Charge for Indoor Pool

[cantwaitt]

Two nights in Bistro or Cagney's--total cost $35--will get you your filet, sea bass, and (large) shrimp cocktail...plus a whole lot more.

 

Congratulations. You officially drank the NCL Kool-Aid.

 

This is the whole point of this thread.

[bulgargirl]

I heard, and this is what I was trying to figure out, that the saunas, changing rooms, gym equipment and stuff like that was free. The indoor lap pool and hot tubs are not. This is just what I heard though.

 

I liked the info. someone gave above on the cruises that were absolutely all included. I might have to see how much money I spend on my cruise -- it might be worth it! :D On a different part of these boards people were bragging about how much they managed to spend. It's got me scared!

[hotspur]

[Congratulations. You officially drank the NCL Kool-Aid.

 

This is the whole point of this thread.

[/font][/font]

Taking one sentence out of context is an indication of the bankruptcy of your argument.

 

You just don't understand the concept of value, and I for one am tired of reading your rants. You get more today for your cruise than you did in the past, so stop your whining. If you're so upset, go cruise another line where you'll experience the same thing. Sounds like you want to get what you got before and pay less despite the many increases in costs. Wishful thinking, thy name is "cantwaitt."

[shoreguy]

Two nights in Bistro or Cagney's--total cost $35--will get you your filet, sea bass, and (large) shrimp cocktail...plus a whole lot more.

 

Congratulations. You officially drank the NCL Kool-Aid.

 

 

 

Sure did it was and is very tasty. It is great to be able to have lobster or filet any night at a resonable charge rather then wait for that one night you get a filet perhaps mass cooked to something that could be consider pink :rolleyes:

 

Simple answer for me is add the cost for the things I want to take advantage to the budget when selecting a cruise. If the total does not make sense book something else. I love knowing no matter what is on the main menu I will have many choices and never have to eat a meal I don't really want.

[shoreguy]

I heard, and this is what I was trying to figure out, that the saunas, changing rooms, gym equipment and stuff like that was free. The indoor lap pool and hot tubs are not. This is just what I heard though.

 

I liked the info. someone gave above on the cruises that were absolutely all included. I might have to see how much money I spend on my cruise -- it might be worth it! :D On a different part of these boards people were bragging about how much they managed to spend. It's got me scared!

 

You may have heard wrong - you don't get past the spa front desk without a pass. The Gym and the other steam rooms on the Jewel are not in the spa area so free access. On the Dawn the gym is upstairs from the spa - no free steam or sauna. etc.

[NJBear]

I may be a little dense but the "lap" pool indoors on the DAWN is quite small. I'd say 5-6 strokes and you'd be slamming into the wall and if 2 people were swimming "laps" the pool would be full. I may be a little off base here but it seems to me this is more a case of ......Now that I can't have it, I want it, even though I never stepped foot in that tiny lap pool in the past. *shrug* who knows

[uneamie]

I may be a little dense but the "lap" pool indoors on the DAWN is quite small. I'd say 5-6 strokes and you'd be slamming into the wall and if 2 people were swimming "laps" the pool would be full.

 

Hmm...last time we were on the Dawn the lap pool did not seem that small...but I will take your word for it. Perhaps $15 is a bit too steep but I will probably only use it on a few of our sea days so, as Shore Guy said, we will just budget it into the price.

 

 

Monte.....thank you for your thoughts!

[shoreguy]

I may be a little dense but the "lap" pool indoors on the DAWN is quite small. I'd say 5-6 strokes and you'd be slamming into the wall and if 2 people were swimming "laps" the pool would be full. I may be a little off base here but it seems to me this is more a case of ......Now that I can't have it, I want it, even though I never stepped foot in that tiny lap pool in the past. *shrug* who knows

 

Room in fact for two people doing laps - the problem in the past the the five people standing in the pool and room for nobody to do laps. Accourding to the NCL website.

 

 

The longest indoor pool on a cruise vessel

 

 

 

 

[jenandbugg]

I'm sorry, but I have to add my 2 cents in. As someone who'll be on the Star Sep. 07 and be a honeymooner, I'll gladly pay the $60 a week and just budget it to what were spending so that me and my new husband can have some peace and quiet. I personally don't mind paying for the extras on cruises because usually they're way worth it. :)

[bulgargirl]

You may have heard wrong - you don't get past the spa front desk without a pass. The Gym and the other steam rooms on the Jewel are not in the spa area so free access. On the Dawn the gym is upstairs from the spa - no free steam or sauna. etc.

 

Shoreguy - I'm going to be on the Star. Do you know about that particular ship? My information actually just came from the review that was done by the cruise critic reviewer. Her review suggested the indoor pool as a nice place to go. Plus there was something on the sticky at the top about what you should know about NCL that said the indoor pool, sauna, and steam rooms were all free.

