Disappointed…

[UKstages]

if you eschew the shops, you may not realize they exist - to a large degree -  to consume OBC.

 

yes, the gift shop is there if you forget a razor or a pair of socks or toothpaste or a tooth brush or deodorant. (you might say this is one instance in which it's actually been placed there "for our convenience!") and, yes, a lot of people do indeed like to save $3 on a liter of vodka. so, the shops do serve as a modest profit center and customer amenity.

 

but make no mistake about it... they are there to consume OBC at inflated prices. a lot of shopping is done by people with OBC, especially on the last night of the cruise when people are redeeming casino rewards. and some folks have a thousand dollars or more of OBC to redeem! so, take away jewelry and binoculars and cameras and watches and they have no higher end products to spend it on. you can only spend so much on excursions, spa treatments and additional specialty meals.

Edited February 8 by UKstages

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, UKstages said:

if you eschew the shops, you may not realize they exist - to a large degree -  to consume OBC.

 

yes, the gift shop is there if you forget a razor or a pair of socks or toothpaste or a tooth brush or deodorant. (you might say this is one instance in which it's actually been placed there "for our convenience!") and, yes, a lot of people do indeed like to save $3 on a liter of vodka. so, the shops do serve as a modest profit center and customer amenity.

 

but make no mistake about it... they are there to consume OBC at inflated prices. a lot of shopping is done by people with OBC, especially on the last night of the cruise when people are redeeming casino rewards. and some folks have a thousand dollars or more of OBC to redeem! so, take away jewelry and binoculars and cameras and watches and they have no higher end products to spend it on. you can only spend so much on excursions, spa treatments and additional specialty meals.

Though I mostly agree, my DW once had her camera drop from where she had it hung on a hook in a bathroom in a restaurant in Edinburg. The fact that she could buy a new lens onboard and the employee in the photography department could be of assistance to her was very helpful.

 

And we did check prices later when we got home from the cruise, and the ship's price (it was a Princess ship) was actually competitive.

[UKstages]

yes, i agree.

 

i redeemed about a thousand dollars in OBC last week onboard the getaway and, at this point, there's not much left in the shops i don't already have from shopping on prior cruises. i bought a pair of very high-end binoculars which were very close to amazon prices. so, the prices are indeed competitive, but they are supposed to be "duty free." my experience has been that they are about the same price as online retailers or high street stores... which, if you take into account the alleged duty free savings, means they are actually a bit higher priced. they are (presumably) competitive because of the duty free savings!

[brookie848]

4 hours ago, UKstages said:

if you eschew the shops, you may not realize they exist - to a large degree -  to consume OBC.

 

yes, the gift shop is there if you forget a razor or a pair of socks or toothpaste or a tooth brush or deodorant. (you might say this is one instance in which it's actually been placed there "for our convenience!") and, yes, a lot of people do indeed like to save $3 on a liter of vodka. so, the shops do serve as a modest profit center and customer amenity.

 

but make no mistake about it... they are there to consume OBC at inflated prices. a lot of shopping is done by people with OBC, especially on the last night of the cruise when people are redeeming casino rewards. and some folks have a thousand dollars or more of OBC to redeem! so, take away jewelry and binoculars and cameras and watches and they have no higher end products to spend it on. you can only spend so much on excursions, spa treatments and additional specialty meals.

This was us on our last cruise. Every cruise we have between $500-$600 of OBC. We use some in the spa and on a few extras (tastings, Ice Bar), but sometimes on the last day of the cruise we are panic-spending.

 

Last year was especially bad because we thought we were going to have even more because my husband bought a bunch of CruiseNext certificates. We weren't sure if the OBC was going to appear or if it was going to be converted into more CruiseNexts. Thankfully it was converted or we would have likely bought some really stupid things. As it was, I ended up buying some Clinique items that I regularly use and a few gifty things for people on shore.

[cruiseny4life]

Gosh! I really need to learn how y'all get all this onboard credit! $1,000 OBC would sure get us a couple of nice massages!

[IAcruising]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Gosh! I really need to learn how y'all get all this onboard credit! $1,000 OBC would sure get us a couple of nice massages!

 

Not to mention the most expensive shots I can find.

 

[UKstages]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Gosh! I really need to learn how y'all get all this onboard credit! $1,000 OBC would sure get us a couple of nice massages!

 

there's no secret to getting 1K or more in OBC.

 

simply put through 125K or so of coin through in the casino. win or lose, you'll be given considerable spending cash on the last night of the cruise. or have corresponding folio charges wiped out.

 

or achieve the "elite" level in the casinos at sea player program, which represents 500K of coin through on slots or a million dollars in coin through on video poker machines over the course of 12 months and you'll be given 1K on every cruise.

