NCL approach -second thoughts

[chisoxfan]

What is the difference in bringing an empty water bottle onboard or a refillable Teva or Brita bottle that they fill onboard the ship? Some like to carry a water bottle and some, like me (I've done this way before the no water on the ship policy was inacted), have no issues with another kind of refillable container. Not sure how NCL is being short sighted because folks have no issue drinking the ship's water.

 

Yes, IMHO NCL is being short sighted in not offering bottled water with the 79 a day plus grat "ultimate" drink package. All the other lines include bottled water (at least the ones I have cruised HAL, X, Princess. As I indicated I had been surprised by this after booking but was told it was simple to check a case or two of water. Not ideal perhaps in convenience but OK I felt I can go along. Then this policy changed because of 'security" concerns. So bottom line if we want bottled water we can prepay for case(s) of it at ridiculous prices and pay an 18% service charge for the honor. Yes I think it is a clear case of 'nickle and diming' and a company 'forcing' a passenger to pay for something they desire and which should be part of a drink package. If security was the real concern to prevent bringing bottled water on board why not offer package of water at a bit more reasonable price. 25 a case vs 55? I would be OK with this and NCL makes a nice mark up. Instead they use the situation as a means to gouge their passenger.JMHO

[NLH Arizona]

Yes, IMHO NCL is being short sighted in not offering bottled water with the 79 a day plus grat "ultimate" drink package. All the other lines include bottled water (at least the ones I have cruised HAL, X, Princess. As I indicated I had been surprised by this after booking but was told it was simple to check a case or two of water. Not ideal perhaps in convenience but OK I felt I can go along. Then this policy changed because of 'security" concerns. So bottom line if we want bottled water we can prepay for case(s) of it at ridiculous prices and pay an 18% service charge for the honor. Yes I think it is a clear case of 'nickle and diming' and a company 'forcing' a passenger to pay for something they desire and which should be part of a drink package. If security was the real concern to prevent bringing bottled water on board why not offer package of water at a bit more reasonable price. 25 a case vs 55? I would be OK with this and NCL makes a nice mark up. Instead they use the situation as a means to gouge their passenger.JMHO

 

To me, it would be nickel and diming if there wasn't free drinkable water on the ships. No one is forcing you to purchase water onboard the ships, as the water provided free of charge is very drinkable. NCL is not Princess or Hal or Celebrity, they have the right to price items on the ship at the price they feel comfortable with and if lower priced water is a major issue for some, there are other lines to choose from who sell it at a lower price or allow passengers to carry it on (however, if one really does a price comparison, some of these lines charge more overall, so you would actually be spending more money being able to bring on water or purchase it for a lower price-I check a NCL versus Carnival cruise for December 2017 and with all perks and costs/perks included Carnival was $108 more than NCL, so the cheap water is actually cost passengers more). Even though I certainly understand the frustration of those who want to save money and carry their own drinks onto the ships, there are many, many of us who have never carried any liquids on a ship nor do we have to purchase water on the ships, as the free water is fine for us, thus the policy is a non-issue for many, many passengers.

[chisoxfan]

To me, it would be nickel and diming if there wasn't free drinkable water on the ships. No one is forcing you to purchase water onboard the ships, as the water provided free of charge is very drinkable. NCL is not Princess or Hal or Celebrity, they have the right to price items on the ship at the price they feel comfortable with and if lower priced water is a major issue for some, there are other lines to choose from who sell it at a lower price or allow passengers to carry it on (however, if one really does a price comparison, some of these lines charge more overall, so you would actually be spending more money being able to bring on water or purchase it for a lower price-I check a NCL versus Carnival cruise for December 2017 and with all perks and costs/perks included Carnival was $108 more than NCL, so the cheap water is actually cost passengers more). Even though I certainly understand the frustration of those who want to save money and carry their own drinks onto the ships, there are many, many of us who have never carried any liquids on a ship nor do we have to purchase water on the ships, as the free water is fine for us, thus the policy is a non-issue for many, many passengers.

 

If you read my previous posts I had stated clearly my interest in making a

value comparison between NCL and other options. My intent was not to get into a bottle water versus tap water discussion. If NCL charged for loungers I am sure some posters would argue that you don't have to sit down but can comfortably put a towel on the deck to sit on (assuming they don't charge for the towel).

