Had to finally book with NCL because Disney wanted me to sell my house... lol

[deanimal]

We all seem to be in the same club! I was actually prepared for one last big splurge to book a spring break cruise for 2016 for our 10th anniversary while the kids were still young enough to love the magic. But when I crunched the numbers I just couldn't do it. I started looking around and for the same price as an inside cabin that week I was able to book a one bedroom Haven suite on the Getaway. We may miss a few things about Disney but I'm sure the extra 250 square feet of space, the soaker tub in the bathroom, and the white linen dinner service provided in suite by the butler will help us get over it.

We love Disney and it is worth a premium to us, but 2-3 times the cost of other lines for similar rooms is not worth it to me. For my $7500 I'd rather go on 3 other $2500 cruises, one splurge cruise with amenities like NCL's Haven class or spend a week at Disney World in a villa with the dining plan included. It makes me a wee bit sad, but we're happy there are plenty of other options.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

We're in (somewhat) the same boat as you. While we are fortunate that we 'could' afford to continue sailing on DCL, now that our daughter is at an age where she wants to hang out in the sun with mom and dad, rather than in the kids clubs, one of the big selling points for us on DCL disappeared.

We booked the NCL Escape (their new ship which launches this fall) a few months ago for an Eastern Caribbean sailing in March of 2016, and for about 2/3 of what it would have cost us for an oceanview cabin on the Dream or Fantasy, we were able to book a minisuite w/large balcony cabin on NCL, with the unlimited beverage package for everyone in the family included (grown-up drinks for us and pop for her).

One of the other major perks of booking on NCL was that we were able to book in Canadian dollars, with their exchange earlier in the year being $1.11 Cdn per USD (I believe they have now raised it to $1.19 Cdn), as opposed to the almost $1.35 that I would have had to pay to convert my Cdn to USD at the bank to pay for a DCL sailing.

Am I going to miss the Mouse and the DCL touches that I have come to know and love? Absolutely. Will I get over it? I guess I'll find out in about 8 months.

 

[darwinsrule]

I think it's more a matter of the fact that there's a new CEO and he's being kind of spasmodic with his changes. At one point he decided people weren't allowed to take food from the buffet to their rooms (right after the room service fee was enacted), but that only lasted about two weeks due to outrage.

Spasmodic sums it up nicely. In some ways it is like they are now being run by the Three Stooges. The changes, and there have been a bunch, have been handled poorly to say the least. The latest issue is the changing of port times without any notification. Our Tortola departure time next month has been moved up. Yes it is only by an hour but the way things are being handled speaks volumes about the way they are handling customer services. And when you go from Disney to, well just about anyone, the drop in the quality of customer service can be quite noticeable.

That being said we are on Getaway for the second time next month. We had a blast last August on her. Probably our second favorite vacation after our Fantasy cruise in 2014. Only downside on cruising another line is when you pull up and park beside a DCL ship. That always brings a tear to the eye.

The buffet on Getaway is one thing we missed when we were on the Wonder in March. It is nice having that option in the evening, even if it is just for a bedtime snack.

As for the gratuities they are grand-fathered at the old rate if you pre-pay before you sail. The extra $1.50 per person per day isn't really much when you are talking about paying thousands for a cruise. Again it has been handled poorly. If that is a deal breaker then you are going to be pretty limited in the options for vacations.

The big thing however is price. We booked Getaway under a KSF for August 29th for $2,200 for four of us in an extended balcony. We booked Alaska for August 2016 under the same KSF offer for $3,800 for the four of us in a balcony. We couldn't get an inside on DCL for those prices.

We can afford DCL prices. But for those prices we can do multiple trips with others and still have a great time. Will be be back to DCL? Yes when we need a fix. Next option to sail for us will be 2017. Of course given the amount of time it takes for DCL to release dates we may have booked something else by then (having watched the Quantum of the Seas episode of Mighty Ships the other night DDs both want to sail RCCL). We did even book a dummy cruise on the Wonder since the DCL restrictions now are so narrow we never would have used it in time.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

We are on Celebrity Solstice to Alaska in September. The cruise is 11 nights for less money, than the 7 night DCL I had booked for June. But so far there is one other child in our roll call, and there is a lot of anti-kid sentiment on Celebrity boards...I plan to post a comparison review when I return.

