More nickel and diming by NCL

[newmexicoNita]

[quote name='sunshine 229']I think that the ships go out full or close to full most of the time because NCL lowers the prices of the basic cruise in order to fill them.

At present you could get an inside cabin on the Nov,25th Pearl 5 night cruise for $269 dollars. That is just above $50 pp per day.

Or you could book a 7 day cruise on the Dawn for $379 pp.

Those prices are amazingly low (to me at least). I guess if you sell most of your cabins early and then lower prices to clear out the last few that wouldn't be an issue, but from what I can see there are still a lot of cabins available on those ships, which leads me to believe that a lot of the cabins on those cruises will be sold at low prices. I guess if you are selling a good percentage of your cabins at low low prices like that, you are going to have to try to make up some income somewhere else.

Still, it seems to me for a cruisline, it's not a good position to be in because the people who are snapping up those low low prices are, in my opinion, quite likely to be bargain hunters and also likely to be the type of customers who are less likely to splash out with the big bucks on discretionary spending on board.

Again, this is my opinion only, but I think NCL is in this position in part because they have already lost a lot of potential repeat business due to their attitude towards customers over the last few years and are now having to lower prices like this in order to attract new customers.[/QUOTE]

Do you have any idea how much repeat business they have? have you been to a latitude party lately? As for dropping prices, you know as well as I do, all lines do this. When our granddaughter got married she choose Celebrity because of the prices only: 5 days, started at $299.00 the week before Christmas. I just sold 3 cabins on RCI, 4 day cruise out of LA the week before Christmas this year: $199.00. I could go on and on but certainly price dropping isn't just practiced by NCl anymore than airline price specials apply to AA or some other line?

Over the years I have been an NCL loyalist and you, pretty much a blaster. We both have reasons for our feelings and both live in a country where we are free to voice them. I don't take your flaming personally and please don't take mine that way. Heck someday we may meet and find out we have in common, cruise line opinions I don't think so. bTW, you do come across as pretty nasty sometimes, I guess I do as well. !!!! LOL

Nita

[Cubechick]

[quote name='newmexicoNita']And who has interferred with your voicing your opinion? BTW, my last remark had nothing to do with you, nor was it directed to you? I can't speak for others on this board, but I have never denied being an NCL loyalist, but I do try to be objective. Not everything about the line impresses me. Like everything in life there are the good as well as the bad, those who choose to see the bad over the good have every right, for me, I have just never been the type that sees things that way.
If you think you are not given the courtesy perhaps you are a little too sensitive? This board is about opinions and we all have a right to express them.

Nita[/quote]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Well said Nita! :D [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3] [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]We just returned from the FIVE-DAY Boston to Bermuda run on the Majesty (pre dry-dock cruise, but the last Majesty Boston-to-Bermuda run, ever). Now, we anticipated there might be some service issues due to the pre-drydock itinerary. There were. Particularly with the restaurants. Assuming it had to do with the stores of perishable items, our lobster ravioli contained no lobster, our butternut soup had no squash but what really peeved us was there was hardly any wine by-the glass from the second night of the cruise. :mad: :mad: :mad: Wine is not perishable last time I noticed. However….the always awesome Majesty crew, elated by there impending drydock (read: time-off), provided a service level exceeding our already high expectations. The moral to this story is: if we happened to be “glass half-empty” like some of the posters here, we would be rippin’ NCL a new backside. To the contrary, we can’t wait for our next four NCL cruises! :) [/SIZE][/FONT]

[cruizinwithkids]

[quote name='Cubechick'][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]what really peeved us was there was hardly any wine by-the glass from the second night of the cruise. [/SIZE][/FONT][/quote]

We should have found each other. I ordered a bottle of the anniversary wine the first night at the pasta cafe. The second night I didn't have any wine. Night three was the Bistro with the wine as part of the anniversary package. We took the left over with us. Night four we got out the night one bottle. We brought the left over with us that night. Night five we had the two bottles of red from earlier. I had a glass and shared the rest with another couple.

We brought home the white that came as our gold latitudes gift and the sparkling that came with the anniversary package.

And if you think we don't drink much, you didn't see our bar bill at the end.:D

[Cubechick]

[quote name='cruizinwithkids']We should have found each other. I ordered a bottle of the anniversary wine the first night at the pasta cafe. The second night I didn't have any wine. Night three was the Bistro with the wine as part of the anniversary package. We took the left over with us. Night four we got out the night one bottle. We brought the left over with us that night. Night five we had the two bottles of red from earlier. I had a glass and shared the rest with another couple.

