Room Service No Longer Free - NCL Starts $7.95 Charge Per Order

[sfaaa]

Thank you airlines for paving the way. Next charge by ncl is bound to be 25$ for each bag brought on board. Oops....better not give management any more swell ideas.

 

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User pay system to generate extra revenue is now the way of the future for all industries. Big banks have been doing it for years. Our government is doing it. Airlines are doing it. Hotels are doing it. Cruise ship industry is just the latest to adopt this business concept. Am I surprised to see NCL going this route? Not only is my answer say NO, I envision all other cruise lines will soon be following suit after seeing how much more revenue they can generate with this approach.

[shealea]

I can't believe what they are charging! That is crazy!

 

We order room service late evening for snacks. It was one of the things my grandkids loved and still talk about from their cruise. Room Service.

 

I've been a big fan of NCL. I'm really disgusted with them with the new fees and gratuities. I have had it with them and will be looking at other lines to cruise.

[jonbgd]

really

Edited March 30, 2015 by jonbgd

[mitsugirly]

I'm so glad that room service is not one of the things I enjoy while cruising with NCL. Of course we usually only cruise in the interior and sometimes the balcony, but I know the items on the menu were really lacking for the interior categories. I like a hot breakfast and of course that's not even offered. I can honestly say I have order room service once on all my cruises and it was just to check it out and boy was I disappointed...enough that I never ordered again. The pastries were hard and the rest of the food just icky. I can't even imagine paying for it (as someone else mentioned the food isn't even worth a $1).

 

However, them doing this without a warning is just unacceptable. :eek:

 

I'm really hating all the new changes with this new CEO. I miss Kevin. :(

[don't-use-real-name]

I'm over it. I wasn't going to do anything because we have a group booking, but I'm going to look at other cruise lines now. If we can't switch, we can't ... but this will be our last on NCL. They can kiss my hiney.

 

When you call NCL or your TA - pretty bluntly put it in STRONG TERMS the

reason for your cancellation. Don't hold back let NCL have it both barrels

at the same time. If dealing with a NCL agent ask to speak to the supervisor

and make it clear in no uncertain terms - then keep it going up the chain of

customer service. If you have an in or way to keep this going all the way to

the CEO do it.

 

There is no good reason on God's green earth for menus fees charges prices

of staterooms to be UNANNOUNCED CHANGES - so what is in your wallet -

fine that will do and also there will be a service charge for cleaning out your

wallet.

 

I hope that somewhere an official of NCL is reading this thread and has the

intestinal fortitude to take positive action !

[AlexandNessa]

User pay system to generate extra revenue is now the way of the future for all industries. Big banks have been doing it for years. Our government is doing it. Airlines are doing it. Hotels are doing it. Cruise ship industry is just the latest to adopt this business concept. Am I surprised to see NCL going this route? Not only is my answer say NO, I envision all other cruise lines will soon be following suit after seeing how much more revenue they can generate with this approach.

 

I think when cruise lines do this, they start the shift from being a vacation to simply being a mode of transportation.

[Da-Painter]

Next week on the BA $5.95 per towel animal and the following week $2 per day for a beach towel unlimted exchanges per day. ;)

 

Plus 18% 'Convenience' gratuity. :eek::eek::eek:

[bwaz]

Most 3 star hotels on land have limited or no room service for guests. That hasn't affected their business at all. NCL is clearly following this business model to cut out an non revenue generating center to trim costs. But I'd agree communication could have been handled better. May have something to do with recent downsizing of its PR department.

 

That may be true, but every hotel and motel we stay in has free do-it-yourself coffee in the room.

 

 

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[Da-Painter]

If this is true, then their communication director needs to be fired. I understand increasing prices, but this is ridiculous. They shot themselves in the foot when they increased gratuities on drinks and added auto gratuities to the specialty restaurants. Now, they have reloaded the gun, and are shooting off vital organs! :(

 

It seems that management thought by increasing costs on gratuities only, it would be easier for the cruise community to accept, but this is way too much too soon. Most of these won't effect me much at all. We don't use room service, and rarely eat at specialty restaurants, but they way it has been handled does leave a bad taste in ones mouth.

 

Oh, they fired the PR folks a few weeks ago.

Suppose they gave them a 'convenience white slip'.

[Lulubelle45]

Oh this thread makes me sad and mad!! NCL was my first cruise, and I never ordered room service as I didn't realize it was free. Second cruise was HAL where I fell in love with room service at breaky. But NCL still my first love. Next came Celebrity where my teens loved room service as the teen programs we not interesting to them. The ordered 2 to 3 times a day! (Tipping ea time) still thought NCL best. My next cruise is Princess. I'm thinking I may have a new favorite as traveling with my elderly mum we are counting on room service to get her going in the am.

