Have you seen how much NCL has Cutback?

[jdvmd]

Barb - I don't remember Elemis products being in balcony cabins (suites, yes).

 

That's what I thoughts -- you receive in a suite.

Robes -- ask your cabin steward and you will receive if one is not in place. We had them on the Sun in an inside cabin.

[che5904]

Barb - I don't remember Elemis products being in balcony cabins (suites, yes). Don't know about the bathrobes, we always ignore them. ;)

 

This photo was taken on the Pearl in October, they have Elemis products in their dispensers for the sink and shower. Balcony cabin deck 9. The couple also had bathrobes in their cabin.

[DMH15]

Sometimes favorites get replaced with new things and it enables me to try new things.

 

If i did not receive the gratis bubbly (I like NCL suites), I would buy some. I like the bubbly sail away tradition.

 

The one thing that never changes is the tingly feeling I get when I see the ship, when I board and when we sailaway.

[newmexicoNita]

Barb - I don't remember Elemis products being in balcony cabins (suites, yes). Don't know about the bathrobes, we always ignore them. ;)

 

The Elemis products go way, way back. I don't think I have seen them in years...As for the bathrobes, if they are not in the cabins you can ask for them. We were on the Spirit last winter and didn't have them. We could have asked for them, but our steward brought them before we had to ask. Again, like you, we rarely use them. I don't think Pat has ever, I will once in awhile.

[TOP DECK]

Our last 2 cruises have been with HAL and Carnival and we have noticed dinning selections were the most noticeable areas that these lines have cut back. I imagine if you are new to cruising you would never know the difference. One of these days there will be a totally new generation of cruisers that never had the bread crumbs scrapped from the table by the waiters, what ever that is called.

[sparks1093]

Our last 2 cruises have been with HAL and Carnival and we have noticed dinning selections were the most noticeable areas that these lines have cut back. I imagine if you are new to cruising you would never know the difference. One of these days there will be a totally new generation of cruisers that never had the bread crumbs scrapped from the table by the waiters, what ever that is called.

 

Our waitress on the Sky had an extra crumb scrapper and gave it to DW. If I had known that she would be thrilled that much I would have bought her one of those suckers years ago:cool:.

[texascat]

I would much prefer to have the price of admission one that I can afford. As long as the service is good, room is clean, food is good, ...I don't really go to the pay resturants. I think that in all my cruises (not as many as most of you) I have been to a pay resturant one time.

 

That being said, I was on the Allure of the Seas in Oct. and was totally disappointed in their food and service. For the premium that you pay to get on that ship, you would think they could provide a decent variety of food. (guess they have too many diners to please.) IMHO

[newmexicoNita]

Our last 2 cruises have been with HAL and Carnival and we have noticed dinning selections were the most noticeable areas that these lines have cut back. I imagine if you are new to cruising you would never know the difference. One of these days there will be a totally new generation of cruisers that never had the bread crumbs scrapped from the table by the waiters, what ever that is called.

 

so true and maybe even have to pay for meals unless eaten in the buffet. Who knows what is next, but cruising is still an awesome way to spend a vacation. Like has been said, things change, sometimes for the better, sometimes not...

 

NIta

[ethanthej]

I think I'm going to classify this post as "First World Problems." I'm going to enjoy myself no matter what kind of cheese is on my soup.

 

:-)

[tigerlilycruiser12]

I think I'm going to classify this post as "First World Problems." I'm going to enjoy myself no matter what kind of cheese is on my soup.

 

:-)

 

I am not saying that I did not have a great cruise....I am just talking about changes. I have been on the Dawn about 6 times and notice little changes in the meals even in the specialty venues. And no it is not a "world problem" it is just changes that happen that some of us miss through out the years.. Will i stop cruising? NO will I cruise NCL Yes. YOu can always count on changes...some are good and some are missed.

[luddite]

The price of a cruise has remained relatively stable. The cost of EVERYTHING has not, no matter what spew we hear from Washington about no inflation. Food is about the only way for the lines to save any money as they keep the fares low and they are obviously saving money on the menus.

 

Say la Vee.

[che5904]

Very long thread, lots of theories, lots of opinions and food for thought for the OP. Did he/she disappear?

