Cruises are not "all inclusive" vacations

Sorry if anyone is offended by this but after reading through the CC boards as a new user, I just had to put my thoughts into words.

A little background on me:

Cruising w/ NCL for about 5 years now.

15 years in the hospitality industry, both hotels and restaurants.

In the hospitality industry, we recognize that the primary goal of all travelers is to feel like they are getting a good value for their money. This is especially true in the cruise industry as there is a massive amount of competition for guests that will be essentially a "captive audience" for an extended period of time (Average cruise length is 5 days, average hotel stay is just over 2 days).

The job of any cruise line (not just NCL) is to accomplish 2 things with every leisure passenger they have on their ship:

1) Get the guest to spend money.

2) Make sure the guest has a good time.

Now if you are a cruiser like me, you recognize that #2 typically is not possible unless you are doing #1. It is amazing to me that amount of people that have the misconception that a cruise is an "all-inclusive" vacation. Sorry folks, this is not the case. I just have to laugh when I see things like this:

"The food wasn't good and we weren't going to pay extra for specialty restaurants"

Specialty restaurants are just that, a specialty. If you opt for the regular dining options on the ship do not complain that you are not getting lobster tails, oysters, escargot, and other "finer" ingredients in your dishes. The MDRs and buffets have plenty of options, some better than others. If you don't like the food in included dining areas, spring for the specialty dining. You're on vacation after all. Live a little. I have always found that the specialty restaurants are always well worth the money.

It's not fair that I'm getting nickel and dimed having to pay extra for things like Soda.

What's not fair is that travelers post reviews accusing a NCL of "nickel and diming" when they are in the business to make money. If you have a problem spending $6 a day for unlimited soda you shouldn't be travelling. Period. Soda is an optional item at any restaurant you go to in the world it's the same here, folks. If you have a problem with this, you shouldn't be travelling.

How much free champagne can you get at the art auctions?

This is the funniest one to me. If you go to shipboard activities just to get a glass of cheap champagne, you shouldn't be travelling.

Why did security confiscate the bottle of booze I had in my bag?

Now, I am one that always carries booze in my bag when I go cruising. Usually a small bottle of Bourbon to have a drink or 2 each night before dinner (about 375ml). I always put the bottle in with my toiletries and have never had a problem. With that being said, that bottle stays in my cabin and I drink freely at the bars on the ship. If you're trying to carry a magnum of Grey Goose in and don't understand why they're not going to let you carry it on board, you shouldn't be travelling.

Hope I didn't ruffle any feathers with this and if I did, I apologize. Just had to share some of the things I've gotten a chuckle out of and see if there was anyone out there who shares these feelings with me.

... It is amazing to me that amount of people that have the misconception that a cruise is an "all-inclusive" vacation. Sorry folks, this is not the case.

I think the brush is too broad. You are correct in that mass market cruises are not all-inclusive...but if that is what the traveler wants, there are cruise lines that do offer the fully all-inclusive experience.

Mostly agree with your post, especially about the food.

The specialty restaurants are NOT expensive (especially compared to the overall trip course), and if food is important to you, then you should exercise that option. I never understood the people who bitch and moan about the MDR food and won't spend $119 to get a huge upgrade to pretty good food.

The one place I disagree is regarding the nickel-and-diming. The cruise line obviously has a right to charge for whatever it wants, but nickel-and-diming does irritate customers and makes them unhappy. In most studies, it has been concluded that the small gain in profit from nickel-and-diming is NOT worth the loss of revenue from customers not returning due to feeling irritated by it. A good example is the $5 pizza charge. No other line does this. In fact, other lines have pizzerias where you don't even have to wait around for delivery. How much does NCL make from this $5 charge? Very little, and yet a lot of people walk off the ship irritated by it. Thus, in my opinion, it's a horrible policy. It's their right to have such a policy, but I think it's stupid and is worth complaining about on boards like these.

Mostly agree with your post, especially about the food.

