I don’t know how much of a “stretch” it is to say that NCL will be imposing a cover charge on top of the cost of the dinner.  i’m simply rephrasing what NCL put in its own app. the blurb in post #30 says that it’ll be a prix fixe menu. then it says a “20% gratuity” and a “specialty service charge” will be added. 

 

The problem here is that your rephrasing is the source of the confusion. You use quotations to split one thing into two. It isn't a “20% gratuity” and a “specialty service charge” it is a 20% "gratuity and specialty service charge". The 20% represents the combination of both...not two separate charges.

 

This matches the currently used language...and we all know that there are not two different charges currently added.

 

What about gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 20% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 20% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

Edited Friday at 02:53 PM by Capitan Obvious

[Ken the cruiser]

13 hours ago, Anoynmous Phoenix said:

As the French say "MERDE".

 

There is NO WAY I will ever go here again!!!  Admittedly it is NZD but!!

 

 

And even more so

 

FWIW we are currently on the RCCL Wonder OTS and the retail price for their “fixed price”  Chops Steak House is $76 per person, or $120 NZ. Don’t get me wrong, that price is stupid! But consistent with other cruise lines.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Does anybody here actually go to a specialty restaurant and pay ala carte prices?  I'm sure some first time cruisers without FAS (i.e. sailaway fares) do, but for every ten here who complain about the ridiculous prices, I doubt one actually pays them.  We all use FAS, latitudes vouchers and, if those aren't enough, additional purchased specialty dining credits.

[UKstages]

 

a reasonable person sorting through NCL's mish mosh of poorly worded promotional blurbs and web/app descriptions could conclude that there is a gratuity on the prix fixe dinner or something they are calling the cover charge. or both. and if the specialty service charge is something altogether different, there could be a gratuity on that. it's not any "rephrasing" that has caused the confusion. it's NCL's never-ending disregard for the english language... and its customers. 

 

my best guess is that "specialty service charge" and "cover charge" and "prix fixe menu" all mean the same thing to NCL, even though they don't to me or most others who have ever consulted a dictionary. if that's the case, what they really mean to say is that all restaurants will now have a "prix fixe" menu and that a 20% gratuity will be added.

 

period.

 

as for FAS and platinum (and above) vouchers, assuming both marketing programs survive... everything will most likely work just as it does now... each FAS credit or dinner voucher will be redeemable for a "prix fixe" meal at a restaurant of your choosing. you'll likely continue to pay gratuity on the FAS component at the time of booking, with no additional charges or fees when you dine, unless you order optional or excluded or discretionary items. 

 

i can't imagine what the october surprise could possibly be. there is no customer-friendly news here to announce.

 

they will likely announce proudly that - based on customer feedback - they have simplified pricing across the fleet to make it less confusing (ironically), but what they really will have done (presumably) is raise the base price of an FAS meal. there's a glimpse of a sliver of a scintilla of good news for the four people on the planet who pay a la carte prices... they will most likely see a cost reduction under the "prix fixe" menu concept. everybody else will be paying more, with a higher gratuity, assuming that the gratuity is based on a fixed price that is higher than the current standard dining package component.

 

this reminds me A LOT of the changes that NCL made to the casinos at sea program earlier this year. they took away free drinks for most players, took away or reduced OBC for some players, announced with a flourish that they had "improved" the program, then listened to the social media backlash and revamped the program, then bungled the second announcement, then tweaked the program some more. 

 

they do listen and sometimes respond to customer feedback. 

 

so keep those cards and letters - and posts - coming.

 

we're only on page 4 here and i predicted 12 pages.

[DCGuy64]

9 hours ago, JBEAS11 said:

Just off ship today and read this. Ate at Los lobos 2x with FAS (limited choices on ship). Last night per NCL bill if we dined a la carte charge was 117 plus 20%. This was for 2 diners. 1 app (2 soft tacos each), entree: 1 burrito, 1 enchileda chick. ,side: ear of corn each, dessert: churros and slice tres leches. Meal took 2 hours! Nothing exciting and low cost ingredients not prepared any diffenty then your local tex mex for 50% of price.  Too think 117 is acceptable is ridiculous and a cover charge over $25 each is too much as well without serious menu overhaul. So long NCL. You death spiral continues unabated.

