Continental Breakfast/coffee is no longer free? Rumor or Not?

[laudergayle]

16 minutes ago, nferr said:

I'm probably going to try MSC next year

After reading about the room service charge and the new DSC rates, I decided to do some mock bookings on MSC.  Wow, their cruise rates are very attractive.  Not a fan of their dining option, but could do Aqua and still be considerably less than NCL.   It will be nice for you having another NYC option.

[KeithJenner]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

This was probably about 7-8 years ago, but I was in the MDR dining with my family on a Royal Cruise.  Right in front of us was a table of "tux/gown" people.  The ship's photographer came around hustling pics. The table in front, asked us if we would move, as we weren't dressed to their standards and we would show up in the background and ruin their photo.

I hope you didn't move.

[Red-Sol]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

To this day, I'll never understand why the way someone else dresses affects anyone else.  I don't get it.

 

I used to pack the suit, the dress shirts and ties (needed more than one so I didn't repeat).  Heck, when I first started cruising back in the '80s, I rented tuxes on board (don't see that anymore).  So glad that's over with.  Save on packing.  Save on luggage fees. 

 

This was probably about 7-8 years ago, but I was in the MDR dining with my family on a Royal Cruise.  Right in front of us was a table of "tux/gown" people.  The ship's photographer came around hustling pics. The table in front, asked us if we would move, as we weren't dressed to their standards and we would show up in the background and ruin their photo.

 

I was irate.  Good thing my family was there to calm me down.  

 

Fortunately, this craziness has died down quite a bit in recent years given that social mores have changed on how people dress.

 

I do not care how others dress on board.  Doesn't bother me one iota if someone wears a tux or gown, if that makes you feel good.  No sweat off my brow. Respect and courtesy dictate you don't tell me I can't sit and dine anywhere because you don't like the way I dress.  Too bad...so sad!

 

Wow...Just Wow!

 

Your experience there proves an old (altered) adage and that is "It doesn't take all kinds.....there just ARE all kinds" 😉

 

Good on you for being able to keep your cool....I am not sure exactly how I would have reacted myself...at a minimum there would probably be some "pleasantries" exchanged 🙂

 

Had another reverse type of dress code experience happen to me on Breakaway.

 

We were on a Breakaway  Cruise to Bermuda.....while there I purchased some very nice and what I consider "dressy" Bermuda shorts. We went to dinner at Le Bistro and I was told I couldn't go inside and would need to either go change out of those shorts or else we would need to eat at a table outside. I opted to eat outside and was able to watch what others were doing. I lost track of how many women they let in wearing the skinniest fabric short shorts imagineable. When I questioned that I was told that the no shorts rule only applied to men...to which I wanted to reply:

 

 
 

[PATRLR]

On 12/6/2022 at 12:12 PM, Perkolater said:

Why all the uproar?  Breakfast delivered to your cabin including as many pots of coffee as you like for less than the price of a single cup of Starbucks.   That is chasing some of you away from NCL?   

 

On 12/6/2022 at 12:38 PM, cruiseny4life said:

I think because $5 here and $5 there adds up to real money soon. $1 upgrade on Baileys, $5 on room service, $25 upgrade for lobster thermidor...now you're starting to talk impact on people's vacation budget. Plenty of other extra charges, that weren't extra just a few months ago/years ago. 

For me, it's not about the money.  I just find it really annoying to have these little charges every time you turn around when we're supposedly on an all inclusive vacation.  And some are truly annoying - If I want a Baileys, I have to sign a slip for a $1.20 extra charge when supposedly I have a "premium" beverage package.  I find that to be annoying.  If I always used to be able to get coffee in my room and now I need to pay for it, that's annoying.

Is it going to chase me from NCL?  Of course not for any individual charge.  But the culture of finding every way possible way to increase onboard spend does have us looking and one of our next cruises will be on a different line.

Edited December 7, 2022 by PATRLR

[Red-Sol]

25 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

Is it going to chase me from NCL?  Of course not for any individual charge.  But the culture of finding every way possible way to increase onboard spend does have us looking and one of our next cruises will be on a different line.

 

The problem I see with NCL is that they are basically "in your face" with regards to what many people call "nickel and diming" The other cruise lines are often either doing the same thing or else increasing revenues in different ways...but they do it in a much more subtle manner.

[kirtihk]

2 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

Well that settles it. I’m packing a tux for my next cruise so I can wear it eating my upscale continental breakfast. You only need to impress yourself - right.

Right! And… Let’s go, Buffalo!

Edited December 7, 2022 by kirtihk

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, Red-Sol said:

We were on a Breakaway  Cruise to Bermuda.....while there I purchased some very nice and what I consider "dressy" Bermuda shorts. We went to dinner at Le Bistro and I was told I couldn't go inside and would need to either go change out of those shorts or else we would need to eat at a table outside. I opted to eat outside and was able to watch what others were doing. I lost track of how many women they let in wearing the skinniest fabric short shorts imagineable. When I questioned that I was told that the no shorts rule only applied to men...