[judipa]

For those of us who remember the good old days when Freestyle Cruising began, the last few years have seen Norwegian cutting and cutting more of the things that made Freestyle what it was. Here's a short list of just a few:

 

1. The Souffles at Le Bistro, which were great, are GONE.

 

2. The Banana Foster at Cagney's is GONE.

 

3. Espresso at the Specialty Restaurants is now an extra cost.

 

4. The Colossal Shrimp at Cagney's are no more.

 

5. The Chocolate Foundue at Le Bistro no longer kept heated at the table.

 

6. The Onion Soup at Le Bistro no longer topped with gruyere cheese over the bowl-- now the cheese pre-heated on the toast.

 

7. Anyone remember the WARM creme brulee at Le Bistro?-- also gone.

 

8. Espresso or Capuccino in the dining rooms is now an extra cost.

 

9. Effective January 2012, NCL is prohibiting cigar smoking on BALCONIES. For me, this is the opposite of Freestyle. I look forward to smoking 1 fine cigar on my balcony each sea day. If I can't do this anymore on NCL, there are plenty of lines that allow this including Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Carnival.

 

The little things that made cruising special on Norwegian are slowly being eliminated. I have seen it during the last 3 cruises on NCL (EPIC, Jewel and Sky).

 

I am heading back to Royal Caribbean and Holland America, where many of the special things have not been eliminated.

 

 

I had the colossal shrimp in Cagney's in Sept and oct. so i don't think they are gone.

 

Cigar smell really carries (and i am a former smoker) and seems to be more offensive to many people. the smell could carry to many, many balconies.

[fshagan]

I'm probably the exception in that I have been mostly disappointed by the fare in the extra cost dining rooms, with the exception of one time in Disney's Palo. But that was due more to the waiter than the food really (although the food was very, very good).

 

Cagney's is OK, but certainly not as good as a four star steak house on land in any major city. I can't see paying $25 a head for food about as good as what I get at the Outback Steakhouse. I'm not saying its bad; just that it isn't good enough to pay the surcharge (for us). A night out at a local place near home usually has better food, so our cruising is focused more on relaxation, ports and sights than it is on food.

 

They usually have a cigar smoking venue; on the Star this past March, it was up at the top bar overlooking the pool (forward, above all those tiers of empty loungers). The fact that it was about 50°F and windy probably contributed to no one there! Don't some lines prohibit cigarette smoking on balconies now too? The "smoking police" are taking over; next the "fat police" will start making them serve apple slices instead of fries with the burgers!

[newmexicoNita]

I'm probably the exception in that I have been mostly disappointed by the fare in the extra cost dining rooms, with the exception of one time in Disney's Palo. But that was due more to the waiter than the food really (although the food was very, very good).

 

Cagney's is OK, but certainly not as good as a four star steak house on land in any major city. I can't see paying $25 a head for food about as good as what I get at the Outback Steakhouse. I'm not saying its bad; just that it isn't good enough to pay the surcharge (for us). A night out at a local place near home usually has better food, so our cruising is focused more on relaxation, ports and sights than it is on food.

 

They usually have a cigar smoking venue; on the Star this past March, it was up at the top bar overlooking the pool (forward, above all those tiers of empty loungers). The fact that it was about 50°F and windy probably contributed to no one there! Don't some lines prohibit cigarette smoking on balconies now too? The "smoking police" are taking over; next the "fat police" will start making them serve apple slices instead of fries with the burgers!

 

I don't think you are necessarily in the minority. I know a lot of people that never use the sur charge dining rooms. We do it more for variety and we do happen to think they are better, but we are not lovers of Cagney's (at least I am not) We just did a cruise on another line, ate in both sur charge dining rooms and didn't think they were worth the extra charge either. It is just preferance and how much one wants to spend on dining. Some love to use part of their budget for sur charge dining, other people the bar bill and others, use their funds for excursions.

 

As for the fat police, smoke police, etc, I feel your pain and I am not a smoker anymore.

 

Nita

[stephenandrew]

I'm probably the exception in that I have been mostly disappointed by the fare in the extra cost dining rooms, with the exception of one time in Disney's Palo. But that was due more to the waiter than the food really (although the food was very, very good).

 

Isn't Palo great? I have ony been on Princess and Disney (soon NCL), but Palo was hands down better than any of the surcharge dining rooms on Princess. I thought they could give many land based restaurants a run for their money in terms of food, atmosphere, and service.