We brought home the white that came as our gold latitudes gift and the sparkling that came with the anniversary package.

And if you think we don't drink much, you didn't see our bar bill at the end.:D[/quote]

Darned! Sorry we missed you. Very curious though. How was the NCL branded 40th anniversery wine? We were curious but also scared. :D

[DocJohnB]

[quote name='newmexicoNita']And who has interferred with your voicing your opinion? BTW, my last remark had nothing to do with you, nor was it directed to you? I can't speak for others on this board, but I have never denied being an NCL loyalist, but I do try to be objective. Not everything about the line impresses me. Like everything in life there are the good as well as the bad, those who choose to see the bad over the good have every right, for me, I have just never been the type that sees things that way.
If you think you are not given the courtesy perhaps you are a little too sensitive? This board is about opinions and we all have a right to express them.

Nita[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]And who has interferred with your voicing your opinion?[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately,I did not complete my thought or sentence.. I meant to finish up the sentence "Just allow me the courtesy of disagreeing with statements you and the other NCL afficionados advocate." with the words "without y'all jumping down my throat and claiming I don't know what I am talking about, or calling me uninformed, or even worse". Not if you don't believe that to be the case, read this thread and read it good. Check out responses to neilstuber and sunshine 229.

You know, some of us post "negative" thoughts or opinions about a particular line (in this case it is NCL) and loyalists equate that to "BAD". That is just not always the case. I wrote a review of my NCL Dawn experiences . . . . certainly contained some highly negative opinions . . . . yet the bottom line is that it was still not a bad cruise. If you take the time to read it, you will find that it is a pretty balanced review. You may not agree with what I have to say, but that is fine, because I was writing of my experiences, BOTH good and bad.

[QUOTE]BTW, my last remark had nothing to do with you, nor was it directed to you?[/QUOTE] But, indeed it was. Please look at your 5:59 pm post. Either it was directed at me, or I am missing something.

[QUOTE]but I have never denied being an NCL loyalist, but I do try to be objective.[/QUOTE]

You are correct about the NCL loyalist part and I applaud you. However, I would never agree with the latter part of that sentence. You may be objective on occasion, but in my opinion you are not objective. I believe that is because of your loyalty to NCL. In most cases, that is all well and good, however, you say you are a cruise T/A and you do your clients a disservice by not being [B]totally[/B] objective.

[cruizinwithkids]

Darned! Sorry we missed you. Very curious though. How was the NCL branded 40th anniversery wine? We were curious but also scared. :D

 

First of all I am not a wine expert, but I thought it was VERY good. I kept the bottle - along with one of the bud light NCL bottles. We have a camp on a lake and I want them for the mantle.

[newmexicoNita]

Well said Nita! :D

We just returned from the FIVE-DAY Boston to Bermuda run on the Majesty (pre dry-dock cruise, but the last Majesty Boston-to-Bermuda run, ever). Now, we anticipated there might be some service issues due to the pre-drydock itinerary. There were. Particularly with the restaurants. Assuming it had to do with the stores of perishable items, our lobster ravioli contained no lobster, our butternut soup had no squash but what really peeved us was there was hardly any wine by-the glass from the second night of the cruise. :mad: :mad: :mad: Wine is not perishable last time I noticed. However….the always awesome Majesty crew, elated by there impending drydock (read: time-off), provided a service level exceeding our already high expectations. The moral to this story is: if we happened to be “glass half-empty” like some of the posters here, we would be rippin’ NCL a new backside. To the contrary, we can’t wait for our next four NCL cruises! :)

And I don't know why my last review on the Star has not been published yet: others written about the same time have been. If it isn't posted in a day or so, i will post. I had some very serious issues that could have ruined the cruise: instead it was a wonderful experience.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Unfortunately,I did not complete my thought or sentence.. I meant to finish up the sentence "Just allow me the courtesy of disagreeing with statements you and the other NCL afficionados advocate." with the words "without y'all jumping down my throat and claiming I don't know what I am talking about, or calling me uninformed, or even worse". Not if you don't believe that to be the case, read this thread and read it good. Check out responses to neilstuber and sunshine 229.

