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The end of NCL? Andy Stuart is gone.


TheDougOut
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1 minute ago, AlexandNessa said:

I checked Harry's Linked In profile, and I'm not confident in his ability to innovate the cruise industry, beyond his ability to find innovative ways to increase the bottom line. Expect the nickel and diming to accelerate.

 

 

I believe he is basically a numbers man.  Glorified account.  All about finance.  Probably exactly what del rio wants.  He is all about revenue.  Of course all companies are about revenue, but a balance is required.  Some companies are better at that balance than others.  I think NCL is a bit unbalanced at the moment, and hopefully it doesn't get worse.  I think a great President/CEO is one that understands numbers and the business, but is also an advocate for the customer and the experience. It's a tough job but it's why they get paid the big bucks.  I hope this new guy can find the balance.  

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15 hours ago, mianmike said:

 

Hopefully I don't get in trouble for this post and it gets deleted, but if you listen to the NCLH investor conference calls Del Rio speaks as if all the major changes are his decisions. 

Yes of course.  On day one in 2015 FDR gave his philosophy and business model.  That model had nothing to do with customer satisfaction.  FDR set out to increase revenue from EVERY passenger (his words, not mine).  Over the last 4 years this philosophy has continued.  I remember the question someone asked FDR a few years ago about customer push back or dismay about cut backs and price increases and FDR seemed to not even understand almost like customer satisfaction is not his concern.   None of this is a secret what has happened during the last 4 years and YES he has taken credit for it.  Not sure why someone speculated the decisions were made by Andy.

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16 minutes ago, cliffd64 said:

Yawn.....

 

Not too certain that this will impact me in my daily life at all.

 

My feelings exactly.

Last weekend we spent about 6 grand on new appliances. I don't know or care who the CEO of Maytag is. 

When I bought my Subaru I didn't ask who the CEO of Subaru was. All I cared about was it a good product, will the service be good, and did I get a decent price. 

 

I guess I'd care if the new COE wanted to turn NCL into a Timeshare company, or re-register all their ships to Nevada  and open Haven Bordellos  on every ship.... (one good, one bad, you guess which is which 😉).

 

But other than that. it's a Big Yawner.

Edited by DirtyDawg
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11 hours ago, eroller said:

 

Are you the authority on what is "normal"?  Who wants to be normal anyway. Yawn.  Everyone has their own interests.  My interest in cruising goes way beyond price, ship, cruise line, and destination.  Ships and the cruise industry are a hobby and I follow them closely.  If that isn't "normal" so be it.  I embrace not being normal and would never want to be classified as such.  

 

It's strange you should ask that. Yes I am 😉.

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38 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

 

My feelings exactly.

Last weekend we spent about 6 grand on new appliances. I don't know or care who the CEO of Maytag is. 

When I bought my Subaru I didn't ask who the CEO of Subaru was. All I cared about was it a good product, will the service be good, and did I get a decent price. 

 

I guess I'd care if the new COE wanted to turn NCL into a Timeshare company, or re-register all their ships to Nevada  and open Haven Bordellos  on every ship.... (one good, one bad, you guess which is which 😉).

 

But other than that. it's a Big Yawner.

 

Bordellos on every ship?  Guess that would bring new meaning to the term "NCL service charge"

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Some are more interested and others not, that is ok. Compare it if you support a basketball, ice hockey or football team. Then maybe you talk about the manager/ coach too. What is the best way to play the game and that you see a great game?

It is here the same. For some that seems maybe strange but i’m Interested of the they change ncl Did and will go and way. And like we talked about the new ships, Shows etc. I hope we talk them in the future too. 

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The fact that any one posting a comment to the effect of "who cares...no big deal...doesn't effect me" is simply silly to me.  

 

This entire website is designed to discuss cruising.  This entire forum is dedicated to NCL, one of the major cruise companies.  One of the heads of the company is stepping down, and being replaced by a guy, who by all accounts, is an accountant who will be focused more on dollars and cents than customer satisfaction and suggestions.  If that doesn't warrant a thread and discussion...I'm not sure why any thread on here would.  

Edited by MrMike45
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as I stated earlier in this thread...... the way everyone is stroking Andy with one hand and stabbing FDR with the other...... one would be happy that Andy is stepping down if he is just a patsy President / CEO who has zero authority to direct policy and direction for NCL and FDR is ramming these nickel & dime policies and charges down cruisers throats via Andy then he is just a "yes man".  I enjoy NCL and have many cruises with her but come on people...... Andy is just as responsible (if not more) for your complaints as FDR....... 

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1 hour ago, MrMike45 said:

The fact that any one posting a comment to the effect of "who cares...no big deal...doesn't effect me" is simply silly to me.  

