Poll: Do you bring food to your cabin

[maywell]

My solution is for NCL to get rid of a policy that is bad to begin with and not hassle their guests. It did work for them for the past, what, 40 or 50 years?

And my solution is find another line that doesn't have a policy like that or do like people on 'Save Money and Time' CC forum do and bring your own snack and/or ziplock bags /tupperware/refillable water bottles / travel mug (and they do that on lines that are not NCL).

[MisterFidgetpants]

A diabetic has to do the simple finger ***** test daily anyway(morning, afternoon and evening; sometimes before and after eating).......

 

I was being facetious...

[NLH Arizona]

A diabetic has to do the simple finger ***** test daily anyway(morning, afternoon and evening; sometimes before and after eating).......

I think the poster was just being facetious with her comment. I just think some folks just want to complain and get too upset when others try to come up with a solution that will help others. If NCL keeps this policy intact, I certainly feel sorry for those that really need food in their cabins for whatever reason. Unfortunately I can see those that will go to guest services and deliberately lie just to get out of the room service fee and/or no taking food back to cabin policy (which BTW, NCL has been very clear that snacks can be taken back, but some continue to ignore that), which will in the end hurt those that really need it based on their medical condition...Sad.

[maywell]

I was being facetious...

And I was being serious because I have too many family members with it and some of them are uncontrollable to boot. (If your diabetes is uncontrollable or you need to snack constantly, please do not board a ship/line like that without a backup plan for food- you are putting your life in danger)

Edited May 15, 2015 by maywell

[MisterFidgetpants]

I think the poster was just being facetious with her comment. I just think some folks just want to complain and get too upset when others try to come up with a solution that will help others. If NCL keeps this policy intact, I certainly feel sorry for those that really need food in their cabins for whatever reason. Unfortunately I can see those that will go to guest services and deliberately lie just to get out of the room service fee and/or no taking food back to cabin policy (which BTW, NCL has been very clear that snacks can be taken back, but some continue to ignore that), which will in the end hurt those that really need it based on their medical condition...Sad.

1. Did you notice the "Mister" part of my name? That denotes male gender.

 

2. The simplest, most effective solution is to revert back to the way that worked for decades and that guests had no complaints about. Not sure why that isn't an option for a solution???

 

3. Since it isn't NCL's policy to give anyone with any medical condition free room service or allow them to take food back to the cabin not sure why anyone would need to go lie about anything. Saying they will decide things on a case by case basis just means they have no policy to handle medical necessity. NCL can always say "No, you have to pay for room service/can't take food to your room" no matter what ailment you have.

 

4. It is offensive to suggest someone should divulge their personal medical information in order to eat food on vacation. I'm sorry, but the more I think about it the more ridiculous of a solution it seems like.

[MisterFidgetpants]

And I was being serious because I have too many family members with it and some of them are uncontrollable to boot. (If your diabetes is uncontrollable or you need to snack constantly, please do not board a ship/line like that without a backup plan for food- you are putting your life in danger)

 

There is absolutely no circumstance where I would allow someone at a cruise check in counter to test my blood.

 

I really thought my comment was so outlandish that people would realize it wasn't serious.

[maywell]

I think the poster was just being facetious with her comment. I just think some folks just want to complain and get too upset when others try to come up with a solution that will help others. If NCL keeps this policy intact, I certainly feel sorry for those that really need food in their cabins for whatever reason. Unfortunately I can see those that will go to guest services and deliberately lie just to get out of the room service fee and/or no taking food back to cabin policy (which BTW, NCL has been very clear that snacks can be taken back, but some continue to ignore that), which will in the end hurt those that really need it based on their medical condition...Sad.

 

Problem is some people's idea of a snack is full plate of food and they're not liking that NCL restricted plates. No offense, that the passengers' problem to figure out how many to fit in their hand to take back to their room -I don't see NCL bugling no time soon on the policy....

[NLH Arizona]

1. Did you notice the "Mister" part of my name? That denotes male gender.

 

2. The simplest, most effective solution is to revert back to the way that worked for decades and that guests had no complaints about. Not sure why that isn't an option for a solution???

 

3. Since it isn't NCL's policy to give anyone with any medical condition free room service or allow them to take food back to the cabin not sure why anyone would need to go lie about anything. Saying they will decide things on a case by case basis just means they have no policy to handle medical necessity. NCL can always say "No, you have to pay for room service/can't take food to your room" no matter what ailment you have.