 

You know, some of us post "negative" thoughts or opinions about a particular line (in this case it is NCL) and loyalists equate that to "BAD". That is just not always the case. I wrote a review of my NCL Dawn experiences . . . . certainly contained some highly negative opinions . . . . yet the bottom line is that it was still not a bad cruise. If you take the time to read it, you will find that it is a pretty balanced review. You may not agree with what I have to say, but that is fine, because I was writing of my experiences, BOTH good and bad.

 

But, indeed it was. Please look at your 5:59 pm post. Either it was directed at me, or I am missing something.

 

 

 

You are correct about the NCL loyalist part and I applaud you. However, I would never agree with the latter part of that sentence. You may be objective on occasion, but in my opinion you are not objective. I believe that is because of your loyalty to NCL. In most cases, that is all well and good, however, you say you are a cruise T/A and you do your clients a disservice by not being totally objective.

 

No, the commet was addressed to someone else, who was referring to yorur comments: as for my clients, i have never and I mean never, influenced a client by suggesting they cruise a particular line or discouraged them from cruising a line. I ask questions, if it is necessary, to try and see what line is best for them. Certainly I do not sell NCl more than other lines. Actually I guess if I kept tract I sell Princess and Celebrity the most and RCi the least.

 

Actually, I did try to influence a client a few years ago and it was not to sail NCL. They didn't listen: guess what? I think it may have been the only truely dissatisfied client I have even had in all my years in the business. I knew it wasn't the line for them. They were looking for something more upscale.

 

If my review on the Star gets posted in the next day or so you will see my objectivity. If not, i will do a mini review here. Not everything went smoothly. Had I been looking for the negative it would have been easy to find.

 

Whether you think I am objective on this board or not, has nothing to do with my clients. I doubt 10 clients have ever even read the website or any for that matter. The ones who do are seasoned cruisers and take these posts with a grain of salt. I may not be the most knowledgable agent (I do know a lot) but objective and fair, I think I am.

 

Nita

[messengertm]

The next time you see someone filling their plate high and they do not eat all of it, just go over to them and tell them that you do not appreciate the fact that they are driving up prices on your cruise. Either that or go over to them and ask them why they pay so much for something and then throw it away. I mean it's not like they paid for it or anything....

 

I edited this page for this reason.....whether the guests throw away the food or they eat it, why does it matter? The food was bought and paid for anyway (eaten or not.) It was there when the boat left the dock..and will not be there on the return back to the dock. Whoever may eat it or throw it away. Same as the water...what about letting the water run all day in your cabin? Does that drive up costs? How about spending time in a deck chair? The chair will be used regardless...just like the water will be used or thrown out...regardless.

 

I say eat up...or throw it out....you paid for it's use either way.

 

Thanks,

 

 

MessengerTM:)

[DAGVBSB]

Whoever may eat it or throw it away. Same as the water...what about letting the water run all day in your cabin? Does that drive up costs? How about spending time in a deck chair? The chair will be used regardless...just like the water will be used or thrown out...regardless.

 

I say eat up...or throw it out....you paid for it's use either way.

 

Wasting food or water is never acceptable to me, regardless of if you paid for it or not. There are food shortages and water shortages. Waste just uses more energy to dispose of it (or recycle it).

 

Its not a matter of who paid for it, it is a matter of being inconsiderate to the enviroment and your fellow man by wasting food or water.

[messengertm]

I can respect that.

 

And, I understand that.

 

But, until I have the courage to go and tell them that (especially when they paid for the right to do so), I will not worry about it. They are on their vacation, they have the right to do those things just as I do.

 

It is a personal thing. To me the same thing as eating too much...I could be a glutton (overeat WAY too much-will probably do anyway), Throw some away I could not eat or simply do not want to eat (will probably do anyway), or, I could just worry what other people might be saying if I do either to begin with (which I definitely will NOT do).

 

Point to me is this.....does it really matter anyway? How many leftovers do you throw away? How many times do you put gasoline in your car and just drive around forever...(I love Sunday drives)? Thing is, we waist in everything.....I plan on waisting ALOT of time crusin'...what a vacation is for.

 

Sorry If I went on and on..whatever I pay for, I plan to do whatever I want to with it.

 

Price of Cruising $2000

Price of Motel $300

Price of Plain Tickets $500

 

Waisting time because I want to? Priceless.

 

 

Thanks,

 

MessengerTM:)

[Host CMLA]

And I don't know why my last review on the Star has not been published yet: others written about the same time have been. If it isn't posted in a day or so, i will post. I had some very serious issues that could have ruined the cruise: instead it was a wonderful experience.

