Have you/ are you going to cancel your NCL bookings

Didn't have a cruise to cancel, but this has tipped the needle over to Celebrity for the next cruise I book. I loved my GA cruise but I only booked it after they reversed the takeaway food police (not because I cared so much about taking away food, but because it proved they were listening). Seems they've gone deaf again to everything but the sound of dollar signs.

I don't have a cruise to cancel.

 

I'm most concerned about the changes that affect the FEEL of cruising. The actual price increases are relatively minor compared to the actual "big ticket" of the cruise fare. The way they were introduced without any grandfathering was deeply troubling and I REALLY didn't like the way paid room service was introduced without ANY warning. While for many here the bottom line is "Am I affected?" (and if they're not, they don't seem to care), I can't help but think about the clueless parents on BA/GA those first weeks when, during spring school break periods, the promised "free room service" evaporated. As a one-time parent of a teenager, I know from experience both how "free room service" sounds to kids (AMAZING!!!), and the friction that unannounced change must have caused many families perhaps not so well heeled as the average CC member. That REALLY sucked.

 

I'm very concerned about this recent introduction of "a la carte" dining in the specialties. Where does that end? Will we eventually see prices on virtually all MDR menu items? Some basic dog food free, everything else has a charge on it? Will they want to charge to go on the ropes, to do the water slides, for a poolside chair?

 

It's not the extra costs, though who in their right mind wants to pay more and receive the same as before. It's that the "all inclusive" flavor of cruising is being eliminated and replaced with "pay as you go." To me that destroys the best part of cruising. Walking the decks after dinner and, because the music sounds good, dropping into Fat Cats and hearing some great blues. For free. The logic of "a la carte" says, that's just money being left on the deck. Charge for Fat Cats! Charge for Comedy Club! Charge for everything. We'll keep fares low so it all comes out the same. Well, we know it won't, it WILL mean more money. But most importantly it forces us out of vacation mode and back into having to make economic choices, 24/7.

 

I think others share this disquiet with these changes -- there were many posts on the "a la carte" thread(s) making this exact point. We see NCL getting extra revenue at the expense of making the cruise experience less fun, especially for those of us who need to do some penny pinching in order to cruise.

 

I know what attracted me to cruising in the first place. It was NOT that I would be given the constant opportunity to "upgrade" my experience, throughout the cruise. It was the feeling that I'd entered some mystical fantasy land where, for a week, I'd be free from the burden of constantly weighing costs and benefits.

 

I truly think NCL is going in the wrong direction. I'm really baffled that they don't seem to understand this.

 

I may cruise on NCL again, but not if they keep going down this path.

I agree with quite a bit of this. We are NCL newbies with two cruises booked and I have no intention of canceling them. The first one we booked was the Grand Mediterranean on the Spirit next May. NCL was not my first choice of lines but I love the itinerary so much and NCL is the only one offering all those stops. We kinda decided to look at it truly as a floating hotel where the food is included. I doubt we will eat at a single specialty on that cruise because I'm not making reservations ahead of time.

The second cruise was kind of a spur of the moment with our two boys. There's only one week we can go and NCL was the only line available that allows us to sign the alcohol waiver for our college kids. We do have the dining plan on that one and I already hate that I've had to book reservations to make certain we get to eat in the restaurants at a decent time and see the big shows. How is that freestyle?

I knew about the room service fee when I booked and while that is something we really enjoy for breakfast I will either suck it up and pay or do without. The gratuity issue isn't affecting us because we have free DSC on the Getaway and

I said I'd prepay for the Med so we are locked in.

Whether I cruise with them again will come down to the experiences I have. If I feel nickel and dimed to death or find that the MDR food is awful in the Spirit, we won't sail NCL again. (Unless they have an itinerary and a price that can't be beat 😉)

http://www.silversea.com/ drinks, gratuities and service all included. You pay your money, you take your choice!

Isn't Silversea mostly just old people?

HONESTLY...I wasn't trying to be "snarky". If I were I would have said something like..."don't let the gangplank hit you on the butt". I just don't understand the concept of being ANGRY about something and then hanging around and complaining about it AD NAUSEUM. What was once a complaint becomes an OBSESSION. You're going to start losing supporters. If you don't like what a company is doing...vote with your feet or wallet, and tell THEM about it. I respect your choice.......just make it, and be HAPPY with it.

That's what I've been saying too, and people jump all over me for it lol. If somebody wants to complain they should find another cruise line because obviously the one they're currently using is not making them happy.

I'm fairly new to cruising and first time on NCL. what are the changes that have people upset? I just booked the Mexican Riviera cruise.

 

DJ

Not much, it's mostly just the veteran Cruise who like to sit around and talk about the way things used to be. It reminds me of my grandma lol.

Will NEVER cancel. Got a great deal from CAS with UDP for my March Escape cruise. The raise gratuities is needed and I will bring extra monies for the great service they will give me. I'm in the service business....so I know how hard it is to make that extra dollar! If I was blessed to be in the Havens.....I would stay. U paid so much for those cabins.....so a few dollars gonna hurt U! Please Wake Up!

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Sure seems like NCL is doing everything possible to get people worked up. Providing a reason for guests to cancel their cruises. I've participated here for several years and never remember so many negative posts about NCL.

 

Like others have stated much better than I can, I wonder if NCL is in trouble and is this the reason Kevin Sheehan left or was shown the door?

 

I don't plan to cancel anything but I understand why others are looking to new cruise-lines for future vacations and why some people are so mad, it would be best for them to simply cancel. I get all that.

They closed @ 59.08 today. The stock price has doubled in one year. I have to say a loud NAY,NAY to your statement and just be glad your NOT a financial advisor.

