Recent Platinum Cruisers

In all fairness, I don't care about the chocolates (I bring them home and give them away), but it is another degradation of the Platinum perks. The others being the shortened and inferior Behind the Scenes tour (compared to the paid version...they used to be identical) and the lack of the concierge contact information in the welcome aboard packet.

In all fairness, I don't care about the chocolates (I bring them home and give them away), but it is another degradation of the Platinum perks. The others being the shortened and inferior Behind the Scenes tour (compared to the paid version...they used to be identical) and the lack of the concierge contact information in the welcome aboard packet.

Me too! I could not care less about the boxed Godiva Choco and the strawberries choco (now reduced to 4 from 5) delivered in your cabin on day1. I am sure the "degradation" of the perks has a lot to do with the current shortage of chocolate which translate into higher costs.

What I think is happening is that NCL shot themselves in the foot by making it so easy to obtain the Gold/Platinum level. It is quite common that 25-30% on any given sailing in North America is comprised of Latitude members and 1/2 of that are at the Gold/Platinum level. Quite often the priorty Latitude embarkation line is longer than the regular line. And the perks are getting "degraded" because so many people are now Gold/Platinum.

I missed those days where the Paltinum level party were more intimate/personal with about 50 or so attending. Now they lump Silver/Gold and Platinum together and it is like a cattle call.

IMO it is high time they revamp the Latitude program to add a Platinum+ say at the 250 point level to really reward NCL repeaters that keep coming back year after year.

What happened to the survey on this very subject (adding another level) more than 2 years ago? What did they do with the findings? NCL are you listening?

Thanks

Anybody notice the towel animals seem smaller too ?? :rolleyes:

Actually, last month our steward, Tito, made a towel gorilla that was about 5 feet tall and sitting in a chair in our room. The gorilla had a small baby(?) monkey sitting on it's lap. Both were watching the t.v., which was on. Funniest and best towel animal ever! It had one of our robes on, slippers, sunglasses and the t.v. remote in it's hand. Actually startled me when I entered the room.

Me too! I could not care less about the boxed Godiva Choco and the strawberries choco (now reduced to 4 from 5) delivered in your cabin on day1. I am sure the "degradation" of the perks has a lot to do with the current shortage of chocolate which translate into higher costs.

 

What I think is happening is that NCL shot themselves in the foot by making it so easy to obtain the Gold/Platinum level. It is quite common that 25-30% on any given sailing in North America is comprised of Latitude members and 1/2 of that are at the Gold/Platinum level. Quite often the priorty Latitude embarkation line is longer than the regular line. And the perks are getting "degraded" because so many people are now Gold/Platinum.

 

I missed those days where the Paltinum level party were more intimate/personal with about 50 or so attending. Now they lump Silver/Gold and Platinum together and it is like a cattle call.

 

IMO it is high time they revamp the Latitude program to add a Platinum+ say at the 250 point level to really reward NCL repeaters that keep coming back year after year.

 

What happened to the survey on this very subject (adding another level) more than 2 years ago? What did they do with the findings? NCL are you listening?

 

Thanks

I agree with you on every point except I am fairly certain when they add a new level, platinum+, they will place most or all of the current platinum benefits in that new category. The old platinum category will be stripped and you will have LOTS of angry customers. I have enough points that it won't affect me, but I think the vast majority of current platinum cruisers will be negatively affected.

When RCI restructured their loyalty program years ago, they cut many of their Diamond (previously highest, but now third highest tier) benefits. There was a tremendous backlash, and while some benefits were restored, many weren't. Not only did people continue to sail with RCI, some booked even more cruises in order to regain their old benefits. NCL might temporarily annoy some loyal guests, but there's very little chance of any long term repercussions.

I got off the Spirit yesterday and got the 8pc box. Can't complain about anything, free laundry was back on my bed in less than 20 hours and I got asked to come back for another free night in Le Bistro as I was eating by myself.

I agree it seems as though there is a slow degradation of the benefits and likely due in part because of the number of plats. The problem with a plat plus is further degradation of the plat benefits. For those who have planned cruises specifically to reach platinum, that is a major thing.

Consider, they draw people into booking these LAT specials to get their extra point per day. And then there are those that decide not to take advantage of changes to their reservations because they don't want to effect the point per day for 9 months plus. They plan and work the numbers, reach platinum and find their benefits cut. NOT COOL!

Would life go on if they continue to cut benefits? Sure, and eventually recover from the backlash as well. I will be one of those ready to jump ship. I'm already hovering on trying another line. For many, it would be the final push to get them to jump ship.

As for the current cuts, I LIKE my chocolate! Dh LIKES his choc strawb! And he has been looking forward to the behind the scenes tour, that is not only a shortened version now, but on our Dawn cruise was offered on a PORT day. Gee, I wonder how the turnout was for it?

Sis has her first Plat cruise coming up. She is very much looking forward to her perks. And ds booked last minute on the last day of a LAT special, in part just to get his points so he can make gold.

A plat plus might make sense, but cutting a program that folks have booked specifically to earn specific perks is changing contracts midway, not right nor fair.

Anybody notice the towel animals seem smaller too ?? :rolleyes:

Yeah. We had a mouse, or maybe it was a hamster, but he was adorable. :rolleyes:

Is that for each person? We got 2 x 4-piece boxes on the Star in November. I was thinking one was for me and one was for my wife.

NCL is now realizing the cost that the change made to Latitudes perks is now top heavy with Platinum folks.

