Can't bring soda on board anymore

[BruceMuzz]

So, $45 for six beers I can get at Walmart for $4.50? That is 10x the price. I can't imagine why anyone drinks beer on the ship at that price.

 

Water at 2.5x the price on shore is looking like a bargain!

 

$700 for a 7 day cruise when I can borrow a canoe and rent a tent and do it for next to nothing?

That is far more than 100x the price. I can't imagine why anyone books a cruise at those prices.

I'm just going to stay at home in the trailer park and spray the wife with the garden hose a few times.

[Lulubelle45]

I am concerned with passengers refilling water bottles in the buffet. Some of the bottles are old and dirty, and ,for health reasons , NONE are to be refilled here. Despite the signs, they were being refilled all the time on our last Epic cruise. No one enforces this rule and it leads to health issues. Ncl should put in a bottle filling station like most airports have. With the new restrictions, water safety needs to be addressed.

 

Perhaps i should plan on dragging Mr Washy washy over to the water spout for a quick clean before i use it. Happy happy lol

[Sotermarler]

I honestly had no idea that so many adults cared so much about soda pop.

 

 

I don't drink coffee, tea, or alcohol so when not drinking water I drink soda.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Frick_&_Frack]

There's a lot of talk that this was done to get rid of the "value cruiser".

 

Maybe I'm in the minority on that; however, I book only the Haven, and even then, when the bookings open. So, I'm locked in. I don't wait for upsells, etc., nor have I been offered any. I see so many upsells into the Haven that, honestly, some days it's sort of depressing since, for years, you had to book early and fast to even get into the Haven.

 

Even with my DH's passing, I still only book the Haven, yes, paying the 200% gladly for the service.

 

On board, I have racked up many a nice bill (including very generous "donations" to the casino :eek: ).

 

I'm lucky to be able to do that for vacation. Never do much of anything the rest of the year, so, for me, it's those few weeks to just have fun.

 

I am tired, though, of all the changes with limited warning. Almost *none* impacted me with either being in the Haven, or not having children, etc. However, I've always understood the outrage of cruisers. While NCL has every right to run how they wish, adequate notice to the consumer is always just a good business practice.

 

This particular change impacted me (on top of the "yet another quick change"). So, it was time to review options (and, luckily, I found replacements that fit my schedule exactly as I had locked those weeks in).

 

I get it that many don't understand the water/soda "thing". For me, those rum and cokes in the suite meant a lot (and, yes, I ordered a bottle to the room at a high cost). Stupid to a lot of people (apparently); but I won't apologize for the little thing that makes me happy.

 

So, maybe NCL will also chase away at least some cruisers who aren't in that "value" profile that they seem to abhor.

 

Just sayin.....

[Deptacon]

So it's not a hassle to bring a case of water on-board but it is a hassle to bring a filtered cup:confused:

 

THIS....Right here.

 

Geeze I mean I really don't think people here understand what they sound like when they complain about this issue relevant to bottled water. if you want it buy it on the ship. Getting mad about 5 dollar sodas at the movies or let me guess... you bring popcorn in hidden in your purse.

 

Hey, just spent a grand on a cruise....but I am going raise holy hell about not being able to lug my case of water o nthe cruise ship.

 

You have different vacation options? GOOD! TAKE THEM. I am so sick of the population of cruisers who are americas complainers. Maybe these changes will run you off.

 

The lines dont care, Cruising is a high growth industry. Has been for over a decade and continues to grown. What that means is if you are the kind of person that would complain about not being able to bring bottled water on ....they dont want you and they dont need you. As another passenger, I dont want you either because you probably complain about everything while on board.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Deptacon

[FreestyleNovice]

Happy 15th of July all!!

 

[AquaMarineFerret]

Happy 15th of July all!!

 

 

Don't you just wish that was real footage from NCL's pier today? :D

[beerman2]

Deptacon

 

Many truths to your post.

 

Corporation don't care as they once did. They know there is that next person to replace the ones leaving.

 

It is about the $$$$$$ aka Bottom Line.

 

There have been so many changes through the years with everything. And we keep going on.

