Do you consider 'A La Carte' Specialty Dining as more nickel and diming by Del Rio?

So yes, the change from a flat rate to a la carte is pretty much the definition of nickle and diming, but it depends on how the SDP/UDP shakes out. If the SDP/UDP is unchanged, all this does is give people more options. (Options that no sane person would want assuming the flat rate cover charges remain the same.) However, considering the new menus aren't in effect, nobody knows the extent of this new policy, so the poll is premature, not incorrect.

Guests who purchase a Norwegian Specialty Dining Package have the freedom to indulge as they wish, as Specialty Dining Packages will allow guests to enjoy La Cucina, Le Bistro and Cagney's Steakhouse at no additional charge. Guests with a Specialty Dining Package can dine in Bayamo by Jose Garces for an additional fee of $15. from: http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_071415

In layman's terms - they take out one day / time of dining from the SDP/UDP and you can still eat as much as you like using the dining package. So basically 3 ways to dine out in any combination- a la carte, UDP/SDP or complimentary; with the latter basically 'cheapest' of the 3 because it comes included in the fare and without being nickel&dime AKA as paying extra. Because that what specialty dining is - paying extra to dine out instead of eating at a complimentary place AKA nickel&diming; doesn't matter what the pricing is (a la carte or cover charge) its still nickel & diming.

My normal meal at Cagney's (salad, small filet, baked potato) costs around $60 at Ruth's Chris and maybe a couple bucks more at Morton's.

The only time I went with all three children, it was $350. I think we split three steaks but all had desserts and sides.

and is 100x better ...

I have never tried Cagneys but I will know in just 11 days.

My normal meal at Cagney's (salad, small filet, baked potato) costs around $60 at Ruth's Chris and maybe a couple bucks more at Morton's.

You can not compare Cagney's to Ruth Chris or Morton's because it does not even come close.

You can not compare Cagney's to Ruth Chris or Morton's because it does not even come close.

As a former restaurant manager, it seems that NCL is trying to get food waste under control.

My restaurant had a salad bar and it's very frustrating, when clearing tables to see full plates of food left untouched. The guests paid their $7.99 for the salad bar so they had the mind set of "it's free, I can take as much as I want and it doesn't matter if I waste it." I wouldn't care if the guests took and ate seven plates of food. Most land restaurants are on a very small margin of profit, so waste drives us crazy.

I can see passengers on holiday having this same "it's free" mentality. I've seen posts here that say "order as much as you want. It's free." I'm sure that when the room service was free, many (intoxicated) people would order food and not eat it because "it's free." Passengers taking food from the buffet, but not eating it because "it's free."

The reasons some places "nickel and dime" their patrons is because the patrons are wasteful. How much ketchup do you take when it's free vs when you are charged for it?

A cruise ship is a floating restaurant with an extra burden. Not only do they need to plan and purchase the food for a week, they also need to pay for the fuel to hall the tons of food around from port to port. Every ton they don't have to load on the ship will save them money and fuel.

Now I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but ask yourself, "Can you afford to take a holiday?" If the answer is yes, then you are a lucky minority on this big blue planet. Stop complaining that and just be grateful that you have a choice on when and where you are going to eat.

If you look, I was responding to someone who said Ruth's Chris was much more expensive and I just validated their comment. Never compared the two with regard to food, service or anything else.

I saw what you responded to. You said what you eat at Cagney's would cost you $60 at Ruth's Chris. I am saying you can not compare the two.

I saw what you responded to. You said what you eat at Cagney's would cost you $60 at Ruth's Chris. I am say you can not compare the two.

I got the feeling that the poster was comparing the number/amount of food items, not the quality or service.

Here's my thing - is you are going to charge me $30+/- for an entree. It better be creative, made with top quality fresh ingredients and artfully presented with polished service. I live in a city (Atlanta) where I can get some pretty darn good meals at $30-35 a plate at a wide range of independent restaurants. If what I get is akin to a mid/upper market chain restaurant and I pay that much just for an entree I'd be disappointed.

I also really think that the UDP/SDP including all menu items at La Cucina, LeBistro and Cagneys will not last long. I totally foresee their being a limited selection of items included in the dining plans (think prix fixe menus) with the rest being available at a "small" supplement by the time January rolls around.

You know if a good number of people decide to take their business to the MDRs instead of specialty because of prices, the MDRs will have absolutely horrible service and unable to meet demand. By the law of unintended consequences, NCL, trying to grab every single dome they can, might be digging themselves a hole in terms of customer satisfaction and frustration. With so many cruise line alternatives, they are toeing a very dangerous line.

Once the rumbling dies down I bet most people will just pay the extra.

Bill

 

I also really think that the UDP/SDP including all menu items at La Cucina, LeBistro and Cagneys will not last long. I totally foresee their being a limited selection of items included in the dining plans (think prix fixe menus) with the rest being available at a "small" supplement by the time January rolls around.

