VIP Priority Plus

[KateQ22003]

Ok... You win...

 

No Dave, you are absolutely correct in your assessment. From being schooled on here about CAS passengers, I understand that they spend A LOT to get the benefits that they get. NCL wouldn't be handing out free cruises and perks if they were losing money on these passengers.

 

To offer a package for $99 with a lot of the bigger perks (Cagney's, priority disembarkation) is a slap in the face to suite guests or CAS passengers who are paying thousands for these perks. Maybe if they had placed a higher price on this package it wouldn't have been met with such outrage.

 

Perception is everything. If suite guests perceive that the value of a suite has been diminished greatly, then it has. They were smart to end this program almost as quickly as it started; I would be curious to know why.

[ColinIllinois]

Perhaps it would be best that everyone be thankful that they are in the position to even enjoy a wonderful vacation whether it is in a suite' date=' balcony, ocean view, or inside cabin. So many cannot and will never be able to have such an opportunity. Try to think about that instead of complaining if you have to wait an extra 5-10 minutes in a restaurant, or if your cruise is not perfect. If that is your only concern, then your life is pretty darn good. :)[/quote']

 

 

Well said.

[SeaShark]

No Dave, you are absolutely correct in your assessment. From being schooled on here about CAS passengers, I understand that they spend A LOT to get the benefits that they get. NCL wouldn't be handing out free cruises and perks if they were losing money on these passengers.

 

To offer a package for $99 with a lot of the bigger perks (Cagney's, priority disembarkation) is a slap in the face to suite guests or CAS passengers who are paying thousands for these perks. Maybe if they had placed a higher price on this package it wouldn't have been met with such outrage.

 

Perception is everything. If suite guests perceive that the value of a suite has been diminished greatly, then it has. They were smart to end this program almost as quickly as it started; I would be curious to know why.

 

 

You make a good point. However, NCL still offers many of these same perks for FREE to their VIP guests...without a single complaint from the suite passengers. You have to wonder why it is OK for someone to eat in Cagney's for FREE, but a overblown disaster if they have to pay for it.

 

If you've been on the new ships, the Vibe offers guest (willing to pay a fee) a private, upgraded sundeck, with padded loungers, beds, bar service...incuding cold towels, fresh fruit, and water spritzes. This is markedly similar to what the Haven guests have available in the outdoor deck space that they paid for as part of their rooms...yet, they have no complaints about NCL selling these perks to the "masses".

 

 

Makes you wonder what is the real sticking point here. Would it be OK if NCL offered the same package, but gave these guest breakfast and lunch in Moderno (for example) instead?

[mydreamvacation]

You make a good point. However, NCL still offers many of these same perks for FREE to their VIP guests...without a single complaint from the suite passengers. You have to wonder why it is OK for someone to eat in Cagney's for FREE, but a overblown disaster if they have to pay for it.

 

If you've been on the new ships, the Vibe offers guest (willing to pay a fee) a private, upgraded sundeck, with padded loungers, beds, bar service...incuding cold towels, fresh fruit, and water spritzes. This is markedly similar to what the Haven guests have available in the outdoor deck space that they paid for as part of their rooms...yet, they have no complaints about NCL selling these perks to the "masses".

 

 

Makes you wonder what is the real sticking point here. Would it be OK if NCL offered the same package, but gave these guest breakfast and lunch in Moderno (for example) instead?

In my opinion that would be a very good compromise for NCL I have no problem with people eating in a different specialty restaurant or buying vibe passes I would have a huge problem if they started selling passes for the day to the Haven.

[Beaver1975]

In my opinion that would be a very good compromise for NCL I have no problem with people eating in a different specialty restaurant or buying vibe passes I would have a huge problem if they started selling passes for the day to the Haven.

 

 

Class warfare is alive and well!:rolleyes:

[KateQ22003]

You make a good point. However, NCL still offers many of these same perks for FREE to their VIP guests...without a single complaint from the suite passengers. You have to wonder why it is OK for someone to eat in Cagney's for FREE, but a overblown disaster if they have to pay for it.

 

If you've been on the new ships, the Vibe offers guest (willing to pay a fee) a private, upgraded sundeck, with padded loungers, beds, bar service...incuding cold towels, fresh fruit, and water spritzes. This is markedly similar to what the Haven guests have available in the outdoor deck space that they paid for as part of their rooms...yet, they have no complaints about NCL selling these perks to the "masses".