 

This entire website is designed to discuss cruising.  This entire forum is dedicated to NCL, one of the major cruise companies.  One of the heads of the company is stepping down, and being replaced by a guy, who by all accounts, is an accountant who will be focused more on dollars and cents than customer satisfaction and suggestions.  If that doesn't warrant a thread and discussion...I'm not sure why any thread on here would.  

That is entirely your own opinion .

 

There are many thousand more people who are not concerned and could not name an executive of ncl even if you put a gun to their head.

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4 minutes ago, cliffd64 said:

That is entirely your own opinion .

 

There are many thousand more people who are not concerned and could not name an executive of ncl even if you put a gun to their head.

 

Are those many thousand more people members of the forum cruise critic, and posting on the NCL cruise discussion boards?  

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We’ve certainly seen Del Rio become hands-on with the last few builds, but beyond that we can only mark 2015-2019 as the “FDR/Stuart” era and compare it to what happened before and after.

 

As to the dynamic between the two, there’s some interesting perspective in this article about Stuart’s 3 decades at NCL from a few months back... 

 

“The culture in this company today has really been a culture I feel very comfortable in. As long as that’s the balance that I’m finding, you’ll have to pry me out of here.”

 

When asked if he’d have another celebration to mark his fourth decade, he laughed and said that Frank Del Rio might be the man to talk to.

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10 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

 

Are those many thousand more people members of the forum cruise critic, and posting on the NCL cruise discussion boards?  

Apparently only those who come here and troll us.

 

By the way, does anyone else find it ironic that one of those had a first post to complain about his stringy filet in Cagneys? IMO a direct result of the change in policy to cut costs by providing lesser cuts of meat.

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3 hours ago, MrMike45 said:

 

I'm not sure how you could miss the potential of how this would affect you.  Unless you really are just needling for the sake of being a PITA

 

When you buy an appliance, or a car, or any tangible item that you take possession of immediately upon payment, the CEO of the company does not matter.  You researched the item, you decided it was the item you wanted, you paid for it, you took possession of it.  The only long term affect of the item might be the warranty, which a CEO legally cannot change.  

 

When you book a cruise, most people book months and/or years out in advance.  Cruise lines can (and do) always change policies and fees and add-ons.  You aren't going on the cruise the day after you pay for it. 

 

What if this new guy comes in and decides Anytime/Freestyle dining is no longer what NCL should be about?  And now has set dining times or forces you to pay to keep your freestyle/anytime dining option?  What if the cruise you booked is 12 months out, and over those 12 months, the new CEO decides to raise the DSC 3 times?  What if you booked the cruise expecting certain types of "included" entertainment or activities, and the new CEO decides to eliminate those or make them "pay to play"?  

 

Yes, if booked far enough out, the option to cancel at no penalty exists.  So that is one caveat.  But many of us have numerous NCL cruises under our belt, earning certain perks and discounts for our loyalty.  And if these potential changes affect the product we have loved and been loyal to over the years, those perks and discounts are essentially lost if we no longer enjoy the product and stop giving them our business.

 

All of this is speculation.  Nothing could change.  Or, Everything could change.  But this is a forum to discuss NCL cruising.  And changing the top of the food chain is a major major move that could affect everything from the top down.  

amen

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4 hours ago, MrMike45 said:

 

I'm not sure how you could miss the potential of how this would affect you.  Unless you really are just needling for the sake of being a PITA

 

When you buy an appliance, or a car, or any tangible item that you take possession of immediately upon payment, the CEO of the company does not matter.  You researched the item, you decided it was the item you wanted, you paid for it, you took possession of it.  The only long term affect of the item might be the warranty, which a CEO legally cannot change.  

 

When you book a cruise, most people book months and/or years out in advance.  Cruise lines can (and do) always change policies and fees and add-ons.  You aren't going on the cruise the day after you pay for it. 

 

What if this new guy comes in and decides Anytime/Freestyle dining is no longer what NCL should be about?  And now has set dining times or forces you to pay to keep your freestyle/anytime dining option?  What if the cruise you booked is 12 months out, and over those 12 months, the new CEO decides to raise the DSC 3 times?  What if you booked the cruise expecting certain types of "included" entertainment or activities, and the new CEO decides to eliminate those or make them "pay to play"?  

 

Yes, if booked far enough out, the option to cancel at no penalty exists.  So that is one caveat.  But many of us have numerous NCL cruises under our belt, earning certain perks and discounts for our loyalty.  And if these potential changes affect the product we have loved and been loyal to over the years, those perks and discounts are essentially lost if we no longer enjoy the product and stop giving them our business.

 

All of this is speculation.  Nothing could change.  Or, Everything could change.  But this is a forum to discuss NCL cruising.  And changing the top of the food chain is a major major move that could affect everything from the top down.  