If true then having the UDP as a promo would be worth far less than it was when booked. As well as the 18% that was added since it was booked. + room service fee since being booked.

Hmmm,

This is directly from a USA Today article I found and I went right here to see if anyone has posted about it yet:

 

"The pricing of main courses at Norwegian's signature French restaurant, Le Bistro, will start at $15.99. Main courses at Italian eatery La Cucina will start at $12.99.Two Norwegian extra-charge restaurants that will keep the flat-fee format are Brazilian-style steakhouse Moderno Churrascaria and Japanese eatery Teppanyaki. They'll retain cover charges of $19.95 and $29.95, respectively.

Every Norwegian ship also offers several restaurants that are included in the cost of the cruise, and that will not change, the line says.

Norwegian spokeswoman Vanessa Picariella says the change from flat fee to a la carte pricing at extra-charge eateries shouldn't result in drastically different average check prices than what passengers are paying now.

At Cagney's, for instance, "we expect the average three course check (to be) around $30, with some coming in less and some more for premium main course items like the largest steaks and lobster," Picariella says.

The big different, she notes, is passengers only will be paying for what they eat, and that's in keeping with Norwegian's focus on flexibility and choice.

Norwegian also will continue to sell Specialty Dining Packages that include meals at Cagney's, Le Bistro and La Cucina at a set price without extra a la carte charges"

 

I think it is definitely nickel and diming. You already pay top dollar for a room, food, drinks etc and the specialty restaurants were an option you pay a cover charge for and can try whatever you want. Now if you want to go to the steakhouse and get a top quality steak you will have to make sure you aren't spending more than what the cover charge would've been limiting you to spend less. Essentially they are forcing you to get the dining package if you want to do this. Since I was a kid I always saw cruise lines as an all inclusive vacation (before I drank) but now they are getting more and more pay as you go.

If there isn't going to be a drastic change why change at all? We all know that anybody that chooses to dine in a specialty restaurant that has a la carte pricing is probably coming out on the short end.

Were people ordering food they didn't want before, thus the change?

Bill

more maximizing of shareholder value at the expense of us customers :mad:

No not really and here's why from my perspective.

It's a choice and not a requirement.

 

After a picture was finally posted he finally relented.

 

Bill

FYI, She, not he.

Harriet

As a former restaurant manager, it seems that NCL is trying to get food waste under control.

 

My restaurant had a salad bar and it's very frustrating, when clearing tables to see full plates of food left untouched. The guests paid their $7.99 for the salad bar so they had the mind set of "it's free, I can take as much as I want and it doesn't matter if I waste it." I wouldn't care if the guests took and ate seven plates of food. Most land restaurants are on a very small margin of profit, so waste drives us crazy.

 

I can see passengers on holiday having this same "it's free" mentality. I've seen posts here that say "order as much as you want. It's free." I'm sure that when the room service was free, many (intoxicated) people would order food and not eat it because "it's free." Passengers taking food from the buffet, but not eating it because "it's free."

 

The reasons some places "nickel and dime" their patrons is because the patrons are wasteful. How much ketchup do you take when it's free vs when you are charged for it?

 

A cruise ship is a floating restaurant with an extra burden. Not only do they need to plan and purchase the food for a week, they also need to pay for the fuel to hall the tons of food around from port to port. Every ton they don't have to load on the ship will save them money and fuel.

 

Now I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but ask yourself, "Can you afford to take a holiday?" If the answer is yes, then you are a lucky minority on this big blue planet. Stop complaining that and just be grateful that you have a choice on when and where you are going to eat.

I agree 100%. I think this is to counter the people that order as much as they can. I might only go to one specialty restaurant during the trip however it you really want to use them you can still buy the UDP and go flat rate.

A cruise ship is a floating restaurant with an extra burden. Not only do they need to plan and purchase the food for a week, they also need to pay for the fuel to hall the tons of food around from port to port. Every ton they don't have to load on the ship will save them money and fuel.

A ship for a 7 day cruise is going to take on stores and fuel for 7 days.

How would going al a carte make the ship save weight or fuel? :confused:

Yes... Miami we need 5 less shrimp cocktail's and 10,000 gallons less fuel because of al a carte pricing.

Now I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but ask yourself, "Can you afford to take a holiday?" If the answer is yes, then you are a lucky minority on this big blue planet. Stop complaining that and just be grateful that you have a choice on when and where you are going to eat.

Well this is classic first world class shaming which has become popular in many circles, your lucky...be grateful...

OK I'm lucky and grateful, and I don't want to dine a la carte on NCL....sorry :cool:

No not really and here's why from my perspective.

 

It's a choice and not a requirement.

Assuming the food in the MDR or other free venues is acceptable then yes. I already know, from my perspective, the food in the Buffet is not.

Still its is a choice, but if you take away specialty "freestyle" dining, I can't see any other reason NCL stands above its competitors then. Certainly not with the cost rising on their cruises currently.