Wow, 2 hours IS extremely long, yikes!

[Bobby Winds]

So my “specialty dining” is now going to be at a restaurant with Pre Fixe menu. How is that special. They can shove that meal up where Howling at the Moon don’t shine IMHO

[Alatraveler1]

A prix fixe menu usually includes several choices in each course, for example pick one or two of the listed appetizers, one entree, and one dessert, etc.  If you move to a prix fixe price for the listed menu, you pay the same if you order a crab cake, lobster tail and raspberry cheesecake as you do if you order onion soup, chicken and jello.  Paying in advance you might justify the excessive cost based on the first combination being available as it's listed on the menu at the time of that advance booking.  Who would be surprised to hear NCL was mysteriously out of one or more of those more expensive items on a regular basis once actually seated at the venue.

Edited Friday at 05:53 PM by Alatraveler1
clarification

[grouchomarx]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Does anybody here actually go to a specialty restaurant and pay ala carte prices?  I'm sure some first time cruisers without FAS (i.e. sailaway fares) do, but for every ten here who complain about the ridiculous prices, I doubt one actually pays them.  We all use FAS, latitudes vouchers and, if those aren't enough, additional purchased specialty dining credits.

I don't think anyone would, it would not be worth it.  I don't eat that much and I did the math and even for me it would still be cheaper to get buy a specialty dining package except for somewhere like Food Republic where I would get only one or two things and pay per item.

[UKstages]

30 minutes ago, Alatraveler1 said:

A prix fixe menu usually includes several choices in each course, for example pick one or two of the listed appetizers, one entree, and one dessert, etc.  If you move to a prix fixe price for the listed menu, you pay the same if you order a crab cake, lobster tail and raspberry cheesecake as you do if you order onion soup, chicken and jello. 

 

that's true. that's the spirit of a prix fixe menu. but i seriously doubt NCL would do this, for the very reason you cite... the cost disparity among items. it's far more likely that certain items will still have upcharges. or NCL could dumb down the menu and do away with all the super premium bells and whistles. 

 

supplemental charges on a prix fixe menu are actually quite common . there's a fancy pants restaurant i like in las vegas that has a $219 tasting menu.  if you want the caviar starter, you pay an extra $59, as stated on the prix fixe menu itself.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

We became platinum in March of 2013.  But there was no FAS at that time.  I don’t recall when it began, but I’m sure BirdTravels will fill in the blank.  But when specialty dining became popular yu had to call and pay at the time of making reservations.   When we became Platinum it was still the rule, including Platinum dinners, although they claimed they would refund your money onboard.  I never chose to do this as NCLs track record with refunds is less than stellar. So on embarkation day, we arrived early and went staring to the restaurant reservation desk to do our reservations.  It was a stressful way to start your cruise, but that’s the way it was.  Fast forward a few years when some of the restaurants became a La carte it presented an opportunity because you couldn’t be charged for meals without a set fee/cover charge, so we could reserve a La carte restaurants that we would pay for with a voucher once onboard.  Such a relief. Who knows how they will do it now, but hopefully it will be somethng that is not too onerous. 🤣

[yakcruiser]

I think everybody is thinking way to small here. I have a hunch this whole Free at Sea thing is going to be revamped. The one thing I'm sure of is that this board is going to explode on Oct. 1st.