 

[Scoobypop]

The changes, and there have been a bunch, have been handled poorly to say the least. The latest issue is the changing of port times without any notification. Our Tortola departure time next month has been moved up. Yes it is only by an hour but the way things are being handled speaks volumes about the way they are handling customer services.

FWIW, the DCL cruise we are sailing in October, they have switched two of the port days about two weeks ago. Our friends on that sailing, who have sailed DCL twice, got an email informing them of the change. We never received the email or any notification (and yes I've checked my spam and trash). I wouldn't have known about the change if not for my friends, or my own logging into the reservation to see it. And there were quite a few upset people who were on the first sailing on the Magic after the big dry dock a couple years ago, when they cancelled the sailing the day before it was supposed to happen. Don't get me wrong, LOVE LOVE DCL, but just wanted to point out that they haven't always handled changes the best way possible.

As for the gratuities they are grand-fathered at the old rate if you pre-pay before you sail. The extra $1.50 per person per day isn't really much when you are talking about paying thousands for a cruise. Again it has been handled poorly. If that is a deal breaker then you are going to be pretty limited in the options for vacations.

It will not be long before DCL also raised the gratuities. We've all been sailing on the $12 per day for many many years now. Guaranteed it will be raised sooner, than later. Palo and Remy both went up $5 additional dollars this year. I remember the days when Palo upcharge was $10. And there was quite a bit of discussion when DCL started adding the auto gratuity to the spa services maybe a year or two ago as well. Like NCL, if you were pre booked or pre paid, you were grandfathered at the old rate. I didn't think the gratuity increase on NCL was handled poorly. I got an email July 17 informing me of the change. It states: (copy and paste here)
Dear xxxxx,

Norwegian Cruise Line is adjusting its daily service charges, effective for all sailings that depart on or after August 1, 2015.

The new rates are:
$13.50 per person per day for any category up to a mini-suite stateroom
$15.50 per person per day for any suite category

Any guest that has made a booking by July 31, 2015 will have the option of prepaying their service charges at the current rate if done prior to the final payment due date. Guests with existing cruise reservations who have already pre-paid their service charges at the current rate will not be affected.

Norwegian's daily service charges make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff. Guests who are sailing in Suite categories also receive the services of a concierge, butler and dedicated wait staff.


Sincerely,
Norwegian Cruise Line®

 

[perditax]

Big picture view: I am new to cruising (six months of reading and one cruise on NCL so far, one booked on DCL in September), and I've come away with the following impressions:

--the economy and travel spending are way up, and most of the mass market lines need to pay for their megaships, so costs will continue to rise

--most of them (sans perhaps celebrity) know the family market is where the money is and will continue to try to harder to compete with DCL and offer the total family package

--brand loyalty seems pointless. I loved my Getaway cruise, but right now their CEO being all erratic means I'm teetering towards Celebrity for my next cruise after DCL. But I do like cruising and I expect I'll go back and forth between brands (no kids here, celebrity appeals for the food, the libraries, the non smoking casino.) I also heard good things about Princess from many people on my cruise. the only line that has zero appeal for me is RCCL, the megaships just look too much like the suburbs for me.

--DCL has just about priced me out before my first cruise even happened. (Even the same off peak sailings next year are way more.) if something really amazing happens in September on my DCL cruise I suppose my mind may change, but DCL lacks two things I loved on the Getaway, the library and the very large thermal suite/spa area. (Oh and that fabulous little solo area, and solo fares.)

--no matter what line you're on, I have a feeling attitude helps a lot. I know DCL is very special to people, especially "Disney families", but I went into my Getaway cruise at the last minute with very low expectations and ended up having a fabulous time, and I fell in love with the ship.

P.s. Don't forget to eat at Flamingo Grill. Complimentary Cuban buffet on deck 16 to die for.

