Why More at Sea? (Straight from the horse's mouth)

[mistertomatoe]

https://thepointsguy.com/news/norwegian-cruise-line-introduces-more-at-sea/?

 

There's some interesting nuggets on the thinking behind More at Sea from NCL President David Herrera.

[BirdTravels]

Sure. It is a promotion that could conceivably change every week,,, like the latest sale at Walmart. The fact is that it has not changed in several years (other than small seasonal variations like "Free Tax Day - no port taxes" or "Free Grats" or "Free water" or "Free Photos" and "Free calls".

 

They have changed the free promotions more significantly over time. The last major change was when then went from "Pick 2" to "Pick All" where passengers in steerage could opt in for all promotions like the Haven guests. Prior to that, you had to select 2 promotions. And they did offer "Pick All" as one of those seasonal changes that came and went until they permanently went to Pick All. 

 

The last major change prior to "Pick All", was changing from UDP to SDP (Unlimited Specialty Dining to a Specialty Dining Package with limits on the number of meals).   

 

While other threads make it sound like the world has come to an end with MAS, in reality very very very few people bought into the Premium Plus Beverage Package or the Free at Sea Plus money grab. The vast majority of people took the basic package and drank to their content. With MAS, the vast majority of passengers are getting more meals and more drink choices. 

 

The branding is very clear. To get rid of the haters who said "free isn't free", the MAS promotion is just that. It is a promotion that you can add, at a slightly higher net cost, to your cruise if you want a more all inclusive cruise. 

 

We sail on MSC a lot, and you can pay for a better experience level that includes things like Freestyle Dining (versus being forced to traditional dining times assigned at 5:00 pm, 7:30 pm, or 9:30 pm.), A better experience level would also get you access to their (not as nice) Thermal Suite. The MSC basic beverage package covers drinks up to $10 (but includes specialty coffee and water). 

 

Buy the MAS promotion or not. NCL is banking on most people taking the promotion (which they will). NCL is catering the the contemporary cruiser who wants that all inclusive feel to their vacation.

Edited October 11 by BirdTravels

[wolft927]

I agree, We prefer NCL for many reasons but the all inclusive feel for us is worth it. The FAS or now MAS works great for us. NCL Drink package is truly unlimited unlike Carnival Corp Ships which is not. Also the now 3 specialty dining is nice, but we typically eat in the Haven most evenings. I did notice the gratuities for drink package have increased by about $100 for 2 on a 7 day cruise and the Specialty dining was $39.00 for the gratuities, now it is $120. So for a more expansive offering on drinks and an additional Specialty dining for about $180 for a 7 day cruise I will take it. 

[CanadianKLM]

I agree that the MAS sounds good to us. We're not huge drinkers, but I like the inclusive feel it provides. I understand that we might actually save a bit of money if we paid as we went, but I don't want to spend the whole cruise asking myself if I'll get $15 worth of enjoyment out of this glass of wine. 

[CruisingSince1982]

Does anyone have the list of the premium drinks, and the connoisseur level drinks? 

[BirdTravels]

5 hours ago, CruisingSince1982 said:

Does anyone have the list of the premium drinks, and the connoisseur level drinks? 

Check back on January 1, 2025

[UKstages]

the branding surrounding MAS isn't clear at all. it's muddled. they may have gotten rid of the people who pointed out (correctly) that "free" isn't "free, but they have been replaced with folks who point out (correctly) that, with "more at sea," you sometimes get less, but pay more.

 

any company that puts the word "more" into their advertising while raising package prices has not conducted enough focus groups. specialty dining costs more per meal, but there are fewer choices in those restaurants than ever before. drinks cost more, but there are a few marginal beverages included that used to cost two or three dollars extra. those that want a premium beverage experience, however,  or who enjoy drinking water or coffee have to pay considerably more next year than they are paying this year.

 

david and harry like to say that they have rejiggered their fee structure to avoid nickel and diming and provide a more inclusive experience, but, for many people, the net effect is the opposite... they will pay more for less.