[sparks1093]

will result in even higher long-term profits for the company, and higher dividends for stock holders.

 

And that is what many of us think is the reasoning behind this change and not the "security" bs that NCL published and that as much as anything else is what is sticking in people's craw.

[sparks1093]

There's a lot of talk that this was done to get rid of the "value cruiser".

 

Maybe I'm in the minority on that; however, I book only the Haven, and even then, when the bookings open. So, I'm locked in. I don't wait for upsells, etc., nor have I been offered any. I see so many upsells into the Haven that, honestly, some days it's sort of depressing since, for years, you had to book early and fast to even get into the Haven.

 

Even with my DH's passing, I still only book the Haven, yes, paying the 200% gladly for the service.

 

On board, I have racked up many a nice bill (including very generous "donations" to the casino :eek: ).

 

I'm lucky to be able to do that for vacation. Never do much of anything the rest of the year, so, for me, it's those few weeks to just have fun.

 

I am tired, though, of all the changes with limited warning. Almost *none* impacted me with either being in the Haven, or not having children, etc. However, I've always understood the outrage of cruisers. While NCL has every right to run how they wish, adequate notice to the consumer is always just a good business practice.

 

This particular change impacted me (on top of the "yet another quick change"). So, it was time to review options (and, luckily, I found replacements that fit my schedule exactly as I had locked those weeks in).

 

I get it that many don't understand the water/soda "thing". For me, those rum and cokes in the suite meant a lot (and, yes, I ordered a bottle to the room at a high cost). Stupid to a lot of people (apparently); but I won't apologize for the little thing that makes me happy.

 

So, maybe NCL will also chase away at least some cruisers who aren't in that "value" profile that they seem to abhor.

 

Just sayin.....

 

The value cruiser is the target but there is always collateral damage.

[Frick_&_Frack]

The value cruiser is the target but there is always collateral damage.

 

Very true. Maybe they should do something about the "fire sales" (upsells) into the Haven if they want to have a decent revenue stream from it. ;) :rolleyes:

[sparks1093]

THIS....Right here.

 

Geeze I mean I really don't think people here understand what they sound like when they complain about this issue relevant to bottled water. if you want it buy it on the ship. Getting mad about 5 dollar sodas at the movies or let me guess... you bring popcorn in hidden in your purse.

 

Hey, just spent a grand on a cruise....but I am going raise holy hell about not being able to lug my case of water o nthe cruise ship.

 

You have different vacation options? GOOD! TAKE THEM. I am so sick of the population of cruisers who are americas complainers. Maybe these changes will run you off.

 

The lines dont care, Cruising is a high growth industry. Has been for over a decade and continues to grown. What that means is if you are the kind of person that would complain about not being able to bring bottled water on ....they dont want you and they dont need you. As another passenger, I dont want you either because you probably complain about everything while on board.

 

When someone pays thousands for a vacation they do so with the expectation that their wants and needs are going to be met, that's why it's called the hospitality industry. People's wants used to be accommodated by allowing them to bring on their own water and soft drinks if what was offered aboard did not meet their needs. Now people are locked into a take it or leave it mentality by the cruise line. NCL is not longer being run as a hospitality organization- no organization that sees it's customers as a "captive audience" can call itself that.

[maggieworkman]

T

 

You have different vacation options? GOOD! TAKE THEM. I am so sick of the population of cruisers who are americas complainers. Maybe these changes will run you off.

 

 

Personally, I can't. This change was instituted AFTER my final payment date.

 

But you can be sure I will include this in my decision making when choosing my next cruise. I already left Carnival over their huge decrease in entertainment (no live bands, production shows turning into guest-led shows, etc.). Not sure what to do next. But I'll reflect on all the options and go with what fits my needs at the time.

 

Maggie

[don1976]

Some of the bottles are old and dirty

 

 

Some of the passengers are old and dirty too ;)

 

In all seriousness, on a vessel where you're in close proximity with thousands of people, the lengths you would have to go to to eliminate the slightest chance of picking up bacteria from fellow passengers or crew would be immense.