 

[Sunshine2U]

We booked NCL Escape for April 2016 for the same reason - price. DH and I are happy to try out a new line and expect to have fun. I see lots of people complaining about NCL changes on another board and chuckle. I'm thrilled to be saving $1000+ and they're complaining about spending an extra $100+/-. It's all in your perspective. The NCL cruise is a no-brainer, meaning the two of us can sail without robbing the piggy bank. In the meantime, I'm racking up my Disney Visa points and buying gift cards at discounts to take our nephew, grandson and (grown) children on DCL in a few years when grandson is old enough to appreciate.

 

[JenPinks]

I know how you feel, I booked RCCL for next June for Alaska and I felt the same.

Was the price difference crazy?

 

[annacali]

We cruised DCL this summer for our first cruise and loved it. We booked a placeholder for 2017. That said--- reading all the trip reports here and getting hooked on cruising made me really want to do Alaska next year. No way could I justify DCL prices so we went with RCCL. We have 2 balcony staterooms for less than the price of 1 ocean view on DCL. My kids didn't use the kids clubs on DCL so not worried about that. I am just looking forward to another cruise!

 

[samily]

We just booked the Getaway for next month too! We chose the free specialty dining package as we are not big drinkers. The price for a 7 night eastern on Getaway was 1000.00 less than a 3 night on the Dream (and that is even after adding the 7.95 pp/per day for the soda package if we choose to buy it and other things we may choose to spend extra on). We are excited to try the Getaway - the kids are looking forward to the watersides, ropes course, bungee trampoline, bowling, etc. I am looking forward to trying all the different restaurants!

I am excited to try something new!

 

[perditax]

Hah, I was like "what bowling on Getaway?!". Apparently I never went into the right bar.

 

[FJS961]

Just off the Breakaway for the second time. We loved it and are going to sail NCL again but only in a newer ship in the Haven. I cannot say enough good things about the Haven. It is a great value compared to DCL concierge, half the price and better amenities. I am a little concerned though that the coming Escape and future "Breakaway plus" class ships will double the number of Haven suites yet the courtyard and common areas of Haven look the same size. Sounds like a recipe for ruining what the Haven is supposed to be about. I would do Haven on Getaway before Escape.

The older kids find more to do as in ropes course with zip line, rock wall, great water slides. My oldest is now 15 and youngest is 9.

That being said we are going on the Dream in a week or so. It is the last time I will sail DCL during peak season though. I have a couple more reasonable concierge bookings (non refundable) on DCL for coming January and September but that may be it ... we'll see

 

[perditax]

Just off the Breakaway for the second time. We loved it and are going to sail NCL again but only in a newer ship in the Haven. I cannot say enough good things about the Haven. It is a great value compared to DCL concierge, half the price and better amenities. I am a little concerned though that the coming Escape and future "Breakaway plus" class ships will double the number of Haven suites yet the courtyard and common areas of Haven look the same size. Sounds like a recipe for ruining what the Haven is supposed to be about. I would do Haven on Getaway before Escape.

The older kids find more to do as in ropes course with zip line, rock wall, great water slides. My oldest is now 15 and youngest is 9.

That being said we are going on the Dream in a week or so. It is the last time I will sail DCL during peak season though. I have a couple more reasonable concierge bookings (non refundable) on DCL for coming January and September but that may be it ... we'll see

How were the crowds at the haven courtyard area? Any lounger issues? How about the restaurant? Would love any details as "breakaway in a haven spa suite" is on my wishlist.

 

[lvmy2boys]

My family has sailed on Disney three times before we sailed on RCCL and Princess. There are other lines out there, they are cheaper and just as much fun. If you look for faults in a cruise line you will for sure find them. It will be different than Disney but can be just as much fun if you go into it with a positive attitude. If the cruise you are considering is a port extensive cruise, it really doesn't make sense to cruise Disney for the cost.

 

[emma'smom]

Have you figured out how the "Free Specialty Dining" upgrade works? We've booked an NCL New Year's cruise too with this option. I have no idea how it works. Do we make reservations in advance? Are tips included? Since it is every night, does it change how we otherwise tip since unlike DCL, we don't have consistent servers in a MDR that we will be leaving with an empty table?