[laudergayle]

IMO most cruisers don’t pay that much attention to the details of how much they’re paying for certain items.  It’s more of the mentality of “what am I getting” and “how much do I owe NCL”.  I think how NCL is now presenting what you will get for what you will pay is clear, simple and easy to understand.  It’s the NCL-enthusiasts (said tongue-in-cheek) that are doing this nitty gritty comparison.

 

The “more” brand positioning is strong.  There are so many “more” ways they can leverage this positioning than they could with “free”.  They can generate more interest and excitement by marketing “more” …savings, fun, options, offerings, entertainment, itineraries, new ships, and more.  To top it off, the “more” positioning speaks not only to the consumer but also to the corporate teams and shareholders.  That being said, the corporate and shareholders positioning is probably “more” for less”.

 

Honestly, this “more” change doesn’t bother me in one way or the other.  Pricing is similar, perks are similar, etc. to the NCL that has evolved over the past few years.  And, that is where I’m less satisfied.

 

 

[dbrown84]

37 minutes ago, UKstages said:

drinks cost more, but there are a few marginal beverages included that used to cost two or three dollars extra. those that want a premium beverage experience, however,  or who enjoy drinking water or coffee have to pay considerably more next year than they are paying this year.

THIS!!!

[laudergayle]

8 hours ago, wolft927 said:

I did notice the gratuities for drink package have increased by about $100 for 2 on a 7 day cruise and the Specialty dining was $39.00 for the gratuities, now it is $120. So for a more expansive offering on drinks and an additional Specialty dining for about $180 for a 7 day cruise I will take it. 

The thing is, they don’t even mention gratuities for dining or drinks package.  In the past if you unchecked Drink Package all you would see disappear is the 20% gratuity on some mystery package value.  Same with specialty dining.  Now, if you uncheck either, you see the package value (which includes the gratuity) disappear from your cruise total cost.

 

i am not saying that NCL isn’t charging more for these items, but to most people it will be “more” clear as to what they are buying and for how much.

 

i also like the extra specialty dinner…which won’t be used in the Asian venue.

[UKstages]

3 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

I think how NCL is now presenting what you will get for what you will pay is clear, simple and easy to understand.

 

i think so, too.

 

but it's only good branding in a world where "free" at sea doesn't exist.

 

"free" at sea does exist and they rode that gravy train for a long time and it is synonymous with the brand. so when they do a switcheroo to "more," it invariably invites comparisons with their well known tag line and existing branding. that's where you'll see the "less for more" thing.

 

"more" is good branding if they want to emphasize a competitive advantage (we have more than the other guys, which isn't really true) or if they want to emphasize that you get more of this or that onboard (which isn't really true, either).

 

but if they wanted to build on their existing tag, while emphasizing the all inclusive nature of their pricing and the effortlessness of cruising on NCL, then they should have gone the other way: "carefree at sea."

[laudergayle]

5 minutes ago, UKstages said:

carefree at sea."

Not bad.  
 

I see where you are going with your comments.  But I believe NCL wants new cruisers more (see what I did there).  So they aren’t too concerned about those who know NCL’s relationship with Free.  They will leverage “more” as a value they deliver to the buyer with less emphasis on more than their competitors…with the “hopes” that they can influence the purchase decision away from the competitors.  

Edited October 11 by laudergayle

[The Traveling Man]

16 hours ago, mistertomatoe said:

https://thepointsguy.com/news/norwegian-cruise-line-introduces-more-at-sea/?

 

There's some interesting nuggets on the thinking behind More at Sea from NCL President David Herrera.

Here's my favorite "nugget" from him:

 

When asked how the More at Sea rebrand would impact vacationers' bottom lines, Herrera said that NCL cruisers are more concerned with value and simplicity than nickel and diming.

 

And he should know all about nickel and diming.

[Bobby Winds]

I find 2 specialty dinners is enough is there a way to choose ONLY 2 dinners instead of 3 on a 7 day cruise ? ? ? 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Bobby Winds said:

I find 2 specialty dinners is enough is there a way to choose ONLY 2 dinners instead of 3 on a 7 day cruise ? ? ? 

