New Dining Policy -- Official as of 4:20 EST

[bugspost]

Just got off the Jewel....I did ask the hotel manager about the food policy. First of all, on the Jewel...there isn't any new room service menu so still free (cept for pizza & midnight till 5am) but I am sure that will change.

The hotel manager said that yes, it was a new policy about not taking food to the cabin but understands that some like to take food back to their cabin. He cited the cleanliness of the ship is the reason pointing out that they no longer do the chocolate night because so many would take it back to cabin....and well, guess wasn't a pretty sight in some cabins the next day. Although, it is a new policy, they didn't seem to take a hard line about it.

On our cruise, I saw many take food back to their cabins (yes, plates of food). Nobody said a word about it or hassled anyone so imagine this policy will be enforced based on the hotel manager of the ship. I know that late at night, they put out some items in casino & many take them back to room for that midnight snack.

I don't know if/when they put in the new room service menu w/7.95 charge if they will start enforcing the NO FOOD TAKEN TO YOUR CABIN policy but possibly.

I don't entirely buy into the cleanliness of the ship theory since they obviously have NO problem w/delivering food to the room so what is the difference? People can make a mess with food THEY bring to the cabin OR food that is delivered to them....:cool:

[jaja]

Just got off the Jewel....I did ask the hotel manager about the food policy. First of all, on the Jewel...there isn't any new room service menu so still free (cept for pizza & midnight till 5am) but I am sure that will change.

The hotel manager said that yes, it was a new policy about not taking food to the cabin but understands that some like to take food back to their cabin. He cited the cleanliness of the ship is the reason pointing out that they no longer do the chocolate night because so many would take it back to cabin....and well, guess wasn't a pretty sight in some cabins the next day. Although, it is a new policy, they didn't seem to take a hard line about it.

On our cruise, I saw many take food back to their cabins (yes, plates of food). Nobody said a word about it or hassled anyone so imagine this policy will be enforced based on the hotel manager of the ship. I know that late at night, they put out some items in casino & many take them back to room for that midnight snack.

I don't know if/when they put in the new room service menu w/7.95 charge if they will start enforcing the NO FOOD TAKEN TO YOUR CABIN policy but possibly.

I don't entirely buy into the cleanliness of the ship theory since they obviously have NO problem w/delivering food to the room so what is the difference? People can make a mess with food THEY bring to the cabin OR food that is delivered to them....:cool:

 

Thanks for the 1st hand update...

[Azure Moon]

bugspost, thank you for that report.

 

I agree with you about people being able to make a mess with room delivered food as well.

[imdaring]

This is what my cruise consultant sent me

Hi Wendy,

There is no takeaway to your room any longer.

Drink or snacks would be available throughout the ship and the buffet areas.

 

Sounds like the only thing you can bring back is like whole fruit?

[Cuizer2]

This is what my cruise consultant sent me

Hi Wendy,

There is no takeaway to your room any longer.

Drink or snacks would be available throughout the ship and the buffet areas.

 

Sounds like the only thing you can bring back is like whole fruit?

 

What about half a fruit?

[alvin18]

Just returned from sailing the Epic this week. The $7.95 room charge has been implemented except for Continental breakfast items, they are still free. No big deal for me as we like to go the buffet or the dining room for breakfast. We did bring drinks and dessert from the buffet to our rooms, no one from the staff department said anything to us, so can't confirm if its true or not. We ate at Le Bistro, Teppanyaki, Circue dinner show during this cruise, good experience and we feel the cost per person is usually less than eating at a land restraunt or at least similar, had drinks at the Ice bar. Reading these concerns is kind of a downer as I enjoy NCL. Don't like the Carnival experience, Princess clientele seems older than what I would like to be in, no matter what destination I am at, the Princess passengers just seem older, we are in our early 40s but still enjoy a ship that has a nightlife. We did enjoy this cruise, first time on a large ship, definitely a different experience but something we can get used too. I will monitor CC and see who we will book with next for the Bahamas next year, hopefully it will be NCL but only time will tell. I also wanted to say NCL seems to really spend the money on the shows/entertainment as we have always been impressed.

[legion3]

This is what my cruise consultant sent me

Hi Wendy,

There is no takeaway to your room any longer.

Drink or snacks would be available throughout the ship and the buffet areas.

 

Sounds like the only thing you can bring back is like whole fruit?

 

I still wonder what they actually will do if I walk out of the buffet with a plate full of food and start heading to my room?

[trex-de]

I still wonder what they actually will do if I walk out of the buffet with a plate full of food and start heading to my room?