Yet, you're moping over something that's a nickel & dime ploy from the beginning. You're either going to dine at a specialty restaurant(s) or you're not - or even better, don't sail on NCL at all knowing they now charge 'more' for specialty diming. Easy Peasy.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

If I am "moping" about anything it is the overall direction that NCL has gone and is going under Del Rio and the al la carte pricing is only another nail. As I've said in other discussions with you it is very likely that I won't be sailing on NCL in the future only because their fare is so much higher than the competitors. That saddens me because I liked NCL the way that it was.

But even if I was still sailing on NCL I'm not going to sugar coat things- nickel and diming is nickel and diming even if it is easily avoidable or only affects 1 in 5 passengers. Del Rio is going to continue to add the nickels and dimes until he gets his $4 to $5 more per day per passenger.

Dang, you are making way too much sense. One poster said that we would be paying more for the same quality and I asked if they had seen the new menus and what the small filet would cost...of course, there was no response.

Sorry, I didn't answer because you know the answer- the menus and prices aren't out yet. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that they aren't going to price things so that most people are going to walk out paying the same or less than what the old cover charge was- it may only be a couple dollars more but it's going to be more (although is someone is like Andy's wife and only wants a couple of apps they would pay less).

I don't understand why he would mention what he likes and his wife likes, he's not a paying customer. He should look at what the customer wants.

If they are going to be charging more for apps then I would assume the portions will be larger than they are now. So they could be family style like at a normal land based restaurants?! At least I would hope so

If they are going to be charging more for apps then I would assume the portions will be larger than they are now. So they could be family style like at a normal land based restaurants?! At least I would hope so

I doubt it. Why would the portion size increase because of the charge? I've seen nothing to indicate portion size, selection, quality of food or quality of service will increase. Why provide a family sized app? Then someone may just order one or two apps and call it a meal for much less than the cost of today's cover charge.

The whole goal is a la carte pricing is not so that 80% of people save money. It is so that 80% of people, if they have a meal similar to what they eat today, will spend a lot more money.

The PR marketing spin machine says they don't expect people to see a drastic increase in price. So what, LMaxwell, am I going on about if the PR flunkie said it? Well, it may be true that prices would not be drastically increased per person, but what they didn't say in the same statement was that for the same price you have to order much less food than the cover charge.

So: Pay same as today, but get less food. Order same food as today, pay more. Skip the MDR to eat an appetizer as your dinner, yes you would pay less but I really, really don't think that scenario will be common.

If this was about controlling food waste NCL simply could have said your price fix cover includes one app, one soup or salad, one entree, one desert. Because currently you can order 5 apps, soup, salad, all the deserts, and one entree for todays cover charge.

The reality is some of the food like the apps and deserts really don't cost that much. So if you reduce the number of items served, for the same cover charge, the company saves a small amount of money...probably much smaller than just going to a la carte pricing that will cost the guest more for the same amount of food.

(although if someone is like Andy's wife.....).

Hey, I'm just happy Andy's wife isn't a vegetarian!

Harriet

As a former restaurant manager, it seems that NCL is trying to get food waste under control.

 

My restaurant had a salad bar and it's very frustrating, when clearing tables to see full plates of food left untouched. The guests paid their $7.99 for the salad bar so they had the mind set of "it's free, I can take as much as I want and it doesn't matter if I waste it." I wouldn't care if the guests took and ate seven plates of food. Most land restaurants are on a very small margin of profit, so waste drives us crazy.

 

I can see passengers on holiday having this same "it's free" mentality. I've seen posts here that say "order as much as you want. It's free." I'm sure that when the room service was free, many (intoxicated) people would order food and not eat it because "it's free." Passengers taking food from the buffet, but not eating it because "it's free."

 

The reasons some places "nickel and dime" their patrons is because the patrons are wasteful. How much ketchup do you take when it's free vs when you are charged for it?

 

A cruise ship is a floating restaurant with an extra burden. Not only do they need to plan and purchase the food for a week, they also need to pay for the fuel to hall the tons of food around from port to port. Every ton they don't have to load on the ship will save them money and fuel.

 

Now I'm sure I'm going to get flamed for this, but ask yourself, "Can you afford to take a holiday?" If the answer is yes, then you are a lucky minority on this big blue planet. Stop complaining that and just be grateful that you have a choice on when and where you are going to eat.

For example, "Why order the small filet at Cagney's when I can order the giant one? I might not eat it all, but I've already paid for it, so might as well try."

For example, "Why order the small filet at Cagney's when I can order the giant one? I might not eat it all, but I've already paid for it, so might as well try."

Me? I'm a rib steak person. If I remember correctly they have to sizes. One's larger than the other. However, the smaller one is.....I can't remember 12 oz? 16 oz? but really is to large for me if I wish to enjoy an app and/or salad before my meal. Dessert? I usually skip that all the time as I never have room.

Harriet