Is your question really how: do I save money by selecting only two dinners?

We have no intention of going to the third dinner.

[JamesIowa]

15 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Here's my favorite "nugget" from him:

 

When asked how the More at Sea rebrand would impact vacationers' bottom lines, Herrera said that NCL cruisers are more concerned with value and simplicity than nickel and diming.

 

And he should know all about nickel and diming.

That’s why I loved fas+. No nickel-and-diming on board…upgrade and done. NCL must believe the onboard spend will increase enough to offset the revenue lost by fas+ upgrades? Or mas package > cost > tax increases will cover? Bird in the hand?

Q1/25 earnings report will be interesting…wonder what they adjusted the street OBS metric?

 

[Bobby Winds]

It's not a matter of trying to save money but rather only wanting 2 specialty dinners without paying for 3.

 

We just returned from a 7 day cruise and we learned a lot, mostly NCL will cancel events with very little notice and one of our specialty dinners did infringe on some of our plans.

[RocketMan275]

5 minutes ago, Bobby Winds said:

It's not a matter of trying to save money but rather only wanting 2 specialty dinners without paying for 3.

 

We just returned from a 7 day cruise and we learned a lot, mostly NCL will cancel events with very little notice and one of our specialty dinners did infringe on some of our plans.

You're going to pay for three regardless.  MAS isn't al a cart.  Just don't go to the third.

[Bobby Winds]

37 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

You're going to pay for three regardless.  MAS isn't al a cart.  Just don't go to the third.

On my last cruise on the Breakaway last week the specialty restaurants couldn't handle 2 meals per person via FAS unless you wanted meal times at 9 or 9:30 pm. Of course NCL doesn't care I'm sure but I do care when I get to eat.

[ChiefMateJRK]

21 minutes ago, Bobby Winds said:

On my last cruise on the Breakaway last week the specialty restaurants couldn't handle 2 meals per person via FAS unless you wanted meal times at 9 or 9:30 pm. Of course NCL doesn't care I'm sure but I do care when I get to eat.

Did you make reservations at 120 days out?

[schmoopie17]

3 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Did you make reservations at 120 days out?

You beat me to it...slowing down in my old age.

 

Booking at 120 days (or in our case, 125 days) I've never only been presented with 9:00, 9:30, etc. Being old, we prefer to eat earlier and can almost always get either 5:30 or 6:00.

[eileeshb]

On 10/11/2024 at 1:14 PM, BirdTravels said:

{snip} 

 

While other threads make it sound like the world has come to an end with MAS, in reality very very very few people bought into the Premium Plus Beverage Package or the Free at Sea Plus money grab. The vast majority of people took the basic package and drank to their content. With MAS, the vast majority of passengers are getting more meals and more drink choices. 

 

{snip}

I was one of the people that went for FAS+ as I wanted bottled water and unlimited WIFI so with the added dining credit and premium drinks it was better value for me. But I'm in europe and the pricing structure was and is different for us. 

With the old FAS it cost about €149 for a 7 day cruise with occasional promo's reducing it to half that. That promo reduced price happened to match the previous pricing for FAS. 

Thankfully I hadn't already booked FAS+ for my cruise in January so I don't have to deal with the rigmarole of the refund they're planning for anyone that already upgraded.

[Bobby Winds]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Did you make reservations at 120 days out?

Yes, that got us 8 pm reservations at Cagney and La Bistro

[Bobby Winds]

7 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

You beat me to it...slowing down in my old age.

 

Booking at 120 days (or in our case, 125 days) I've never only been presented with 9:00, 9:30, etc. Being old, we prefer to eat earlier and can almost always get either 5:30 or 6:00.

Wasn’t possible on a full Breakaway last week.  3900 people just don’t fit in Cagney’s at 6 pm…..lol

[RocketMan275]

12 minutes ago, Bobby Winds said:

Wasn’t possible on a full Breakaway last week.  3900 people just don’t fit in Cagney’s at 6 pm…..lol

I'm not sure I understand.  Was that at 125 days out? Arkye you saying Cagneys was fully booked at 125 days out?