Just off the Escape, new changes

[Aldeya]

We just off the Escape and discovered new changes since our Escape cruise in March of this year.

There are no more beach towels left by an attendant for you in the cabin. We were informed by our cabin attendant this was implemented just 2 weeks ago. Now you have to go to the deck 16 pool area if you want these towels and then return them afterwards. Quite an inconvenience if you have few beach days in port one after another.

 

We were looking for a little nice voucher booklet with our Platinum perks for specialty restaurants. We couldn't find it until we saw that those vouchers are now a simple printout on a piece of paper. Another little touch lost.

 

I know I'll get the responses "go get your own towels!", "who needs nice paper for the vouchers" and such. Every time we cruise with Norwegian something is taken away, little by little, and IMO it's cheapening the whole experience.Well, this is MY opinion and  things along with non-existing towel animals and such it's what made cruising special for us.

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Aldeya

[eroller]

8 minutes ago, Aldeya said:

We just off the Escape and discovered new changes since our Escape cruise in March of this year.

There are no more beach towels left by an attendant for you in the cabin. We were informed by our cabin attendant this was implemented just 2 weeks ago. Now you have to go to the deck 16 pool area if you want these towels and then return them afterwards. Quite an inconvenience if you have few beach days in port one after another.

 

We were looking for a little nice voucher booklet with our Platinum perks for specialty restaurants. We couldn't find it until we saw that those vouchers are now a simple printout on a piece of paper. Another little touch lost.

 

I know I'll get the responses "go get your own towels!", "who needs nice paper for the vouchers" and such. Every time we cruise with Norwegian something is taken away, little by little, and IMO it's cheapening the whole experience.Well, this is MY opinion and  things along with non-existing towel animals and such it's what made cruising special for us.

 

 

 

You are absolutely entitled to your opinion and I happen to agree with it.  This goes for any cruise line.  When you start cutting back the little things they eventually add up to something big, and they ultimately make a difference in the experience.   The bean counters think no one will notice, and they save a buck here and there, but people do notice.  At least those that appreciate attention to detail.  

 

Pool towels are a sore spot for me.  I prefer lines like Celebrity, Cunard, HAL, and Disney (among others) that have unlimited towels by the pool.  No checking them in and out.  I don't want to worry about someone lifting my towel if I leave it for a minute, then I have to fight with the cruise line for them not to charge me.  It's a hassle factor for sure and something I would just rather not think about on vacation.  NCL's prices are high enough these days that they should offer the unlimited pool towels.  They are attempting to market themselves as premium as well, and this would be a one step towards that goal.      

[BirdTravels]

We are Platinum Plus members, sailing multiple times a year. I can't remember getting a booklet and vouchers as a PP member. I think that we have always got xeroxed list of benefits and computer printed vouchers with our room number (I suppose that this helps reduce fraud by printing room numbers on certificates). I know we use to get them as Platinum members. 

Edited October 29, 2019 by BirdTravels

[eroller]

35 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

We are Platinum Plus members, sailing multiple times a year. I can't remember getting a booklet and vouchers as a PP member. I think that we have always got xeroxed list of benefits and computer printed vouchers with our room number (I suppose that this helps reduce fraud by printing room numbers on certificates). I know we use to get them as Platinum members. 

 

 

I'm Platinum on NCL and my last cruise on NCL was a couple years ago.  We got vouchers in a nice little envelope type holder (see attachments).  I'm not sure how it's done today.  

 

I'm Diamond on Royal and Elite on Celebrity, and I like they way they do it.  Everything is loaded into your cruise card.  Including the 3 free nightly drinks at any bar of your choice.  I love that benefit!  There is a letter in your cabin explaining your benefits but no vouchers.  Just use your cruise card.  

[Budget Queen]

For me theses are insignificant.  😀😀.    The rates are give away for my bookings which I am far happier with.  😀😀

 

I’m grateful for the Platinum benefit which isn’t that hard to qualify for and more qualifying every week.    

[Beer Belly]

I agree with the towel issue....PITA. I thought you can get Towel Animals upon request ?

