No lobster night??

[sfaaa]

I would definitely support your one lobster pp limit policy. I am sure the ones who ordered 4 or 5 lobsters in NCL MDR previously kind of ruining a good thing for everyone else.

[NLH Arizona]

Good point. NCL can raise my cruise fare by $6.00 to cover the cost of one 4 oz Lobster tail on Lobster night. They can even limit me to one Lobster on said Lobster night.

I would guess that if everyone just had one, there would still be lobster on the menu in the MDR. I can hear it now......I use to be able to get 10 or 12 lobster tails, but now I can only get one and they are now charging me $6.00 for it...what a rip off.

[dshefter]

We just sailed on the Grand Princess and lobster and prawns were served on the second formal night in the MDR. It was delicious. Sad to hear NCL no longer serving lobster in the included-price restaurants. Should serve it on one night, especially on a 10-night cruise. Ship lines buy at bulk so the cost can't be that much.

 

Guess we will have to enjoy lobster in Cagneys when we sail the Gem in Jan. of 2016.

[NYcruzzer]

I would guess that if everyone just had one, there would still be lobster on the menu in the MDR. I can hear it now......I use to be able to get 10 or 12 lobster tails, but now I can only get one and they are now charging me $6.00 for it...what a rip off.

 

I'm not suggesting NCL charge passangers a $6.00 upcharge for Lobster. I was answering sfaaa's post who suggested that fare would have to rise to reinstate Lobster night. I am for limiting each passanger to one Lobster entree. Like I said in an earlier post I think the elimination of Lobster night went beyond the actual cost of these tiny tails. I think NCL was also experiancing far less revenue in their specialty restaurants on Lobster night. I don't think as many people would be upset with NCL for eliminating Lobster night is Royal and Carnival followed suit. Don't get me wrong, not having Lobster is far from a deal breaker. I am Platinum on NCL and will continue to sail with them. Their crew and entertainment are fantastic.

[Dave85]

Like I said in an earlier post I think the elimination of Lobster night went beyond the actual cost of these tiny tails. I think NCL was also experiancing far less revenue in their specialty restaurants on Lobster night. I don't think as many people would be upset with NCL for eliminating Lobster night is Royal and Carnival followed suit.

 

 

I agree with both of your points. I'd also bet lost specialty dining revenue played a role. As I've said in both of my previous posts on this thread, I also agree that competitor lines continuing to offer included lobster when NCL doesn't is significant.

Edited February 22, 2015 by Dave85

[NLH Arizona]

I'm not suggesting NCL charge passangers a $6.00 upcharge for Lobster. I was answering sfaaa's post who suggested that fare would have to rise to reinstate Lobster night. I am for limiting each passanger to one Lobster entree. Like I said in an earlier post I think the elimination of Lobster night went beyond the actual cost of these tiny tails. I think NCL was also experiancing far less revenue in their specialty restaurants on Lobster night. I don't think as many people would be upset with NCL for eliminating Lobster night is Royal and Carnival followed suit. Don't get me wrong, not having Lobster is far from a deal breaker. I am Platinum on NCL and will continue to sail with them. Their crew and entertainment are fantastic.

I understood what you posted, I'm just saying that if they raise the cruise by $6.00 or so for the lobster and then limit it to one lobster, there will be more complaints (saying NCL is cheap and they should be able to have 10, 20 or how many lobster tails they want). I think if they would have limited each passenger to 1 in the beginning, they might still be serving lobster in the MDR, but unfortunately when some perceive something as "free", gluttony takes over. I do disagree with you, I don't think it had anything to do with trying to bring in additional revenue to the specialty restaurants, I think it had to do with how many lobster tails they were serving in the MDR.

[NYcruzzer]

I understood what you posted, I'm just saying that if they raise the cruise by $6.00 or so for the lobster and then limit it to one lobster, there will be more complaints (saying NCL is cheap and they should be able to have 10, 20 or how many lobster tails they want). I think if they would have limited each passenger to 1 in the beginning, they might still be serving lobster in the MDR, but unfortunately when some perceive something as "free", gluttony takes over. I do disagree with you, I don't think it had anything to do with trying to bring in additional revenue to the specialty restaurants, I think it had to do with how many lobster tails they were serving in the MDR.

