Why are you loyal to NCL?

[Notnewtoit]

Why would anyone be loyal to NCL, or any cruise line for that matter.

 

To take advantage of the loyalty program perhaps? Maybe they even add the shareholder benefit program to that...

[BNBR]

To take advantage of the loyalty program perhaps? Maybe they even add the shareholder benefit program to that...

 

I've always felt it's a testament to just how good the overall cruise experience is, with any of the major lines, that the loyalty programs don't really offer enough extra to make it worth being loyal. Are you really going to book a specific line so you can board 10 minutes sooner and get a free bottle of water? That becomes more important than price, ship, itinerary?

[Notnewtoit]

I've always felt it's a testament to just how good the overall cruise experience is, with any of the major lines, that the loyalty programs don't really offer enough extra to make it worth being loyal. Are you really going to book a specific line so you can board 10 minutes sooner and get a free bottle of water? That becomes more important than price, ship, itinerary?

 

I'm going to be loyal because I don't have to join a huge line, get various discounts and perks including free dining, $250 free cash (effectively a discount) handed to me and the price of the cruise is not my priority, the experience is. Itinerary matters little since I've been everywhere they all go and I love the Jewel class.

 

I'm loyal to 2-3 airlines too, and a credit card and a Whiskey distiller.

 

You don't need to be loyal, each to their own, but attacking people who are doesn't add value here.

[PATRLR]

Why would anyone be loyal to NCL, or any cruise line for that matter.

To take advantage of the loyalty program perhaps? Maybe they even add the shareholder benefit program to that...

I would welcome someone explaining exactly what the benefits of the loyalty programs were. I see no significant benefit.

 

Airline programs have tangible benefits (e.g. seat access at the lowest levels, cabin upgrades at higher levels). Hotel programs have tangible benefits (increased point earning, room upgrades, lounge access). Cruise programs have nothing of real benefit.

[Notnewtoit]

I would welcome someone explaining exactly what the benefits of the loyalty programs were. I see no significant benefit.

 

Airline programs have tangible benefits (e.g. seat access at the lowest levels, cabin upgrades at higher levels). Hotel programs have tangible benefits (increased point earning, room upgrades, lounge access). Cruise programs have nothing of real benefit.

 

It comes down to what individuals value as numerous people have posted in this thread. One of the biggest perks of airline loyalty to me is joining the short line. Put free cash in my hand, a couple of slap-up meals and some other random perks and I'm happy enough. Others may not value that in the slightest and that's OK too. I value $300 shoes and fine bed sheets, others value a car with a loud exhaust, or a T-shirt with Hurley written on it; it's a personal thing. Neither are any more wrong or right than the other.

 

Flown Southwest recently?

[BNBR]

get various discounts and perks including free dining, $250 free cash (effectively a discount) handed to me ...

 

... and the price of the cruise is not my priority, the experience is.

 

So you go on about discounts, free, dining, and free onboard credit as to why loyalty is so important, then say the price is not a priority, the experience is. Hmmm.... so which is it? Lol.

 

If the loyalty benefits are all about price/discounts, then you aren't really making the case for why loyalty matters if you then say the experience is your priority, not price.

 

Anyways, you would seriously book a cruise to "join the short line" and save 10 minutes on embarkation, for a 7 day cruise??!? I mean, all the power to you, I just didn't think that was seriously a "thing".

[Gershep]

Never had a bad cruise with them.

[Notnewtoit]

So you go on about discounts, free, dining, and free onboard credit as to why loyalty is so important, then say the price is not a priority, the experience is. Hmmm.... so which is it? Lol.

 

If the loyalty benefits are all about price/discounts, then you aren't really making the case for why loyalty matters if you then say the experience is your priority, not price.

 

Anyways, you would seriously book a cruise to "join the short line" and save 10 minutes on embarkation, for a 7 day cruise??!? I mean, all the power to you, I just didn't think that was seriously a "thing".

 

Errr, it's wayyy more than 10 minutes dude, I guess you'll never know. No, price when booking doesn't matter to me as much as it does some folks in a different circumstance but when I factor in the monetary benefits I reap via my loyalty it makes a worthwhile difference and enables me to easily move up a cabin category or spend a couple of extra nights in Miami, enhancing my experience.