[Oakman58]

On the Breakaway this past September it was the same with the pool towels.  You had to go to the towel station on deck 15 if you wanted one. No towel animals either.   Also our cabin on the Breakaway didn't have an ice bucket and we had to ask our steward to provide us with one.  Although I'm a Platinum level Latitudes member, my January cruise on the Epic will probably be my last with NCL.  With the many changes NCL has made over the last few years they no longer provide that unique cruise experience for me.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Oakman58

[Starry Eyes]

8 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

We are Platinum Plus members, sailing multiple times a year. I can't remember getting a booklet and vouchers as a PP member. I think that we have always got xeroxed list of benefits and computer printed vouchers with our room number (I suppose that this helps reduce fraud by printing room numbers on certificates). I know we use to get them as Platinum members. 

Here’s a PP (minus meal vouchers) from this month.  They are using silver ink on PP, perhaps trying to look classy, but it is hard to read in poor lighting...and perhaps in photos.  I also know they have been reprinted.  We took a b2b on Sun.  On the first cruise, the voucher limit was $20 (staff informed us of higher limit when we pointed out no entrees were $20 or under); on second cruise the voucher limit was $35.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Starry Eyes

[Laszlo]

One thing great about the Haven is you could get as many towels as you wanted. I wonder if they will be cutting them back Lol

[kitty-sail]

29 minutes ago, Laszlo said:

One thing great about the Haven is you could get as many towels as you wanted. I wonder if they will be cutting them back Lol

I can't imagine eliminating pool towels from Haven cabins. That would be a real negative for me.  Went on the Escape water slide once.  Since I didn't have anything with me, signed out a towel on the pool deck when I got off slide and returned it to my cabin. Discovered later that I was being charged for towel because it wasn't returned to pool desk. It was a hassle to get straightened out  but being a Haven guest helped. Seems pool towels is a separate dept with strict rules.    

[LrgPizza]

3 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

On the Breakaway this past September it was the same with the pool towels.  You had to go to the towel station on deck 15 if you wanted one. No towel animals either.   Also our cabin on the Breakaway didn't have an ice bucket and we had to ask our steward to provide us with one.  Although I'm a Platinum level Latitudes member, my January cruise on the Epic will probably be my last with NCL.  With the many changes NCL has made over the last few years they no longer provide that unique cruise experience for me.

I sailed RCI after being exclusively with NCL for a long time. I was surprised to find out they don't leave towels in the room like NCL did, and I had to get them each day from a towel station, then return them to avoid being charged. It was a pain, but I got used to it quickly.

[Vacationlover2]

Do you happen to have the dailies you could share with us?  We cruise this Sunday on the Escape.

[Starry Eyes]

12 minutes ago, LrgPizza said:

I sailed RCI after being exclusively with NCL for a long time. I was surprised to find out they don't leave towels in the room like NCL did, and I had to get them each day from a towel station, then return them to avoid being charged. It was a pain, but I got used to it quickly.

I have the impression most people simply exchange wet/dirty towels for clean ones as needed.  Then, they return the towels at the end of the cruise to avoid the charge.  

[UFMOM]

11 hours ago, eroller said:

 

 

 

 

Pool towels are a sore spot for me.  I prefer lines like Celebrity, Cunard, HAL, and Disney (among others) that have unlimited towels by the pool.  No checking them in and out.      

 

 I agree checking towels in and out is a bit of a hassle but I prefer that system because it makes people take their towel with them when they leave the lounger. The Celebrity Solarium pool area is always littered with used towels on the loungers, which then look like the loungers are taken, because people are too lazy to put them in the used towel bins as they leave. 

 

Mary Ann

[eroller]

11 minutes ago, UFMOM said:

 

 I agree checking towels in and out is a bit of a hassle but I prefer that system because it makes people take their towel with them when they leave the lounger. The Celebrity Solarium pool area is always littered with used towels on the loungers, which then look like the loungers are taken, because people are too lazy to put them in the used towel bins as they leave. 