 

 

Makes you wonder what is the real sticking point here. Would it be OK if NCL offered the same package, but gave these guest breakfast and lunch in Moderno (for example) instead?

 

Again, the issue is the $99 price tag. NCL is now telling us that the value of all those perks is $99? Then why are suite passengers paying thousands of dollars per person? Is it just the butler and the bigger room? Again, perception is everything. If the package had been offered at a more reasonable price, it would have been accepted better by those who have spent premium dollars. It has nothing to do with the "MASSES".

[triptolemus]

Again, the issue is the $99 price tag. NCL is now telling us that the value of all those perks is $99? Then why are suite passengers paying thousands of dollars per person? Is it just the butler and the bigger room? Again, perception is everything. If the package had been offered at a more reasonable price, it would have been accepted better by those who have spent premium dollars. It has nothing to do with the "MASSES".

 

Again! The VIP99 perks offered were a tiny fraction of the suite perks. Not even close.

 

This thread is going in circles.

[KateQ22003]

Again! The VIP99 perks offered were a tiny fraction of the suite perks. Not even close.

 

This thread is going in circles.

 

Tiny fraction? Sorry, I don't agree. The biggies are there, Cagney's and priority tendering/disembarkation. There are also a few others that aren't even offered to suite passengers.

Edited September 28, 2014 by KateQ22003

[mydreamvacation]

Class warfare is alive and well!:rolleyes:

 

It has nothing to do with class warfare.NCL doesn't discriminate- anyone who wants to pay the money to stay in a suite can. The only thing that stops people from enjoying the suite exclusivity is the not wanting to spend thousands of dollars for the cabin. It's a matter of priorities

For my family sailing in a suite is a priority. For others it's not -there's no reason that I shouldn't be able to get a class of service that I'm paying for and people should not be offended that I choose to spend my money on that.

 

My nextdoor neighbor drives $100,000 car I personally wouldn't spend A fraction of that sum of money on a car I don't begrudge them that they have a much nicer vehicle than me it's not my priority. For me a car is just a way to get me to the airport just like some people are fine with inside cabins because to them it's just a place to sleep call about your personal priorities and it's wrong to judge other people's priorities

[SeaShark]

Again, the issue is the $99 price tag. NCL is now telling us that the value of all those perks is $99? Then why are suite passengers paying thousands of dollars per person? Is it just the butler and the bigger room? Again, perception is everything. If the package had been offered at a more reasonable price, it would have been accepted better by those who have spent premium dollars. It has nothing to do with the "MASSES".

 

Absolutely not. If NCL is selling the perks for $99, then the value of them is actually LESS than that. (Price - Profit = Value).

 

Whether NCL offers this package or not, they have now shown everyone just what these perks are really worth.

 

If you want to pay the cost of the suite just to get them, then by all means...knock yourself out.

[TowerOrchard]

Whether NCL offers this package or not, they have now shown everyone just what these perks are really worth.

 

If you want to pay the cost of the suite just to get them, then by all means...knock yourself out.

 

Agreed. I am very surprised at the reaction from the suite travelers on here. You all do realize that NCL just showed you the extent to which you are overpaying for these services, right??? I am interested to see if this changes anyone's travel plans - particularly those who claimed that Cagney's & priority disembarkation were THE perks that they placed the highest value on. Are you willing to pay hundreds, even thousands of dollars more than what NCL has just told you they are worth??

[abe3]

I have been against the whole $99 from the beginning when this topic was brought up. To give people perks in standard rooms for $99, which people claim that it is not even close to what all the perks in a suite get are missing the point concerning the added benefits they would of received.

 

I am not a wealthy person by any means, but I save my money to book a suite whenever possible and enjoy the peace and quite of the haven experience and amenities that go with the suite and to me the money I spent is well worth it. To offer something from the exclusive suite amenities to non suite cabins could impact the level of service and amenities that I have come to expect from NCL.

 

This is not a class warfare issue which some people have claimed on this thread, but it's an issue of services and amenities that could be impacted by someone that has booked a suite.

