platinum tier benefit question

[BirdTravels]

16 hours ago, JustAllie said:

My friends and I have found that the rules about where and how you can use your Platinum dining vouchers differs a bit from ship to ship. On our recent cruise on the NCL Sun, we found out after we had made our reservations that one of the coupons could be used at Cagney's or Le Bistro only, and the other one could NOT be used at either Cagney's or Le Bistro. Our backup choice (Teppanyaki) was fully booked by the time we figured that out. After some inquiries we found out the second coupon could be used at the sushi restaurant (which was not listed on the coupon), so we used our 2nd coupon there. There was certainly plenty of food with 4 people each able to order up to 4 items!! 

 

Anyway I do suggest asking at the dining reservations desk to make sure you understand where you can use the coupons on the specific ship your are sailing. 

This is incorrect. 
 

While some ships may have the old vouchers, latitudes dinner vouchers can be used at any specialty restaurant. They made that change last year. 

You can use the voucher with wine at any restaurant except Palomar,,, which has its own sustainable wine menu. 

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, Jagggg said:

Since my husband and I are both Platinum . Will we each get this coupon? A total of 4 different reservations for 2 people. Thanks 

No. One set of vouchers per

cabin. You get two dinners for. Two. 

Front

 

Back

[BirdTravels]

11 hours ago, RADGIRL80 said:

. Teppanyaki isn’t possible for the platinum coupon. 

This is k correct. In fact, Teppanyaki is the best place to use your platinum voucher. We do it on every cruise and we sail a half dozen times a year. 

 

[seemoreroyals]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

No. One set of vouchers per

cabin. You get two dinners for. Two. 

Front

 

Back

So why do they say one bag of laundry on the voucher?  Looking at the coupons and if I did not read CC I would assume it was only one free bag of laundry per cabin.  We have always been able to get two bags of free laundry per cruise since obtaining platinum level.

 

It just seems strange that the laundry is not worded one free bag of laundry per platinum cruiser.  The free bags of laundry are a great perk.  By wording it the way they do a significant amount of platinum cruisers probably miss out on the extra bag of free laundry they are entitled to.  

 

Perhaps in the next round of cuts they will begin enforcing the one bag of laundry per cabin much as they are now enforcing the 1 app or salad or soup, 1-entree, and 1 dessert on the platinum SD's.  Would not be surprised.  Until then the one free bag of laundry for each platinum is a great perk.

[WillCruiseForMoney]

@seemoreroyals if you look at the tier benefits for Latitudes rewards it states which benefits are per  stateroom.  https://www.ncl.com/latitudes-rewards-program

 

When it comes to the laundry benefits, you do not need the coupon, just write your Latitudes level, i.e. "Platinum" on the laundry bag form.  In addition you usually get additional free laundry for long cruises.  Basically one per week for each member.   2 per member for 14+ day cruises, and 3 per member for cruises of 20+ days, although this should be verified with the ship's CruiseNext team onboard. 

[insidecabin]

On 1/3/2024 at 4:53 PM, phissy said:

DH and I are both Platinum. We are looking to book cruise with DD and SIL.

If I book one cabin in my name with daughter and book second cabin with DH and SIL, then each cabin would received Platinum vouchers for dinners,?   Wondering if this would work? Thx

That would work.

whenthere is no solo suppliments couples can book a cabin each and double their meals.

[seemoreroyals]

@WillCruiseForMoneyBoth times we have cruised since becoming platinum,  we sent off laundry in extra thin bag provided ( thanks BTW to whoever it was who suggested placing it inside similar sized plastic bag before cramming laundry in) writing Platinum outside and filling out inventory form of items to be washed.  I never received a replacement bag for second round of free laundry.

 

I had to ask room steward to bring us one.  I guess that is just standard procedure or just a coincidental oversight by the room stewards in question on our two experiences being able to utilize free platinum laundry perk. 

 

I see under latitude perks that they say one bag of laundry per member and one of each of the two types of platinum dinners per cabin.  My point is to eliminate confusion, on the voucher,  they should probably say one free bag of laundry per member as well as saying one free of each type of platinum dinner per cabin.  It would be easy for them to do and eliminate any possible confusion.

[The Traveling Man]

On 1/4/2024 at 6:29 PM, herbanrenewal said:

If you are traveling solo, you can still bring a guest. I usually find another platinum member at solo meetings and I go as their guest and they go as mine - then you have 4 specialty dinners.

That's not what the Latitudes Terms and Conditions seem to indicate.

 

Benefit is available on sailings 5 days or longer, and entitles each guest to an appetizer, one entrée and dessert of choice. Upcharges apply to certain premium menu items; Raw Bar Seafood Platter is not included. Bottle of Wine offered in all venues offering Complimentary Wine list, Palomar not included. In à la carte restaurants, coupon can be redeemed for 4 menu items per person (Sushi, Wasabi, Nama, Teppanyaki, Hasuki, Food Republic, Pincho Tapas Bar or Raw Bar). Additional entrées will incur supplemental charges. Dinner coupons are non-transferrable. Solo guests cannot claim two dinners. Coupons can’t be used for the same venue twice. 2 guests maximum. Dining options vary by ship.