 

The one place I disagree is regarding the nickel-and-diming. A good example is the $5 pizza charge. No other line does this. In fact, other lines have pizzerias where you don't even have to wait around for delivery. How much does NCL make from this $5 charge? Very little, and yet a lot of people walk off the ship irritated by it. Thus, in my opinion, it's a horrible policy. It's their right to have such a policy, but I think it's stupid and is worth complaining about on boards like these.

If you go over it with a fine tooth comb, of course you will find some fees for services that might be considered "nickel and diming". Pizza fee may be a good example of that. I guess the point that I was trying to make is for "luxuries" that you pay extra for on every other cruise line (booze, soda, internet, etc..).

Not sure I agree.

I think it is all about managing expectations.

We have cruised several times and have spent zero extra money aside from the tips and had a fabulous time!

On the breakaway, we thought the food in the buffet and dinning rooms were amazing. We are New Yorkers and have access to the best food in the world so it's not like our pallets are unrefined.

Honestly, we were just happy to not have to clean or cook for 7 days. That is heaven to me. :)

I totally disagree with pizza complaint. The $5.00 charge is a means of cutting down on frivolous orders. Obviously $5.00 doesn't cover the cost.

If they didn't charge for it, they would have to drive a small truck down the halls to deliver them. People would order them, not because they wanted or needed them, but because they could. I can just imagine a cabin ordering one of each because no one knew exactly what they wanted. And then you would have to wade through the stack of pizza boxes each morning.

I think NCL has probably been pretty good about limiting the nickel and diming to a minimum. Specialty dining is fine as it stands. The upcharge prices are reasonable and if you don't want to pay it, the MDR and buffet food is fine. The experience of eating at those locations is also very good. It's not like the existence of the specialty dining areas make those "free" options worse. Seating and service is the same or better at the MDRs and buffets. I don't have a problem with the concept of a place like Ocean Blue on the ship for an even higher upcharge. I just don't think it's worth it. That's partially a knock against Ocean Blue and partially a complement for the other specialty dining on NCL.

However, the number of "upgrades" is increasing especially on the bigger ships. There's an entertainment upgrade (Cirque), a pool upgrade (Haven), an outdoor upgrade (Vibe), etc. I did feel the entertainment offerings and experience have been impacted since two years ago. I did think the pool area on the Breakaway should have been bigger. Because of that, I do think people who complain about those thinks have a point. I really don't feel too strongly about those changes. My overall experience on the Breakaway was positive, but if someone wrote a negative review about the lack of theater shows (compared to NCL of years past), or too few hot tubs, or having to pay $40 pp to see a show with a substandard dinner, I won't dismiss them out of hand for being completely unreasonable.

They are definitely not all-inclusive. I think people who board a ship thinking this are severely misinformed (and have never been to an all-inclusive resort). We easily spend a couple thousand more, on excursions, drinks, food, etc., etc.

It is possible to not spend any money on anything but the cruise and transportation. I've done it twice so far. I have done an excursion or two but those were paid in advance before I even stepped on the ship. I only eat at the complimentary restaurants and never purchase any kind of beverage package.

Aside from transportation to the beaches on my stops, I don't even purchase food when I'm off the ship. All the people I've gone with on these cruises have also done what I've done. I think my sister spent a total of $30 for her family of six on our December cruise and that was for a few alcoholic beverages for her and her husband on a four day cruise. Cruising can be all inclusive, you are choosing to purchase all that extra stuff but you don't need to. Everyone makes different choices.

But too say it's not all inclusive is not entirely true because room & board plus food is included in your cruise price. You don't have to dine at a paying restaurant. The only thing missing is the free alcohol some all inclusive places offer. I personally think cruising is one of the most affordable vacations out there. At least it is to me.

Not sure I agree.

 

 

We have cruised several times and have spent zero extra money aside from the tips and had a fabulous time!

 

:)

How do you manage to do this if you don't mind me asking? No gambling, no booze, no good restaurants, no shopping seems like a drag to me.

It can be. Eat only in the MDR and free venues and drink just water or juices.

All of that is pretty much all included.