 

 

Would be interesting. If a confrontation, it will get on the Internet since everyone has a camera. NCL would not want the negative publicity, I imagine.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[my_crib_too]

If I want to take a few cookies back to my room for the good ol' midnight snack, I'll be darned if they're going to tell me no, but they can bring them to me, all for the low low price of $7.95.

 

We were *thinking* of NCL. That thought has completely left my head now.

 

We have in the past ordered breakfast in our cabin (used to be free). Two pots of coffee and cream, maybe a danish or two, too. We would give the delivery person $2 or $3 dollars. If NCL now wants to charge for delivery, is it okay to not tip or are most people still going to give the delivery person a few bucks along with paying the delivery charge.

[cruisebie]

We have in the past ordered breakfast in our cabin (used to be free). Two pots of coffee and cream, maybe a danish or two, too. We would give the delivery person $2 or $3 dollars. If NCL now wants to charge for delivery, is it okay to not tip or are most people still going to give the delivery person a few bucks along with paying the delivery charge.

 

 

There is no charge for continental breakfast type items if ordered before 10 am. So a tip is still in order IMO. On the orders that come with the 7.95 charge, my assumption is that the charge includes the tip.

[philabos]

Am I reading this correctly that I can no longer take a cup of coffee out of the buffet? Really?

Just about to plunk down for JEWEL to Alaska, looks like RUBY PRINCESS instead!

[punkincc]

There is no charge for continental breakfast type items if ordered before 10 am. So a tip is still in order IMO. On the orders that come with the 7.95 charge, my assumption is that the charge includes the tip.

 

I guess it depends on how you look at it. The Daily Service Charge covers gratuities for ALL staff except for those who are specifically excluded like bar staff who are compensated from the 18% added to drink tabs, butlers, etc. As far as I know, NCL has never said room service delivery people were NOT included in the DSC, so why would you tip additionally unless the services were "exceptional" as NCL puts it? If they want us to "tip" these people, then make it clear they are excluded from the DSC.

 

And NCL does not call the $7.95 Service Charge a gratuity as they do the 18% added to Specialty Dining ( 18% Gratuity AND Service Charge ). So the fact that "gratuity" is nowhere in the title for room service delivery tells me that it is a fee collected by NCL and has nothing to do with providing compensation for staff.

Edited May 17, 2015 by punkincc

[NLH Arizona]

Am I reading this correctly that I can no longer take a cup of coffee out of the buffet? Really?

Just about to plunk down for JEWEL to Alaska, looks like RUBY PRINCESS instead!

Where does it say that you can't take drinks out. All I've read is that it is a plate full of food you can't take out and that doesn't seem to be enforced on the ships.

[sjnyc323]

Just got off Getaway. You can bring snacks back to room just not full meals

[LMaxwell]

Just got off Getaway. You can bring snacks back to room just not full meals

Can you clarify a bit and tell us what the difference is for a snack or meal and how they communicated the new policy or how it was enforced? Do they allow "meals" on the pool deck?

[schwesterellibelli]

I booked my cruise a year ago for september 2015 with the old conditions. When you pay the deposit doesn't that mean you sugn a contract ? Can they break or change the contract without announcing it to their customers? If I would not be on CC , I would not have known about the new rules.

I hope you know what I mean.For example the airlines when they throw in their baggage fee, they honored the flights after that change when the were bought before the new policy took over.

[maywell]

I booked my cruise a year ago for september 2015 with the old conditions. When you pay the deposit doesn't that mean you sugn a contract ? Can they break or change the contract without announcing it to their customers? If I would not be on CC , I would not have known about the new rules.

I hope you know what I mean.For example the airlines when they throw in their baggage fee, they honored the flights after that change when the were bought before the new policy took over.

 

The wording that don't have to make announcements while making changes is sadly in the contract....

[NLH Arizona]

I booked my cruise a year ago for september 2015 with the old conditions. When you pay the deposit doesn't that mean you sugn a contract ? Can they break or change the contract without announcing it to their customers? If I would not be on CC , I would not have known about the new rules.

I hope you know what I mean.For example the airlines when they throw in their baggage fee, they honored the flights after that change when the were bought before the new policy took over.

No, NCL can not break the contract. But since the contract is for transportation on the ship and ordinary vessel food, how did they break it with regard to the changes?

[Stepzz]

We just returned from the Getaway yesterday. We took multiple plates from the buffet back to our room and no one ever said a word or gave us a funny look. Only smiles from the staff.

