Opinions? Should NCL charge & include more so there's less nickel and diming?

[newbiefromvancouver]

Are you willing to pay more to get on the boat and have more 'extras' included?

 

Or do you prefer to pay a lower cruise fare and pay for onboard extras that you choose yourself.

 

I think cruising is more affordable now - probably because cruiselines have cut back on the included perks.

 

I was thrilled to cruise to Alaska in 2005 for an unbelievably low price. I was happy have the option to pay for the extras that I really wanted (specialty restaurants, drinks, activities)

 

Opinions?

[EXBRIT]

I prefer the lower cruise price and to purchase the extras I want.

 

It's no good having a higher price and alot of extras I don't want.

 

Lower price also allows more people to cruise and more often.

[Seago2]

Door #2. I like paying for what I want. I never use the spas, so they can jack up the prices all they want there. I love the main restaurants (Spirit, anyway). I have no problem going a week without pop. I drink well liquors at sea and save the good stuff for mainland drinking. I try to stay away from the internet (which has to be a big moneymaker for the cruise lines- are they really paying by the minute???).

[EileenN]

I agree. I love crusing but don't drink or spa. I would not like to have the prices raised to cover things that I don't use. I also don't like hearing so many complaints about the change in prices. Perhaps there is a happy medium with finding a common ground for raising some prices a bit and adding slightly to the cost of crusing to make up the difference. This practice of cutting costs came a little too fast and in too many areas at once. Change of menu selection, raise in drinks, raise in soda card costs, etc. It takes a bite out of good will. I hope if enough complain here and on the comment cards, perhaps they will listen. The alternative is looking elsewhere...other cruise lines or all inclusive vacations???? What do you think?

[judyf]

I like the lower price for all and if you want all the extra you pay for what you want. If I don't want it I don't have to pay extra. No sense paying for things you don't use.

[7SeasLover]

I have maybe 3 to 5 line items on my closing bill. I don't spend much, so I'd rather pay low cruise fares. We may buy a bottle of wine and have it last a week - big drinkers, eh? I do enjoy the spa but only for the free pools, etc. I have only eaten at a speciality restaurant once in the past 5 NCL cruises (Cagney's). I will probaly buy the $79 Anniversary Package and that's about it for my extras.

 

Just give me an economical Penthouse and I'm a happy duck.

[Titan(ic)5.6]

Yeah, they advertise a set price, then charge your account with gratuities. They ought to include these prices in the advertised price of the cruise if they are going to automatically add them to your bill.

[Host CMLA]

Yeah, they advertise a set price, then charge your account with gratuities. They ought to include these prices in the advertised price of the cruise if they are going to automatically add them to your bill.

But then you'd be taxed for your tips. If it's added to your bill, you'd be taxed on it. Also, tips can be adjusted.

 

I'm very happy to have a less expensive cruise price and the option to pay for other things a'la carte. I don't drink a lot of soda so I don't want it included and have to pay for it. I like to decide where my money goes. If cruising went back to all inclusive, I wouldn't cruise any more. In 1984 I took my first cruise on the Norway. There were three of us in a small closet size inside cabin with fold down beds from the wall. It cost us $2,000. That same cruise cost $199 before the Norway went away. You either have all inclusive cruising and a very small percentage of people can cruise or you make it a'la carte and almost everyone can cruise.

[Hikini]

I'm in agreement with the majority here. Keep the price down and have everyone pay extra for the extras they want.

 

I love cruising!

 

Hikini:D

[Debbie in Orlando]

I also agree with everyone else so far. Low cost cruise, pay extra for what you want and not for what you don't. We don't drink or spa either and wouldn't be able to cruise if they started adding those prices to the tab. I never go to buffets cause they charge big prices to cover those that eat alot. I don't and I'm not going to pay for someone elses big tummy. LOL

[abbyndrewmom]

I too agree to a certain extent, like others we are not big drinkers, I like diet pepsi so I bring my own, we don't use the spa or the internet.

 

I am little concerned about the quality of the food in the main dinning rooms. I know you can pay extra and upgrade to the speciality restaurants but I would like to see "good" food offered in the dinning room as well. I don't want to feel like you have to eat at one of the speciality restaurants to get a good meal. I like eating in the main dinning room as I feel that is part of the unique cruise experience, to me the speciality restaurants seem like restaurants that I can eat at on land vacations. Our first NCL cruise is in 3 weeks and I hope that we will like the new menu and can come back and report great things. Dh is a chef so we tend to be pretty easy going with our food choices we like to try different entrees. From what I can tell alot of the criticsm of the new menu is because it is not your typical American Bar & Grill food, which will not be an issue for us.

[maurick]

Lower cruise price and pay for the extra I want. I can't see what people are comlaining about NCL food. The main drining rooms have been fine for us on all our cruises l I wonder what some of these passengers eat like at home everyday. I am just thrilled I don't have to cook it.

[tinkerbelldee]

I prefer a lower price too. We cruised on the Sun last year for our first cruise. We had no idea how much all the extras would cost and had a pretty large bill at the end.

That being said, when we planned our upcoming Jewel trip, we planned the extras into our total vacation budget. We were very lucky to get a good price on the cabin, then a great price on a penthouse upgrade. We will cut back on a few extras to make up for the upgrade price in the budget.

If you do enough research you will know what the extras will cost and you don't feel "knickled and dimed."

[logcabin]

One way they could cut back on their price a bit is to charge a bit extra for the spa. Not everyone "works out" on vacation. I don't, it's vacation! So, a small fee for those who wish to use the spa work out areas would save other passengers a bit of money.

