New Latitude Tiers

[Guest]

Bottled water is, in my experience, a very common loyalty scheme perk.

 

Most decent hotels I stayed at in the last years have the free hotel labeled plastic water bottles included in the price of the room without any loyalty club.

And it is per night. Now guests who have 500 points or and spend more money on a cruise per day compared to a hotel room, get two bottles of water on a 21 day cruise. Really impressive. That is like mailing out a leather bound travel atlas as a milestone gift.

Edited January 30, 2017 by micm

[drb247]

Sure, but then it is per night. Now guests who have 500 points or so get two bottles of water on a 21 day cruise. Really impressive. That is like mailing out a leather bound travel atlas as a milestone gift.

 

That's unfair. They also get quite a few other benefits that are worth real $$$. They are definitely better off than they were this time last week.

[KeithJenner]

Sure, but then it is per night.

 

 

 

Not necessarily. Some are per stay. In the particular place I was staying on Friday I could have got another bottle on subsequent days had it been a longer stay, but had to specifically request them.

 

That misses the point a bit though. Possibly the message I quoted was unfortunate as it specifically stated one bottle, but my point was more about all the posts about water in general, many of which seemed to be suggesting that offering water at all was some sort of embarrassment for NCL.

[biker@sea]

That's unfair. They also get quite a few other benefits that are worth real $$$. They are definitely better off than they were this time last week.

 

REAL Cash.

 

I'd Love to trade all my Platinum Plus perks for a % of my cruise fare.

 

:( What Happen to latatude discount's?????? :(

 

I Mean like,I don't drink. So in a year that we cruise 4 or 5 time 12/ 15 bottles is a pain.

 

 

Give it away, cook with some??

 

.

Edited January 30, 2017 by biker@sea

[logan25]

The value of bottled water comes down to whether you inherently value bottled water. Some people place great store on bottled water. Others drink from the tap, thus bottled water does not serve any higher purpose to them.

[Guest]

That's unfair. They also get quite a few other benefits that are worth real $$$. They are definitely better off than they were this time last week.

 

True, it has not gone worse. But is not getting worse nowadays already good?

I don't tell anyone how to feel about it. But I don't feel pushed towards booking more NCL cruises with the changes. If others do good for them and NCL.

 

I never plan to go on an Oceania cruise but their loyalty program for most parts uses higher OBC for higher levels. That would have been something that would have had real value for me.

 

At the platinum plus level I can only see the free *one* bag of laundry, the two bottles of water and the two dinner vouchers as any value. The 60 minutes only if they reduced the price when buying the unlimited internet package accordingly.

 

It looks like I lost the Godiva chocolate and the nightly mint chocolate as well. And the second cocktail party even though that is not really something to miss.

[KeithJenner]

True, it has not gone worse. But is not getting worse nowadays already good?

 

 

Unfortunately, these days you could say that, and not just with NCL.

 

As I said, on Friday night, I had to make do with my bottle of water. A year ago I would have also had a glass of wine.

 

When I fly to Venice at Easter for my next cruise, I will have the opportunity to buy some food if I want. Until very recently that same airline included the food in the fare. At least they let me know, which is more than can be said for the hotel chain.

 

Things are getting cut back all the time. NCL are, quite rightly in my opinion, being criticised a lot lately for their cutbacks and communications. I think that in this particular example any criticism is harsh.

 

I have been very pleasantly surprised with this change. I was expecting a lot of cutbacks and, whilst you can say that one or two bottles of water is not particularly generous, it is one or two bottles more than I was expecting.

[Sissaaaaaa]

They can just do away with the Latitudes program all together, and you get nothing. :cool:

[drb247]

I have 237 points and fall into the Platinum Plus category:

 

I am better off in the following ways:

• I get priority embarkation
  
• I get a short excursion discount that i didn't have before
  
• I get the opportunity to dine with officers. Not my cuppa tea but others might like it.
  