 

It baffles me why you are expending so much energy trying to argue something you clearly don't care about.

[BNBR]

Errr, it's wayyy more than 10 minutes dude, I guess you'll never know. No, price when booking doesn't matter to me as much as it does some folks in a different circumstance but when I factor in the monetary benefits I reap via my loyalty it makes a worthwhile difference and enables me to easily move up a cabin category or spend a couple of extra nights in Miami, enhancing my experience.

 

It baffles me why you are expending so much energy trying to argue something you clearly don't care about.

 

Who said I didn't care about the topic? I made a comment on the thread because it interests me. My comment was not a shot at NCL, it was merely suggesting that I don't understand the benefit to loyalty on cruise lines as they don't offer very much, especially not very much that would offset bigger factors like ship, pricing, etc.

 

Let me rephrase. Those monetary benefits. If another line was cheaper, even with the monetary benefits of the loyalty on NCL, then it would it not make loyalty kind of useless? For example, if you could get a couple nights of specialty dining, $250 onboard credit offer, etc... and still be cheaper on another cruise.... then what is the benefit of the loyalty program?

 

Priority embarkation? And no, I don't see a lot of value in priority embarkation because once they start general boarding, it goes fast and saves very little time. Our last Royal cruise, it was so empty at the port that they sent us through the suite line and we walked on the ship. Priority embarkation would have saved us not one single second. When we did FTTF on Carnival, the regular line was boarding shortly after. Very minimal time saving. And hey, you can BUY the benefit cheap, so who cares about loyalty perks? So yes, I don't understand priority embark as a major consideration when booking a cruise and being LOYAL for the program... I mean, to save a few minutes on a 7 day cruise? I would choose ship, price, dates, etc... so many other things seem more valuable than saving a few minutes at embark.

 

The other perks are monetary and often don't provide much benefit. 2 nights specialty dining? Whooooo. And again, it's monetary. So you would need to factor those perks in to the price when comparing with other lines. 2 nights dining? $40... Big deal.

[davesgirl51]

Dave and Dave...thanks so much.

 

Yeah...not ideal, but the only other way I can get in the night before is to haul some pretty hefty technical gear with me, as well as 10 lbs of marketing material as well as dress clothes.

 

I get back (to OH) from SFO, Saturday 9/8. No red eyes from OH to Miami or Ft Lauderdale. First flight out 0n 9/9 have a connection through Atlanta. Heartsfield Int’l is notorious for not meeting their arrival or departure schedules. Plus, I would be relying on two flights to be punctual.

 

So, the first direct flight gets me into Ft Lauderdale at 10:35 a.m. (11:00 by the time I hit the curb)......IF everything goes according to plan. All aboard is 3:00 p.m. Ship sails at 4:00 p.m. That gives me about a 4 hour window to get from FLL to MIA.

 

So, with fingers crossed, I’m hoping a flight delay or traffic won’t eat up that entire 4 hour window!

 

Probably could withstand one of those going sideways, but not both.

 

Thanks, again!

 

Good luck and you’re welcome :)

[davesgirl51]

LORD, this is getting as bad as the trolls on Instagram.

:mad::eek::mad:

[KeithJenner]

Loyalty is a bit of a misleading term really. There are a number of companies that I use in preference to others, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that it is because I am “loyal” to them. It is more a recognition that the familiarity is a benefit to me.

 

In my youth, I used to shop around for everything. However, about ten years ago, I moved over to buying from just one company for most computer stuff (Apple) and other electricals (Sony). I am not claiming that either of those companies are better than the competition, but they serve the purpose for me. Using the same company means, for example, that all our TVs have very similar remotes. For me that is a benefit. I’m not necessarily loyal to those companies, and would certainly move from them if I had any problems, but I am willing to pay a bit extra for that familiarity.

 

I am not saying this is right for everyone, and I myself wouldn’t have considered it 20 years ago, but it is right for me now.

