Breakaway's Blue Ocean now 49$ !!

[time2cruise1]

I don't want to thread hijack but I do want to respond to you. From 2008 to just last year I could manage to get balconies at very affordable pricing no matter where I wanted to go on the NCL brand. In the last year the cost for balconies have gone up substantially and if you wait for their last minute fire sales and discounts you risk not being able to go - especially when you're in a position where you have to fly. Even the older ships prices are higher and I know it's supply and demand but now the demand is greater so the prices have no choice but to go up.

 

I'm not a suites person... I'm a balcony person and studio where available and solo traveling. Suites are out of my price league with single supplements. Balconies are quickly becoming the same way but yet everything else ON the ship is costing more.. more.. more which means I'll be able to cruise less and less or with a broom closet for a room. I'm hoping with all the new capacity added to NCL's fleet the prices drop a bit as the lure of the new ships leaves the other older ones harder to fill. :) From what I've seen so far for the departures in 2014 I'm looking at it doesn't appear to be the case. :(

 

And what really changed last year to drive the price of balconies up. My opinion the new smoking rules. All the smokers who used to book inside or ocean view are now forced to book balcony cabins driving up demand and thus prices. Yes there is some across the board increases in all categories but balconies are clearly the hardest hit.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim

[cruisingabuela]

I'm starting to agree with you. Colin made the mistake of putting 3 ships in Hawaii at once with bad crew training but overall he kept and made the cruise line more like Celebrity with the extras. Kevin came along and cut out a lot of the good extras and now we're paying more on the ship for less and yet the base cruise fares are increasing. I know the economy has recovered but what Breakaway costs just to get on her there should be something special for it and instead it's just paying MORE for things when you're on the ship and anything special to this ship costs MORE than on land! Carlos Bake Shop is another money pit with unadvertised pricing. :(

 

 

Sorry to go off topic.I felt the customer mattered when Colin Veitch was at NCL.He was very personable and always tried to please especially to the loyal cruisers.This last Epic cruise was an eyeopener for me.Just because you see an officier everywhere doesn't mean he cares.

[sweetride]

I hear you on the repo cruises. You can get some mighty good deals so long as the ship is not brand spanking new! ;) Ending in Boston is not a bad thing since I could just take the commuter rail home. However open jaw or multi-city flights are insane so whatever you save in one setting you lose in another. :( I have lost my optimism for optimal pricing as well but reality has set in. It's a sign of the recovering times... USA is finally starting to recover. Now if Europe keeps down in the dumps the fire sales going on over there will lead to ships being re-deployed here and hopefully drop the prices further. Princess and Carnival are reducing their numbers but sending their fleet to Australia. Kevin Sheehan said he's not willing to send ships anywhere else in the globe right now so if the Europe market continues to weaken we might see the return of the Spirit to the USA market! I'd LOVE that! :D

 

Anyway... back to the seafood cost... how about the quality of the food being served on day 6 in Ocean Blue. Is it worth that much? It's not even fresh by that point! :eek:

we took southwest down two days early to play at the parks befor the cruise and it was $96 each out of providence.

 

as to the seafood, its all frozen. i don't believe there is any "fresh" seafood on the ships because of the way they need to order everything. most of the seafood you get is frozen right after its caught on the ship and stays that way anyways. the only time you will find real fresh stuff is if you go in town and get it yourself or have a really good local fish guy who goes into town and gets it daily. good luck finding one of them these days

[njhorseman]

Sorry to go off topic.I felt the customer mattered when Colin Veitch was at NCL.He was very personable and always tried to please especially to the loyal cruisers.This last Epic cruise was an eyeopener for me.Just because you see an officier everywhere doesn't mean he cares.

 

Six more months of Colin Veitch and NCL would have been just a memory. His business decisions were a financial disaster.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

The $75 includes wine pairing and several course meal. I believe 150 Central Park charges $40 for just a steak dinner.

 

Just off the Oasis this morning. We had booked Giovanni's Table, Chops Grille, and 150 Central Park prior to the cruise - and thus had to pay in advance as well. The charge was $40 pp for 150 Central Park.