 

I like your solution, by the way, to the add-ons, of budgeting what you want to do and comparing that cost to other cruises or things to see if it's worth it. This is only my 2nd cruise and my first was really short. I am VERY, VERY, VERY sure I'm going to love this one. I just might end up prefering something else if I blow a lot for these extras.

 

EVERYONE ELSE: I wasn't trying to complain about add-ons, I just particularly planned for NOT paying for this thing and was told I wouldn't have to. They changed their policies on it after I paid my full fare. So now, I'm just trying to figure out if you really do have to pay for it. The unequivicol (sp) answer is yes. Both sides about the add-ons have fair arguments - but that wasn't MY point in making MY post. And some of you really could try to be just a little bit nicer. Please? Really - Please. We're all planning happy vacations here!:confused:

[mbisson]

My information actually just came from the review that was done by the cruise critic reviewer.

 

Hi, just a thought about the CC review. Much as I like Cruise Critic, sometimes their reviews will be posted for a long time and can become dated or inaccurate. Other sites have the same problem. I'm not saying this is the case this time, but it does happen. Maybe some of these sites should hire me to cruise and then update their review periodically ;)

 

-Monte

[bulgargirl]

Hi, just a thought about the CC review. Much as I like Cruise Critic, sometimes their reviews will be posted for a long time and can become dated or inaccurate. Other sites have the same problem. I'm not saying this is the case this time, but it does happen. Maybe some of these sites should hire me to cruise and then update their review periodically ;)

 

-Monte

 

Oh, gosh to be paid to travel..... I TRIED telling lonely planet I'd make an excellent writer. Nobody ever listened! Thanks for the advice. I will keep an eye out for the dates. To be honest, I assumed (big mistake, I know) that it was correct because of the posting/sticky note/whatever at the top of this message board and the cruiser's comment from june that it was free. But oh,well.

 

Are people always so quick to snap at each other on these boards? I know tone is easy to misinterpret, but still! And this group seems pretty nice. The cost saving board however. Wow. Some of those people get MEAN!

[2inTul]

I believe that on the Star the indoor pool is located inside the spa and has always had a charge for use. I may be wrong since I never used it.

[flyingpirate]

I believe that on the Star the indoor pool is located inside the spa and has always had a charge for use. I may be wrong since I never used it.

 

It is inside the spa, and there was no charge for it's use in February.

[2inTul]

It is inside the spa, and there was no charge for it's use in February.

 

Great! Thanks for the correction. I wasn't sure.

[mbisson]

 

Are people always so quick to snap at each other on these boards? I know tone is easy to misinterpret, but still! And this group seems pretty nice. The cost saving board however. Wow. Some of those people get MEAN!

 

I think a lot of the "snapping" happens when people speak in absolutes, such as "the food was terrible" "the service sucked" "the cruise from hell". It doesn't happen nearly as much when people use expressions like: "In my opinion". Absolutes make many defensive, especially if we were on the same cruise and enjoyed the food, service and cruise itself. Also you'll find that insults like "you must work for the cruise line" are another way to push peoples buttons, and to me it's usually done when someone takes any disagreement with their position as an attack. Some people just have thinner skin than others and seem to take anyone disagreeing as an attack.

 

I follow about 4 other boards on Cruise Critic and it's amazing to me how many times you see the same complaints on all of them. I haven't looked at the cost saving board - thanks for the info

 

Hope you have great cruises in the future (as if there's any other kind ;) )

 

-Monte

[bulgargirl]

Pssst.... Monte..... I just got my cruise documents today.

 

I should be working, but hey - I'm waaaaaaaayyyyyy toooooooo excited.

 

I sound like a 3 year old! This is my first 'real' cruise. Everything else has been really short.

[mbisson]

Pssst.... Monte..... I just got my cruise documents today.

.

 

It's unusual to see this whispered. It's usually shouted.

 

have a good one

-Monte

[cruise2much]

As I have read through this thread I understand a little more. It does seem however rather than increasing the initial cost of the cruise they have kept the initial cost the same and skimped on the offerings to save money. That’s fine but it just seems they have done this to keep attracting new cruisers that may not notice the decrease in amenities. As for veteran cruisers it’s a lot more noticeable. And for the sake of argument let’s say for one week all restaurants were free on the NCL ships, do you think anyone would dine in the included restaurants? The restaurant fees are fine because the service and quality is higher than what was ever offered in included meals and worth the price. But it does seem to me that as costs go up they will continue to do away with or charge more for offered amenities and lessen the quality of the included ones still offered to keep the advertised cost of the cruise attractive

[cantwaitt]

Some people just have thinner skin than others and seem to take anyone disagreeing as an attack.

 

It's true.

 

It has long been apparent that in some cultures in the US, if you disagree or show emotion while discussing an issue, you are deemed to being argumentative and rude. How sad!

 

I call it engaging in honest discourse.