 

If you're that concerned with regards to anything being transferred into your water from the outlets, then you can buy special 'backpacking' type filtration systems which will filter out bacteria and protozoa. It won't filter out viruses though - you'd need a purification chemical such as chlorine dioxide or the like to add a couple of drops.

 

Alternatively, if you're hell bent on avoiding as much bacteria and the like, the best bet is for you to stay at home.

[don1976]

When someone pays thousands for a vacation they do so with the expectation that their wants and needs are going to be met, that's why it's called the hospitality industry. People's wants used to be accommodated by allowing them to bring on their own water and soft drinks if what was offered aboard did not meet their needs. Now people are locked into a take it or leave it mentality by the cruise line. NCL is not longer being run as a hospitality organization- no organization that sees it's customers as a "captive audience" can call itself that.

 

All hospitality organisations treat their customers as a captive audience to a certain extent. NCL or just being honest about it.

[Newfun4me]

There's a lot of talk that this was done to get rid of the "value cruiser".

 

Maybe I'm in the minority on that; however, I book only the Haven, and even then, when the bookings open. So, I'm locked in. I don't wait for upsells, etc., nor have I been offered any. I see so many upsells into the Haven that, honestly, some days it's sort of depressing since, for years, you had to book early and fast to even get into the Haven.

 

Even with my DH's passing, I still only book the Haven, yes, paying the 200% gladly for the service.

 

On board, I have racked up many a nice bill (including very generous "donations" to the casino :eek: ).

 

I'm lucky to be able to do that for vacation. Never do much of anything the rest of the year, so, for me, it's those few weeks to just have fun.

 

I am tired, though, of all the changes with limited warning. Almost *none* impacted me with either being in the Haven, or not having children, etc. However, I've always understood the outrage of cruisers. While NCL has every right to run how they wish, adequate notice to the consumer is always just a good business practice.

 

This particular change impacted me (on top of the "yet another quick change"). So, it was time to review options (and, luckily, I found replacements that fit my schedule exactly as I had locked those weeks in).

 

I get it that many don't understand the water/soda "thing". For me, those rum and cokes in the suite meant a lot (and, yes, I ordered a bottle to the room at a high cost). Stupid to a lot of people (apparently); but I won't apologize for the little thing that makes me happy.

 

So, maybe NCL will also chase away at least some cruisers who aren't in that "value" profile that they seem to abhor.

 

Just sayin.....

 

I agree with you. We are on our first NCL cruise in 2 weeks going from Seattle to Alaska. We are not value cruisers. While we did get an upsell into the haven category, we won't be using the haven because we are traveling with our kids and they are in a penthouse (no haven access). We upsold from the penthouse to the owners suite more for the extra space than anything else. With the two suites, we have spent more than $14K with NCL so far (for 7 days with 4 people) and I'm confident we'll spend more on board. But, we will definitely shop around should we decide to cruise again and NCL will not be high on my list. I've sucked it up and ordered the bottle water package. It's not the money. It's the frustration with the way it was handled. Although it may seem crazy to some, we would have brought our preferred drinks and a case of water on board with us. We drink a lot of water and the 1L bottles are not really all that convenient to carry around. Considering our cruise leaves in 15 days, it was way too late for us to change our plans after they changed the policy. This certainly won't impact the fun we have on this vacation. We are pumped and ready to go, but the likelihood of NCL seeing future money from me is pretty slim. This situation has made me go check out a number of the other cruise lines and it looks like they have some nice options, as well.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Newfun4me

[Zippeedee]

Sorry, this posted on the wrong thread!

Edited July 15, 2016 by Zippeedee
wrong thread

[fshagan]

Can you give me an example?

Are you saying a $4.50 case of Aquafina bought on shore is only $11.25 on board?

 

When comparing prices you have to compare like-for-like. NCL provides 1 liter bottles of Auqafina, not the cheaper one-half liter bottles.

 

Look online for prices of 1 liter bottles. The cheapest you'll find are in the $1.25 range. NCL's 18 pack works out, with the 18% gratuity they might charge, to $2.77 a bottle.