 

My point is that bottled water is essential to many cruisers. We drink it during our routine existence and why would we expect to forgo it on vacation.It is not like specialty dining, spa, shore excursions, or photo packages that a passenger could readily skip and not affect the cruise experience. NCL does not include it in UBP unlike most other drink packages, they eliminated the option to bring water on board, and they only

now offer very high priced options for those who want bottled water:

 

 

For all ships except Pride of America

Item # Description Price Savings

WBP6 6-pack (1-liter bottles) $22.95 USD 30%

WBP12 12-pack (1-liter bottles) $39.95 USD 39%

WBP18 18-pack (1-liter bottles) $49.95 USD 50%

WBP24 24-pack (1-liter bottles) $59.95 USD 55%

Note: 18% gratuities & service charge will be applied at time of purchase

 

To me this is nickle and diming (or 'dollaring ' if there was such a word).

As stated we will most likely hold our noses and purchase a case or two of water for over 100 dollars. I consider it a necessary if unfortunate cost of the cruise but it doesn't mean I have to applaud it or rationalize the NCL approach.

 

It may not stop us from cruising with NCL but does raise a level of concern and make us look harder at the NCL choice. JMHO

[Annmeat]

I've never had any issues with getting empty bottles on board.

 

It's only full bottles they care about, and they'll just ask you to either drink or dispose of the water before getting on board.

 

Security isn't that tight, I've walked straight through on-board security with 2 large bottles of spirits in my bag before and not been stopped - so I wouldn't worry about empty bottles.

 

This would be impossible to enforce. Won't show up on X-ray , would have to search every bag OR attempt to confiscate once onboard .

[chisoxfan]

Since I started this post maybe I can close it as well.

 

The 'new' NCL model just rubs me the wrong way so we have elected to cancel the Getaway and travel on HAL. (Please refrain from any 'good riddance' posts). I had been a fan of NCL (Norway, Sky 2x, Jade, Epic). The Epic did disappoint perhaps more than any cruise I had been on (not a bad cruise just did not 'connect' with this ship) but I remained anxious to give NCL another try.

 

I would not completely rule out NCL in the future and understand the cruise industry has a changing dynamic but for me the NCL 'let's see what we can charge for' model is pushing the envelope too far.

 

Happy cruising to all the NCL faithful.

[nednrom]

Starting to read the CC postings more thoroughly with an NCL cruise coming up.

 

I note the general dissatisfaction with some of NCL's policies. Summing up my understanding:

 

- we pay an 18% grat up front for UBP

- specialty dining will incur an 18% charge

- no bottled water included in UBP/ no water allowed to bring on board

- 7.95 charge for room service full breakfast items Not sure if this is a charge all day

- researching Harvest Caye it now looks questionable to me that UBP will be honored on the island and no food will be offered without charge.

- Margaritaville will be a pay as you go experience

- we will pay (if available) 100 pp for Vibe (one week)

 

We are getting within a few weeks of final payment and frankly am getting a bit bothered myself with the 'nickle and diming' approach. Was aware of several of these items when I booked but not all. Bringing water on board was an option then as an example and I assumed HC had UDP included. Just learned about the room service charge. It is not so much the specific costs involved but the marketing concept behind this approach. I love cruises in part because of the minimal focus on 'spending' while on board especially with drink packages, etc.

 

I am not posting this to inflame but to share my thoughts as an (primarily) X cruiser who has taken 5 NCL cruises but the last was several years ago.

Yes, I know this is for the most part 'upfront' info that has to be weighed to make a purchase decision but it still causes pause none the less. Probably going to keep my eyes open to X, HAL, and Princess options in the next few weeks. JMHO

 

I will be cruising for the first time in a long time with Norwegian but I can tell you that Norwegian is not the only one with 18% gratuity - Royal and Carnival have also increased their gratuities. I can also say that Carnival does not allow usage of their beverage package on their private island and I had to ask to find that out because Royal allows it. I also know that after a certain time there is a charge for room service on some cruise lines. We don't mind paying for VIBE $100 - our kids are grown and some peace and quiet at the poolside sounds heavely - that is if we can get passes.

 

I wish the UBP included water - all other cruise lines allow this and don't charge as much for their package. For this cruise however, we got the dining package and UBP free except for the gratuities so that was a bonus.

 

We have decided to try different cruise lines for the experience so that's why I booked with Norwegian. I will probably book another one next year with another cruise line in the middle there.

Edited September 20, 2016 by nednrom

[chisoxfan]

I will be cruising for the first time in a long time with Norwegian but I can tell you that Norwegian is not the only one with 18% gratuity - Royal and Carnival have also increased their gratuities. I can also say that Carnival does not allow usage of their beverage package on their private island and I had to ask to find that out because Royal allows it. I also know that after a certain time there is a charge for room service on some cruise lines. We don't mind paying for VIBE $100 - our kids are grown and some peace and quiet at the poolside sounds heavely - that is if we can get passes.