 

Nita

If you sent in your review more than 24 hours ago and it hasn't been posted, there was a problem. Did you get an e mail thanking you for your submission? Did you get a second e mail with a link to your review or an e mail rejecting your review for content? If your review was received into our system, you would get at least 2 e mails about it. If you never got the second e mail, then there was a problem and you'll have to resubmit the review. I read and release every review on the CC board and I don't recall seeing one from you. :(

[cafetao]

Nita

For what its worth I find you to be one of the most objective posters on this board. You consistently point out that you prefer NCL, but you also point out differences and defects as well. I respect your opinion very much.

 

To be honest I don't post much on these boards, I read a lot but I don't post much. I will say that it is interesting that many complain about NCL "cheerleaders" here as if this board is the only one that has that type of activity. Actually I think this board is the most tolerant of the boards on this site, at least the ones that I regularly read.

 

I have never sailed NCL (I will be on the Pearl in Nov.) So I don't have any particular bias for or against the cruiseline. However I have already learned to discount certain peoples opinions about the line. Some of the postings are so badly reasoned and so obviously designed to cause trouble that it is laughable that they (perhaps pretend to) take offense when someone dares to challenge them. Don't get me wrong hearing negatives and things to look out for is helpful but it is very easy to tell when the complaint is legitimate and when it is from someone who just likes to complain.

 

Attitude is everything, there seem to be some here who could win a million dollars and then spend the subsequent time complaining that they had to pay taxes on it. You can trust that I will have a good time on my upcoming cruise even if others do not.

[GROOVERS]

We have 2 cruises, presently booked with NCL, about a month ago we received a "Double Category Upgrade" off from them. I called and explained we already had the stateroom of choice (a stern balcony), but what could I receive from this "coupon"...A week ago we received a $204 credit, KEEP THOSE NICKLES AND DIMES COMING NCL !:D

[newmexicoNita]

If you sent in your review more than 24 hours ago and it hasn't been posted, there was a problem. Did you get an e mail thanking you for your submission? Did you get a second e mail with a link to your review or an e mail rejecting your review for content? If your review was received into our system, you would get at least 2 e mails about it. If you never got the second e mail, then there was a problem and you'll have to resubmit the review. I read and release every review on the CC board and I don't recall seeing one from you. :(

ok Cecelia, I will re-create it. Thanks

 

Nita

[cruise4kicks]

Point to me is this.....does it really matter anyway? How many leftovers do you throw away? How many times do you put gasoline in your car and just drive around forever...(I love Sunday drives)? Thing is, we waist in everything.....I plan on waisting ALOT of time crusin'...what a vacation is for.

 

Sorry If I went on and on..whatever I pay for, I plan to do whatever I want to with it.

The point to me is that this is not the way I choose to live my life. Being a good steward of what's been given into my care is a very important value in my life. This is why I originally stated this as MY pet peeve; I didn't suggest you should get peeved about it, too.

 

However, being the devoted capitalist you obviously are, then you should certainly understand that when an item is purchased and then thrown away without use, the cost of this waste has to be borne somewhere. The cruise you paid $299 for this year will cost $399 next year if people aren't better stewards. That's a simple capitalistic fact.

[Sooners]

Nita

For what its worth I find you to be one of the most objective posters on this board. You consistently point out that you prefer NCL, but you also point out differences and defects as well. I respect your opinion very much.

 

I agree 100%.

 

I have only sailed on three different cruise lines and I loved them all. From what I see in this thread, all of the complaints of nickel & diming could apply to any of the lines I have sailed.

[Toyz711]

some people do need to take a tour of the inner workings of the ship...like the cold storage for the garbage. they can't dump it at sea, it's a chemical hazard to the water and sea life...so they have to pay to have it dumped when they get back to port. the waste really is sad and expensive. as the costs of disposing of the waste gets higher (like eveything else), the costs are passed on to the consumer in higher prices for the product. as the saying goes "take what you will eat and eat what you take. part of our new "diet for life" plan, at buffets we keep reminding ourselve, we can get more, start with less.

same reason i hang up towels so the room steward doesn't take them. if they are "barely" used why waste the water to wash them again.

[salty dingo]

How did a "nickel and dime" thread get to the topic of how much food people eat? The cruise leaves with a certain amount of food, and if some people eat too much, there is less for others. They don't stop at the grocery store and buy more. So, I don't think gluttony affects prices, but it can be gross to see!