Also there are lines that include literraly everything, you will pay for it. There is more to cruising than NCL, RCCL and Carnival

If someone doesn't want to spend money while on board a ship, they don't have to. They don't have to go to the spa, buy pictures, have alcohol, have sodas, go to specialty restaurants, go to "fee" activities, etc. No one is forcing them to purchase anything, so if they do purchase something, it is on them, not anyone else.

Mostly agree with your post, especially about the food.

 

 

 

The specialty restaurants are NOT expensive (especially compared to the overall trip course), and if food is important to you, then you should exercise that option. I never understood the people who bitch and moan about the MDR food and won't spend $119 to get a huge upgrade to pretty good food.

 

 

 

The one place I disagree is regarding the nickel-and-diming. The cruise line obviously has a right to charge for whatever it wants, but nickel-and-diming does irritate customers and makes them unhappy. In most studies, it has been concluded that the small gain in profit from nickel-and-diming is NOT worth the loss of revenue from customers not returning due to feeling irritated by it. A good example is the $5 pizza charge. No other line does this. In fact, other lines have pizzerias where you don't even have to wait around for delivery. How much does NCL make from this $5 charge? Very little, and yet a lot of people walk off the ship irritated by it. Thus, in my opinion, it's a horrible policy. It's their right to have such a policy, but I think it's stupid and is worth complaining about on boards like these.

I tend to agree with this.

I understand the argument that there would be more waste if they didn't charge the $5, but sometimes wonder whether it is just a convenient excuse.

Another example is the bowling. I absolutely agree that if it was free then you could end up with people just hogging the lanes, and a charge means that everyone gets a go, but surely a dollar or two a person would do the job. This year on the Epic, when we went to play we found that it had gone up from $5 each to $7. Why the increase? I can't think of any rationale other than to make more money. It did have the benefit of making o'Sheehans quieter as very few people seemed to be playing.

It's a shame, as I generally like NCLs pricing model and am happy with the choices it gives us and the fact that people who don't use particular high cost things don't end up subsidising those that do, but these little charges surely don't bring in much money and do seem to annoy people.

How do you manage to do this if you don't mind me asking? No gambling, no booze, no good restaurants, no shopping seems like a drag to me.

- "no shopping" is easy - although I guess it depends whether you're only counting shopping on the ship, or in port as well. My only shopping on the ship on my last cruise was $10 for a t-shirt - that was a 16-night cruise... Obviously if I've never been to a particular port, I'll buy stuff (at the very least I buy fridge magnets). But again, as I cruise more and start going back to ports I've already been to, I won't need to spend that money anymore.

- don't care about gambling, plus I'm spoiled in Colorado where casinos are smoke-free. I can't sit in a casino in a cloud of cigarette smoke anymore.

- don't really care about booze either, I can go without booze for a couple of weeks. I might have a free glass of champagne at an art talk (I don't usually stay for the actual auction but some of their art talks prior to auction are really interesting).

- I consider the MDR to be a pretty darn good restaurant...the only time we ate at a specialty restaurant is when we won free cover charge in a raffle. Somehow I never felt deprived eating at MDR, and the buffet, and BBQ on the pool deck, and pizza by the slice, and International Cafe on Princess, and all the pastry places on other ships...

Cruise vacation is about as all-inclusive as it gets (you can choose to spend extra money but you don't HAVE to). I've stayed in pretty crappy AI resorts on land, where I would have loved to spend extra money to eat in a specialty restaurant, because the included food was really bad (but those specialty restaurants had to be reserved pretty much the first day, otherwise you could never get in).

It can be. Eat only in the MDR and free venues and drink just water or juices.

 

All of that is pretty much all included.

 

Also there are lines that include literraly everything, you will pay for it. There is more to cruising than NCL, RCCL and Carnival

Of course!

BUT....as the OP states the cruise line is hoping you will be willing to part with some of your money to do the many things that the offer - for a fee. ;)

How do you manage to do this if you don't mind me asking? No gambling, no booze, no good restaurants, no shopping seems like a drag to me.