 

4. It is offensive to suggest someone should divulge their personal medical information in order to eat food on vacation. I'm sorry, but the more I think about it the more ridiculous of a solution it seems like.

1. No I did not.

2. But that might not happen, so one has to come up with alternatives. And what I asked, was what was your solution if the policy stayed intact.

3. First off, it is not NCL policy to allow anyone with medical reasons free room service, at least it has not been said by NCL.. What was said is that it would be a case by case situation on the ship. With all the talk about smuggling or taking food back no matter what the rules are, you really don't think there will be those that will lie about needing food in their cabin to get out of the policies!!!!! NCL needs to come up with some kind of policy or they can just say everyone, no matter what their medical condition is, has to pay and that would be sad.

4. Offensive to some, not offensive to others. I would have no problem, if I had diabetes, letting them know if I needed food in my room.

 

We will have to just agree to disagree, because we can continue going in circles all day.

 

Have a wonderful day and hope all your cruises are good ones.

[MisterFidgetpants]

Problem is some people's idea of a snack is full plate of food and they're not liking that NCL restricted plates. No offense, that the passengers' problem to figure out how many to fit in their hand to take back to their room -I don't see NCL bugling no time soon on the policy....

 

What are the plates restricted to and do you have a link to show me? I am interested on what IS allowed and what is NOT allowed.

 

Many years we sailed Royal Caribbean and are trying NCL out. Royal always made us feel like a valued customer. Even our trips on Carnival, Princess, and Celebrity were great. When I read things like "it's the passengers problem" it really makes me concerned over what the heck did I sign up for?!? I'm starting to wish we could cancel without penalty:( I really don't go on vacation to be babysat or micromanaged.

 

Can we still request foam bed toppers or will I need a note from a chiropractor?

[maywell]

There is absolutely no circumstance where I would allow someone at a cruise check in counter to test my blood.

 

I really thought my comment was so outlandish that people would realize it wasn't serious.

Cruise lines block pregnant women of certain timesters from boarding, and if people looks contagious (even when they not). People have to give heads up to cruise line if they have medical condition that restricts what they can eat like Celiac or due to religion like Orthodox Jew. Lets not get start with Coast guard helicopter medical emergencies and morgue onboard - you should had thought that comment out a little bit more......

[Cruise4Real]

I know that parsing NCL "official communications" is likely as fruitful as restarting the age old debate of the number of angels able to dance on the head of a pin. But....

 

It seems to me that from what they've said, so far (and assuming they don't backtrack their bone-headed policy, which I deem entirely likely at this point), the item that will NOT be permitted out of the Buffet will be...THE PLATE.

 

Item: You're allowed to take snacks "like a piece of fruit or a box of cereal." Both are totally doable in the hand, without a plate. Indeed, either is easier to carry in the hand than on a plate.

 

Item: You are NOT allowed to take out "plates of food." As one poster around here said, a snack for him is two pieces of pizza, a couple of hot dogs, etc. One person's snack is another person's complete meal. So "snack" won't be a sufficient descriptor to give useful guidance to the food police. But "plate" will.

 

"It's just a LITTLE helping of the General Tso's chicken, really just an snack!" "Sir, if it's on a PLATE, you can't take it to your room."

[swedish weave]

While I cannot see a reason why someone with diabetes needs to carry food to their cabin, I do understand why they may require room service to get snacks, etc. IMO, some people should be able to get "x" number of free room service orders. These people should have a "need" - not just for convenience sake. No one should have to divulge their illnesses or disabilities, but NCL would have to find a way to grant the "special privileges" based on some criteria.

 

You really need to study the effects of diabetes before making your comments.

 

A diabetic needs to have food immediately or can go into shock and possibly die.

 

Be realistic --- NCL needs to eliminate this ridiculous restriction and allow guests to enjoy their cruise.

[MisterFidgetpants]

Lets not get start with Coast guard helicopter medical emergencies and morgue onboard - you should had thought that comment out a little bit more......

 

What?

[maywell]

What are the plates restricted to and do you have a link to show me? I am interested on what IS allowed and what is NOT allowed.

 

Many years we sailed Royal Caribbean and are trying NCL out. Royal always made us feel like a valued customer. Even our trips on Carnival, Princess, and Celebrity were great. When I read things like "it's the passengers problem" it really makes me concerned over what the heck did I sign up for?!? I'm starting to wish we could cancel without penalty:( I really don't go on vacation to be babysat or micromanaged.