 

In this one post, you make my point.  Who leaves or comes to run the company is way out of my control.  What will influence my decisions are the items you list...  I don't care whose name is attached to any changes.  I couldn't care less.  But if there are changes  that make it so that a different line has a better offering for us, then I will vote with my wallet.  I don't worry about who is the CEO, I just make my decisions on the quality of the product as it relates to my wife and I.  I really doubt anyone cancelled their cruise on news of Mr. Stuart leaving the company...  

Edited by cliffd64
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14 minutes ago, cliffd64 said:

I don't worry about who is the CEO, I just make my decisions on the quality of the product as it relates to my wife and I.

 

We’re all talking about the same thing.  Many of us have seen how “the product” changes over time based on who’s running the show.

 

Is someone going to experience a different product the day after Stuart steps down?  Unlikely.  Have we all seen significant changes during the “Stuart/Del Rio Era”?  Absolutely.  Will we see further significant changes in the “Sommer/Del Rio Era”?  Time will tell.

 

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5 hours ago, esm54687 said:

as I stated earlier in this thread...... the way everyone is stroking Andy with one hand and stabbing FDR with the other...... one would be happy that Andy is stepping down if he is just a patsy President / CEO who has zero authority to direct policy and direction for NCL and FDR is ramming these nickel & dime policies and charges down cruisers throats via Andy then he is just a "yes man".  I enjoy NCL and have many cruises with her but come on people...... Andy is just as responsible (if not more) for your complaints as FDR....... 

 

That's kind of my feeling. So many believe he's simply doing a job that a trained monkey could do while earning a CEO salary, yet they act like they will miss him. To pretend he made no decisions and was merely a puppet is a disservice to Andy, who I happen to like.  People talk about all the changes they saw when Del Rio came in, yet they seem to forget that is the same time that Andy Stuart was made President and CEO of NCL. It wasn't just a name plate on a monkey's desk. He actually did stuff.

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On 10/3/2019 at 5:38 PM, ColeThornton said:

 

..For instance, right now there is a thread about the NCL Encore ship being built.  It's over 100 pages long. People are doting on every detail and movement of the ship being built in Germany. 

 

Who would do something like that? :classic_blink:

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2 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

That's kind of my feeling. So many believe he's simply doing a job that a trained monkey could do while earning a CEO salary, yet they act like they will miss him.

 

Considering Stuart said they’d have to pry him to leave, it’s quite possible the departure is a result of differing approaches between him and Del Rio.  To your point, that could go either way.  

 

All I know... I became a fan of the product during the Sheehan/Stuart era, and that’s slowly waned during the Del Rio/ Stuart era.  It’s entirely possible I gave Stuart too much credit before, or not enough credit since.  

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15 minutes ago, TheDougOut said:

 

Considering Stuart said they’d have to pry him to leave, it’s quite possible the departure is a result of differing approaches between him and Del Rio.  To your point, that could go either way.  

 

All I know... I became a fan of the product during the Sheehan/Stuart era, and that’s slowly waned during the Del Rio/ Stuart era.  It’s entirely possible I gave Stuart too much credit before, or not enough credit since.  

 

He wasn't in the same position before. Andy was not CEO of NCL when Sheehan was there.  Sheehan was.

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For those that recognize my user name over the years, my little profile picture used to be the OLD NCL logo. I changed it because I've lost hope for the cruise line. Andy's departure may well be the final straw. This past June when I sailed on the Epic, the changes to everything on the ship were just downright crazy. I know Andy isn't behind it.

 

The downward trend started when Sheehan combined Oceania and Regent with NCL to form NCLH and then went public with the company. He promptly left... some say he had to go... and then in walked Del Rio. FDR has made this cruise line all about the bottom line and putting silly things on the ships just to drive revenue. A cruise should have deck space to SUN and not have go-kart tracks. If you want that, stay on land. Now the entire top deck of Encore, a ship I will not be sailing on, is wasted with things to upsell you on. It's the completion of the FDR take over and bean counting he does.

 

I'm sure Andy is not retiring and I sure hope he doesn't have a non-compete clause. I would love to see him turn up at MSC which in just a few years will be kicking NCL's posterior to the grave. Andy has been nothing but kind the times I've seen him on the ships and he's worked his way up. I'm not sure what is causing him to go but the way the press release read, it doesn't seem like his choice. If anything, I bet the new builds coming out are likely a driving factor. I'm sure those will be charging you a quarter to use a public lavatory outside your room. If there's a way to charge, I'm sure FDR is designing the new fleet of ships to do so.

 

As for Andy's replacement... he doesn't seem like he'll be doing NCL any favors either. Good luck to NCL. To those looking around, MSC has a good status match and their product reminds me of the way NCL used to be before they went public and while they were building their brand. Some bumps in the road but they're getting better!

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