 

I have seen both sides of the spectrum on cruises, just like many of you probably have. I have seen rude and stuck up cruisers sailing in inside cabins as well as ones sailing in the Haven. I have met someone wonderful people in the Haven that I would never consider them to be stuck up, just like myself. I go out into the common areas of the ship and spend a lot of time on the pool deck doing activities and also partake on many activities throughout the ship, but what I love about the Haven is that when I want my quiet time, or I want to have a nice quiet breakfast at Cagney's or at the Haven Restaurant, relax by the courtyard pool it is available to me because I have paid for that service and I expect those services to be protected for the type of cabin I have paid for.

 

I applaud NCL for the discontinue of the $99 plan, but to accuse someone of being snobbish because they stay in the Haven or is against this plan is completely missing the whole point. NCL is about making money and they knew that this probably wasn't a good idea and they were right for stopping it.

[SeaShark]

To offer something from the exclusive suite amenities to non suite cabins could impact the level of service and amenities that I have come to expect from NCL.

 

This is not a class warfare issue which some people have claimed on this thread, but it's an issue of services and amenities that could be impacted by someone that has booked a suite.

 

 

 

So...you are against NCL selling "exclusive suite amenities" to their other guests. Fair enough.

 

Yet, NCL gives "exclusive suite amenities" in the form of Concierge Service, Priority Tender Tickets, and Priority Disembarkation to ALL Platinum Latitude Members for FREE.

 

Does the fact that the Platinum Latitude Members get these amenities impact the suite guests in a measurably negative way??

[abe3]

So...you are against NCL selling "exclusive suite amenities" to their other guests. Fair enough.

 

Yet, NCL gives "exclusive suite amenities" in the form of Concierge Service, Priority Tender Tickets, and Priority Disembarkation to ALL Platinum Latitude Members for FREE.

 

Does the fact that the Platinum Latitude Members get these amenities impact the suite guests in a measurably negative way??

 

Doesn't bother me that Platinum gets these services and they earned what they are given, since that is what the point system offers to them.

 

IT also does not affect the suites since platinum doesn't get breakfast perk, haven and suite guests have a different check in process than platinum level.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Again, the issue is the $99 price tag. NCL is now telling us that the value of all those perks is $99? Then why are suite passengers paying thousands of dollars per person? Is it just the butler and the bigger room? Again, perception is everything. If the package had been offered at a more reasonable price, it would have been accepted better by those who have spent premium dollars. It has nothing to do with the "MASSES".

 

 

Well why is an oceanview more expensive than an inside why is a mini suite more expensive than a balcony and so forth. Your logic doesn't hold water.

[rhinomike]

Well why is an oceanview more expensive than an inside why is a mini suite more expensive than a balcony and so forth. Your logic doesn't hold water.

 

Exactly. Simple case of supply and demand. They will charge what passengers will pay.

[monkeybone]

You make a good point. However, NCL still offers many of these same perks for FREE to their VIP guests...without a single complaint from the suite passengers. You have to wonder why it is OK for someone to eat in Cagney's for FREE, but a overblown disaster if they have to pay for it.

 

If you've been on the new ships, the Vibe offers guest (willing to pay a fee) a private, upgraded sundeck, with padded loungers, beds, bar service...incuding cold towels, fresh fruit, and water spritzes. This is markedly similar to what the Haven guests have available in the outdoor deck space that they paid for as part of their rooms...yet, they have no complaints about NCL selling these perks to the "masses".

 

 

Makes you wonder what is the real sticking point here. Would it be OK if NCL offered the same package, but gave these guest breakfast and lunch in Moderno (for example) instead?

 

I have said before its bad marketing by NCL. Vibe should be offered as a platinum latitudes and CAS VIP perk. If someone has sailed with NCL say 40 times lets say in an inside cabin they would have over 250 latitudes points IMO they are loyal to NCL and shouldn't have to make a mad dash to try and get a vibe pass. The same with the $99 deal. IMO..... NCL will start to lose CAS cruisers and their loyal platinum cruisers.

 

This has nothing to do with haven and suite guest they are getting what they pay for and it's great.

Edited September 28, 2014 by monkeybone

[Demonyte]

Tiny fraction? Sorry, I don't agree. The biggies are there, Cagney's and priority tendering/disembarkation. There are also a few others that aren't even offered to suite passengers.

 

I don't agree with package only including a tiny fraction of perks either.

 

For example several people here have listed all services provided by the butler as separate perks (hot breakfast in cabin, speciality dining in cabin, customizable snacks, etc) in order to seemingly grow the list of perks the package doesn't include, when in fact they are all included in one suite perk: butler service.