[The Traveling Man]

On 1/7/2024 at 7:48 PM, Jagggg said:

Since my husband and I are both Platinum . Will we each get this coupon? A total of 4 different reservations for 2 people. Thanks 

No the benefit is per stateroom whether one or all persons are Platinum members.

[IAcruising]

2 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Dinner coupons are non-transferrable. Solo guests cannot claim two dinners. Coupons can’t be used for the same venue twice. 2 guests maximum. Dining options vary by ship.

 

I'm pretty sure that means they can't claim two dinners for themselves. They can bring a guest.

 

[The Traveling Man]

1 minute ago, IAcruising said:

 

I'm pretty sure that means they can't claim two dinners for themselves. They can bring a guest.

 

I agree.  A platinum member traveling alone would receive one coupon which is good for a dinner for two persons.  If you ask a friend to join you for dinner, whether they are a Platinum member or not, the two of you each get one dinner in a specialty restaurant.  You cannot split the coupon over two days, having one meal by yourself, then reusing the coupon for a second solo dinner.  If your guest is also a Platinum member, they can dine with you on your coupon one night, while you can dine as their guest on a different night.  At least that's the way I understand it.  I never have cruised solo, so I have no personal experience with this.  I only know what I have read in the Terms and Conditions on the website and what I have heard Cruise Next Managers tell others who asked about this.

[hallux]

14 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

If your guest is also a Platinum member, they can dine with you on your coupon one night, while you can dine as their guest on a different night.  At least that's the way I understand it.

Happens all the time.  In fact - the roll call for my cruise later this month has a spreadsheet with activities and such, one of the columns is "platinum dinner coupon to share"

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

I agree.  A platinum member traveling alone would receive one coupon which is good for a dinner for two persons.  If you ask a friend to join you for dinner, whether they are a Platinum member or not, the two of you each get one dinner in a specialty restaurant.  You cannot split the coupon over two days, having one meal by yourself, then reusing the coupon for a second solo dinner.  If your guest is also a Platinum member, they can dine with you on your coupon one night, while you can dine as their guest on a different night.  At least that's the way I understand it.  I never have cruised solo, so I have no personal experience with this.  I only know what I have read in the Terms and Conditions on the website and what I have heard Cruise Next Managers tell others who asked about this.

A solo traveller gets two vouchers, the same as everyone else.

 

The T&Cs are badly worded (this is NCL after all), but what they are trying to say is that the solo traveller can’t split their vouchers to get 4 meals for one.

 

However, they still have 2 meals for 2, and can take someone else with them if they want. If that person is also platinum then you can double up to get 4 meals for 2 between you.

[The Traveling Man]

55 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

A solo traveller gets two vouchers, the same as everyone else.

 

The T&Cs are badly worded (this is NCL after all), but what they are trying to say is that the solo traveller can’t split their vouchers to get 4 meals for one.

 

However, they still have 2 meals for 2, and can take someone else with them if they want. If that person is also platinum then you can double up to get 4 meals for 2 between you.

Thanks for the info.  As I said, I never have traveled solo, so all I had to go on was what was listed on the website.  Your explanation makes a lot of sense, but it means that if two Platinum members decide to travel in two Studio rooms instead of one Balcony, they get twice as many specialty dinners as they would if they traveled together.  Hardly seems fair, but then, it is NCL.

[UKstages]

we've been through this umpteen times.

 

NCL fails to make a distinction between a solo traveler and a solo diner.

 

because, you know, english is hard.

[herbanrenewal]

3 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

That's not what the Latitudes Terms and Conditions seem to indicate.

 

Benefit is available on sailings 5 days or longer, and entitles each guest to an appetizer, one entrée and dessert of choice. Upcharges apply to certain premium menu items; Raw Bar Seafood Platter is not included. Bottle of Wine offered in all venues offering Complimentary Wine list, Palomar not included. In à la carte restaurants, coupon can be redeemed for 4 menu items per person (Sushi, Wasabi, Nama, Teppanyaki, Hasuki, Food Republic, Pincho Tapas Bar or Raw Bar). Additional entrées will incur supplemental charges. Dinner coupons are non-transferrable. Solo guests cannot claim two dinners. Coupons can’t be used for the same venue twice. 2 guests maximum. Dining options vary by ship.

The bold text indicates that the solo guest can not get two dinners (presumably on two nights or two entrees).

If you look on the Latitudes benefits page, and also at the coupons you receive onboard, they say:

Dinner for Two with a Bottle of Wine6 (per stateroom)
Dinner for Two6 (per stateroom)

Latitudes Rewards (ncl.com)

Edited January 10 by herbanrenewal

[sailingships]

On 1/7/2024 at 2:22 PM, JustAllie said:

 On our recent cruise on the NCL Sun, we found out after we had made our reservations that one of the coupons could be used at Cagney's or Le Bistro only, and the other one could NOT be used at either Cagney's or Le Bistro.

