New Norwegian’s Priority Access Offering-Anyone Else??

[danak13]

So I found out NCL is rolling out a new program to the Breakaway and Sun to test it out before going fleetwide.  According to the description it includes: 

 

Priority Security, Check-in and Boarding
Tender Priority (Off the ship)
Priority Debarkation in Home Port
Daily Complimentary Standard Room Service Breakfast Menu
$50 Spa Credit (Services on port days only)
Canapés (Day 2 of cruise)
Eligibility:
All booked guests are eligible except for:

Guests in Haven staterooms & Owners Suites
Platinum, Platinum Plus and Ambassador Level Latitude guests

Limited availability: 25 cabins per sailing

Pricing:
$69 per stateroom for voyages 3-5 days
$99 per stateroom for voyages 6-9 days
$149 per stateroom for voyages 10-15 days
$199 per stateroom for voyages 16+ days

 

I was able to sign up for it through my TA.  Anyone else hear about this and planning to take advantage?  I am really hoping, with it being a new program and all, that I will actually get the benefits promised! 

[disneylover89]

If it included early access to cabin so I could drop off my carry ons  and a special line for Guest Services, I would purchase in a second.  These benefits do not interest me for the price.

[Two Wheels Only]

 

[aero777]

They’re gonna have to make the gangways triple wide to accommodate all those that have priority boarding!

[zqvol]

I'm Platinum after my next cruise so it doesn't matter to me, since platinum and above can't purchase it.

[adam_s_allen]

1 hour ago, zqvol said:

I'm Platinum after my next cruise so it doesn't matter to me, since platinum and above can't purchase it.

It does dilute some of the platinum benefits though. The priority boarding, tender tickets and disembarking. Right now they limit it to 25 cabins so probably not a big deal, but who knows in the future.

[Sand and Seas]

We have been Platinum Plus since they created the PP tier.  I can tell you we really don't get most of those items, so strange they are saying we aren't eligible to purchase it.   Priority boarding is almost non-existent  as most of the port staff does not know what Platinum Plus is.  We get better priority by going to the Casino check-in.  Boarding the ship is kind of do it yourself as you supposedly do no need a boarding number and should be able to board just after Haven, but good luck convincing the staff🙄 

Priority disembarkation is simply yellow bag tags that are called early but sometimes at the same time as the next color or two.   And we do NOT get  free delivered breakfast beyond the continental one that anybody can order.

[hladygirl]

No reason for us. We are platinum and already get priority boarding which have has been great for us, never had to tender. Never want to order breakfast in the cabin. Do not want to use the spa. So this useless to us if even offered. Why should others get what we earned even at a premium price? NCL selling what we have earned again.

[tomk3212]

As I pointed out in a previous post, this is just a way for NCL to raise "newbie" pax to elevated Latitudes perqs without having sailed on NCL for the requisite number of sailings.

 

Thanks again, NCL, for diminishing our Latitudes status!  So much for "loyalty"...😳

[hallux]

33 minutes ago, tomk3212 said:

Thanks again, NCL, for diminishing our Latitudes status!  So much for "loyalty"

 

As noted in the other thread - RCI has a similar program with "The Key", though that includes internet as well.

[Cruising89143]

Looks like they have been watching Carnival and Royal. Both offer something similar with Faster to Fun and the Key. 

[BaWBarmy]

Just a question about the breakfast. Isn't Continental breakfast delivered free anyway?

[indygirl76]

I am alllllll over this! 

[shof515]

17 minutes ago, BaWBarmy said:

Just a question about the breakfast. Isn't Continental breakfast delivered free anyway?

yes it is always free.The perk is listed as Daily Complimentary Standard Room Service Breakfast Menu which seems like it should cover hot food like pancakes, egg omelets which you usually do have to pay extra for plus the delivery fee if any

Edited September 11, 2019 by shof515

[tomk3212]

@hallux I noticed the RCCL program but didn't see that Carnival had one also.  Thanks for the heads-up!