• Two bottles of water. Not worth a lot, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
  
• Free internet minutes. Not many but enough for urgent emails or flight check ins.
  
• I now have something to aim for. Ambassador level seems like a million miles away but at least it is there.
  
• Better meal choices imho, although I appreciate this one is subjective.
  
• Exclusivity. I have now been recognized as having sailed a lot more than regular Platinum cruisers.
  
• Priority Restaurant & Entertainment Seating. Hard to imagine how this will work, but am looking forward to finding out.
  
• Improved discounts in the shops (although I admit I am really stretching including this one)
  

 

As far as I can tell all I have lost is a box of 4 chocolates that I didn't much enjoy and a cocktail party that lost all value whenever they introduced UBP for the masses.

 

Losing the extra point for 9 month out bookings is a bit of a pain, but folks have been complaining for years on CC that it has been far too easy to get to Platinum. I guess you have to be careful what you wish for.

 

Of course I would have preferred a free or discounted cruise. Who wouldn't? However NCL is a business and has to be run as such. All I can do compare what I have now versus this time last week.

Edited January 30, 2017 by drb247
Forgot about the priority entertainment seating.

[esm54687]

All that they have said is that they will still give the extra point for booking 9 months out if the cruise is already booked, and that you won't move down from a tier that you have already reached. You will have to hit the revised number of points to move up a tier though.

 

Hi

 

I searched high and low on NCL and the only reference to the "9 month out already booked" being grandfathered has been here on CC.... do you have a link to the NCL statement? I am travelling in May 2017 and March 2018 and would like to make a copy of that before they remove it.

 

Thx

[KeithJenner]

Hi

 

 

 

I searched high and low on NCL and the only reference to the "9 month out already booked" being grandfathered has been here on CC.... do you have a link to the NCL statement? I am travelling in May 2017 and March 2018 and would like to make a copy of that before they remove it.

 

 

 

Thx

 

 

 

I have only seen the Facebook posts that have been copied on here, as well as the sheet that someone said was given out onboard and appeared to have the same wording.

[NLH Arizona]

What's the gifted "sparkling wine" likely to be ?

 

Drinkable?

I don't think it is drinkable and have always given mine away. Others really seem to enjoy it.

[Lionkingrichard]

What's the gifted "sparkling wine" likely to be ?

 

Drinkable?

They haven't told everyone about the corkage fee yet!

[Sissaaaaaa]

I have said this since the first page of this post. The info was leaked. No one from NCL expected this to be out in the public. Their reaction, and then release of information AFTER THE FACT shows that they were scrambling to make something that slipped out look planned. Nothing anyone can do, just deal with it as best you can, and make it work for you as best you can (if you need to book by 2/3).

 

It was not leaked. You are repeating information from a moderator on a Facebook page who thinks he is "in the know". He isn't. NCL did not see a Facebook post and literally 30 seconds later "release" the info. That is absurd.

[millineumwoman]

What's the gifted "sparkling wine" likely to be ?

 

 

 

Drinkable?

 

 

 

I'm gonna guess its the same sparkling wine that you win in the casino, not the best

 

 

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[millineumwoman]

They haven't told everyone about the corkage fee yet!

 

 

 

No corkage fee , as with the sparkling wine you win in the casino you just bring it to dinner and ask your waiter to switch it out with a colder one

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Sissaaaaaa]

It is only good marketing sense to reward customers who spend $30,000 or more a year for ten years, treating them better than customers who average $3,000 per year.

 

You come off as pretentious, and it is not at all classy.

[cdnsteelman]

<<SNIP>> As far as I can tell all I have lost is a box of 4 chocolates that I didn't much enjoy and a cocktail party that lost all value whenever they introduced UBP for the masses.