You should have offered to shave your legs.

 

I'm amazed at those who complain about seeing men's legs.  I wonder how much time those who complain spend crawling around under tables looking for hairy legs?

Edited December 7, 2022 by RocketMan275

[Red-Sol]

4 hours ago, nferr said:

 

I'm probably going to try MSC next year when they begin sailing out of NY.  I only cruise out of NY because it's close. Flying just adds a ton of expense - two flights, hotel for night before, meals etc.

I've been getting really good deals on RCL out of NY plus I'm Diamond which give me four free drinks a day and other perks so I factor that in also when looking at other cruise lines.

 

I can relate...We love cruising out of NYC for all of the reasons you mentioned and more. While we are still close to 400 miles away......not needing to fly is like a little slice of heaven.

[Hannodcruise]

4 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

9 hours ago, graphicguy said:

This was probably about 7-8 years ago, but I was in the MDR dining with my family on a Royal Cruise.  Right in front of us was a table of "tux/gown" people.  The ship's photographer came around hustling pics. The table in front, asked us if we would move, as we weren't dressed to their standards and we would show up in the background and ruin their photo.

I hope you didn't move.

I hope you did. Why not help others have their best time. 

[New2cruise2022]

34 minutes ago, Hannodcruise said:

I hope you did. Why not help others have their best time. 

I understand both sides of this: being kind and accommodating vs standing your ground. I don’t think either reaction would be better or worse than the other. But the behavior is not good on the part of the asking party. No need to displace someone from their meal for any reason. The party that wanted the picture should have either been fine with their surroundings or found a different location. 

[JamieLogical]

2 hours ago, Red-Sol said:

 

I can relate...We love cruising out of NYC for all of the reasons you mentioned and more. While we are still close to 400 miles away......not needing to fly is like a little slice of heaven.

 

I live in Rochester too and have driven to NYC to cruise many times. My most recent sailing, I went solo though, so decided to fly. It was definitely a whole layer of stress I would prefer to avoid. Even if the cost of parking in NYC is almost bas expensive as flying.

[graphicguy]

6 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I hope you didn't move.

We didn’t move.  

 

Photographer did take the pics.  No idea if they were bought.

[JamesIowa]

Everyone has their own opinion, so here’s mine:

breakfast is included in your fare, as are all meals. You’re not paying for breakfast or any other room service food, you’re paying for the convenience of eating in your cabin vs getting dressed and going to buffet or whatever. This involves extra staff dedicated to delivering instead of doing something else. 
when I call room service, usually a few times per and usually about 0100, I weigh the cost vs convenience. Convenience and a drunken enjoyment of a blt on my balcony almost always wins. 
For the breakfast change, this actually makes more sense to me than the previous policy of “some things are delivered free, others will be a cost”, For me, this will actually be less expensive as I typically would order the hot breakfast items and pay the old, higher, delivery surcharge. 

 

 

[graphicguy]

^^^^^

 

Playing Devil’s advocate just for a moment, you could also say that by having someone deliver room service, you’re freeing someone else up in the sit down dining areas from serving you.  Probably takes less time to just deliver food to your cabin.

 

These charges are multiplying.  I get understand why they are doing it.  But, if you’re raising fees and fares, raise the level of service to a commensurate level.  They’re going the opposite direction.  They are raising the fees and fares while lowering the level of service.

[clubmember]

On 12/7/2022 at 9:53 AM, njhorseman said:

As I said in my post " This FAQ hasn't been updated to reflect  the new fee scheme, probably because the new fee structure hasn't been fully rolled out yet" . 

"Hasn't been fully rolled out yet" means it isn't yet fleetwide. 

 

Fyi -- A data point to share -- Currently on Gem for a TA.  The daily is showing the new $4.95 for breakfast charge as well as $9.95 for everything else. 

[JamesIowa]

31 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

These charges are multiplying.  I get understand why they are doing it.  But, if you’re raising fees and fares, raise the level of service to a commensurate level.  They’re going the opposite direction.  They are raising the fees and fares while lowering the level of service.

I don’t disagree with that, but am hard pressed to think of any examples where this has been the case; where both a price increase and increase in level of service have been achieved. It’s all a value decision, and the weighting of the individual decision points that make up the equation vary from one to another. 
Breakfast on my balcony for $5 on my schedule and convenience, being on vacation….done and done. IMO it’s a nickel holding up a dollar.

to quote the Boss, I’ll be there on time and pay the cost.

 

[graphicguy]

Said this before, the up charges are becoming cumulative.  It’s not just the the charges on Room Service, it’s the up charges on liquors like Bailey’s, St Germain, Crown etc from the drink packages.  None of those are premium liquors, but carry a higher price than the drink package allows.  You can see fewer bartenders in the Atrium bar, pool bar, Spice H20, etc resulting in long lines.  The list goes on and on.

 

It’s not just one thing.  It’s a bunch of issues.  And, they’re multiplying.