 

I'm sure gluttony of some passanger paid a part. I can remember past reviews where folks bragged about eating 5/6 tails on Lobster night.

I didn't mean to literally increase fares by $6.00 to cover cost of Lobster. Same way the disasterous fuel surchage when away after all the compaints. NCL simply found it more palatable to simply increase fares to cover higher fule charges. I think if fares accross the board went up even $10.00 a person nobody would notice. They would however notice the reinstation of Lobster night.

Edited February 22, 2015 by NYcruzzer

[kgymn]

My husband was rather disappointed when I told him NCL doesn't have a lobster night in the MDR. I'm pretty sure that is 1/3 of why he even goes on cruises at all. Our next will be on NCL simply because of our location and a good deal, but I may not be able to get him on a second NCL without lobster night when there are other cruise lines that still have it.

 

And of course we aren't going to go out and buy it at Red Lobster (I'm not sure we even have them here) because it would only be ONE tail. Sure we could buy more, but then you'd have to order (and pay for) the entire dish, sides included, would you not? Call it gluttony, but my husband is a multiple lobster tail kind of guy, because that's part of the magic and novelty of a cruise is that you get to be just a little extravagant which isn't something we get to enjoy in day-to-day life very often.

 

Personally lack of lobster in the MDR doesn't bother ME one bit, I will eat one. Or eat half and give the other half to my husband depending on my mood that night. It's not a big special meal, for me. But it is for my husband.

 

~Katy

[GORDONCHICK]

With fuel costs at extreme lows, they could serve lobster and still be ahead. Remember when they were charging fuel surcharges according to the fuel prices? That stopped and they just hiked all the cruise prices across the board. Now that the prices are almost half of what they were, I'm pretty sure we're not going to receive a refund....

[mking8288]

... Korean super market in my hood was selling Lobster 4.99/LB. These are whole lobsters and NCL only gives u the tail ...

How recent were these? Rockville or Silver Spring parts of MD - used to live around there just inside the Beltway ...

 

Just in case, here's BBC News reporting on the "Year of the Lobster" - sharp rise in export of Maine a/k/a Boston lobsters - in part for the festive Asian Lunar New Year - estimated at almost 1/2 million pounds (400,000 lbs.)

 

Good news being that they prefer those 2 to 3 lbs so that leave more of the smaller 1 to 2 lbs. one for domestic & export to our neighbors north of the border. This could explain the general trend I've seen for rising prices with these creatures lately; and, shortage even in local seafood restaurant's "live" tanks where they are kept.

 

As for passing onto or rebating some of the fleet's fuel savings to the pax as consumers - not much of a chance. Ditto for airline's ticket pricing and even the cost of our basic grocery items have risen since the beginning of the year. Alas, it is still a "best buy" for lots of values by spending our dollars in cruising these days, adjusting for inflation & cost-of-living. << Just go price out renting a car for a week in Las Vegas even if you are comp'd free for the week at the Strip hotel and pay for the "buffet" prices on your own, ouch ! >>

[NLH Arizona]

With fuel costs at extreme lows, they could serve lobster and still be ahead. Remember when they were charging fuel surcharges according to the fuel prices? That stopped and they just hiked all the cruise prices across the board. Now that the prices are almost half of what they were, I'm pretty sure we're not going to receive a refund....

I would guess that their "lock in price" fuel contracts with the old prices are still in effect, so they probably aren't making any more money than when they first signed the contracts. Hopefully, when it is time for renewal, we can only hope that the fuel costs will still be low.

[Guindalf]

Although I have no doubt that it's part of a cost-cutting exercise, the Caribbean Spiney Lobster is now becoming endangered as it's over-fished. Maine Lobsters are still ok, but I would think the cost is prohibitive, even though I did hear that some itineraries going north through Boston, etc., WILL be taking on Maine lobster! Don't know how true that still is, though.

[geegee1]

...Although I just read on another thread about a lobster dish in Cagney's that I am going to try. I love my lobster on cruises!

 

Hope you have better luck with that than my wife did. She took a couple of bites and pushed it aside. She said it tasted terrible.