 

I wish the UBP included water - all other cruise lines allow this and don't charge as much for their package. For this cruise however, we got the dining package and UBP free except for the gratuities so that was a bonus.

 

We have decided to try different cruise lines for the experience so that's why I booked with Norwegian. I will probably book another one next year with another cruise line in the middle there.

 

The water is a big deal for us. The HAL package includes it and I can see easily a 10-12 bottle a day usage for both of us combined. This could be 200 dollars for a week long cruise. The HAL drink package restricts to 15 drinks per person per day but was told they usually do not include water. Whether this is true of not I think we are covered with 30 drinks a day between us.

Also I was excited to be able to book a poolside cabana on Eurodam in advance for 200 week. This is huge for me. The thought of trying to board early and 'run' to customer service desk to secure possible Vibe passes is too much drama. The Vibe alternative on Epic was nice because it was a glass elevator ride to the pool. Would definitely want my lounging spot close to the water. Not doing the let's find a place to sit crawl every morning with all loungers occupied (or maybe saved another hot topic) is

worth a lot to me.

As we all know there is no perfect cruise line just different styles and I hope you enjoy your NCL cruise.

[mom2tcdx2]

Overall when you book a cruise or any vacation you really need to look at the cost of everything - cruise, airfare or travel expenses, dining and drink packages if offered, service charge/gratuity. All lines pretty much have all the same extras - photos, casino, bingo, shops, etc.

 

I try to account for everything when booking our trips. Some cost more strictly based on the dates chosen, other times I picked a trip and the dates based on the cost I found.

 

I would never buy the NCL drink package at $79 pp, however I will pay the service charge of $94 (or whatever) to get it as a perk as I know I will spend at least that much anyway buying drinks (usually I am in the $300 range).

 

I also don't tend to buy water on a cruise, I will drink the water at dinner, but that is about it. I don't buy the soda packages on other ships as I don't care for coke products.

 

Room service I don't tend to order, have maybe done it 4 times out of all my cruises. I am not bothered by getting something from the buffet and take it back to my cabin if I wish.

 

I don't play Bingo, buy photos, I spend a very small amount in the Casino. I don't pay for specialty dining on Carnival, Princess, Disney or Royal, I was fine with the dining rooms. Personally I do take into account the dining package on NCL upfront as one of my expenses, as I have never been all that thrilled with their dining rooms.

[chisoxfan]

Overall when you book a cruise or any vacation you really need to look at the cost of everything - cruise, airfare or travel expenses, dining and drink packages if offered, service charge/gratuity. All lines pretty much have all the same extras - photos, casino, bingo, shops, etc.

 

I try to account for everything when booking our trips. Some cost more strictly based on the dates chosen, other times I picked a trip and the dates based on the cost I found.

 

I would never buy the NCL drink package at $79 pp, however I will pay the service charge of $94 (or whatever) to get it as a perk as I know I will spend at least that much anyway buying drinks (usually I am in the $300 range).

 

I also don't tend to buy water on a cruise, I will drink the water at dinner, but that is about it. I don't buy the soda packages on other ships as I don't care for coke products.

 

Room service I don't tend to order, have maybe done it 4 times out of all my cruises. I am not bothered by getting something from the buffet and take it back to my cabin if I wish.

 

I don't play Bingo, buy photos, I spend a very small amount in the Casino. I don't pay for specialty dining on Carnival, Princess, Disney or Royal, I was fine with the dining rooms. Personally I do take into account the dining package on NCL upfront as one of my expenses, as I have never been all that thrilled with their dining rooms.

 

The cruise lines love you!:) Just kidding. We are the same. Few excursions,

no photos. Drink packages have eliminated that cost. We like a few specialty dining nights if it is a first class experience but would hope to be on a ship where this was not a necessity but a treat. A place to escape whether HAL cabana, Princess Sanctuary, or NCL Vibe is priceless to us. We usually don't do the spa services because of their high cost but may opt for a spa pass at least for a day or so.

[missdenise]

I think we can all agree that you must figure in all your extra costs when considering which cruise to take or even which cruise line to use. From reading this post and several others it is not just the extra charges that NCL has added BUT the changes in policy that have everyone incurring more costs. The policies that were in place when you booked your cruise should remain in effect when you sail.

[sparks1093]

Overall when you book a cruise or any vacation you really need to look at the cost of everything - cruise, airfare or travel expenses, dining and drink packages if offered, service charge/gratuity. All lines pretty much have all the same extras - photos, casino, bingo, shops, etc.