 

I am also Plat Plus. You (we) have also lost a bottle of wine at your second Latitudes dinner. Some will argue that is made up for by getting a bottle of sparkling wine in your room and, I guess on a "per ounce of booze" basis that is technically true BUT the sparkling wine IMO is undrinkable and the list of complimentary wines by the bottle for Latitudes dinners was at least passable. For me this is a loss. For others, especially those who select the beverage package, this is likely irrelevant. I will say there is no guarantee that there will always be some equivalent of free at sea where UBP will be available AND for folks like us who like wine (preferably bottle service at the table - part of a fine dining experience) but don't drink much otherwise the UBP actually ends up costing us money (except when we stay in suites).

 

For us it is also a loss that the second meal must be at what we (and I suspect many others) consider to be lesser restaurants. We very much looked forward to two meals at Le Bistro with a bottle of passable red.

 

At the risk of repeating and earlier comment I made - if the laundry becomes one free bag per stateroom instead of per member, that is a loss. There are also others (not us) who travel with 3+ Plats in one stateroom and they will lose out on dinners big time.

 

Again, these changes don't matter too much to us but for what we value we are not really ahead in the Plat Plus category with the exception of internet minutes if that is per member.

[millineumwoman]

Do you think the free cruise will be like the bingo 's free cruise?

Only for the Caribbean and max worth $1200 inside room.

 

 

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[Sissaaaaaa]

Not true, I have upsold multiple times and always got an extra point for it.

 

No, you didn't. If you upgraded, you got the extra point. They do not give extra points for an upsell. They never did - at least not since Kevin left.

Edited January 30, 2017 by Sissaaaaaa

[Sissaaaaaa]

We will be three adults in a two-bed suite, all of us Platinim Plus, on our next cruise in June. It will be interesting to see how the "meal for two and one per stateroom" will be handled. Clearly this rule is written for couples with or without children, so how will our adult Platinum Plus daughter receive any of the incentives she is apparently entitled to in the new program, if she cruises with us in one of the 2-bed suites?

 

This is really the only part of the new program that I take issue with. Shouldn't matter how many people are in the cabin. If they have reached the tier, they should get their entitled perks.

[millineumwoman]

True, it has not gone worse. But is not getting worse nowadays already good?

 

I don't tell anyone how to feel about it. But I don't feel pushed towards booking more NCL cruises with the changes. If others do good for them and NCL.

 

 

 

I never plan to go on an Oceania cruise but their loyalty program for most parts uses higher OBC for higher levels. That would have been something that would have had real value for me.

 

 

 

At the platinum plus level I can only see the free *one* bag of laundry, the two bottles of water and the two dinner vouchers as any value. The 60 minutes only if they reduced the price when buying the unlimited internet package accordingly.

 

 

 

It looks like I lost the Godiva chocolate and the nightly mint chocolate as well. And the second cocktail party even though that is not really something to miss.

 

 

 

Also lost the welcome gift as that's no longer part of the gold level and up.

 

 

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[lauracruises]

I was 14 points shy of Platinum and we booked our Breakaway, Bermuda cruise over 9 months out, so I could get double points and be at 76. We did this because our twins are graduating from college and we wanted to do Hawaii on POA for their graduation celebration. I was hoping to be Platinum for Hawaii. We also booked POA for June 2018. Unfortunately, now I will still be gold with the new tier set up. Disappointing , but nothing I can do. More cruises in between are not an option. Oh Well.

[TheDougOut]

This is really the only part of the new program that I take issue with. Shouldn't matter how many people are in the cabin. If they have reached the tier, they should get their entitled perks.

 

Maybe/possibly/slightly justified based on the 3rd/4th sail free promotions? Both in regards to point accumulation and eventual perk redemption.

[Uniall]

You come off as pretentious, and it is not at all classy.

 

Until this thread, I never saw the need to book Haven Suites, except for the Epic & Later ships because of the Haven private dining room. Now, I'll have to rethink that view.

 

I only fly Business or First Class and I cruise the same. If you find that pretentious, it doesn't bother me one iota.

 

The airlines and the cruise lines must find folks like myself very important (VIP) or they would not have loyalty programs or Havens & Air Lounges.

If I'm paying a $1000/day, I expect a superior product & service than another paying $250/day.