 

Can we still request foam bed toppers or will I need a note from a chiropractor?

Cruise Critic and USA today both have articles regarding the plate restriction - Go read them. I would link but right now I'm on tapatalk which makes it hard to even do underlines and italics. *shrug*

[jimdalva]

On every cruise, I get up early and have coffee at the buffet. I also take a plate from the buffet to the cabin for DW almost every morning. It is a standing joke on the ships that I work room service in the mornings and I do it because I enjoy it. Since this has been going on for several years and over 50 cruises, I do not intend to change even if it means changing cruise lines.

 

This is me as well (but only 20 cruises, we're working on it), my wife take a little longer to get ready in the morning than I do, so off I go. And she's happy to have me out of the way, and return with hot coffee and a little something to eat. I might add that the 'little something' is usually wrong.:)

Edited May 15, 2015 by jimdalva

[MisterFidgetpants]

Cruise Critic and USA today both have articles regarding the plate restriction - Go read them. I would link but right now I'm on tapatalk which makes it hard to even do underlines and italics. *shrug*

 

Yes, I read the articles. It didn't answer my question at all. Do you have different information? I know it is hard to post from an app. Whenever you can share the link I will get an email. It would be helpful to know what is allowed and what is not. Knowing is half the battle!

[swedish weave]

Cruise lines block pregnant women of certain timesters from boarding, and if people looks contagious (even when they not). People have to give heads up to cruise line if they have medical condition that restricts what they can eat like Celiac or due to religion like Orthodox Jew. Lets not get start with Coast guard helicopter medical emergencies and morgue onboard - you should had thought that comment out a little bit more......

 

Do you watch or listen to the news ? A woman gave birth on a plane and said she had no idea she was pregnant.

 

I am becoming more and more convinced that NCL is making these changes to dissuade people from booking cruises on their ships. Whatever the reasons, only the current management team can explain.

 

I will see how these restrictions are enforced on my next NCL cruise, and that will determine my future cruising decisions.

[Travelcat2]

The posters that are giving reasons why RCCL and Carnival are better than NCL is actually a good thing. It gives NCL customers an alternative and a place for posters to go to learn more about their policies. Every cruise line has pluses and minuses - it depends upon which cruise line is the most comfortable for you.

 

It is positive to see other posters giving alternatives to the current policy. Hopefully NCL management will read these and give them serious consideration. Glad to read that NCL is permitting snacks to be brought back to the cabin -- this should solve a couple of issues.

 

For those of you who plan on taking food back to their rooms, I truly hope that you return the plates back to the place you took them from. Leaving them on the floor outside of the room or even in your cabin may lead NCL to take stricter measures to prevent food from leaving the restaurants. It sounds like NCL is currently trusting their passengers to follow the new rules. Hope that their trust is warranted.

[maywell]

Do you watch or listen to the news ? A woman gave birth on a plane and said she had no idea she was pregnant.

 

I am becoming more and more convinced that NCL is making these changes to dissuade people from booking cruises on their ships. Whatever the reasons, only the current management team can explain.

 

I will see how these restrictions are enforced on my next NCL cruise, and that will determine my future cruising decisions.

 

I said CRUISE LINES not airlines and there was case last year regarding Royal and 3 month pregnant woman they deny letting onboard because to them they thought she was going to give birth at anytime plus this week the courts sentence a woman for killing her newborn on Carnival. Then there's the cases of women giving birth on cruise ships while in the 6 -7month of pregancy - its no wonder cruise lines are paranoid about that....

 

And if NCL enforces it well on Jewel / Dawn-class ships, I guess your screwed...And again, if you don't like NCL doing a money grab like that, there's plenty of other cruise lines that will grab your money while letting take as much from the buffet to your room as you like with free room service to boot. (I don't need to worry about the moneygrab, there's plenty of seats while enjoying the sea breeze at buffet and outdoor grill at 10am)

[marazad16]

I may not have a lot of posts here, but I've been using various web forums for nearly 20 years, I can usually sense the trouble makers and useless "contributors". Spidey sense has been tingling all morning over here.

 

Still, I am serious, if NCL has provided a list of what is acceptable and what is not, it would be very useful to hear. Not sure why someone would claim to what it is and then withhold that saying it's "my problem".