 

Now go down to a convenience store and look at the pricing ... that's where we buy water when we go on a cruise because we're not paying $25 to check it as baggage. A 1 liter bottle of Aquafina is close to $2.

 

I have no idea why 1 liter bottles are so much more expensive. Maybe the bottles themselves have much more plastic. But they are more expensive.

 

"Too much markup" is dependent on the wholesale price, and for whatever reason, the wholesale price of 1 liter bottles of Auqafina is evidently much higher than the equivalent amount of half-liter bottles.

 

I would prefer more choice; if NCL offered the one-half liter of Aquafina at two and a half times the price of Costco I would take it and be happy. I prefer the smaller bottles to lug around.

[jm485]

I agree with you. We are on our first NCL cruise in 2 weeks going from Seattle to Alaska. We are not value cruisers. While we did get an upsell into the haven category, we won't be using the haven because we are traveling with our kids and they are in a penthouse (no haven access). We upsold from the penthouse to the owners suite more for the extra space than anything else. With the two suites, we have spent more than $14K with NCL so far (for 7 days with 4 people) and I'm confident we'll spend more on board. But, we will definitely shop around should we decide to cruise again and NCL will not be high on my list. I've sucked it up and ordered the bottle water package. It's not the money. It's the frustration with the way it was handled. Although it may seem crazy to some, we would have brought our preferred drinks and a case of water on board with us. We drink a lot of water and the 1L bottles are not really all that convenient to carry around. Considering our cruise leaves in 15 days, it was way too late for us to change our plans after they changed the policy. This certainly won't impact the fun we have on this vacation. We are pumped and ready to go, but the likelihood of NCL seeing future money from me is pretty slim. This situation has made me go check out a number of the other cruise lines and it looks like they have some nice options, as well.

 

Yep.

 

Just because you're willing to spend $1000 a day for a cabin doesn't mean you are not interested in value, the same way that spending $100 a day for a cabin doesn't mean you are cheap. NCL's management doesn't seem to get that people are interested in the value they get for their money, and that no one likes to feel taken advantage of. Not even people for whom spending the extra money on water isn't really a big deal. It's the principle of the way the change was rolled out.

[NLH Arizona]

Correct me if I'm wrong; but it only seems those that inquired directly, received notification prior to their final payment; and not those that deliberately waited until after final payment were notified. (Just curious to see if my theory is correct.)

I went back and looked at the poster's posts and didn't see where they called anyone.

[sparks1093]

All hospitality organisations treat their customers as a captive audience to a certain extent. NCL or just being honest about it.

 

No they don't because they are not captive. If I am staying at a Hilton hotel I am under no obligation to dine in their restaurant or drink in their bar, I can go out the door and go down the street.

[NCLStarHawaii2003]

Can't bring soda on board anymore

I guess some have received it prior to final payment:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2378433&page=2

 

 

 

 

Isn't this the link you shared? They sent an email July7th, and received a call back.

http://

boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=50498010

[NLH Arizona]

Can't bring soda on board anymore

I guess some have received it prior to final payment:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2378433&page=2

 

 

 

 

Isn't this the link you shared? They sent an email July7th, and received a call back.

http://

boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=50498010

I think you are looking at a different poster, the post from Zippeedee said they got the email from their TA. I believe it was NW Pacific who said they sent an email on July 7th.

Edited July 15, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[bookbabe]

We upsold from the penthouse to the owners suite more for the extra space than anything else. ..... I've sucked it up and ordered the bottle water package.

 

 

Newfun4me, you get unlimited free bottle water and canned soda with an Owners Suite (in room only) so talk to your butler about getting some smaller bottles than the 1L ones.

[AquaMarineFerret]

Yep.

 

Just because you're willing to spend $1000 a day for a cabin doesn't mean you are not interested in value, the same way that spending $100 a day for a cabin doesn't mean you are cheap. NCL's management doesn't seem to get that people are interested in the value they get for their money, and that no one likes to feel taken advantage of. Not even people for whom spending the extra money on water isn't really a big deal. It's the principle of the way the change was rolled out.

 

+1 from me!