 

I try to account for everything when booking our trips. Some cost more strictly based on the dates chosen, other times I picked a trip and the dates based on the cost I found.

 

I would never buy the NCL drink package at $79 pp, however I will pay the service charge of $94 (or whatever) to get it as a perk as I know I will spend at least that much anyway buying drinks (usually I am in the $300 range).

 

I also don't tend to buy water on a cruise, I will drink the water at dinner, but that is about it. I don't buy the soda packages on other ships as I don't care for coke products.

 

Room service I don't tend to order, have maybe done it 4 times out of all my cruises. I am not bothered by getting something from the buffet and take it back to my cabin if I wish.

 

I don't play Bingo, buy photos, I spend a very small amount in the Casino. I don't pay for specialty dining on Carnival, Princess, Disney or Royal, I was fine with the dining rooms. Personally I do take into account the dining package on NCL upfront as one of my expenses, as I have never been all that thrilled with their dining rooms.

 

I look at the cost of everything but I also look at when I have to pay for it. Paying $800 more at final payment versus maybe paying $800 more when on the cruise (when we priced the Gem vs the Fascination for next month's cruise that was the price difference. Since we don't buy CCL's Cheers package we save $800, but even if we did buy it the expense could wait until we were onboard).

[sparks1093]

The policies that were in place when you booked your cruise should remain in effect when you sail.

 

I'm not a big fan of the changes NCL has put in place but even I wouldn't go that far- policy changes have to be made for a wide variety of reasons. The way policy changes are announced and implemented however are critical for maintaining customer good will. This is an area NCL needs to work on.

[Suzieanna]

Well, here's my two cents:-

 

If when I am booking a vacation I am told a drinks package cost $$$ and it includes X but not Y, then that's up to me. I will take it cos I like X the best!

 

However, if Y is only a little bottle of water and X is a nice glass of whisky or something, then it is reasonable to wonder why Y is not included. I am not talking just about NCL, I am talking about all of them.

 

Yes, you can get free Y from the faucet - but the fact is for those who do want to buy it in a bottle - why is it so expensive?? Is a bottle of water really that costly that the lines nearly all avoid including it in the drinks package? Is it to discourage the use of plastic water bottles? Is there an environmental disposal charge or something to be considered I wonder?

[suesings]

Water for one is a concern. When I have had drink packages on X, HAL, Princess it was included. I was surprised to learn this when I booked but after research was told it was not a big deal to check in with a case or two of water. Now that is not an option. So yes I could forgo water (not going to happen) or pay 3 bucks+? a bottle x 8 day for 2 x7days so between the UBP grats there is probably 350 bucks addtl. . My point (besides the cost which can be quantified) is that it is just a hassle to have to 'decide' if you want to pay for another bottle of water or room service when traditionally these have been part of the beverage package or cruise experience. With the advent of 'bonus' beverage packages we have really enjoyed the 'carefree' nature of sailing and not concerned ourselves with the end of cruise bill. JMHO

 

I thought the water on board was filtered? Is that not true? I was just planning to bring a water bottle. I have always drank iced water in the restaurants on cruise ships.

[suesings]

Well, here's my two cents:-

Yes, you can get free Y from the faucet - but the fact is for those who do want to buy it in a bottle - why is it so expensive?? Is a bottle of water really that costly that the lines nearly all avoid including it in the drinks package? Is it to discourage the use of plastic water bottles? Is there an environmental disposal charge or something to be considered I wonder?

 

The price does seem really high. Maybe they are trying to discourage using so much plastic which ends up in landfills and in the oceans??

[missdenise]

I'm not a big fan of the changes NCL has put in place but even I wouldn't go that far- policy changes have to be made for a wide variety of reasons. The way policy changes are announced and implemented however are critical for maintaining customer good will. This is an area NCL needs to work on.

 

What reason could they have to no longer allow you to bring your own bottled water on board? Could it be what Suzieanna asked - Is it to discourage the use of plastic water bottles? Is there an environmental disposal charge or something to be considered I wonder? Or is it just so they can charge an exorbitant amount for a bottle of water? Hmmmm???

[sparks1093]

What reason could they have to no longer allow you to bring your own bottled water on board? Could it be what Suzieanna asked - Is it to discourage the use of plastic water bottles? Is there an environmental disposal charge or something to be considered I wonder? Or is it just so they can charge an exorbitant amount for a bottle of water? Hmmmm???

 

I suspect it's to increase onboard revenue, but I'm not on the inside so it's only a guess. They took what CCL did (prohibiting beverages in bottles) and raised the stakes by also prohibiting cans, stating it is for security reasons. I don't think many actually believe that.