May seem like a 'drag' to you but as you can see there are many who cruise without gambling, drinking too much, or shopping - there is plenty to do onboard with mini golf, hot tubs, games, swimming, reading, relaxing, people watching and then the shows, piano bar, disco/music venues, etc.

It can be done - guess it depends how you define a 'good' vacation :)

I disagree with most of the OP's assessment. I remember when soda was served as an inclusive in the dining room. I remember when there was a first and second seating in the MDR for breakfast and lunch and dinner before freestyle. I remember when there was no sale pitch at every turn. I remember when good food in the MDR was the norm. I remember when I didn't have an account because cash was used to tip the people who served you VS today where they decide to use my money to tip everyone, even those that don't serve me. I also remember when cruising was more memorable but the good ole days are gone.

Cruising has come down in price when adjusted for inflation but that's proportionate to size of the ships, used to be 600 passengers were a lot, now they spread the cost of running a ship out over 3000 - 5500 passengers. Cruises are still a decent value for me because I go many places and unpack once.

It all comes down to choice. I choose to sail and others don't.

Of course!

 

BUT....as the OP states the cruise line is hoping you will be willing to part with some of your money to do the many things that the offer - for a fee. ;)

You can't compare cruising now to the '90s or before. Fuel is a lot more expensive, and they've had to cut some things to stay competitive. Even with the price of fuel being higher, it's cheaper to cruise now than in the '90s when you adjust for inflation.

If you aren't happy with the food, go to the specialties. It's reasonably priced, so you really can't take the free food and then complain about the quality.

You get what you pay for. NCL pulls in passengers in with its cheap prices and then give them the sucker punch of the add on for edible food, snacks (pizza), adult beverages, soda, some of the entertainment.

Other cruise lines add all of the above (plus excursions in some cases), and it is included in the cruise fare. So, for some lines (that that includes the higher end mass cruise lines), a cruise is all inclusive.

They are hoping, not insisting, so a cruise can be as all-inclusive as one wants...it is their decision.

That's what I said....

I totally disagree with pizza complaint. The $5.00 charge is a means of cutting down on frivolous orders. Obviously $5.00 doesn't cover the cost.

 

If they didn't charge for it, they would have to drive a small truck down the halls to deliver them. People would order them, not because they wanted or needed them, but because they could. I can just imagine a cabin ordering one of each because no one knew exactly what they wanted. And then you would have to wade through the stack of pizza boxes each morning.

yes. agreed 1000%. The $5.00 is to minimize the abuse!!! It never ceases to amaze me how rude and abusive some (thankfully just a minority) passengers can be with a sense of entitlement just because they paid a few hundred dollars to be on a cruise.

Almost 100% agree with Lupush:)

Now there are many who complain about "nickel and diming" (some daily:eek:) Actually I like "nickel and diming" because it lets me decide how much I will spend and understand that cruising NCL is not all inclusive. NCL lets me cruise at reasonable prices with great service and staff. Extras are available if I want them.

There are people who never spend a penny, others pick and chose (that's me) when and where they will spend their money and then the ones who are racking up charges with little thought as to how long it will take to pay off that credit card.

I really do want NCL to make money when I cruise and when you cruise too. That's how any company stays afloat and can continue to offer a good product to their customers.

Sorry if anyone is offended by this

I am OFFENDED that you would say a cruise isn't all-inclusive!!! Shame on you.

(I'm kidding. It just cracks me up when people use that term in this way.)

For some people it is all inclusive. Dear mom can cruise, eat in the included restaurants (she thinks they are wonderful), order no drinks in the bar, only see the included entertainment and she uses the OBC from our TA to pay for her tips. In fact, she had so much credit one time she had to find things to purchase in the stores - she bought a birthday gift for me which I picked out (thanks Mom!!) and something for my sister.

I on the other hand never leave the ship without at least a $500 or $600 bill - that is after generous OBC and Platinum specialty restaurant meals with wine included. I love the spa, drink my "I'm on vacation" drinks during the evening with DH, and shop all the stores looking for things to buy. Last cruise I bought 2 FCC.

So, your statement is true and not true. It depends on what kind of traveler you are.