Which of NCL's innovative offerings most appeals?

[G'ma]

Not for me. I cruise for the cruise experience, the sea and to relax.

 

I enjoy evening activities, a nice bar with a piano player or some entertainment - but won't pay additional for it. I don't even patronize those so-called "specialty" restaurants that are so popular.

 

I am in my mid-60's, retired, with money to spend on cruising. I take 2-4 a year. Over 30 years, have 200+ under my belt on just about every cruise line operating and many that are now defunct. I have 61 cruises on my favorite cruise line - currently have 2 booked for the remainder of this year.

 

I prefer a smaller ship and a traditional cruise. I'd never pay a surcharge to enter a club onboard or a dining venue or a pool area, spa area.....it's nonsense. I've paid for my cruise already and will enjoy those things available to me with no extra charge.

 

I think they will find that veteran cruisers won't be attracted to these behemoths and their pay-as-you-enjoy concept. However, for those new to cruising or who like all that....I say go for it.

[Got2Cruise]

I think that Clubs is where the money is at. If you have been to Vegas lately you will note that many twenty somethings flock there. Do they go to the big shows? NO. They go for the Clubs. Go to the clubs until 3 or 4 a.m. then wake up at around noonish and hang out at the pool until it is time to hit the clubs. LOL Even clubs in NY have special areas where you must spend a minimum in order to have a place to hang out. Otherwise, you stand. LOL I learned all this from the twenty somethings I work with. ;)

[SailAways]

I think that Clubs is where the money is at. If you have been to Vegas lately you will note that many twenty somethings flock there. Do they go to the big shows? NO. They go for the Clubs. Go to the clubs until 3 or 4 a.m. then wake up at around noonish and hang out at the pool until it is time to hit the clubs. LOL Even clubs in NY have special areas where you must spend a minimum in order to have a place to hang out. Otherwise, you stand. LOL I learned all this from the twenty somethings I work with. ;)

 

So true.

 

What a sad statement on today's society, and on top of that to believe that this is where the Cruise Industry is now headed, or so it seems.

 

Hopefully, it will stop somewhere along the path it now seems to be taking.

 

We just want a nice peaceful, glorious cruise with beautiful cabins, great ports and good food would be nice too.;)

[Jfultz81]

I think that Clubs is where the money is at. If you have been to Vegas lately you will note that many twenty somethings flock there. Do they go to the big shows? NO. They go for the Clubs. Go to the clubs until 3 or 4 a.m. then wake up at around noonish and hang out at the pool until it is time to hit the clubs. LOL Even clubs in NY have special areas where you must spend a minimum in order to have a place to hang out. Otherwise, you stand. LOL I learned all this from the twenty somethings I work with. ;)

 

Hey now.. not all of us 20-somethings are like that! :D We're both 26, been married 8 years, have a house, 4 furkids (no real ones).. and like vacationing to see the world. We aren't big drinkers and you'd have thought my husband would die when I asked him to dance with me at a friend's wedding! Sadly, I know that there are so many people our age who think that drinking and partying are a way of life.. I hope that by bringing in more clubs, that they bring in more help to control drinking (don't need anymore people over the railings!)

[mbisson]

I voted:

"I prefer more traditional fare, like evening shows in a main theater "

 

I find Spice H20 somewhat interesting, but until I see what else is offered on the ship I'm not sold on it yet. I'm in the wait & see camp before I'll make up my mind.

[Azure Moon]

Hubby and I (50 and 44) don't hang out at dance clubs or drink much so it's very unlikely we'd use any of those new clubs.

I liked the idea someone previously mentioned of having some of the daytime events take place during the evening also so people who were off the ship in port could have a chance at participating in them.

I also agree with coming up with other venues and activities. Hopefully without alcohol. There are enough opportunities and places to purchase these beverages, adding more is overkill and lazy in my opinion. Put some thought into healthier, creative ways of entertaining and possibly making money.

Besides, I've been on several cruises where, in passing and looking in to see what was going on in a room, I've noticed many a bar or nightclub with few, if any, people in them. Heck, if there is no live band or a piano player, what's the point anyway? Who wants to pay extra to get into a club and listen to canned music :rolleyes: ?

 

What's up with all the televisions? Didn't we come to the conclusion that too much television viewing wasn't good for the kiddies...young or old;) :p. A movie on a screen is okay on ocassion during a cruise and showing scenery of places relevent to where you're cruising, but shadow dancers, music concerts, etc :( . Bring on the LIVE music and entertainment!!! :cool:

[skittl1321]

Having read the article about the new innovations it really does make NCL sound like a younger line, for those with DEEP pockets. DH and I had thought we might try it next, but now i'm not so sure- the cruise is as expensive as other line to start with, and then everything has a fee.

 

I've got a question about the ice bar, that perhaps can't be answered yet. When they say "passengers don furs"- is NCL providing real furs or faux furs? Real furs would be enough to keep me off the entire line, not just the ship.