[ute_fan]

I too, prefer a lower upfront cruise price. We don't drink alcohol and gamble very little, if at all. My DH usually buys a soda card, while I normally take my own Diet Dr. Pepper on the ship. As a total non-alcohol drinker, I'd be rather upset if I was being charged for an all-inclusive cruise cost that included alcohol for everybody else.

 

We're planning on cruising with friends this November, and will probably try at least one of the pay restaurants since they enjoy them, but we've always been perfectly satisfied with the main restaurants on our cruises.

 

The majority of the expenses from our on-board charges come from the automatic tipping and our shore excursions, and we can budget those fairly easily up front so we know what to expect.

[SailAways]

The lower price, and the itinerary were exactly what caused us to select NCL for our first cruise.

 

We found the food on the Spirit in September to be just fine. If the quality is down dramatically, I might rethink options. On our cruise, we ate in a few Specialty restaurants, which were very nice, but usually, we dined in the main eateries.

 

We do not drink sodas or liquor, use the spa, or the internet. So, if these were included in the cruise fare, it would seem that we were paying for something for others use only.

 

I prefer to keep the prices down, and make our own choice of extras, if we use them at all.

[Momof2kids]

In general, I would prefer to pay less and then pay for any "extras". We don't gamble much, only drink 1 alcoholic drink per day on a cruise (and budget for it), and can go a while without drinking soda. I can live without a mint on my pillow, I get my hair cut the week before my cruise, and I take a large stash of medecines for everyone in the family.

 

I am willing to pay a little bit extra to have higher quality food in the main dining rooms. Since we'll be going on our first Norwegian cruise in April, I don't yet have any opinion regarding their food. But generally, I would be happy to pay a few extra dollars up front for better tasting food.

 

Likewise, I'm willing to pay a bit extra for a cruise ship with better service and that is better maintained.

[ce2000]

Lower cruise price and pay for the extra I want. I can't see what people are comlaining about NCL food. The main drining rooms have been fine for us on all our cruises l I wonder what some of these passengers eat like at home everyday. I am just thrilled I don't have to cook it.

I am all in favor of lower cruise pricing and a la carte extras. Pay for what you want. I do believe that the quality of food in the main dining rooms on the NCL Jewel has slipped to far. If the food isn't good, the service really doesn't matter. (I was on the Jewel Dec. 25 to Jan. 1) I just expect the food on a cruise to be good, it always has been before. I do buy soda drink cards for my kids, they have gone overboard on price, but that doesn't bother me, I think it is worth it to the kids.

[trex-de]

To me (married male <40) the key features of a cruise are:

• transportation to multiple fun destinations
  
• good food along the way
  
• a place to enjoy the sun while on our way

As long as they keep the essentials, I prefer the low cost to get me on board. I am concerned that the main dining rooms will become pay as you go as well with only the buffets being free. That is where I draw the line.

 

DW and I really love NCL and freestyle. We budget $$ for drinks, excursions and one night in a specialty restaurant. The key though is that NCL got us on the ship. They will get $0 from me if I am home fishing.

 

Clearly, they have a unique business model: fill the ships (low margin like Walmart) and then fill the bank with specialties (high magin like your high end vehicles). If you ask me, it is brilliant. The key for the consumer is self control. For some, it is difficult to not partake in the luxuries. NCL banks on what some believe in vacations, "I'm not going to worry about money while on vacation..." I would assume some of those folks are one-timers.

 

I vote for low-cost to get me on board, choices and self control! I will have been on NCL 3x in 3 years. I hope to keep the string going.

[newmexicoNita]

Yeah, they advertise a set price, then charge your account with gratuities. They ought to include these prices in the advertised price of the cruise if they are going to automatically add them to your bill.

Nowhere do they say cruising is all inclusive like some resorts. All cruise lines have gratuities on top of the price of the cruise. This is advertised everywhere, in the brochures, on the website, by your TA etc. I for one, like most others, like the lower prices and the pay as you go policy. We do drink but rarely use the spa. We don't play Bingo but do like to spend some time in the casino. We do like the specialty restaurants but can decide which one or ones we want to spend extra for and know some cruisers prefer to eat all their meals in the main dining rooms. Flexibility is what it should be about. I would object if they started the policy practiced by Princess: if you get cash from the casino and charge it to your cabin there is a 3% service charge: now that is nickeling and diming passengers. NMNita

[fern]

I find it very obtrusive not to be allowed to have drinks in my own cabin on any ship.

For the time you are on board your cabin is your home !!!! ie a hotel room. This has never happened to us in over 20 years cruising in the Med or Caribean.

Why are NCL so awkward?

In the past norwegians have been vey accommodating?

[trex-de]

I find it very obtrusive not to be allowed to have drinks in my own cabin on any ship.

For the time you are on board your cabin is your home !!!! ie a hotel room. This has never happened to us in over 20 years cruising in the Med or Caribean.

Why are NCL so awkward?

In the past norwegians have been vey accommodating?

 

I am a bit confused. In a lot of forums, wine can be taken on board ($15 p/bottle cork fee), bar set-ups and alcohol delivered upon request. All this can be delivered and consumed in your room.

[Titan(ic)5.6]

All cruise lines have gratuities on top of the price of the cruise. This is advertised everywhere.

Well, not exactly.

[NormanW]

Just carry more nickels and dimes, problem solved. :p

 

If you WANT an all inclusive cruise package there are other lines doing this.

 

Cheers,

 

Norman

[sk84fungirl]

I love to travel. Each cruise I've taken has been a different experience. My first one was one price and you added tips. That was quite some time ago. I don't recall paying for anything except ship merchandise.

 

Since then, you pay for everything. But it's a choice you make when decide to cruise. An interesting observation is that my upcoming Alaska cruise is not that much more expensive than the one I took over 15 years ago. My, how things have changed...:D