 

But then again, the contents of the package would have been quite different between newer and older ships:

 

- On newer ships all suites are Haven suites and therefore get more perks and the package would not have given package buyers access to any of the exclusive venues (restaurant included) and hence the fraction of perks gained would have been smaller.

 

- On older ships there are a lot of suites without Haven access but still the package would have given others access to the exclusive restaurant for breakfast and lunch, hence giving a lot bigger chunk of the already limited perks normally available only at $1000 per person extra cost (roughly, assuming that a balcony/mini-suite cabin is about $1000 pp and S-category suites start from about $2000 pp).

 

 

And yet again: It's all about the value of suite/perks for me personally. I wouldn't care less if there were non-suite/VIP passengers in the exclusive breakfast/lunch venue as long as the service for suite/VIP passengers doesn't suffer.

Edited September 28, 2014 by Demonyte

[KateQ22003]

Well why is an oceanview more expensive than an inside why is a mini suite more expensive than a balcony and so forth. Your logic doesn't hold water.

 

I'm not talking about $100 more expensive; I'm talking about thousands.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I have said before its bad marketing by NCL. Vibe should be offered as a platinum latitudes and CAS VIP perk. If someone has sailed with NCL say 40 times lets say in an inside cabin they would have over 250 latitudes points IMO they are loyal to NCL and shouldn't have to make a mad dash to try and get a vibe pass. The same with the $99 deal. IMO..... NCL will start to lose CAS cruisers and their loyal platinum cruisers.

 

This has nothing to do with haven and suite guest they are getting what they pay for and it's great.

 

Now the vibe only for suite guest? Your out of control. Suite guests already have access to a private pool area. You gotta leave something for the "lower class" people. Sheesh

[KateQ22003]

I have said before its bad marketing by NCL. Vibe should be offered as a platinum latitudes and CAS VIP perk. If someone has sailed with NCL say 40 times lets say in an inside cabin they would have over 250 latitudes points IMO they are loyal to NCL and shouldn't have to make a mad dash to try and get a vibe pass. The same with the $99 deal. IMO..... NCL will start to lose CAS cruisers and their loyal platinum cruisers.

 

This has nothing to do with haven and suite guest they are getting what they pay for and it's great.

 

You bring up an interesting topic. Why not offer these types of packages to platinum members who are not traveling in a suite? Reward your frequent travelers, not just who gets to the front of the line first.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I'm not talking about $100 more expensive; I'm talking about thousands.

 

That's not relevant in the least

[SeaShark]

And yet again: It's all about the value of suite/perks for me personally. I wouldn't care less if there were non-suite/VIP passengers in the exclusive breakfast/lunch venue as long as the service for suite/VIP passengers doesn't suffer.

 

Great point.

 

 

Has it been demonstrated that this package has actually caused the service for suite/VIP passengers to suffer or is everyone jumping to the unsupported conclusion that it will?

[monkeybone]

Now the vibe only for suite guest? Your out of control. Suite guests already have access to a private pool area. You gotta leave something for the "lower class" people. Sheesh

 

Did you read my post? That has nothing to do with suite guest. They do not need Vibe passes nor should they be offered them. Considering they board the ships first they would be getting most of the passes.

 

I have sailed on ships with the haven in suites and found no reason to get a vibe pass but others do for some reason.

 

Lower class people? I am talking about loyalty to NCL. I don't think someone who has spent thousands of dollars with NCL to earn over 250 latitudes points or more in any cabin they choose is lower class, same for CAS VIP's.

 

Maybe YOU'RE out of control :)

Edited September 28, 2014 by monkeybone

[SteveH2508]

You bring up an interesting topic. Why not offer these types of packages to platinum members who are not traveling in a suite? Reward your frequent travelers, not just who gets to the front of the line first.

 

As platinum we already get a bottle of bubbles (champagne it is not!:rolleyes:); the priority getting on/getting off/tenders; the captain's cocktail party.

 

It would not be worth it to us any way you slice and dice it.

 

NCL managed to PO the suite guests; the CAS high-rollers in one hit - not good - at least they had the sense to pull it ASAP.

 

I think they were trying an experiment - package extra perks for a fee and see whether it flew - if it did - then do more 'nickle and dime' extras.