I really think when they implement these $$$ changes, it should not effect those after final payment. It's just wrong.

[shukapaw]

I'm looking forward to my first NCL sailing in June. However, with increased DSC, new additional gratuities on Specialty dining and now this charge, I'm looking forward to it a bit less. :mad:

 

I am reminded of Thenardier's song, "Master of the House" from Les Miserables.....

 

Charge 'em for the lice, extra for the mice

Two percent for looking in the mirror twice

Here a little slice, there a little cut

Three percent for sleeping with the window shut

When it comes to fixing prices

There are a lot of tricks he knows

How it all increases, all them bits and pieces

Jesus! It's amazing how it grows!

 

As you can see from my signature, I've also reserved a cruise with NCL for June of '16 but will have to seriously re-evaluate this in light of all the changes.

 

Brian

Edited March 30, 2015 by shukapaw

[Chrislynn55]

I feel bad for those people that get sick and can't leave their room to get food it will cost them.

 

This raises an interesting question. Will passengers who are quarantined have to pay this room service charge? And if they do, I'm wondering whether ill people will stop reporting suspected norvirus cases because it will be too expensive to be confined to their cabin.

[mking8288]

Well ... don't expect to get a canned soda (Pepsi products) either as we used to get a full 12 oz. can of soda in the MDR/Specialty and now (Breakaway, last week's sailing) only get a full glass, filled with lots of ice (maybe 10 oz at most)

 

For our convenience & being environmental friendly, I know :rolleyes: :eek:

[Trevor Fountain]

This is the final straw. How ironic we come back to cruising after a few years of land based holidays, and what we signed up for has changed dramatically.

I really wish I was in a position to cancel, but I have made so many arrangements that I can't.

So what shall I do. Well the budget is set pretty much in stone, and a pot of coffee and light breakfast in the room each morning was and still is on the agenda. It is part of what was on offer at the time of booking and when I made the final payment.

I have to make a stance. The implications for the future of cruising is at stake. I will therefore reduce the DSC to cover whatever room service I have.

If everybody stood up against the underhanded way in which NCL has moved the goalposts after people have already made final payment, they may have to rethink.

I don't care what people think about who I am stiffing. As far as I'm concerned it is NCL doing the stiffing.

No more NCL cruising ever.

[SteveH2508]

This is the final straw. How ironic we come back to cruising after a few years of land based holidays, and what we signed up for has changed dramatically.

I really wish I was in a position to cancel, but I have made so many arrangements that I can't.

So what shall I do. Well the budget is set pretty much in stone, and a pot of coffee and light breakfast in the room each morning was and still is on the agenda. It is part of what was on offer at the time of booking and when I made the final payment.

I have to make a stance. The implications for the future of cruising is at stake. I will therefore reduce the DSC to cover whatever room service I have.

If everybody stood up against the underhanded way in which NCL has moved the goalposts after people have already made final payment, they may have to rethink.

I don't care what people think about who I am stiffing. As far as I'm concerned it is NCL doing the stiffing.

No more NCL cruising ever.

 

Nice of NCL to make the sums easy for us i.e. $12.95 - $7.95 = $5 per day;).

 

Has the pizza stayed at $5? (I doubt it) - pizza for breakfast anyone?:rolleyes:

 

I am glad that I have no Future Cruise Rewards outstanding - this $7.95 charge is ridiculous (if it applies to just a pot of coffee). Added to the hikes in DSC, gratuities etc.. NCL have managed alienate a great many loyal cruisers in a month (including us). I would not recommend NCL to anyone now - they have truly tagged themselves as the nickel-and-dime line.

 

March 2015 may go down incorporate history as the month that NCL destroyed their customer base; their recommendation base and their business.:mad:

[rochelle_s]

This is the final straw. How ironic we come back to cruising after a few years of land based holidays, and what we signed up for has changed dramatically.

I really wish I was in a position to cancel, but I have made so many arrangements that I can't.

So what shall I do. Well the budget is set pretty much in stone, and a pot of coffee and light breakfast in the room each morning was and still is on the agenda. It is part of what was on offer at the time of booking and when I made the final payment.

I have to make a stance. The implications for the future of cruising is at stake. I will therefore reduce the DSC to cover whatever room service I have.

If everybody stood up against the underhanded way in which NCL has moved the goalposts after people have already made final payment, they may have to rethink.