[halos]

I wish at least one of these cruiselines would add enough pool so that the chair-hog issue would go away.:rolleyes:

 

All those clubs don't really interest me either...I don't need all the extra stuff. I just want great service, great food and a chair at the pool during the day.

I cruise for the ocean...not the extras.

 

I'm afraid the way things are going, I'll be forced to try HAL before my time. :(

[Ms belp]

Club scene is not for me. I much prefer to spend my evening on my balcony with a nice glass of wine.

 

To each his own.

 

I agree. I prefer to sit on my balcony and listen to the waves with a nice glass of wine or vodka and tonic. Some of my favorite memories include watching passing vessels, all lit up in the dark, and the shoreline with the lights softly glowing.:)

[halos]

I think that Clubs is where the money is at. If you have been to Vegas lately you will note that many twenty somethings flock there. Do they go to the big shows? NO. They go for the Clubs. Go to the clubs until 3 or 4 a.m. then wake up at around noonish and hang out at the pool until it is time to hit the clubs. LOL Even clubs in NY have special areas where you must spend a minimum in order to have a place to hang out. Otherwise, you stand. LOL I learned all this from the twenty somethings I work with. ;)

 

I agree that the cruiselines are trying to dip into the 20-something market. I just wonder about the timing....

20-somethings, just out of college, just starting out, lots of school loans to pay and an economy that is horrid.

What 20-somethings can afford to cruise, let alone pay extra for everything on board????????

[Azure Moon]

No offense to NCL, but if I were in my in my 20s again, with deep pockets and not hesitant to pay per activity, I'd be sailing on Royal Caribbean.

Why?

Because there's more to do on their ships than just sit around and drink :p .

Even in my 20s I did more active things than drink so a ice skating rink, zip line, rock climbing, etc. would be pretty attractive.

RC says that their new ship Oasis will have the largest pool in the industry, but with 5000+ passengers, I'd bet their will still be chair hogs :rolleyes: .

[coka]

I voted for Spice H20. I figure I can dance all night under the stars (have done this in open-air clubs in Istanbul, Macedonia and Montreal), watch the sunrise, eat breakfast nearby and then lay in the sun all day. Heck, I would not even need to book a cabin!

The F3's should be big enough for everyone...I doubt the additional clubs will interfere with current offerings like bingo, gambling, lounging on the promenade, or sipping wine on the balcony.

Coka

[Jfultz81]

No offense to NCL, but if I were in my in my 20s again, with deep pockets and not hesitant to pay per activity, I'd be sailing on Royal Caribbean.

 

Why?

 

Because there's more to do on their ships than just sit around and drink :p .

 

Even in my 20s I did more active things than drink so a ice skating rink, zip line, rock climbing, etc. would be pretty attractive.

 

RC says that their new ship Oasis will have the largest pool in the industry, but with 5000+ passengers, I'd bet their will still be chair hogs :rolleyes: .

 

 

Exactly why this 20-something cruises on RCL :D ... sadly we don't have "deep" pockets.. we don't have kids and have decent jobs, so we choose to travel over having more "things".

[kontraxed]

I figure this thread has just about run its course, but it is interesting to note that over 50% of the survey respondents either prefered typical cruise ship theater type entertainment (41%) or didn't want the new entertainment and typed a message (10%). In that this is a NCL specific thread, I would assume many of the respondents are existing or potential NCL customers.

 

While I personally like large ships and all they have to offer, the lack of the evening shows would be enough to have me look for another ship - maybe NCL - maybe not.

 

Does NCL follow these types of threads and, assuming they do, do they take them into consideration in their decision making? I have never received a survey from NCL. I wonder how they collect data to support their decisions?

[mikedw]

I'm sure they did a lot of market research to determine why 90% of the population hasn't cruised. With that in mind that's probably how they're determining there entertainment onboard the new ships. Personally I could care less about seeing any of the shows or bars on a ship, just not my thing.

[SailAways]

Does NCL follow these types of threads and, assuming they do, do they take them into consideration in their decision making? I have never received a survey from NCL. I wonder how they collect data to support their decisions?

 

The same way all of the so-called surveys are conducted - by a person sitting at a desk using outdated systems. (I would bet on it, even if this is not factual.);)

 

In my lifetime (70+) I have never been part of nor have I known anyone in this old world who has actually been part of an actual survey of any type other than the occasional telephone call to see who we may be voting for! I don't answer those.

 

I've been told that about 1000 people are surveyed, then whatever company/government/etc. is conducting the survey, uses some strange mathematical equation to "assume" that this is how the entire world feels! :eek:

 

Time will tell how this new "innovative" idea flies. The economy will surely play a big part in the overall scheme of cruising.

[Travel_Queen]

Where does it say in any of the promotional stuff that NCL is trying to change their target customer?? Most of the posters here are taking this very personally as if they are the only demographic that will and should be cruising. I think all the cruise lines are looking into the future and trying to predict who will be sailing and what they can do to entice them, keep them happy and keep them coming back. A lot more families are traveling together and this includes adult children and or grandchildren. 50 is the new 30...and 50 year olds with empty nests...are a lot more active than generations past.

 

On my first cruise I was 25...and probably brought the average age down quite a bit..I'm now in my mid 40s..still cruising...and while not a party drinking animal (not that I ever was), as long as the party doesn't spill into the hallways, why can't there be room for all generations? I feel the same way about the kids programs, I found on the last NCL cruise, the kids were contained in their own area...couldn't even hear them.

 

I do feel that some older folks on cruises have a sense of entitlement, as if due to their seniority everything should be catered around them...just my opinion of course.

[herb]

sorry, none of the choices interest me in the least. They all seem to revolve around drinking! Nothing wrong with that, just that there's more to a cruise than just drinking.

 

What draws me to NCL is that I don't need to bother getting all dressed up for dinner.

[SailAways]

sorry, none of the choices interest me in the least. They all seem to revolve around drinking! Nothing wrong with that, just that there's more to a cruise than just drinking.

 

LOL. I'm sure there are thousands of us out here who's lives do not necessarily include drinking.

 

The cruise, the ship, the ports, the vacation, family, friends, and fun are why we cruise.

 

Now, if more cruise lines would just learn how to make a really good cup of coffee - - - -

[jt1120]

I'd give it all up for the return of formal night, and not "optional" formal night.

 

Isn't it funny how companies TELL you what you like?

[Gabgab]

I guess I am in the taregt age group being a 23 year old, who loves to dance and loves to drink martinis and margaritas :) But I will not pay to get into a dance club on a cruise. I see that money I paid to get into that club as another martini that I could have drank. Now I have paid to get into a night club on land but on a cruise is is different cause I already paid lots of moeny to get on to the ship and that should be enough. I and when I pay to get into a night club it is noramlly only a couple dollars if it is more then three I walk away and go to another one. Only reason I would pay more if there is a live great band that is playing then I view it more like a concert ticket so I do not mind paying. Most twenty somthings really cant spend money like they use too. These high gass prices are really hitting 20 somthings hard since msot are in debt arealdy cause of college. I have seen more and more of my friends partying at home to save moeny and going out less. NCL is trying to traget a audience that is getting smaller and smaller.

[Michelle1234]

Being a non-drinker I voted none of the above since nothing that was listed sounded appealing. I didn't really understand the inclusion of the traditional entertainment in the list since the poll asked which of the innovative offerings appealed to me the most. I do like the traditional entertainment but I didn't answer that since it did not make sense to me as an answer to the poll.

 

So then I put on my creative thinking hat and asked myself what new offering would sway me to pick a cruise over another. So here it is...

 

I would like to see an adults only true lap pool. It could be only one or two lanes wide but I'd love to be able to swim properly to work off all the calories consumed on a cruise. A bonus would be with it being so long there would be alot more space for poolside chairs. :-)

[CamilleandNick]

While these pay-as-you go bars sound interesting - my wife and I might actually go to one during a cruise. I always wanted to go to the ice bar in Las Vegas so that might be interesting. To me these are not in the same category as the specialty restaurants. In reality, we always enjoyed going to the cruise show after dinner and then going to either a bar (free - maybe with a piano) or the casino afterwards and then going to bed around 11:00 or so. Not real exciting, but we go on a cruise to relax. While I admire NCL for striving to improve, I hope they don't leave the older cruisers behind in their zeal for exciting, pay-as-you go bars. Not having a ship theater with the traditional shows would be a big minus for me.

 

WELL SAID. My thoughts exactly.

[CamilleandNick]

So then I put on my creative thinking hat and asked myself what new offering would sway me to pick a cruise over another. So here it is...

 

I would like to see an adults only true lap pool. It could be only one or two lanes wide but I'd love to be able to swim properly to work off all the calories consumed on a cruise. A bonus would be with it being so long there would be alot more space for poolside chairs. :-)

 

I love this idea. Celebrity has a nice adults only pool on the Constellation. It is large and has a swim against the current part to it. It has a retractable domed roof. I loved this pool. It is relaxing and not so WILD.

 

Great idea. The pools in the spa are nice, but some of more of a therapy pool and not a SWIMMING pool.

[SailAways]

I love this idea. Celebrity has a nice adults only pool on the Constellation. It is large and has a swim against the current part to it. It has a retractable domed roof. I loved this pool. It is relaxing and not so WILD.

 

Great idea. The pools in the spa are nice, but some of more of a therapy pool and not a SWIMMING pool.

 

Great Idea!

 

Sounds like my present therapy. This would be a great way to accomplish this.

 

Wonder if Medicare would pay for my cruise??:D :D