[Warm Breezes]

I think we can all agree that you must figure in all your extra costs when considering which cruise to take or even which cruise line to use. From reading this post and several others it is not just the extra charges that NCL has added BUT the changes in policy that have everyone incurring more costs. The policies that were in place when you booked your cruise should remain in effect when you sail.

 

I think that is unrealistic. People book cruises from 2 days to 2 years out. It would be impossible for any cruise line to track who had what policies when they booked and have them remain in effect for them when they sail. More realistically controlled would be to have them make the changes effective 100 days out from when they are announced the policy change giving passengers a chance to cancel their cruise if they do not like the policy....but I would doubt if we would ever see that as a written policy on any cruise line :D.

[MaryL31]

Just off Norwegian Sun. We took our our covered water cups (tumblers, really) with a straw, and simply filled them with ice and water when we needed to (using a glass, of course). I spoke with staff at Java cafe, and they state it is filtered fresh water. Thought so...it tasted so much better than the water in the Bahamas at our timeshare (desalinized, so they claim), where we purchase and go through at least 2 cases in a week's time. Quite honestly, I think it has a lot to do with the plastic bottles and storing/disposing of them while trying to be environmentally correct. We did not find their water policy to be a problem. Just asked for a glass of water wherever I happened to be as we only used the water cups in our room.

[bjlaac]

Just off Norwegian Sun. We took our our covered water cups (tumblers, really) with a straw, and simply filled them with ice and water when we needed to (using a glass, of course). I spoke with staff at Java cafe, and they state it is filtered fresh water. Thought so...it tasted so much better than the water in the Bahamas at our timeshare (desalinized, so they claim), where we purchase and go through at least 2 cases in a week's time. Quite honestly, I think it has a lot to do with the plastic bottles and storing/disposing of them while trying to be environmentally correct. We did not find their water policy to be a problem. Just asked for a glass of water wherever I happened to be as we only used the water cups in our room.

 

Why would it be more expensive to store/dispose of plastic bottles than beer cans and wine bottles? The only answer that makes sense is revenue.

[missdenise]

Why would it be more expensive to store/dispose of plastic bottles than beer cans and wine bottles? The only answer that makes sense is revenue.

 

Agree 100%.

[missdenise]

I think that is unrealistic. People book cruises from 2 days to 2 years out. It would be impossible for any cruise line to track who had what policies when they booked and have them remain in effect for them when they sail. More realistically controlled would be to have them make the changes effective 100 days out from when they are announced the policy change giving passengers a chance to cancel their cruise if they do not like the policy....but I would doubt if we would ever see that as a written policy on any cruise line :D.

 

You are correct that it would be very difficult for a cruise line to keep track of what policies were in effect when a cruise is booked. I just feel that when I pay for a service or product, it should not be changed mid stream.

[MaryL31]

Why would it be more expensive to store/dispose of plastic bottles than beer cans and wine bottles? The only answer that makes sense is revenue.

 

Well, I suppose it just depends on how you look at things and what you want to spend your money on. I found no need to spend money on bottled water on the ship because what they provided for free was more than acceptable. As stated above, when the water is totally unacceptable (as in The Bahamas), we purchase. I would have been angry if the water was unacceptable and I had to purchase it on the ship. To each his own. I still disagree about NCL's intentions. If they intended to make money, I think the water would have be undrinkable to most. Maybe it is, and DH and I and the friends we traveled with are easy to please?

BTW, they made us get rid of the bottled water purchased on the train (an NCL excursion) from Anchorage to Seward on embarkation, but did not make us dump bottled water purchased in Icy Strait Point and given to us on our excursion in Skagway.

[denatravels]

You are correct that it would be very difficult for a cruise line to keep track of what policies were in effect when a cruise is booked. I just feel that when I pay for a service or product, it should not be changed mid stream.

 

 

But if you read the cruise contract, you're not paying for the right to bring on bottled water. That's why they can make the change.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[LrgPizza]

You are correct that it would be very difficult for a cruise line to keep track of what policies were in effect when a cruise is booked. I just feel that when I pay for a service or product, it should not be changed mid stream.

 

That's illogical though. There are always people who have cruises booked. Always. The cruise line would never be able to change anything, because it would always be "mid stream" for someone. And it would be impossible to grandfather in certain things, such as bringing water on board. Do you honestly think the porters standing by the curb to take your luggage from your vehicle want to be reviewing paperwork to determine when you booked or if you can bring on that case of water? That's just silly. So yes, things will always be changed mid stream. The issue is that for some crazy reason, there are some people who simply can't handle change as well as others.