 

Three of us dined in 150 Central Park on the first formal night. We found out the hard way (almost a bit embarrassing) that the $75 is over/above the $40.

 

It was a very good meal, with some very nice wines. It was not a "packed house", yet took 3.5 hours for the meal. There is too much to do on that ship to justify spending that much time eating!

 

Tom

[sweetride]

Just off the Oasis this morning. We had booked Giovanni's Table, Chops Grille, and 150 Central Park prior to the cruise - and thus had to pay in advance as well. The charge was $40 pp for 150 Central Park.

 

Three of us dined in 150 Central Park on the first formal night. We found out the hard way (almost a bit embarrassing) that the $75 is over/above the $40.

 

It was a very good meal, with some very nice wines. It was not a "packed house", yet took 3.5 hours for the meal. There is too much to do on that ship to justify spending that much time eating!

 

Tom

 

:eek: $115/ea for the meal???? how to they think that is sustainable??? i just dont get it. this isn't a luxury liner, its a mass market cruise ship! i'd say there is no way to keep that going, but at $115 each you don't need many people to show up to make it break even

[bob brown]

Before everyone takes off NCL's head one think to keep in mind they have no control over the food or pricing at Ocean Blue. It is all 100% Zakarian decisions. I was taking to the executive chef on the Breakaway and he confirmed they play no role with the restaurant.

Are you certain of that?

From what I have heard, whenever you see a 'celebrity chef's' name on a restaurant on a cruise ship, the chef may have influence on the decor, and on the menu somewhat, but the staff all work for the cruise line, and pricing and other business decision's rest with the corporate office of the cruise line. Doesn't matter if its Zakarian on the Breakway, or Todd English on Cunard or whatever. It's not like the chef is renting space on the ship to operate his own restaurant.

[Love my butler]

Before everyone takes off NCL's head one think to keep in mind they have no control over the food or pricing at Ocean Blue. It is all 100% Zakarian decisions. I was taking to the executive chef on the Breakaway and he confirmed they play no role with the restaurant.

 

Yep, NCL has no role on pricing at all in one of the restaurants on their newest, bestest ships.....

 

Yep, I believe that....

[wrestlemom]

It is changed on My NCL :(

 

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Ocean Blue by Geoffrey Zakarian

 

 

Step inside the brand new Ocean Blue or experience its outdoor counterpart, Ocean Blu on the Waterfront. Tastefully nautical and tempting...Step inside the brand new Ocean Blue or experience its outdoor counterpart, Ocean Blu on the Waterfront. Tastefully nautical and temptingly delicious, it’s a new dining experience not to be missed.

• PER PERSON$49 (Per Child pricing done on the ship)
  

[Fishbait17]

Well, the 19th is here, the day that the "new" Ocean Blue price is supposed to go into effect. If anyone is within their 45 day period, please check the "MyNCL" page and see if your pricing has changed for reserving today vs yesterday.. I'm curious to know!

 

Robin

[NJ Johnny]

As of this morning the price has changed to $49.

[sjnyc323]

Whoever had the option of booking at $35 these past two days and didn't are out of luck now .

 

Suzanne

[dstewart1075]

Well, the 19th is here, the day that the "new" Ocean Blue price is supposed to go into effect. If anyone is within their 45 day period, please check the "MyNCL" page and see if your pricing has changed for reserving today vs yesterday.. I'm curious to know!

 

Robin

 

Just logged in (42 days out) and yes it has been changed to $49 per person. :( I won't be going with that kind of increase.

[MCAT48]

I could not imagine spending this amount of money per person on a cruise. But I guess if others are willing to pay that they will go with the higher price!

[BrPanthers99]

I find it funny that the Breakaway had one cruise and the price is up 40%. NCL needs to realize the first few cruises this is partially a fad that will wear off.

[time2cruise1]

I find it funny that the Breakaway had one cruise and the price is up 40%. NCL needs to realize the first few cruises this is partially a fad that will wear off.

 

It is not NCL. They do not have any control of the menu or the pricing. Zakarian has 100% control.

 

It will be interesting if after today anyone that goes to MyNCL now sees the $49. The date of change was the 19th and I wonder if you prepaid before that you got the old price.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim

[sweetride]

It is not NCL. They do not have any control of the menu or the pricing. Zakarian has 100% control.