 

I am neither a Harvard or Wharton Business school grad but I do not understand why major corporations, like Carnival, RCCL & NCL would deliberately devalue their respective loyalty programs for short-term financial gains like this.  I fully realize that competition in the cruise ship industry is pretty fierce but this seems to me to be a very short-sighted way of attracting new customers to their "product" but also potentially alienates their existing longtime customer base. 

 

Perhaps a graduate of one of the two business schools I cited can explain the business sense of this.  I cannot fathom it...

 

PS - pun intended....🙃

[ColeThornton]

49 minutes ago, shof515 said:

yes it is always free.The perk is listed as Daily Complimentary Standard Room Service Breakfast Menu which seems like it should cover hot food like pancakes, egg omelets which you usually do have to pay extra for plus the delivery fee if any

 

There is no charge for hot items on the breakfast menu.  There is the flat $7.95 delivery fee but items are not priced individually. They are complimentary.

Edited September 11, 2019 by ColeThornton

[Nic6318]

1 hour ago, tomk3212 said:

@hallux I noticed the RCCL program but didn't see that Carnival had one also.  Thanks for the heads-up!

 

I am neither a Harvard or Wharton Business school grad but I do not understand why major corporations, like Carnival, RCCL & NCL would deliberately devalue their respective loyalty programs for short-term financial gains like this.  I fully realize that competition in the cruise ship industry is pretty fierce but this seems to me to be a very short-sighted way of attracting new customers to their "product" but also potentially alienates their existing longtime customer base. 

 

Hi

 

The main reason these companies do it, is because it is a cash cow. The cost to the cruise line is negligible compared to what they rake in.

 

You notice they restrict the number allowed for each sailing. Carnival has been doing this for a number of years and has been raising the price steadily each year, with very little drop in enthusiasm for people eagerly waiting to make the purchase. I mean they are waiting for the midnight EST to get online when it will be offered. If you look on the Carnival threads you will see, people say "they don't care how much it costs, for them it is worth it". Although, I have to say that for Carnival one of the main features as well as priority boarding is that once on board their cabin will be ready for them to enter as well as the use of the priority line at guest services. 

 

For Carnival as I understand, they limit the number available according to the number of the platinum and diamond patrons that have booked. If there are fewer they will open up more spaces closer to sail date. I am sure NCL will figure out something like this to maximize profit. As far as alienating existing customers because of some perceived slight. The discussion goes nowhere. The perks that others get are just that, perks that they get. This is a product distinct from the perks, in that that people have to pay for it. It might in fact suggest that their "perks" have more value, since others are more than willing to "pay" for a product that is only a part of what they are getting for their continued patronage.

 

hope this helps (I'm not a Harvard grad either, sorry 😀)

[Suite Heart]

So what's next? Offering key card access to The Haven and its perks for $___ per stateroom? 🙊

[shotgunmag]

@Nick6318. You make reference to "This is a product distinct from the perks in that that people have to pay for it". While your premise is conveyed you're missing the bigger picture in why NCL is missing the boat on this one (no pun intended.). Loyalty is WAY MORE important to a bottom line than short term gains at the expense of alienating your best guests who stuck by you. Why should a person on their first cruise be afforded the same perks for $100 per "cabin" that it may have taken a loyal latitudes member tens of thousands of dollars invested to achieve. So to your premise latitudes members also have "paid" for these perks but at a much higher investment point. Really crumby business practice which has us reviewing our future usage. If we're going to be subjected to poor guest service such as this and everyone else is doing it as others mentioned we may as well jump to another line and get priority access with them without the high cost of achieving it. Loyalty has seemed to become lost by ALL corporations lately which will eventually become their demise IMHO.

[bmwman]

4 hours ago, tomk3212 said:

As I pointed out in a previous post, this is just a way for NCL to raise "newbie" pax to elevated Latitudes perqs without having sailed on NCL for the requisite number of sailings.