Just off Epic on Sunday. 8-piece, plus strawberries. Plus mints on the pillow every night.

 

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Were you in a suite?

On our Jade sailing in November my husband and I, both Platinum, got the 0 size box. No choccies for us!

Also just got off the Spirit on Tuesday, & got the 8 piece box. I do not think they are all that tasty, DW eats some of them. We were in a suite. Got nightly mints.

We are each Platinum, did not do the 'Behind' tour, as we have been on it before, missed the Latitudes party, but did the 2 free bags of laundry.

Question regarding the perks. If you have 2 in a cabin that are both platinum, would you get 2 bottles of sparkling wine in your room upon arrival, 2 boxes of chocolate, 2 dinners for 2 with a bottle of wine at Le Bistro and 2 bags of laundry? Assuming you are in a suite, would you get 3 bottles of sparkling wine in your room when you first arrive?

Question regarding the perks. If you have 2 in a cabin that are both platinum, would you get 2 bottles of sparkling wine in your room upon arrival, 2 boxes of chocolate, 2 dinners for 2 with a bottle of wine at Le Bistro and 2 bags of laundry? Assuming you are in a suite, would you get 3 bottles of sparkling wine in your room when you first arrive?

1 bottle of sparkling wine between two

1 box of 8 chocolates between two (unsure due to this thread - used to be 8 pieces for one or two)

2 Le Bistro dinners with wine

2 bags of laundry

in our experience in July 2014 (we shall see again next week:D:D:D)

Question regarding the perks. If you have 2 in a cabin that are both platinum, would you get 2 bottles of sparkling wine in your room upon arrival, 2 boxes of chocolate, 2 dinners for 2 with a bottle of wine at Le Bistro and 2 bags of laundry? Assuming you are in a suite, would you get 3 bottles of sparkling wine in your room when you first arrive?

Answers to your questions can be found here (make sure you read the footnote in addition to the chart...the footnote tells you what is given as one per stateroom rather than one per person):

http://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards/rewards-points-and-benefits

BTW, in response to the original post, we were on the Gem 12/1-12/13 and received a four piece box of chocolate.

Answers to your questions can be found here (make sure you read the footnote in addition to the chart...the footnote tells you what is given as one per stateroom rather than one per person):

 

http://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards/rewards-points-and-benefits

 

BTW, in response to the original post, we were on the Gem 12/1-12/13 and received a four piece box of chocolate.

Thanks to you and Steve. I guess I should have read that myself. :rolleyes:

I think we have defined, now and forever, the term: First World Problems.

Also just got off the Spirit on Tuesday, & got the 8 piece box. I do not think they are all that tasty, DW eats some of them. We were in a suite. Got nightly mints.

I'm with you - they're not all that good. Even my son, who would eat his own head if it was made of chocolate (and some days I think it is), isn't all that impressed with them.

Same with the chocolate covered strawberries. They just aren't that good. The strawberries themselves are fine, it's just the low grade chocolate they use...or something. We found a plate of them in our cabin on at least 4 occasions during our 13 day cruise last month, and they were never touched except for the first day when we all tried one for the first and last time.

We've never been a fan of fake fish eggs, cat food pate, and weird cheeses that always smell like feet, so they always go uneaten too.

Our butler Made eventually learned though. Every afternoon he brought us BLT's and warm chocolate-chip and peanut butter cookies. Now that's a snack!

14 night transatlantic on the Epic in October 2 Platinum members

1 box. 8 Godiva

2 dinners with wine at Le Bistro or could be traded for another specialty of equal value

1 bottle of sparkling wine

2 laundry services

Chocolate covered strawberries mixed in with cookies some days

Those little horrible finger sandwiches which went uneaten. Wife allergic to bus and shellfish but they continued to bring them even after telling them

Mints at night with towel animals

Shorten behind the scenes tour

Captains party in the Haven

platinum party with at least 200 others

platinum party with at least 200 others

That party is "usually" for Silver, Gold and Plat.

Believe or not the latitudes party had to be split up with one night with silver and gold and one night for only Platinum because so many members were onboard for the crossing.

Believe or not the latitudes party had to be split up with one night with silver and gold and one night for only Platinum because so many members were onboard for the crossing.

I can believe that. One of the summer cruises I took last year on Breakaway had 200+ platinum members. It was ridiculous!

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I think we have defined, now and forever, the term: First World Problems.

Cruise Critic needs a like button because this is certainly the case here.

I can imagine the cutback has something to do with the soaring cost of cocoa worldwide. Crops have been impacted by the weather in many nations who produce the world’s cocoa and the demand for it has soared as more countries are becoming developed. As the price goes up, I’m sure there’ll be more cutbacks in the amount of chocolate offered. NCL did away with the chocoholic buffet in favor of a chocolate night in the main dining room so pretty soon chocolate may only be on the menu in the up-charge restaurants – especially if the cocoa prices keep going up as much as they have.

I really hope that 4 isn't the new normal. I really like the 8 piece boxes and wouldn't mind a larger one. Hint hint Norwegian!

Actually, last month our steward, Tito, made a towel gorilla that was about 5 feet tall and sitting in a chair in our room. The gorilla had a small baby(?) monkey sitting on it's lap. Both were watching the t.v., which was on. Funniest and best towel animal ever! It had one of our robes on, slippers, sunglasses and the t.v. remote in it's hand. Actually startled me when I entered the room.

That is awesome!!! It would have startled me also to say the least.

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