 

or travel as a couple on the prima and complain about the noise in your cabin or the lack of operable hot tubs on your balcony and get $500 each in OBC.

 

or travel in a large group and request that your travel agent rebate part of his or her commission in OBC.

 

 

[zqvol]

12 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

there's no secret to getting 1K or more in OBC.

 

simply put through 125K or so of coin through in the casino. win or lose, you'll be given considerable spending cash on the last night of the cruise. or have corresponding folio charges wiped out.

 

or achieve the "elite" level in the casinos at sea player program, which represents 500K of coin through on slots or a million dollars in coin through on video poker machines over the course of 12 months and you'll be given 1K on every cruise.

 

or travel as a couple on the prima and complain about the noise in your cabin or the lack of operable hot tubs on your balcony and get $500 each in OBC.

 

or travel in a large group and request that your travel agent rebate part of his or her commission in OBC.

 

 

In other words unless you are a casino player ( most aren’t) or a complainer ( most aren’t) it is very difficult to get a lot of OBC. 

[graphicguy]

Gotta find who offers what!  Sapphire Preferred and Amex Platinum off up to $300 OBC (depending on what cabin you book).  NCL credit card offers OBC depending on how much you charge.  I charge and pay off every month.

 

Some TAs offer OBC!

 

Plenty of ways to get OBC!

[nae418]

Oh my! I am so sorry to hear about your cruise experience. I, along with 27 of my family and friends are going on Bliss in November. This will be my first time sailing on a Norwegian Cruise Ship. I've sailed 20 times on different cruise lines, and looking forward to this cruise. It sounds like you tried to make the best of your cruise and sometimes no matter how hard you try, things can and will happen. 

 

I've been rained on more than once, as we returned to the ship, it poured.  I wasn't as upset because I know the ship's procedure is to scan everything and everybody before the ship sails, it just took time. 

I'm trying to learn everything I can about NCL and Bliss so we are aware before we board the ship. 

 

 

I hope your next voyage is better.  Happy sailing! 

 

 

[njhorseman]

18 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

there's no secret to getting 1K or more in OBC.

 

simply put through 125K or so of coin through in the casino. win or lose, you'll be given considerable spending cash on the last night of the cruise. or have corresponding folio charges wiped out.

 

or achieve the "elite" level in the casinos at sea player program, which represents 500K of coin through on slots or a million dollars in coin through on video poker machines over the course of 12 months and you'll be given 1K on every cruise.

 

or travel as a couple on the prima and complain about the noise in your cabin or the lack of operable hot tubs on your balcony and get $500 each in OBC.

 

or travel in a large group and request that your travel agent rebate part of his or her commission in OBC.

 

 

 

5 hours ago, zqvol said:

In other words unless you are a casino player ( most aren’t) or a complainer ( most aren’t) it is very difficult to get a lot of OBC. 

We always receive a substantial percentage of our cruise fare as OBC from our travel agent...not one penny of casino play, not one word of complaint required nor is travel as part of a large group. Plus our travel agent also has occasional promotions providing prepaid daily service charges in addition to OBC.

 

Cruise lines' (not just NCL) preferred producers are often beneficiaries of higher commission rates as well as support of prepaid service charge or other promotions that they pass along to their customers.

Edited February 9 by njhorseman

[DCGuy64]

18 hours ago, UKstages said:

simply put through 125K or so of coin through in the casino.

"Simply put." OK, well I can't speak for anybody else, but no way in HE** do I have $125,000 of disposable cash.

 

6 hours ago, zqvol said:

In other words unless you are a casino player ( most aren’t) or a complainer ( most aren’t) it is very difficult to get a lot of OBC. 

Exactly.

[UKstages]

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

OK, well I can't speak for anybody else, but no way in HE** do I have $125,000 of disposable cash.

 

nor do most who put through 125K of coin in. i certainly don't have that kind of disposable cash!

 

to paraphrase my good friend inigo montoya, i do not think those words mean what you think they mean.

 

"coin in" does not mean cash or bankroll. it means the amount of money you recycle through the machine. if you start with $100 and you win $2000 and continue playing and put that money in the machine and run it through just once, you will have "coin through" of $2100 on your $100 stake. rinse, lather and repeat many times. it's quite easy to have coin through, with relatively modest play and a limited bankroll and a relatively modest loss, of 6K or 8K or 10K.  people with stronger play will have many multiples of that. 

[zqvol]

5 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

nor do most who put through 125K of coin in. i certainly don't have that kind of disposable cash!

 

to paraphrase my good friend inigo montoya, i do not think those words mean what you think they mean.

 

"coin in" does not mean cash or bankroll. it means the amount of money you recycle through the machine. if you start with $100 and you win $2000 and continue playing and put that money in the machine and run it through just once, you will have "coin through" of $2100 on your $100 stake. rinse, lather and repeat many times. it's quite easy to have coin through, with relatively modest play and a limited bankroll and a relatively modest loss, of 6K or 8K or 10K.  people with stronger play will have many multiples of that. 