[KeithJenner]

36 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

We became platinum in March of 2013.  But there was no FAS at that time.  I don’t recall when it began, but I’m sure BirdTravels will fill in the blank.  But when specialty dining became popular yu had to call and pay at the time of making reservations.   When we became Platinum it was still the rule, including Platinum dinners, although they claimed they would refund your money onboard.  I never chose to do this as NCLs track record with refunds is less than stellar. So on embarkation day, we arrived early and went staring to the restaurant reservation desk to do our reservations.  It was a stressful way to start your cruise, but that’s the way it was.  Fast forward a few years when some of the restaurants became a La carte it presented an opportunity because you couldn’t be charged for meals without a set fee/cover charge, so we could reserve a La carte restaurants that we would pay for with a voucher once onboard.  Such a relief. Who knows how they will do it now, but hopefully it will be somethng that is not too onerous. 🤣

Free at Sea evolved over a period of time. The beverage package was introduced around 2013 but was a separate purchase. Then around 2015 they started to introduce that as a perk when booking.

 

i don’t recall when free at sea became a thing, but I have just found a booking confirmation from June 2016 which included a 4 meal dining packages.

 

That cruise was also the first one I can find a dining confirmation for without payment details.

 

What was included in free at sea changed quite a bit in the early days, outside of the beverage package. From memory the number of meals could fluctuate and internet/excursion credit are relatively new.

Edited Friday at 07:19 PM by KeithJenner

[cruiseny4life]

52 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

I think everybody is thinking way to small here. I have a hunch this whole Free at Sea thing is going to be revamped. The one thing I'm sure of is that this board is going to explode on Oct. 1st.

MORE (fees) at Sea, beginning October!

Edited Friday at 07:39 PM by cruiseny4life

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Yea, I remember the FAS meals were4, and with platinum we had six nights, so on a seven night cruise we were well stuffed.

 

[schmoopie17]

41 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

MORE (fees) at Sea, beginning October!

Rumor is they're bringing back hash browns.

Bad news is, they're $100 per (greasy) triangle.

[david_sobe]

19 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

$76 US

Do they have a child's plate we can share?

[pghflyer]

20 hours ago, Travelling2Some said:

$76 US

From $71 today ($59 plus 20%)

[pghflyer]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Does anybody here actually go to a specialty restaurant and pay ala carte prices?  I'm sure some first time cruisers without FAS (i.e. sailaway fares) do, but for every ten here who complain about the ridiculous prices, I doubt one actually pays them.  We all use FAS, latitudes vouchers and, if those aren't enough, additional purchased specialty dining credits.

I agree, hard to imagine anyone sane paying the "ala carte" prices but.....my spouse and I often travel with a single friend, all of us Sapphire.  By one of us being their "guest" on the 2-person Sapphire meals....we end up with a final meal all three of us can attend by just purchasing one additional cover charge. Still barely a good price (IMO as a budget spender) with such reasonable food available for free, but it is a nicer experience and only $24 each when split three ways.

Edited Friday at 10:20 PM by pghflyer

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

Rumor is they're bringing back hash browns.

Bad news is, they're $100 per (greasy) triangle.

Triangle??  They had better be the rounds that we all love.

[Nolesfan]

I really think the upcoming cover charge change has been staring everyone in the face.  Almost all the restaurants menus including the main dining rooms menus currently have some sort of upcharge. In specialty dining it’s certain premium items not included with FAS and in the main dining room it is steaks and/or lobster from Cagneys.  
 

I believe they will slightly revamp most menus and the lower priced items will be included in the new cover charge and the top 20-25% of current items will now be considered “premium” and will come with an additional charge.

 

I am hoping that as part of a menu revamp we will get some true premium options even if they come at an additional cost.

 

an example would be Cagneys having a $80 cover charge that includes an appetizer, soup or salad, entree and perhaps 2 sides and a dessert.  On the regular appetizer menu you have everything currently on the menu except maybe the crab cakes.  New premium appetizer could be maybe crab claws or oysters.  On the entrees they could again include the majority of the current options then add some premium steak choices like maybe aged or wagyu steaks.  A large lobster tail and some other premium options would also exist.  
 

I think this structure allows NCL to keep offering FAS dining while still allowing them a new source of revenue.  I am guessing in this scenario whether or not it is true, we will immediately start seeing claims that the quality of the included items is no longer as good as previous.

 

I am really hoping this is the direction this goes, offering more, even if it costs more.  If they were to go straight one price I could only anticipate fewer options instead of more.