 

I spoke with someone at NCL this morning. I asked the very same question. I was told,"they are working on it." As of this moment there is no printed statement to these new changes and rules from NCL on their website. I'm with you, this was a ridiculous way to impose a change!

[swedish weave]

I said CRUISE LINES not airlines and there was case last year regarding Royal and 3 month pregnant woman they deny letting onboard because to them they thought she was going to give birth at anytime plus this week the courts sentence a woman for killing her newborn on Carnival. Then there's the cases of women giving birth on cruise ships while in the 6 -7month of pregancy - its no wonder cruise lines are paranoid about that....

 

And if NCL enforces it well on Jewel / Dawn-class ships, I guess your screwed...And again, if you don't like NCL doing a money grab like that, there's plenty of other cruise lines that will grab your money while letting take as much from the buffet to your room as you like with free room service to boot. (I don't need to worry about the moneygrab, there's plenty of seats while enjoying the sea breeze at buffet and outdoor grill at 10am)

 

I was making comparisons on RULES -- NOT TRANSPORTATION TYPES. Of course, (if) (correction - since-) you are determined to argue, you wouldn't understand that.

 

I am NOT screwed. If I have to devise a way to carry a handful of biscuits and gravy to my cabin, I will do it. The "money grab" prices you keep referring to have nothing to do with my position.

 

I have cruised other lines and know their prices and procedures pretty well. I have found that Princess bottom line prices are actually better than NCL on the cruises I have taken with them.

Edited May 15, 2015 by swedish weave

[swedish weave]

-? People here can keep complaining til the end of time but NCL is not listening and seems to still make money despite the ban because other people are still sailing their ships this spring -it is what it is.*shrug*

 

I suggest you take a look at NCL financial reports to determine if they are making money. Del Rio's statements have caused some to comment that the figures are misleading.

[bangzoom6877]

The fact that NCL allows "snacks" to be taken out, like a piece of fruit, should solve the issue for diabetics because they can bring these things back to their rooms in the evening in case they need something suddenly in the middle of the night. As far as people who like to eat breakfast in their cabins, they still have the included continental breakfast during breakfast hours, the same food that was included during breakfast for years on NCL.

 

Right now, I see one big problem with this is the fact that someone with a child who has a meltdown or starts to fall asleep at the dinner table as mine did two years ago, can no longer eat their dinner without paying a room service fee. This will either cause people to stay inside the restaurant and ruin everyone else's dinner because of a screaming, crying child, or will ruin the dinner of the parents and the child if it happens before they get to eat anything.

 

I'm sure there are other issues that people have personally experienced where they would actually need to take food back to their cabin (as opposed to the people who keep saying "I prefer...", "I want...", or "I like..."). That is just my example.

[swedish weave]

The fact that NCL allows "snacks" to be taken out, like a piece of fruit, should solve the issue for diabetics because they can bring these things back to their rooms in the evening in case they need something suddenly in the middle of the night. As far as people who like to eat breakfast in their cabins, they still have the included continental breakfast during breakfast hours, the same food that was included during breakfast for years on NCL.

 

Right now, I see one big problem with this is the fact that someone with a child who has a meltdown or starts to fall asleep at the dinner table as mine did two years ago, can no longer eat their dinner without paying a room service fee. This will either cause people to stay inside the restaurant and ruin everyone else's dinner because of a screaming, crying child, or will ruin the dinner of the parents and the child if it happens before they get to eat anything.

 

I'm sure there are other issues that people have personally experienced where they would actually need to take food back to their cabin (as opposed to the people who keep saying "I prefer...", "I want...", or "I like..."). That is just my example.

 

I take breakfast to the cabin for DW because she likes it and I like to do it. In over 40 cruises, I have not spilled any food, and I plan to continue doing this even if it means I shift to another cruise line. I have many friends who work on NCL ships and have enjoyed my cruises for many years. That said, I will not abide by these silly rules and if enforcement is strict, they leave me with no choice but to change cruise lines. I have one more cruise booked with NCL, and that will determine my future cruise plans.

 

I find the prices on Princess actually less costly than NCL, and have even seen some old friends working there who formerly worked for NCL.

Edited May 15, 2015 by swedish weave

[karoo]

I think the spilled food is just a myth they have created to justify their new rule. On my 20+ cruises I have yet to see spilled food all over the ship.