- Jim

 

i would love to see some kind of proof of this as it would be one of the worst business decisions NCL ever made to turn over part of their new ship to someone and keep zero control. no one is booking a cruise just to be charged $49/ea for dinner, so there is zero upside to giving away total control

[Cruisegirl6]

We paid 35 and I expect to dine there without the extra fee and I expect regular portions not what I heard of half portions.

 

Seems to me this is very poor planning, not sure whether its NCL or Zackarins doing but I find it very poor taste to have the fee from 35 to 49 in just two weeks of cruises. If its Zackarians doing, then perhaps he should take a business course! I can't see why he is upcharging this restaurant when Moderno which deals with all meat remains to keep its fair charge there. Does he get a profit from this fee?

[Beaver1975]

You all seem to be very unfamiliar with the size of Geoffrey Zakarian's ego.

[Mulege]

Another example of NCL nickel and diming us, or in this case a holdup without a gun. I have eaten at his land based restaurant and find he is over rated. I choose to not pay that much.

[js]

I would pay the price if it was getting rave reviews. I live in NY and for a good dinner out with drinks its about $200 a couple. But it has t been getting great reviews although its still a little early to tell. I can tell you that my dh is on his was to get my inlaws who were on the May 12 sailing. She has no idea of all the info on CC and when she called me this morning from the ship she went on and on how wonderful and beautiful it was. She said her only thing she didnt care for was Ocean Blue. She said food was ok, no veggies and charged her $3 for tea. It wasnt the price but the portions and food just wasnt outstanding. She also said she met someone while waiting to go in MDR that had just come from Ocean Blue that was going in there to get more to eat. I dont think Im going to book this for our July trip. Maybe Cagneys and LeBistro. Once I hear more Ill post.

[Cruisegirl6]

For me its not the money, you get what you pay for. I just got back few weeks from Vegas and all the chefs have so many restaurants out there. Our dinners averaged 300 plus for two of us. I don't mind paying if the food is good but to me to raise the price of Ocean Blu in just two cruises is tacky to me not to mention I have not read so far anything good about this dining establishment.

[sheila59]

We ate at Ocean Blue and enjoyed the meal BUT the meal is very small, I had the monkfish which cam with no more than a tablespoon of black rice, the whole meal could have fitted on a small plate, the starter was mussels again tasty, it was a nice size bowl but again a mussel how small are they so it was maybe the liqueur that filled you up, we had the lemon tart for desert that was lovely. We were a party of 4 who all ate different fish dishes and each of us enjoyed the meal but we only ate there the once whereas we ate at Cagneys twice and much preferred the meal, also if I were back on the ship we have all agreed we probably would not eat in Ocean Blue again, in fact we defently would NOT for that price. My advise is if you have the money go and have the meal, if your on a budget skip and go elsewhere where the price is not bumped up just because somebody famous fronts it.

[Educators2]

I am going on the Breakaway in two weeks. Just today, MyNCL raised the price to $49 a person at Ocean Blue. Like many cruisers, I have about $200 in on-board credit. We have two dinners free at LeBistro as Platinum Latitude members and didn't want to pre-book Ocean Blue since we can't use the OBC for gratuities. I think $49 per person is too much. I have $100 amenity and can go to two restaurants for that price. Not worth it, in my opinion. I will pay for the Cirque Show; that is a fair price.

[time2cruise1]

We paid 35 and I expect to dine there without the extra fee and I expect regular portions not what I heard of half portions.

 

Seems to me this is very poor planning, not sure whether its NCL or Zackarins doing but I find it very poor taste to have the fee from 35 to 49 in just two weeks of cruises. If its Zackarians doing, then perhaps he should take a business course! I can't see why he is upcharging this restaurant when Moderno which deals with all meat remains to keep its fair charge there. Does he get a profit from this fee?

 

Yes he gets a profit from the fee like Cirque Dreams. As far as who controls it I spent time with the Breakaway Exec Chef and the Fleet Exec Chef and that is who told me they play no roll with Ocean Blue.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim