I Wish I Knew How to Quit You

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Sommer said that the company had a relentless focus on cost optimization, that had produced four straight quarters of net cruise cost per capacity day cost reduction. cruise industry news.

[Ozzieru1e]

14 hours ago, UKstages said:

i've been on ten different NCL ships. I keep coming back to the joy. It is one of the best ships in the fleet. there always seems to be a harmonic blend among executive management, crew and passenger interests. things just seem to "gel" properly all over the ship. dedicated crew, good food (within NCL limitations) from specialty restaurants and MDRs and lots of things to do.

 

of course, you'll likely experience the NCL cutbacks that have become legendary on these boards, and whatever new ones rear their ugly heads before your cruise, but, overall, you could not pick a better ship for your return to NCL.

 

i do find your enthusiasm for the manhattan cruise terminal somewhat misplaced. i love cruising out of there, too, but mostly because i can walk to the terminal. (i live a few blocks away.) i find the terminal itself lacks services and the contract employees who work there to be particularly clueless and many of them are on some sort of power trip, inventing and enforcing rules that don't exist and ignoring well established rules that do. most check-in agents insist on retaking your photo when you arrive, even though there is nothing wrong with the well lit one, with a clear background that you painstakingly uploaded and that was previously accepted by NCL during online check-in. when i asked about this on my last cruise out of NYC, the agent told me "taking a new photo is at my discretion and i don't like this one!"

I also live in Manhattan so what some view as rudeness I view it as someone lacking etiquette or training.  Usually ignorant people don’t offend me but maybe as a New Yorker I’ve learned to have tough skin🤷🏻‍♀️.  Welcome to NYC❗️

[UKstages]

2 minutes ago, Ozzieru1e said:

I also live in Manhattan so what some view as rudeness I view it as someone lacking etiquette or training.  Usually ignorant people don’t offend me but maybe as a New Yorker I’ve learned to have tough skin🤷🏻‍♀️.  Welcome to NYC❗️

 

huh?

 

i've lived in new york all my adult life. i know the way the game is played. rudeness, especially within a customer service context, is never acceptable

 

as in any city, there are many lovely people here. there are also embittered malcontents, control freaks and rude people on power trips. most of these folks work at the manhattan cruise terminal. as for training, yes, they are poorly trained for their part time jobs. but many of them also happen to be embittered malcontents, control freaks and rude people on power trips.

 

YMMVBIDIW.

[9tee2Sea]

15 hours ago, UKstages said:

i've been on ten different NCL ships. I keep coming back to the joy. It is one of the best ships in the fleet. there always seems to be a harmonic blend among executive management, crew and passenger interests. things just seem to "gel" properly all over the ship. dedicated crew, good food (within NCL limitations) from specialty restaurants and MDRs and lots of things to do.

 

of course, you'll likely experience the NCL cutbacks that have become legendary on these boards, and whatever new ones rear their ugly heads before your cruise, but, overall, you could not pick a better ship for your return to NCL.

 

i do find your enthusiasm for the manhattan cruise terminal somewhat misplaced. i love cruising out of there, too, but mostly because i can walk to the terminal. (i live a few blocks away.) i find the terminal itself lacks services and the contract employees who work there to be particularly clueless and many of them are on some sort of power trip, inventing and enforcing rules that don't exist and ignoring well established rules that do. most check-in agents insist on retaking your photo when you arrive, even though there is nothing wrong with the well lit one, with a clear background that you painstakingly uploaded and that was previously accepted by NCL during online check-in. when i asked about this on my last cruise out of NYC, the agent told me "taking a new photo is at my discretion and i don't like this one!"

if an agent told me they have to retake my photo because ' they dont like it", I  would ask what's wrong?  Are you going to provide hair/make up to make me look better?  I would also want to see the new picture they took so I can see if I like it.  

[McFins]

On 2/29/2024 at 9:23 AM, JamieLogical said:

 

I am working on a list of things to look forward to about the Joy. So far I have:

 

• New (to us) Ship
• Recently dry-docked
• Anytime Dining
• Go-karts
• Waterfront
• Mr. Worldwides
• Manhattan Cruise Terminal
• Easier Muster Drill
• The Local

 

 

Wecome back Jamie!   

I sailed last Sept so it was before drydock but hopefully the things I really liked about it didn't change.

I really liked the entertainment.  I thought there was a lot of good live music throughout the ship (Sugarcane Mojito Bar, Q Texas Roadhouse, District Brewery, Cavern Club (Beatles also played in the main theatre which I liked better than when it was in the Cavern Club).  Also liked the comedian/magician in the main theater (I believe his name was Dan)

It was also the first time we were on a ship with the Q Texas Smokehouse restaurant ---really enjoyed our meal there.

Enjoy!

[EngrJones]

2 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

if an agent told me they have to retake my photo because ' they dont like it", I  would ask what's wrong?  Are you going to provide hair/make up to make me look better?  I would also want to see the new picture they took so I can see if I like it.  

I would just let them retake it.  I'm in a great mood because I'm about to board a ship.  Why would anybody let something like a photo retake get their panties in a wad?

[Yesimapirate]

On 2/29/2024 at 6:59 AM, BirdTravels said:

The variably pricing is really annoying. Yeah... I can understand a "sale sale sale", but when the base price of a product is different,,, you feel like you're being scammed. We have two eastern caribbean cruises on RCCL scheduled this year and it is amusing to see the price differences... especially on their private island. We're diamond members on RCCL and between a [cheap] soda package and our diamond drink vouchers, we can "get by", which factor into the price analysis. At least NCL is consistently expensive. 

We all have different expectations. However,  I find what I'm paying to be enough that I don't want to just "get by".  I get by when I'm at home.  I get by when I'm traveling for work.  When I'm on vacation and paying a premium to be in the "luxury " (it's not true luxury by any stretch) of the Haven, I need more than get by.  Getting by to me is stressful.   The whole point is to make things easier and have less stress.   But that's my personal feelings and everyone should do what works for them, even if I can't understand it. 

 

If I start feeling like it's just getting by then it will be time for me to look elsewhere, whether it's other cruiselines or non-cruise travel.   

Edited March 1 by Yesimapirate

[UKstages]

7 minutes ago, EngrJones said:

Why would anybody let something like a photo retake get their panties in a wad?

 

because the agent is being fundamentally dishonest.

 

because the agent is making a mistake.

 

because the agent is being rude to a fellow human being without cause or purpose.

 

because the agent does not give a legitimate reason for the photo rejection.

 

because the agent lies about the reason for the photo rejection.

 

because the photo was already accepted by a temperamental and delicate online check-in system which rejects photos that do not meet NCL's standards.

 

because the agent doesn't know NCL's policies or requirements. 

 

because the agent is unnecessarily complicating and delaying a very simple procedure.

 

because there is absolutely nothing wrong with the photo.

 

because the previously submitted photo presents the guest in a favorable light and the guest wishes to see that image as he or she exits and returns to the ship and would prefer that others see the same image as they glance at the screen.

 

because the guest knows that the photo pops up on the screen at every restaurant and customer touch point on the ship and the guest believes that a certain image will positively influence the outcome of customer service interactions. 

 

those are just some reasons a guest might object to a check-in agent imposing some cockamamie rule of their own invention for retaking a photo.
 

there's no skirmish, no fisticuffs, no scene, no knickers in a twist... just a simple comment by the guest to let the agent know that a new photo is unnecessary and ill-advised.

 

why wouldn't somebody do that?

 

frankly, i don't buy your supposition. you're fighting a straw man by suggesting that somebody's "panties " would be "in a wad."

 

nope.

 

somebody would simply be saying, "hey, what you're doing is wrong and unnecessary." a customer has every right to express that opinion.

 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, EngrJones said:

I would just let them retake it.  I'm in a great mood because I'm about to board a ship.  Why would anybody let something like a photo retake get their panties in a wad?

We both had our photos retaken in Southampton last summer. It was no big deal. And that was after quite a hassle to get photos to work online.

 

The only real difference in the photos as far as I could tell was the agent said I could keep my glasses on.

[zqvol]

4 hours ago, 9tee2Sea said:

if an agent told me they have to retake my photo because ' they dont like it", I  would ask what's wrong?  Are you going to provide hair/make up to make me look better?  I would also want to see the new picture they took so I can see if I like it.  

Well, you are probably going to have to retake it at check in so be prepared 

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, Yesimapirate said:

We all have different expectations. However,  I find what I'm paying to be enough that I don't want to just "get by".  I get by when I'm at home.  I get by when I'm traveling for work.  When I'm on vacation and paying a premium to be in the "luxury " (it's not true luxury by any stretch) of the Haven, I need more than get by.  Getting by to me is stressful.   The whole point is to make things easier and have less stress.   But that's my personal feelings and everyone should do what works for them, even if I can't understand it. 

 

If I start feeling like it's just getting by then it will be time for me to look elsewhere, whether it's other cruiselines or non-cruise travel.   

You should look elsewhere, after all, you are on a low level mass market line. 

[hoopslover]

On 2/29/2024 at 12:31 PM, JamieLogical said:

 

As I explained above, I nap in the afternoons on cruises, so having my bed remade in the evening is a nice treat. Also, when I go to the pool/hot tub during the day or have a particularly hot/sweaty day in port and need to shower a second time, having fresh towels for my morning shower is great. Do I *need* those things? Of course not. But I have been on 23 cruises now where I had those things and I will certainly miss them on my first cruise without them.

I have been on 2 NCL cruises since the one a day service.  I don't miss the turn down service but I missed the clean towels.  I solved that by requesting the cabin attendant leave 2 or 3 bath towels per person when the room was cleaned each day and there were always dry towels.  We tipped him well!

[schmoopie17]

On 2/29/2024 at 2:04 PM, Smitheroo said:

I sure would like to know what people miss so much about no more "turn down service"  

I don’t need any turn down service. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (because I’m old and entitled)…I was turned down so often in my dating years, I can’t handle any more rejection. Certainly not from a cabin steward.

[graphicguy]

On 3/1/2024 at 2:25 PM, UKstages said:

 

because the agent is being fundamentally dishonest.

 

because the agent is making a mistake.

 

because the agent is being rude to a fellow human being without cause or purpose.

 

because the agent does not give a legitimate reason for the photo rejection.

 

because the agent lies about the reason for the photo rejection.

 

because the photo was already accepted by a temperamental and delicate online check-in system which rejects photos that do not meet NCL's standards.

 

because the agent doesn't know NCL's policies or requirements. 

 

because the agent is unnecessarily complicating and delaying a very simple procedure.

 

because there is absolutely nothing wrong with the photo.

 

because the previously submitted photo presents the guest in a favorable light and the guest wishes to see that image as he or she exits and returns to the ship and would prefer that others see the same image as they glance at the screen.

 

because the guest knows that the photo pops up on the screen at every restaurant and customer touch point on the ship and the guest believes that a certain image will positively influence the outcome of customer service interactions. 

 

those are just some reasons a guest might object to a check-in agent imposing some cockamamie rule of their own invention for retaking a photo.
 

there's no skirmish, no fisticuffs, no scene, no knickers in a twist... just a simple comment by the guest to let the agent know that a new photo is unnecessary and ill-advised.

 

why wouldn't somebody do that?

 

frankly, i don't buy your supposition. you're fighting a straw man by suggesting that somebody's "panties " would be "in a wad."

 

nope.

 

somebody would simply be saying, "hey, what you're doing is wrong and unnecessary." a customer has every right to express that opinion.

 

Mercy!  Wound a little too tight?

 

Take deep breaths.  Exhale slowly.  Go have a biscuit, or a cookie, or whatever you want to call  those sweet or savory things that are good to eat. 😉

Edited March 3 by graphicguy

[hallux]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Go have a biscuit, or a cookie, or whatever you want to call  those sweet or savory things that are good to eat

not gonna lie, I thought you'd next say hashbrowns.  lol

[EllieinNJ]

As far as Royal Caribbean 's pricing, we get great group rates with our TA, though usually a while out.  I've seen people mention "going, going gone" rates on the Royal boards for cruises in the next few months.  Why don't you check it out.

[laudergayle]

Just now driving home from a short 3-day cruise out of Port Canaveral on MSC Seashore.  We’ve been very loyal to NCL since we started cruising again in 2021.  We are Platinum on NCL and we really enjoy the 2 Specialty dinners.  Our last NCL cruise was n November on Bliss.
 

This was our second quickie MSC cruise.   Sold out cruise.  We are now huge fans of MSC.  The service is exceptional.  Fully staffed everywhere.  Two x daily room service. $16 pp pd DSC. No charge for morning continental room service if booking Fantastica experience or above.  Coffee is excellent everywhere on the ship.  Water included in drink package.  Buffet food selection and quality surpasses NCL. Quality of beef (burgers, entrees, NY strip on MDR) all cooked to temp and tender.  Pasta and pizza delicious.  Entertainment on par with NcL…no big productions.  Entertainment around ship in lounge venues on MSC has much better choices in larger venues than NCL. Internet included for 2 people, one device each unlimited on MSC, 

price/value equation on MSC much better.  
 

We have 2 future cruises on NCL and will continue to book NCL with a good value/itinerary.

 

Bottom line:  MSC is solid. NCL is good, but no longer good enough to keep us from searching for and booking other cruise lines.

 

if the Joy timing and pricing works for you…my thought is you will be fine doing the cruise to Bermuda.  If will just make you appreciate the extra nice touches  of MSC.

Edited March 3 by laudergayle

[JamieLogical]

We still haven't pulled the trigger on the Joy cruise. Our current plan is to keep an eye on prices for both the Joy sailing and the Meraviglia sailing that same week and make a judgment call if/when prices for either cruise shift in either direction. Re-examining the Meraviglia itinerary, it is actually slightly better than the one we had in September. The time in port at each of the ports is a bit longer, it goes to Halifax instead of Sydney, and it goes from the US to Canada and then back to the US, so only have to deal with customs once. On the September sailing, we crisscrossed between US and Canadian ports so had to deal with more customs stuff. So, if we do end up doing the Meraviglia cruise, hopefully, we will enjoy the itinerary a bit more than last time.

[dcrambler]

On 3/3/2024 at 11:37 AM, laudergayle said:

Just now driving home from a short 3-day cruise out of Port Canaveral on MSC Seashore.  We’ve been very loyal to NCL since we started cruising again in 2021.  We are Platinum on NCL and we really enjoy the 2 Specialty dinners.  Our last NCL cruise was n November on Bliss.
 

This was our second quickie MSC cruise.   Sold out cruise.  We are now huge fans of MSC.  The service is exceptional.  Fully staffed everywhere.  Two x daily room service. $16 pp pd DSC. No charge for morning continental room service if booking Fantastica experience or above.  Coffee is excellent everywhere on the ship.  Water included in drink package.  Buffet food selection and quality surpasses NCL. Quality of beef (burgers, entrees, NY strip on MDR) all cooked to temp and tender.  Pasta and pizza delicious.  Entertainment on par with NcL…no big productions.  Entertainment around ship in lounge venues on MSC has much better choices in larger venues than NCL. Internet included for 2 people, one device each unlimited on MSC, 

price/value equation on MSC much better.  
 

We have 2 future cruises on NCL and will continue to book NCL with a good value/itinerary.

 

Bottom line:  MSC is solid. NCL is good, but no longer good enough to keep us from searching for and booking other cruise lines.

 

if the Joy timing and pricing works for you…my thought is you will be fine doing the cruise to Bermuda.  If will just make you appreciate the extra nice touches  of MSC.

We too are NCL onlys.  About to become platinum so expect it will be even harder to move away with the free laundry, embark preference and 2 additional dinners.  However we do have a MSC Yacht Club cruise in N. Europe next year.  Want to try it out as have heard good things about YC experience and price point looked good.

Edited March 7 by dcrambler

[G-DawgMN]

34 minutes ago, dcrambler said:

We too are NCL onlys.  About to become platinum so expect it will be even harder to move away with the free laundry, embark preference and 2 additional dinners.  However we do have a MSC Yacht Club cruise in N. Europe next year.  Want to try it out as have heard good things about YC experience and price point looked good.

 You will be very happy in the Yacht Club. The food is much better and it has a rotating menu unlike the Haven. 

[cruisebeachgirl703]

It is nice that YC lunch and dinner menu is new each day. And you can ask to preview at the concierce desk.

[JamieLogical]

Still haven't pulled the trigger on booking the Joy. We are leaning heavily towards doing the CA & NE cruise on the Meraviglia that week instead. Just keeping an eye on Joy prices to see if they come down at all as we get closer to sailing. So far, since I have been tracking prices, all prices for Haven have dropped by $100pp and all prices for the sailaway rates in all categories have dropped by about $90, but we are looking for a balcony with FAS. No price changes there yet. Inventory is definitely not dropping fast enough for them to sell out by the sail date at the current prices. When I started tracking it on 2/28, there were 175 balconies available. There are now 160. So that means they have sold 15 balconies in 12 days. With only 55 days left, they will not sell out at that rate.

[JGmf]

@JamieLogical I can sympathize. 

 

As a long-time loyal NCL cruiser, I took a hard turn last year and starting doing Princess cruises.  I like their drink package way better (coffee and water included? what a concept!) and totally enjoy the 11am-11pm pizza on the Lido deck and longer hours for their buffet. 

 

I'm doing the Bermuda sailing on the Joy with a large group in early June and have amped up my (somewhat hesitant) excitement by focusing on the Waterfront, embarking at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal (yes I said it, using MCT is way better than flying), the weather, and the fact that it's a vacation!.....so I can find/make fun if I need to.

 

I hope you find the sailing that best fits your needs and expectations.

 

[PATRLR]

29 minutes ago, JGmf said:

As a long-time loyal NCL cruiser, I took a hard turn last year and starting doing Princess cruises.  I like their drink package way better (coffee and water included? what a concept!) and totally enjoy the 11am-11pm pizza on the Lido deck and longer hours for their buffet. 

We're doing our first Princess in July (Norwegian fjords) as part of our "trying other lines" effort.  Glad to hear you enjoyed them. 

[JamieLogical]

6 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

We're doing our first Princess in July (Norwegian fjords) as part of our "trying other lines" effort.  Glad to hear you enjoyed them. 

 

I have done one Princess sailing since the restart and it was the worst cruise (in terms of onboard experience) I have ever been on. I have been assured that the service and food quality issues we experienced on that sailing are atypical of Princess, but the ship/cabin issues would be the same on all sailings until the Sun Princess and Star Princess come out with their new cabin configurations, since all of the existing ships have the exact same cabin layout. I hope you have a better experience than we did!