I don't care what people think about who I am stiffing. As far as I'm concerned it is NCL doing the stiffing.

No more NCL cruising ever.

 

As much as I hate to admit it I have to agree with you 100%...it really does come down to the DSC.

 

Avoiding the specialty restaurants, the coffee shop and not ordering room service in and of themselves does nothing to get the message where it needs to go as no one will ever know that you are making a personal sacrifice in order to get the point across. And why should you have to sacrifice anything on your hard earned holiday?

 

NCL , as of late, is doing its best to have us believe that the DSC is no longer the main source of their employees wages. They would rather have us believe that these funds are part of some 'incentive' program. If everyone were to take the time to go to Guest Services and remove the amount of all these new charges from their DSC, and have them make note exactly why, then this would definitely leave a message for management in writing. The onus would then be on the corporation to provide their own funds in order to provide incentive to their employees.

 

There would be no need for anyone to worry about penalizing the crew. You are not penalizing them one cent as NCL has just collected the exact equivalent of what you are removing in the form of their new additional service charges and auto gratuities.

 

We should not just sit back and passively take all these new changes without at least voicing our opinion in a manner that will be heard. Many folks are reluctant to say or do anything about the new changes as they are appreciative of the current 'deals' they have received with this ongoing wave promotion. But what about going forward when all the 'freebies' are gone and you are faced with increases everywhere you turn?

 

We need a concrete manner in which to have a say about one or all of the new changes and I'm afraid the one with the biggest punch and the one we have some control over is the adjustment of the DSC. Even reducing it by just $0.25 a day will leave a paper trail that will hopefully be read by the right eyes. Enough pieces of paper and perhaps someone will even listen.

 

 

Rochelle

Edited March 30, 2015 by rochelle_s

[rochelle_s]

Curious.... Is it now $12.95 ($5 + $7.95) to order a pizza?

 

 

 

Rochelle

[SteveH2508]

I seem to recall that Princess tried something similar recently and had to back pedal rather quickly. Will NCL have the balls to admit they have got it wrong this time? We shall see.

 

I do have the balls to admit that I was wrong about the DSC. I used to defend leaving it in place because it would affect the hard-working crew yada yada...

 

The only place that hitting NCL to get them take notice is the bottom line. Everyone reduces/removes the DSC and then they tip cash and PAYG = many pissed off crew who do not renew their contracts due to reduced income. NCL cannot crew their ships (or have to dip into their own pocket more to pay them or incur extra training costs for new crew). Coupled with more cancellations and reduced bookings and on-board spend, then the suits might just get the message.

[glittergal1]

does anyone have any more information on this thread ? is it true are NCL now charging for room service ? I am sailing on Epic in May I was planning on having breakfast in my room . Ive messaged NCL face book page so I will await their reply too.

[rydan]

EARLY APRILS FOOLS JOKE.

 

What does a blurry cell phone pic have to do with slow ship wifi????

[rydan]

Oh, BTW... With the THOUSANDS of people on NCL ships only one person posted this... C'mon.

[june123]

I`m on the epic in 2 weeks if this is true I will not be buying a future cruise certificate on this trip . This is a case of the straw that broke the camels back for me . Their are other cruise lines who would appreciate my money i`m sure .

[maywell]

Oh, BTW... With the THOUSANDS of people on NCL ships only one person posted this... C'mon.

 

I'll wait for 2 or 3rd from the Gem or another ship by like next Sunday to reconfirm the 1st person's claims. Although, i got to admit when I'm right, I'm right - I called it when I said that NCL was going to get that DSC in one form or the other. No believe me when I said the NCL was going to ask questions regarding reducing or removing it; if it true that room service is $7.95 going forward, they pretty much remove the last good excuse any person can have to taking DSC off or they're going to get the difference, anyway via room service fee. Its actually ingenious and scary of NCL to charge room service - people are going to order it or just head off to the buffet / MDR / O'Sheenan for food; either way people are going to pay for it aka catch-22.

[glittergal1]

If this is an early April Fools Joke it is so not funny !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

If it is a joke the OP should be made to walk the plank

[sparks1093]

This is another thing that is rather easy to avoid but I agree with others that it shouldn't be about avoiding anything. While NCL's room service menu isn't the greatest at least you can get something hot from it (we all ordered burgers one late night on the Gem). Guess Del Rio was serious when he asked if he could get an extra $4-5 dollars a day from each passenger. I am not going to say that we will never sail NCL again but all of this will certainly factor into our decision (and our next full cruise is with CCL because of the price alone).