 

When it comes to travel, I like to go to various places. The destination is the thing, and how we travel is less of a concern. I’ve never found much difference in price, and we enjoy the familiarity of using a brand we know for accommodation and flights for example. Many people say that people shouldn’t be scared of trying other lines as they are all fairly similar. For me, the similarity is a reason not to try others just for the sake of it. NCL haven’t let me down, the price is about right, why bother moving?

 

If there is an itinerary that NCL don’t have, but I want to do then I will change. I had been expecting to have to move to other lines due to running out of NCL itineraries, but they have added a lot of new ones lately. In the past few years I have had very few repeated ports and both cruises booked for next year have lots of new ports too.

 

As I said earlier, everyone has different priorities. I remember being told on here a few years ago that I was wrong for sticking with NCL, and the line itself is irrelevant as it is just a way of getting around “the Islands”. This person was criticising me for limiting myself to one line, but they were limiting themselves to one part of the world. I have been to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and almost the whole coastline of Europe (with South America/Asia to come when times fit), plus many other holidays by land, and I certainly don’t feel that I am limiting myself just because I use the same company to get there, any more than the fact that I prefer to fly British Airways limits me in my holiday choices.

 

Talking of BA, I am writing this in Orlando, as we are at the end of a month long holiday during which we have visited a number of places in the US. Obviously we had to use a US airline for the six domestic flights we have taken. It is no problem to do so, just as it is no problem to use a different hotel brand when our preference isn’t available, or it would be to use another cruise line if NCL didn’t offer an itinerary we want to do. However, it will be nice next weekend when we fly back to the U.K. to be back with our preferred line. That in itself is the main reason I am give for the fact that we first go for those options when booking something. It works for me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[graphicguy]

Some of the things NCL, AMEX Platinum and my TA are giving me to sail in an H5 (Haven Suite) on 9/9, fare was a shade over $4K all in.

 

-$1115 On Board Credit For Cabin

-250 Free Internet Min Per Cabin

-3 Meal Specialty Dining Package

-Dinner For 2 At A French Restaurant

-Shore Excursion $50 Credit Per Port

-Ultimate Beverage Package

 

Latitudes Platinum

 

-Priority checkin

-bottle of wine

-15% discount onboard duty free shops

-30 free internet minutes

-onboard Latitudes rep

-Exclusive cocktail party

-10% discount on shore excursions

-30% discount on photos

-bottle of water

-free bag of laundry service

-priority tendering

-free dinner for 2 at Moderno or La Cucina

-free dinner for 2 + bottle of wine at Le Bistro or Cagney’s

-chocolate covered strawberries

-free behind the scenes tour

-concierge service

 

Up to you whether it’s worth it.

[fabnfortysomething]

Loyalty is a bit of a misleading term really. There are a number of companies that I use in preference to others, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that it is because I am “loyal” to them. It is more a recognition that the familiarity is a benefit to me.

 

In my youth, I used to shop around for everything. However, about ten years ago, I moved over to buying from just one company for most computer stuff (Apple) and other electricals (Sony). I am not claiming that either of those companies are better than the competition, but they serve the purpose for me. Using the same company means, for example, that all our TVs have very similar remotes. For me that is a benefit. I’m not necessarily loyal to those companies, and would certainly move from them if I had any problems, but I am willing to pay a bit extra for that familiarity.

 

I am not saying this is right for everyone, and I myself wouldn’t have considered it 20 years ago, but it is right for me now.

 

When it comes to travel, I like to go to various places. The destination is the thing, and how we travel is less of a concern. I’ve never found much difference in price, and we enjoy the familiarity of using a brand we know for accommodation and flights for example. Many people say that people shouldn’t be scared of trying other lines as they are all fairly similar. For me, the similarity is a reason not to try others just for the sake of it. NCL haven’t let me down, the price is about right, why bother moving?

 

If there is an itinerary that NCL don’t have, but I want to do then I will change. I had been expecting to have to move to other lines due to running out of NCL itineraries, but they have added a lot of new ones lately. In the past few years I have had very few repeated ports and both cruises booked for next year have lots of new ports too.