We just got off the Gem a month ago. I dont remember which restaurant we were about to go to but when I got a voucher out of the safe where I keep them under lock and key, I noticed it listed 2 actual spots and not the one we were about to eat at. I decided to just give the manager the voucher and see what would happen. The manager accepted the voucher and there was no problem. We had another voucher printed the same and was able to use that one also at another restaurant. I think the ships are just using up the older vouchers.

[mking8288]

29 minutes ago, sailingships said:

We just got off the Gem ... voucher printed the same and was able to use that one also at another restaurant. I think the ships are just using up the older vouchers.

There is simple, low tech solution and I'm al for NCL being eco-friendly #cough #cough to sail & sustain for our (in)convenience, hysteria & confusion with the random poorly informed & recently new hired crew in training/coaching mode ... why not just get the onboard print shop, in between printing up those FSD (FreeStyle Dailies) for mass distributions - to generate some labels to clarify the terms & conditions, get the crew to stick them onto those "outdated" Latitudes mini coupon booklets, explain that ... vouchers are accepted & can be used in all the specialty dining venues onboard - including upcharges and exclusions, etc. etc.  

 

Problem solved and a win-win situation for all ... 

 

Of course, my other approach is blunt & works and directed - as soon as the server begin to mumble about who's using the voucher and who's using the dining credit for specialty dining ... hand goes up waiving my keycard - please, whatever is NOT included or covered, has a surcharge or add-on, just put it on this card.  Now, let's get to the wine menu and order our food now.   In other words, shut up said in a nice way, perhaps, and let's spare all the grief of listening to the nonsense. 

 

Except, at Cagney's - I refused to order 3 to 4 pieces of fried onion rings with a $9 price tag.  3 pieces of hash browns as a side order, that is acceptable if they bring them back.  

Edited January 10 by mking8288

[Sugar Magnolia]

6 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

if two Platinum members decide to travel in two Studio rooms instead of one Balcony, they get twice as many specialty dinners as they would if they traveled together.  Hardly seems fair, but then, it is NCL.

 

I travel solo and often have to pay a hefty solo supplement when booking a balcony...sometimes 100% supplement. I wish I had someone to travel with, but I don't. Hardly seems fair.

 

[macewank]

7 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Thanks for the info.  As I said, I never have traveled solo, so all I had to go on was what was listed on the website.  Your explanation makes a lot of sense, but it means that if two Platinum members decide to travel in two Studio rooms instead of one Balcony, they get twice as many specialty dinners as they would if they traveled together.  Hardly seems fair, but then, it is NCL.

What, exactly, is unfair about it?

Let's use apples to at least somewhat of apples here and make inside cabins the comparison (balcony. is a terrible comparison due to the cost+feature delta).   looking at my upcoming sailing in April, the cost of 2 studio cabins is $1100 more expensive than if 2 people booked an inside cabin together.  I'm not sure getting twice as many specialty dinners is as big of a perk as you're implying it is. 

You can buy a lot of dinner for $1100. 

[hallux]

10 hours ago, mking8288 said:

to generate some labels to clarify the terms & conditions, get the crew to stick them onto those "outdated" Latitudes mini coupon booklets, explain that ... vouchers are accepted & can be used in all the specialty dining venues onboard - including upcharges and exclusions, etc. etc. 

NCL must have had a HUGE backlog of coupons with the old terms, they've been accepted at all restaurants for over a year..

[dshefter]

On 1/8/2024 at 6:26 AM, BirdTravels said:

This is incorrect. 
 

While some ships may have the old vouchers, latitudes dinner vouchers can be used at any specialty restaurant. They made that change last year. 

You can use the voucher with wine at any restaurant except Palomar,,, which has its own sustainable wine menu. 

Have a question about these vouchers. We already had 3 specialty dinner reservations booked under our package. My wife is Platinum (I am gold). Can she book an additional complimentary specialty dinner? Thinking about Sushi or the teppanyaki restaurant on our Viva cruise Feb. 4-11. Thanks

[dshefter]

On 1/8/2024 at 6:30 AM, BirdTravels said:

No. One set of vouchers per

cabin. You get two dinners for. Two. 

Front

 

Back

Do you receive these vouchers on embarkation day? Wife is Platinum. I am Gold.

[seemoreroyals]

11 minutes ago, dshefter said:

Do you receive these vouchers on embarkation day? Wife is Platinum. I am Gold.

Yes. Should be in envelope on desk in cabin.  If not call or go by guest services.

[KeithJenner]

17 minutes ago, dshefter said:

Have a question about these vouchers. We already had 3 specialty dinner reservations booked under our package. My wife is Platinum (I am gold). Can she book an additional complimentary specialty dinner? Thinking about Sushi or the teppanyaki restaurant on our Viva cruise Feb. 4-11. Thanks

You can prebook the latitudes meals in the usual way, but the system doesn’t know about the meals, so will try to charge you any fee required at the time of booking. This makes booking Tepoanyaki an issue as it will require payment when booking.

 

The way round this is to book the fixed price places (Teppanyaki and Moderno) first so that the system sees you have dining credits available and doesn’t charge you. I assume that it is too late for you to do that now.