Not much, it's mostly just the veteran Cruise who like to sit around and talk about the way things used to be. It reminds me of my grandma lol.

Dude,

The last line got me. I was drinking a water while reading your post. It went up and out my nose...

They closed @ 59.08 today. The stock price has doubled in one year. I have to say a loud NAY,NAY to your statement and just be glad your NOT a financial advisor.

...which just goes to show how fast things can change in either direction.

I've been wanting to try RCCL, but sailing out of NY, the prices for AotS just kills it. Add to fact that there's no UBP included as a perk, I'll keep sailing NCL for now. If their prices go down in a few years when the ship isn't new and shiny, it's all fair game.

Bring back Kevin Sheehan!!!!

NCL is still very competitive compared to the other cruise lines.

Delete, brain freeze!

Harriet

18% room service - not 8%

 

Harriet

Well $7.95 is about $8 - I forgot about the 18% tip on top of that for room service charge and the automatic 18% tips for specialty dining (Fsgahan posted already)

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Well $7.95 is about $8 - I forgot about the 18% tip on top of that for room service charge and the automatic 18% tips for specialty dining (Fsgahan posted already)

 

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I deleted my post.....saying I had a moment of 'brain freeze'

Harriet

Isn't Silversea mostly just old people?

Well, since old is just a number...hard to say. We didn't care for it. The food was very average, the attitude was poor by the hotel staff. Went once, and that was enough.

Isn't that the cruise line that caters to people able to spend $15,000 per couple for a relatively short cruise? I receive their mailings (since we cruise way too much) and laugh at the average cost per day...way out of our league.

NCL has made a lot of changes but we will just see how this all shakes out; so far an additional $100 or so per cruise is not enough to make us jump ship. We are not judging the ala carte change until after we do the Escape crossing and see what the real numbers are for the way we dine.

Isn't that the cruise line that caters to people able to spend $15,000 per couple for a relatively short cruise? I receive their mailings (since we cruise way too much) and laugh at the average cost per day...way out of our league.

 

NCL has made a lot of changes but we will just see how this all shakes out; so far an additional $100 or so per cruise is not enough to make us jump ship. We are not judging the ala carte change until after we do the Escape crossing and see what the real numbers are for the way we dine.

It is overrated, overpriced, and not very nice. Yes, it is very expensive.

No way. Every cruiseline is doing the same thing. Cruising is so much cheaper than when we started in 1998. I have the POA booked for March 2016 and the Breakaway May 2016. I don't like the MDR experience anymore so only book ships with multiple restaurants. I have cruised the "upper tier" lines and didn't like the experience...too stuffy for me.

Don't have a cruise currently booked. The adjustments being made would not be enough to cancel. But enough to be part of the decision equation if I was looking for a cruise. Might sway me, might not.

Cruising has changed over the years. The majority probably thinks for the better. For me and some others, not so much. Maybe my tastes have changed. When we first started cruising we would do ship shore excursions. Over the years as we researched ports we became more comfortable with some of the countries and explored more on our own. We now do land vacations in condos for the most part. Playa Del Carmen being a favorite destination. For about the same cost of a cruise we can have a 4br 2bath beautiful modern condo on the beach, with maid service and eat out most meals for about the same price as a cruise. And we eat well.

Cruising is not entirely off the table.

Heck I just today cancelled a western carib on another line and booked on the Getaway for next July. Yeah the changes suck, but cruising with NCL is still a good deal. I got a 2bd suite in the Haven with all the perks and TA cred, for just about what I had in two balconies on the other line. Better itinerary if the new private stop comes online. Plus it will be our platinum cruise and the kids birthday.

We have two cruises booked and will not cancel. In the past we would do 2 Caribbean cruises and a land vacation to Hawaii. From here in California it is now cheaper to go to Hawaii which will probably affect the ratio, maybe 1 to 1.:rolleyes:

In light of the overwhelming changes in such a short span is it enough to get you to cancel your current bookings?

 

Personally for my family and I the answer is YES, 2 Suites Cancelled and I'm not looking back at this train wreck until they realize constantly changing the product makes people feel uneasy and abused.

We don't have a NCL cruise booked right now but based on what I have read here on Cruise Critic about the changes, I am planning to book several more cruises on NCL. We have been no NCL 3 times, Dec 14 Pride of America, Feb 15 Jade and Apr 15 Star and we really liked NCL and it is currently our favorite out of the 5 cruise lines that we have sailed on.

Based on what I am reading here, the ships will be sailing at less than half full with everyone canceling their bookings which will make a better experience for those of us who do cruise.

Wait you cancelled 2 suites?!? Unless you booked in May you realize that all the changes were covered with the promo and they didn't effect you. Heck if you booked before May your gratuities were included with suites. If you booked June or July if you prepaid they would have been at the current rates.

 

 

 

Why would I cancel a cruise when changes have not effected my cost unless I'm not thinking.

 

 

 

I have a feeling that you will regret your decision when you end up taking a vacation that ends up costing more than if you had kept those bookings, but hey, in your mind you sure showed them!

In fact I did show them, I've taken my money else where, I've now booked similar itineraries for a saving of over $3000 for both cancelled cruises with the same amenities and inclusions, my cancelling was not about lack of money it was purely on principles, i don't need validation I was simply opening a poll on who else was considering this. I will not regret this at all.

Pricing hasn't come down to the point where it makes sense for me to book an NCL cruise in the first place, so...no to the OP's question. The Gem is getting close, but it'll need to drop another $100 or so before mid-September, and I don't think it'll happen. I'm checking prices daily.