 

Pointing out subtle, creeping declines in value is instructive and underscores the service provider's dishonest way of cuttting back.

 

It's sort of like the packaged food companies keeping prices the same but shrinking the size of the offerings, and then saying they have not raised prices.

 

It takes repeat cruisers to point this out.

[newmexicoNita]

Some people just have thinner skin than others and seem to take anyone disagreeing as an attack.

 

It's true.

 

It has long been apparent that in some cultures in the US, if you disagree or show emotion while discussing an issue, you are deemed to being argumentative and rude. How sad!

 

I call it engaging in honest discourse.

 

Pointing out subtle, creeping declines in value is instructive and underscores the service provider's dishonest way of cuttting back.

 

It's sort of like the packaged food companies keeping prices the same but shrinking the size of the offerings, and then saying they have not raised prices.

 

It takes repeat cruisers to point this out.

Keeping the prices the same but cutting back size of packages is certainly not dishonest. Is it something any of us like? Nope, but where do you get the idea it is dishonest? As for add ons, cruising is still a great value. By keeping the prices down you can decide what and where you want to spend your extra money. NMNita

[uneamie]

Some people just have thinner skin than others and seem to take anyone disagreeing as an attack.

 

It's true.

 

It has long been apparent that in some cultures in the US, if you disagree or show emotion while discussing an issue, you are deemed to being argumentative and rude. How sad!

 

I call it engaging in honest discourse.

 

I have this discussion with my husband all the time. It is my opinion, not his, that if you disagree with emotion then it is an argument not a "debate" as he calls it. Usually the emotion is anger and anger is a controling emotion which is the fuel to most arguments. It is hard to sometimes interpret the "tone" of written discussions as one can in live ones, but there are those rare times when it is very obvious that someone is bashing you and your opinion so I'd have to call that rude and truly far from honest discourse. One can disagree in a mature and respect way as I hope I am doing now, and not degrade the other person or their opinion. That is honest discourse I believe.

There are those who are very offended if you mention anything bad about their ship or their favorite cruise line. :eek: They are extremely loyal and I find that a bit hard to understand because everyone's experience of something is unique to them and not true for everyone. I hate camping and love cruising but our dearest friends are the opposite. Do we argue about it? Not even once.

In any event, I love these boards and most of the people who post here are funny, entertaining, informative and likeable, so I try to ignore the few who are nasty, rude, obnoxious and overbearing. ;)

[cruise2much]

Keeping the prices the same but cutting back size of packages is certainly not dishonest. Is it something any of us like? Nope, but where do you get the idea it is dishonest? As for add ons, cruising is still a great value. By keeping the prices down you can decide what and where you want to spend your extra money. NMNita

 

It’s not the reduction of services that’s dishonest, but subtle changes amounting to a lot while maintaining the illusion that things are the same or omission of changes is. Take for example last year we cruised on the Dawn and 3 times prior; we enjoyed the desert station during lunch (my wife’s favorite) garden café, now according to some postings that’s no longer available. Is she getting the same value? This is not advertised anywhere and if not for the boards we would not know and the same goes for any other exclusion that takes place. We booked the cruise paying more than we did on the previous one’s but will not get the same service. A package displays its contents you can see it’s less. But without these boards we would have no Idea of what has been eliminated from our previous experience. I will be on the Dawn this Saturday and can’t wait to be there but I am sure some of my time will be spent looking around to see what else has changed. I realize this is not exclusive to NCL and NCL remains to be my favorite line but I think loyalty should be rewarded but they are taking away from that to. Latitudes is not what it used to be.

[newlywedcruisers]

It’s not the reduction of services that’s dishonest, but subtle changes amounting to a lot while maintaining the illusion that things are the same or omission of changes is. Take for example last year we cruised on the Dawn and 3 times prior; we enjoyed the desert station during lunch (my wife’s favorite) garden café, now according to some postings that’s no longer available. Is she getting the same value? This is not advertised anywhere and if not for the boards we would not know and the same goes for any other exclusion that takes place. We booked the cruise paying more than we did on the previous one’s but will not get the same service. A package displays its contents you can see it’s less. But without these boards we would have no Idea of what has been eliminated from our previous experience. I will be on the Dawn this Saturday and can’t wait to be there but I am sure some of my time will be spent looking around to see what else has changed. I realize this is not exclusive to NCL and NCL remains to be my favorite line but I think loyalty should be rewarded but they are taking away from that to. Latitudes is not what it used to be.

 

So do you want NCL to post a list of every change it makes to any program?

[cantwaitt]

if you disagree with emotion then it is an argument not a "debate" as he calls it.

 

 

I call disagreeing with emotion "passion" and "feelings." They can't always be controlled.

 

Many people who are "passive aggressive" are more argumentative, but disguise it with seemingly controlled emotion. They are stealth combatants.