[doitallWMB]

I think if you breakdown the cost of a cabin into days and realize that it would be the cost of a hotel, food and entertainment... cruising is still the best bargain. The price of oil is well above their set price where they could institute a charge but none have done so. I think we all have a vacation budget and NCL seems to be cutting back on things that may not be essential to the cruise to keep the prices in line. From what I have read, it is the same for the mass market lines. I guess if you want all of the bells and whistles, you can still save and cruise one of the luxury lines. But if you price the cost, you can probably cruise two or three times on NCL and still have money left. If they kept things the same and adjusted the price upward, it would put cruising out of the hands of the average person, not to mention families with a couple of kids to pay for. While I agree that there is definetely a lot of things that have been cut during the past few years, I feel that I certainly get my money's worth.

 

I agree with you. NCL cruses are still a great value. We just came back from 11 days on the Dawn and saw cutbacks in some areas. The food and selection in the buffet is a mere shadow of it's 2008 self. The food in Venetian was very well prepared and presented, but the selection has diminished. 2.0 is history. We missed the bubbly on embarkation and the lobster dish every night. The service gradually deteriorated thru the week in free venues. However, LaCucina was always good. We went there 3 times. One nice touch was the cool towels on return to the ship from a day in port. They have retored a couple of pool games since 2.0 and it was fun to watch people compete for plastic trophies. Drink prices have gone way up, and there are no real sales near the end of the cruise in the shops. Overall however, a great value for the money. Most of all NO SCHEDULE!:D

[doitallWMB]

I had the colossal shrimp in Cagney's in Sept and oct. so i don't think they are gone.

 

Cigar smell really carries (and i am a former smoker) and seems to be more offensive to many people. the smell could carry to many, many balconies.

 

The collossal shrimp are gone.

[sparks1093]

The collossal shrimp are gone.

 

No they aren't, they're in my freezer;) (grocery store had them on sale so I'll have them for snack at work next week).

[mondello]

We've sailed on a few different lines and I honestly can say that Carnival still has not made any dents in their menu selections. Don't know why people bash them. We prefer them over NCL BUT we're not bashing NCL. We go back and forth . We're not cheerleaders for any line . We just love cruising. They all offer something different .

You haven't cruised on Carnival for a year. I just got back from a Halloween cruise on Inspiration and had my first taste of their new menu. Sad to say, but CCL has made cutbacks and changes just like the other mainstream cruiselines. Biggest complaint on the Carnival forums board is the shrimp cocktail is only offered once instead of nightly. New menu has comfort foods like meatloaf, fried chicken, and macaroni & cheese. Nevertheless, I was still happy, always found something to satisfy my appetite and had a great cruise. I've sailed with Costa (2006), Carnival ('06 + '11), and RCCL ('07). This cruise being my first in 4 years, I definitely noticed a dropoff in the dining experience. Like I said, I was able to find some nice selections everyday. Although the "wow factor" may have been lacking with some of the food, I was more disappointed with service cutbacks. Seemed obvious to me that waiters were overworked, responsible for more tables and there was more of a lull between courses at dinner. I'm on this board checking out NCL as I want to try NCL and Freestyle Cruising.

[stephenandrew]

New menu has comfort foods like meatloaf, fried chicken, and macaroni & cheese.

 

Princess has done the same.

[luddite]

Meatloaf. Mac and cheese.

Might as well just eat at the buffet and save the effort of putting on shoes.

[jdvmd]

You haven't cruised on Carnival for a year. I just got back from a Halloween cruise on Inspiration and had my first taste of their new menu. Sad to say, but CCL has made cutbacks and changes just like the other mainstream cruiselines. Biggest complaint on the Carnival forums board is the shrimp cocktail is only offered once instead of nightly. New menu has comfort foods like meatloaf, fried chicken, and macaroni & cheese. Nevertheless, I was still happy, always found something to satisfy my appetite and had a great cruise. I've sailed with Costa (2006), Carnival ('06 + '11), and RCCL ('07). This cruise being my first in 4 years, I definitely noticed a dropoff in the dining experience. Like I said, I was able to find some nice selections everyday. Although the "wow factor" may have been lacking with some of the food, I was more disappointed with service cutbacks. Seemed obvious to me that waiters were overworked, responsible for more tables and there was more of a lull between courses at dinner. I'm on this board checking out NCL as I want to try NCL and Freestyle Cruising.

 

Our first cruise was on Carnival in 1996. I have seen numerous cutbacks on CCL since that time.

[Beaver1975]

Meatloaf. Mac and cheese.

Might as well just eat at the buffet and save the effort of putting on shoes.

 

These are just options on the menu. You don't have to choose them if you don't like them.

[Lonedaddy]

Meatloaf. Mac and cheese.

Might as well just eat at the buffet and save the effort of putting on shoes.

 

soylent green next?