 

Thanks again, NCL, for diminishing our Latitudes status!  So much for "loyalty"...😳

It is so simple this - they are not diminishing the loyalty they are getting extra revenue.

 

I have said it but no one else seems to realise READ THE ACCOUNTS, They make a big play to shareholders (Yes I am one of these too) about he strong onboard revenue. 

 

The yield from the cuisse fare is under extreme pressure and they are starting to lose a generation to the likes of HAL. Indeed judging by the people we met on HAL it is significant. They were all ex Haven and said they could now enjoy Haven quality at a fraction of the price. We also went on Azamara and paid a great fare and it really is ALL INCLUSIVE!! Even my Blue Label 🙂

 

NCL is not the company it was. It share price agrees that it is all at sea at this time 

[bmwman]

23 minutes ago, Suite Heart said:

So what's next? Offering key card access to The Haven and its perks for $___ per stateroom? 🙊

Yes that is on the cards no doubt 

 

It will not be cheap but if you work it out . Give just 10 people a cruise access  at say $400 each and multiply it 52 times that $208,000 per ship year approx. times say just 5 ships $1,000,000 with no work 

[tomk3212]

@bmwmanSo you're saying we can expect NCL to eventually join the likes of Eastman Kodak, TWA, Pan Am, Sears Roebuck, Lehman Brothers and a myriad of retail department stores on the business ash heap of history?  ALL of the aforementioned companies were also guilty, at one time or another, of sacrificing long-term customer relationships for short-term financial gain.  Better sell your NCL stock then!  😵

 

It's no great surprise that cruise ship companies' revenues and margins are under tremendous pressure to perform.   This will be reflected in their stock price and investor's (like yourself's) expectations.The competition within the industry has also grown exponentially over the last 20 years.  You alluded to it in your post re: HAL & Azamara.  Based on this you could argue that loyalty  programs (Latitudes and other cruise lines similar programs) are outdated and outmoded in the present competitive climate.  That potential cruise pax are looking for value for their vacation $$.  Period.  Brand loyalty no longer has any real business meaning or value.  It's a valid argument.

 

However I also remember that during the "Farewell" show on the last night of an NCL cruise either the CD or ship's Captain would tell the audience as part of the farewell, "We know you have many choices where you can spend your money for vacations.  So we really appreciate you sailing with us!"  I hope someone in NCL's senior management still believes that...

 

 

[Mysticks1]

On 9/10/2019 at 2:43 PM, danak13 said:

So I found out NCL is rolling out a new program to the Breakaway and Sun to test it out before going fleetwide. 

 

Thank you for posting this information.   I have bought the Faster To The Fun package from Carnival a couple of times and even though this one doesn't include the cabins being ready upon boarding I will really like not standing in all those lines and having that priority tenders is great for Grand Cayman.   I was able to call Norwegian direct and they were able to add it for me.  The rep told me that they had just received the information on this.  You don't have to pay immediately, it is added to your cruise total. 

[danak13]

2 minutes ago, Mysticks1 said:

 

Thank you for posting this information.   I have bought the Faster To The Fun package from Carnival a couple of times and even though this one doesn't include the cabins being ready upon boarding I will really like not standing in all those lines and having that priority tenders is great for Grand Cayman.   I was able to call Norwegian direct and they were able to add it for me.  The rep told me that they had just received the information on this.  You don't have to pay immediately, it is added to your cruise total. 

I'm glad it could be of help! When do you cruise?  While, like you, I am excited at the prospect of no (or lesser) waits, I am a little concerned it will be so new that NCL employees will not know how to properly provide the perks offered,  

[Mysticks1]

13 minutes ago, danak13 said:

I'm glad it could be of help! When do you cruise?  While, like you, I am excited at the prospect of no (or lesser) waits, I am a little concerned it will be so new that NCL employees will not know how to properly provide the perks offered,  

Breakaway on March 21, 2020 is our cruise.  I am also hoping that it is well advertised to all of the crew and they follow through with everything.   The girl I talked to seemed surprised to get a 2nd request for it in the same day.