 

Mary Ann

 

 

Personally I found that checking in and out towels makes no difference with the chair hogging situation.  It's alive and well on NCL, Carnival, and Royal where this system is used.  I see empty chairs with towels on them all day.  I'll still take the unlimited towels by the pool any day.  

[Starry Eyes]

25 minutes ago, eroller said:

 

 

Personally I found that checking in and out towels makes no difference with the chair hogging situation.  It's alive and well on NCL, Carnival, and Royal where this system is used.  I see empty chairs with towels on them all day.  I'll still take the unlimited towels by the pool any day.  

Certainly it has not stopped chair hogs, but I think people now at least take their towels away when they are done for the day.  Mary Ann’s point, I believe, was that previous the very lazy had no incentive to clear their lounge even when they knew they would not return the rest of the day.  

 

Worse though than chair hogs, some of those lazy slobs were just leaving cruise line towels on port beaches...to the beaches that is annoying litter (that may be swept out to sea with a high tide) and the cruise line had to replace towels.  Often annoying policies trace to bad behavior by fellow travelers, sigh.

[Newleno]

Hmm I am platinum and just got off the escape oct 20 and we had a little coupon "booklet" for all our perks, true you now have to give your room number for your towels by the pool area but that is for the pool only not for going to the beach, for the beach as you disembark you give your room number and receive your towels  for your day at the beach.  So outside of giving the room number it is a better system as far as I am concerned. 

[snorklinbarb]

3 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Here’s a PP (minus meal vouchers) from this month.  They are using silver ink on PP, perhaps trying to look classy, but it is hard to read in poor lighting...and perhaps in photos.  I also know they have been reprinted.  We took a b2b on Sun.  On the first cruise, the voucher limit was $20 (staff informed us of higher limit when we pointed out no entrees were $20 or under); on second cruise the voucher limit was $35.

This is exactly what I got on recent Dawn cruise B2B.  Agree the fancy attempt with silver font does not work well as it's hard to read.  Was told NCL printed up lots and lots of these with the $20 or $25 amount although in actuality it is $35 limit for the entrees now.  I mentioned to Cruise Next that not everyone would be aware of this, look at the coupons and think that's all they were entitled to.  They said no worries, the restaurant team knows.  

 

That said, when I went on Getaway and Escape a few years ago Platinum Plus (like others, I presume) got a sloppy xeroxed 2 pager and to get the "coupons" off you literally had to rip on the dotted line!  Surprised (as OP reported) that they are still being used.  On Escape to Bermuda in July we got the little booklets.  

 

As for towels, sure nice to have them in the cabin! 

[Zippeedee]

I guess my days of using a pool towel as a nice luxurious bath sheet are over. I will certainly survive, but it is the little things that make a difference.

[Noworkforme23]

So you are saying they no longer have the blue NCL beach towels on your bed when you first arrive in your cabin on the first day?

[Newleno]

12 minutes ago, Noworkforme23 said:

So you are saying they no longer have the blue NCL beach towels on your bed when you first arrive in your cabin on the first day?

correct, you get pool/beach towels either at the pool area or after you get off the ship for the beach

[Noworkforme23]

Bummer. I really liked that touch. 

[worktocruise610]

52 minutes ago, Newleno said:

Hmm I am platinum and just got off the escape oct 20 and we had a little coupon "booklet" for all our perks, true you now have to give your room number for your towels by the pool area but that is for the pool only not for going to the beach, for the beach as you disembark you give your room number and receive your towels  for your day at the beach.  So outside of giving the room number it is a better system as far as I am concerned. 

that makes more sense, as long as it's easy to get them when getting off on an island it works for me 

[jaja]

4 minutes ago, worktocruise610 said:

 as long as it's easy to get them when getting off on an island it works for me 

 

 

I don't see how it will be easy....just another thing to make the lines longer getting off the ship...with everyone having to stop and give room number....

[worktocruise610]

Just now, jaja said:

 

 

I don't see how it will be easy....just another thing to make the lines longer getting off the ship...with everyone having to stop and give room number....

easier than going to deck 16 to get a towel, then back to deck 5 to get off the ship... when I started cruising they did it this way & the lines were not long at all, as long as they adequately staff the table (hope)