[cruise4kicks]

How did a "nickel and dime" thread get to the topic of how much food people eat? The cruise leaves with a certain amount of food, and if some people eat too much, there is less for others. They don't stop at the grocery store and buy more. So, I don't think gluttony affects prices, but it can be gross to see!

Simple economics, Dingo -- if there is a lot of wastage, then the ship has to buy and stock more than if there was not a lot of wastage. And who foots the bill for this? Hint: It's not the cruise lines out of the goodness of their little black hearts... :rolleyes:

[messengertm]

Don't get me wrong;

 

I am not peeved, nor do I have a peeve about what people throw away and what they keep. I do, however, hope that as an American (aka capitalist), that I get what I pay for. I will state again as I have stated, I respect the opinions and I understand the thought behind them. And as being one who does not like to waist (I am a penny pencher), things will always go up in th future as I see it never going down in price. This goes for cruise lines and for flights, etc. I just do not see where this has anything to do with anyone throwing away or keeping something they paid for.

 

I also understand how this might affect pricing in the future...but hasn't it always? If by some miracle people on a whole decide to eat less and give back what they do not use...(gross), will this all of the sudden make the prices go down in cruising? And if it doesn't (which it won't), will it make the price of a cruise go down?

 

To me, and maybe just to me, it is a personal issue. And I respect that. I probably am a capitalist (I definatley am a "me" person according to the Generation X review board), but that is ok.

 

As for the other things, I use what I can over and I take what I can eat.

 

It is just that vacation is just that a vacation. Waste not, want not I guess.

 

Vacation here I come.

 

Thanks,

 

MessengerTM:)

[insidecabin]

Simple economics, Dingo -- if there is a lot of wastage, then the ship has to buy and stock more than if there was not a lot of wastage. And who foots the bill for this? Hint: It's not the cruise lines out of the goodness of their little black hearts... :rolleyes:

.............

The point to me is that this is not the way I choose to live my life. Being a good steward of what's been given into my care is a very important value in my life. This is why I originally stated this as MY pet peeve; I didn't suggest you should get peeved about it, too.

 

However, being the devoted capitalist you obviously are, then you should certainly understand that when an item is purchased and then thrown away without use, the cost of this waste has to be borne somewhere. The cruise you paid $299 for this year will cost $399 next year if people aren't better stewards. That's a simple capitalistic fact

 

 

I think you may be over estimating the actual cost of this food and the cost of waste

 

I recall the chef on the Sun saying something along the lines of $150pppw for the food budget(or that might have been for a longer cruise) so unless you are in the buffet for every meal and loading up you don't waste that much in a week, 10% is probably well over average and 1/2 of that is stuff cooked but never sees a plate.

 

This is also probably a reason the food on cruiselines is slowly going down in quality, as margins get hit, a food budget cut has significant impact mainly on the high price items.

[cruise4kicks]

I think you may be over estimating the actual cost of this food and the cost of waste

 

I recall the chef on the Sun saying something along the lines of $150pppw for the food budget(or that might have been for a longer cruise) so unless you are in the buffet for every meal and loading up you don't waste that much in a week, 10% is probably well over average and 1/2 of that is stuff cooked but never sees a plate.

 

This is also probably a reason the food on cruiselines is slowly going down in quality, as margins get hit, a food budget cut has significant impact mainly on the high price items.

I'll grant your point, but you seem to support mine as well. If a person is paying $299pp and HALF of that is food, that doesn't leave much for fuel (a very significant portion of the budget nowadays), personnel, and all the other myriad expenses. You're right, it's no wonder the quality tends to go down.

[fin]

NCL's fuel costs have quadrupled in the last few years.

[Guest Anorak33]

I thought it was kind of mean when they dropped the fresh squeezed orange juice from breakfast at Cagneys on Gem's inaugural after the first morning. After that it was 2.50 a glass and the other OJ was dire.

However just bear in mind that a citrus squeezer is easily available at ports of call and doesn't take up much room or weight and that there are plenty of oranges at every buffet.

Yes we had fresh squeezed every morning on the patio after that and gave the $ we saved as an extra tip to the cabin stewardess.

Now as far as the so called lobster night on Gem last week - it should have been called big shrimp night. If I said it weighed 2 ounces I would be exaggerating. However the $30 Cagneys lobster is a one and a half pound Maine style lobster, very nice.

Still its good value for the cost of the ticket, what with the cost of oil etc.