[JamieLogical]

16 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Said this before, the up charges are becoming cumulative.  It’s not just the the charges on Room Service, it’s the up charges on liquors like Bailey’s, St Germain, Crown etc from the drink packages.  None of those are premium liquors, but carry a higher price than the drink package allows.  You can see fewer bartenders in the Atrium bar, pool bar, Spice H20, etc resulting in long lines.  The list goes on and on.

 

It’s not just one thing.  It’s a bunch of issues.  And, they’re multiplying.

 

This! Having sailed another line now and planning to sail two more lines in the next few months, I have had my eyes opened to how NCL compares. Continuing to add little things like this that detract from the cruise experience or add more costs all contribute to the choice of line to cruise. NCL loyalists may put up with them, for now, but I over time, I suspect more and more people will look at other lines. When other lines already include free all-day room service and things like water & coffee in drink packages, adding more nickel-and-diming, which NCL already has a reputation for isn't going to help their case.

[PATRLR]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

These charges are multiplying.  I get understand why they are doing it.  But, if you’re raising fees and fares, raise the level of service to a commensurate level.  They’re going the opposite direction.  They are raising the fees and fares while lowering the level of service.

Agreed.   The idea of lowering service is what I refer to as nickle and diming on the expense side of the ledger.  In other words they aren't trying to get more nickels and dimes from us, they are trying to save nickels and dimes from being spent.   I think we're going to see that the ban on mixed shots is nothing more than a cost savings - less liquor and less work for the bartenders (e.g. maybe they can reduce the Vibe crew from three to two).

 

[kirtihk]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

^^^^^

 

Playing Devil’s advocate just for a moment, you could also say that by having someone deliver room service, you’re freeing someone else up in the sit down dining areas from serving you.  Probably takes less time to just deliver food to your cabin.

 

These charges are multiplying.  I get understand why they are doing it.  But, if you’re raising fees and fares, raise the level of service to a commensurate level.  They’re going the opposite direction.  They are raising the fees and fares while lowering the level of service.

The majority of them, not just cruise lines!  Recently, Hilton removed soap bar from the room stating "just use body wash" (which I actually don't even use for my body; I use an actual hard soap bar which, by the way, saves resources that so many are recklessly screaming about these days).

Edited December 8, 2022 by kirtihk

[kirtihk]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Said this before, the up charges are becoming cumulative.  It’s not just the the charges on Room Service, it’s the up charges on liquors like Bailey’s, St Germain, Crown etc from the drink packages.  None of those are premium liquors, but carry a higher price than the drink package allows.  You can see fewer bartenders in the Atrium bar, pool bar, Spice H20, etc resulting in long lines.  The list goes on and on.

 

It’s not just one thing.  It’s a bunch of issues.  And, they’re multiplying.

rather more like exponential and pretty soon going to factorial (n!) direction

 

Voyage, Voyage, everyone!

Edited December 8, 2022 by kirtihk

[scooter6139]

Meh, I expect cruise lines to raise prices.  I expect them to change and evolve policies.  I expect them to find new ways to make $$$, whether flagrantly or by hiding it in new "features".  I expect them to piss off the "past" cruisers who remember and recall the way things "used to be".  Lastly, I expect to come on CC and find more threads of cruisers posting "this is the last straw!" type replies.  

 

I try to just roll with it, as ALL of the cruise lines are doing the exact same thing.  If I want to cruise, I must do it via their rules and prices.   So onward I roll...................  😏

[uneamie]

 I think it has been a long time since cruising could be considered "all inclusive". If you check out the "all inclusive" resorts in Mexico etc...you really don't have to bring any money unless you are booking excursions. Those resorts are the real inclusive vacations.  So

I have long ago stopped thinking my cruise includes everything....it never does and never will. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by uneamie

[ollienbertsmum]

On 12/6/2022 at 7:47 PM, LGinPA said:

Being a new cruiser I have some related breakfast and room service questions:  

 

3. If I request a coffee maker in the cabin, is there a way to get real half & half/creamer?  We don't like powdered creamer. 

 

4. If I go early to the buffet to bring coffee and hot breakfast back to DH, is there a way to box it up?  Are there insulated paper cups with lids for the coffee?

 

Thanks. 🙂

 

I usually keep a cup of milk or creamer in the fridge.  I get it myself as often as I need it.  

 

I am always a bit concerned about walking around the ship with a hot drink.  I take my own sealed mug.  OK so I have to keep it rinsed out in the bathroom, but at least I won’t scald someone if the ship is rocking.  

[LGinPA]

On 12/10/2022 at 12:20 PM, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I usually keep a cup of milk or creamer in the fridge.  I get it myself as often as I need it.  

 

I am always a bit concerned about walking around the ship with a hot drink.  I take my own sealed mug.  OK so I have to keep it rinsed out in the bathroom, but at least I won’t scald someone if the ship is rocking.  

 

Thanks!  I love this idea.  We're fussy about my creamer.

DH needs his coffee upon arising, so we'll get a coffee maker in the cabin and keep creamer in the fridge from the buffet. 🙂