 

As I said earlier, everyone has different priorities. I remember being told on here a few years ago that I was wrong for sticking with NCL, and the line itself is irrelevant as it is just a way of getting around “the Islands”. This person was criticising me for limiting myself to one line, but they were limiting themselves to one part of the world. I have been to Alaska, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and almost the whole coastline of Europe (with South America/Asia to come when times fit), plus many other holidays by land, and I certainly don’t feel that I am limiting myself just because I use the same company to get there, any more than the fact that I prefer to fly British Airways limits me in my holiday choices.

 

Talking of BA, I am writing this in Orlando, as we are at the end of a month long holiday during which we have visited a number of places in the US. Obviously we had to use a US airline for the six domestic flights we have taken. It is no problem to do so, just as it is no problem to use a different hotel brand when our preference isn’t available, or it would be to use another cruise line if NCL didn’t offer an itinerary we want to do. However, it will be nice next weekend when we fly back to the U.K. to be back with our preferred line. That in itself is the main reason I am give for the fact that we first go for those options when booking something. It works for me.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Keith

be honest the reason you are sticking to Sony and a one remote is that Robert is more able to embrace technology than us oldies

 

loving your Hawaii review and seriously considering

 

hopefully will sail with you again

[KeithJenner]

Keith

 

be honest the reason you are sticking to Sony and a one remote is that Robert is more able to embrace technology than us oldies

 

 

 

loving your Hawaii review and seriously considering

 

 

 

hopefully will sail with you again

 

 

Absolutely, all this stuff is much more tricky for us oldies. I think that as we get older we are generally more likely to stick with what we know.

 

I must finish the Hawaii review later. You really should do it.

 

We are getting closer to sailing together. Don’t we pass each other next year as you get off the Spirit when we get on?

[fabnfortysomething]

Absolutely, all this stuff is much more tricky for us oldies. I think that as we get older we are generally more likely to stick with what we know.

 

I must finish the Hawaii review later. You really should do it.

 

We are getting closer to sailing together. Don’t we pass each other next year as you get off the Spirit when we get on?

 

coffee at a local costa?

[KeithJenner]

coffee at a local costa?

 

 

We will arrange something.

[PATRLR]

Up to you whether it’s worth it.

Worth what?

[havenfan]

We're a family of four with two small children so we find Freestyle Dining quite beneficial.

 

Also, all but the oldest NCL ships have a large number of 2-bedroom suites. We find their 2-bedroom configuration to be a much more efficient use of space than two connecting cabins and often not all that different in price.

 

I'd be happy to learn if other cruise lines offer similar features.

[davy jones]

Hubby and I have cruised:

2005 RCL Voyager

2012 CCL Paradise

2016 NCL Escape, with our 2 kids

2018 NCL Bliss, with our 2 kids

2019 RCL Adventure booked (so kids can try Voyager class & a different line

 

So...after next year, we will have sailed RCL and NCL 2 apiece. Hubby & I have enjoyed each above cruise and made most of what each ship/its size/amenities had to offer. Question...in perhaps wanting to stick to either NCL or Royal after next year's sailing, for a family of 4 with kids now 8 & 10, would you say NCL is the way to go? We did enjoy Voyager, hence why we want to try RCL again (before megaships)...and feel we don't think we are interested in anything larger than Breakaway Plus...actually, we are kind of excited for Leonardo class. For ships of 3500-4000 and under, who do you prefer? NCL or RCL if we wanted to start building loyalty to one? Sorry for the long msg;);););););)

 

Why do you want to choose one? Go with what's best for you at the time.

[mizLORInj]

We like variety. Or if it sails from NY or NJ we're in. If it is Norwegian, fine. if not, that's fine too. The platinum perks are nice on a bunch of these lines, but won't make me choose one cruise line over another at this point.

[klfhngr]

Really? Princess staff didn't wow you? We haven't sailed Princess, so cannot personally comment. Just know NCL has blown us away on service both times we've sailed them.

 

Not at all! There were quite a few people that felt that way. I met ONE worker in one of the bars that always had a smile on her face. If 10 more had the same attitude, it would've been great!