Those suggested losses are anything but moderate for the vast majority of NCL cruisers

[Elsammo46]

I would pay good money to see this family cruise the Drake Passage 

[PATRLR]

A little over 48 hours after dropping this "review", it's still OPs first and only post.  I wonder how many other places s/he dropped this bomb? 

I'm not going to bother with any further responses because I suspect OP will never see them.

Edited February 9 by PATRLR

[hallux]

4 hours ago, nae418 said:

I'm trying to learn everything I can about NCL and Bliss

I'm currently on board that ship (got the dreaded 'you'll be leaving soon' letter today 😪) for the 3rd time.  I really like this ship and this class of ship.

[cruiser2015]

11 hours ago, nae418 said:

Oh my! I am so sorry to hear about your cruise experience. I, along with 27 of my family and friends are going on Bliss in November. This will be my first time sailing on a Norwegian Cruise Ship. I've sailed 20 times on different cruise lines, and looking forward to this cruise. It sounds like you tried to make the best of your cruise and sometimes no matter how hard you try, things can and will happen. 

 

I've been rained on more than once, as we returned to the ship, it poured.  I wasn't as upset because I know the ship's procedure is to scan everything and everybody before the ship sails, it just took time. 

I'm trying to learn everything I can about NCL and Bliss so we are aware before we board the ship. 

 

 

I hope your next voyage is better.  Happy sailing! 

 

 

Just off of the Bliss from a Panama Canal passage.

Beautiful ship. Well designed.

Hope your group has a wonderful time!

[hallux]

I suppose I need to write a scathing review of my cruise.  It's in the 60's today with a 40mph+ net wind. Norwegian should have known this would be the case and scheduled the last port to be Cabo instead of LA.

[dexddd]

On 2/8/2024 at 6:32 PM, cruiseny4life said:

Gosh! I really need to learn how y'all get all this onboard credit! $1,000 OBC would sure get us a couple of nice massages!

They actually used to have up to that much obc in the day, even into the fdr years.  Last few years, not really seen much.

[WatermelonSugarHigh]

Ask to speak to the manager of Tortola and ask why they didn’t have the Red Carpet rolled out for you at 6 am when NCL barged into your cabin and forced you to go ashore. Very disturbing. 

[cruiser2015]

2 hours ago, hallux said:

I suppose I need to write a scathing review of my cruise.  It's in the 60's today with a 40mph+ net wind. Norwegian should have known this would be the case and scheduled the last port to be Cabo instead of LA.

Now there's a thought.

See if you can wangle the job of CEO or Pres at NCL.

Think of the possibilities...

hash browns...

cookies...

bang on entertainment...

I feel a revolution taking form!

[brad0576]

On 2/7/2024 at 2:58 PM, DCGuy64 said:

Anyway, the point is moot since OP has decided it's one and done with NCL.

Probably best for us that enjoy NCL - we are all on a ship together and have to accept a little give and take considering the staff is trying to accommodate everyone.

 

if I was NCL I would have forced a party of 14 to either dine very early or late - I would never take a large party during peak dining hours… or I would make them split their group.  

[brad0576]

19 hours ago, hallux said:

I'm currently on board that ship (got the dreaded 'you'll be leaving soon' letter today 😪) for the 3rd time.  I really like this ship and this class of ship.

The Bliss is my favorite ship…it just seems like they got everything right with it 

[DCGuy64]

On 2/9/2024 at 4:56 PM, UKstages said:

 

nor do most who put through 125K of coin in. i certainly don't have that kind of disposable cash!

 

to paraphrase my good friend inigo montoya, i do not think those words mean what you think they mean.

 

"coin in" does not mean cash or bankroll. it means the amount of money you recycle through the machine. if you start with $100 and you win $2000 and continue playing and put that money in the machine and run it through just once, you will have "coin through" of $2100 on your $100 stake. rinse, lather and repeat many times. it's quite easy to have coin through, with relatively modest play and a limited bankroll and a relatively modest loss, of 6K or 8K or 10K.  people with stronger play will have many multiples of that. 

Thank you for the clarification. I'm not a gambler, so not familiar with terms like "coin in." Bear in mind, I've only gambled twice in my 60 years: Once in Las Vegas at a casino while on Spring Break from college, where I think I won $8 while playing a nickel slot machine, and once while onboard the Carnival Liberty in 2013 (similar situation, I think I may have won $10). Point being, I'm not familiar with gambling terminology. I just always think it's funny when people it's easy to get $200-300 in OBC when in actuality, it involves spending a lot of time and money to get that. Personally, I've never seen the point of gambling while on a cruise ship, but to each his own.