 

My husband brought me and our daughter breakfast a few times and lunch was very often brought back to the room to enjoy while letting our daughter unwind for a nap. We also brought a full plate back to the room every night for our daughter to snack on if she was hungry after splash academy.

 

We enjoyed drinks, meals and snacks we brought back to our aft large balcony pretty much every day.

 

Empty plates were left in the room for the room steward to clear and we took plates with leftover food back up to the buffet so as not to leave messes anywhere.

 

We never attempted take out from any other venue but taking food out from the buffet and flamingo was definitely ok during our cruise.

[cruiserninja1]

I booked my cruise a year ago for september 2015 with the old conditions. When you pay the deposit doesn't that mean you sugn a contract ? Can they break or change the contract without announcing it to their customers? If I would not be on CC , I would not have known about the new rules.

 

I hope you know what I mean.For example the airlines when they throw in their baggage fee, they honored the flights after that change when the were bought before the new policy took over.

 

 

You may be interested in this thread , a lot of people feel the same way as you.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2208608

[punkincc]

No, NCL can not break the contract. But since the contract is for transportation on the ship and ordinary vessel food, how did they break it with regard to the changes?

 

If they are going to continually add fees and charges that were not clearly and prominently disclosed on the website at the time of booking, maybe it is time for a law much like was recently enacted ( if memory serves ) for the airlines who felt they could entice you to book with a low price and then stick you with fees after the fact. It was impossible to compare fares because the add ons were not disclosed up front. It seems to me the cruise lines, at least NCL, is doing the same thing. And just because it would stand up in a court of law, does not make it right, or a smart move PR wise.

[NLH Arizona]

If they are going to continually add fees and charges that were not clearly and prominently disclosed on the website at the time of booking, maybe it is time for a law much like was recently enacted ( if memory serves ) for the airlines who felt they could entice you to book with a low price and then stick you with fees after the fact. It was impossible to compare fares because the add ons were not disclosed up front. It seems to me the cruise lines, at least NCL, is doing the same thing. And just because it would stand up in a court of law, does not make it right, or a smart move PR wise.

The airline bill of rights states that the airlines must include mandatory fees and taxes. None of NCL's changes are mandatory, even the DSC can be removed. Not to mention, that all the increases or changes with a fee are on NCL's website. The only one that I haven't seen is the policy about taking food back to cabins, which doesn't incur a fee of any kind. NCL is not forcing anyone to have room service, eat at a specialty restaurant, purchase a for cost beverage, etc., so until they force me, it will be my choice and I can clearly compare fares, because all other cruise lines have costs for specialty restaurants and gratuities for beverage purchases and, if I didn't know and wanted room service, I would tell them to cancel it once they told me about the $7.95 fee, not to mention if I do research on their website, I would know everything that is in addition to my fare.

[kismet618]

We just returned from the Getaway yesterday. We took multiple plates from the buffet back to our room and no one ever said a word or gave us a funny look. Only smiles from the staff.

 

 

 

My husband brought me and our daughter breakfast a few times and lunch was very often brought back to the room to enjoy while letting our daughter unwind for a nap. We also brought a full plate back to the room every night for our daughter to snack on if she was hungry after splash academy.

 

 

 

We enjoyed drinks, meals and snacks we brought back to our aft large balcony pretty much every day.

 

 

 

Empty plates were left in the room for the room steward to clear and we took plates with leftover food back up to the buffet so as not to leave messes anywhere.

 

 

 

We never attempted take out from any other venue but taking food out from the buffet and flamingo was definitely ok during our cruise.

 

 

That's great to hear. Did you see others doing the same?

[Stepzz]

Yes, I witnessed many others doing the same. I saw people at the pool area with food, in elevators with plates of food and walking down passenger halls with plates of food.

 

I also saw plates of food on the floor in the hall near my room but not many and they weren't there for long.

[Nanabella]

I just returned last night after ten days on the Jewel to Alaska,every morning in O'Shehans there was a coffee station set up with to go cups before 6:00 am, when breakfast was served.After returning from Port on the third or fourth day,I went to the resteraunt about 3:00 pm and requested a cup to go.The hostess insisted that for my safety she could not provide me with coffee to go and I pointed out that it was there every morning and that the crew was providing hot chocolate to go when you reboard.She ordered a pot for my room and told me it was a liability for the resteraunt. Later that evening I spoke with the Food service manager who told me there had been an incident where a passenger carrying a plate of food fell and had a facial laceration from the broken plate.He told me she was taking it too far and he would speak to her.I never had another problem getting coffee to go any time of day again.We were also able to take food from the buffet back to our rooms,although the plates were plastic we were never stopped by anyone.