This will be our second NCL cruise. The first one was fine in terms of programming, but the food was just horrible! We are only trying again beccause of the upgrade. The rooms weren't as nice as DCL either, but they were fine for the price.

We just booked the Getaway for next month too! We chose the free specialty dining package as we are not big drinkers. The price for a 7 night eastern on Getaway was 1000.00 less than a 3 night on the Dream (and that is even after adding the 7.95 pp/per day for the soda package if we choose to buy it and other things we may choose to spend extra on). We are excited to try the Getaway - the kids are looking forward to the watersides, ropes course, bungee trampoline, bowling, etc. I am looking forward to trying all the different restaurants!

I am excited to try something new!

 

[samily]

Hah, I was like "what bowling on Getaway?!". Apparently I never went into the right bar.

That just means you should rebook!

Have you figured out how the "Free Specialty Dining" upgrade works? We've booked an NCL New Year's cruise too with this option. I have no idea how it works. Do we make reservations in advance? Are tips included? Since it is every night, does it change how we otherwise tip since unlike DCL, we don't have consistent servers in a MDR that we will be leaving with an empty table?

This will be our second NCL cruise. The first one was fine in terms of programming, but the food was just horrible! We are only trying again beccause of the upgrade. The rooms weren't as nice as DCL either, but they were fine for the price.

For the UDP, I believe it is recommended that you make reservations. Like DCL, it sounds like they hold back quite a bit to allow for booking onboard. However, we booked the cruise just about 30 days out and were able to get all the times and restaurants we wanted. When we booked the cruise, they added the gratuity for the specialty dining onto the price of the cruise (I think it was about 21.00 pp).

However, depending on when you booked your cruise, the gratuity may have already been part of your free UDP. From what I have read, they just recently changed it and put the cost on the customer.

As far as regular daily service charges go, I do not plan on adjusting them down, as it sounds like NCL pools them for a variety of their crew, even some that you may not necessarily see. Also, even if I am not eating in the main dining rooms for dinner, those same folks serving dinner will be working breakfasts and lunches so should be included.

NCL recently increased their daily service charge but I think I read if you booked before 7/31 and prepay the service charge before your final payment date, you will be grandfathered at the old rate, so you may want to look into that if you were not already aware of it.

Which NCL ship did you originally sail?

 

[TXDCLfan]

Ahh..........ok................they only removed the $7.95 charge on the food brought into the rooms.


The la A carte costs in the up sell restaurants are going to be expensive.

AKK

I have no idea where you are getting this info.....We were on the Breakaway 6 weeks ago and did 4 of the "up sell" restaurants ( like Palo on DCL $30 pp) two of them were $10 one was $15 and the other was $30 these were all dinner and there were no A la carte items. With that being I did do the oyster bar which was A la carte and also the lobster roll a few times at lunch $ 8.95 well worth it ( even with DCL's high prices they can not be giving out free lobster rolls). IMHO NCL has all the free dining options that DCL offers and then STEPS up a level by offering more options that you can pay extra for a very reasonable up charge.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I have no idea where you are getting this info.....We were on the Breakaway 6 weeks ago and did 4 of the "up sell" restaurants ( like Palo on DCL $30 pp) two of them were $10 one was $15 and the other was $30 these were all dinner and there were no A la carte items. With that being I did do the oyster bar which was A la carte and also the lobster roll a few times at lunch $ 8.95 well worth it ( even with DCL's high prices they can not be giving out free lobster rolls). IMHO NCL has all the free dining options that DCL offers and then STEPS up a level by offering more options that you can pay extra for a very reasonable up charge.

This started about 2 weeks ago, but did not effect existing reservations.

It was on yahoo and the NCL forums.

That is where I got it. TX

Just rumor but some of the NCL fans feel that in time all the buy it places will be totally ALA Carte......time will tell on that one.

However I feel that will be throughout the industry in time.

AKK[/QUOTE]

 

[darwinsrule]

P.s. Don't forget to eat at Flamingo Grill. Complimentary Cuban buffet on deck 16 to die for.

Good Tres Leche cake there as well. Had better but never with a view of the ocean.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

This was just announced in the last couple weeks. The for fee restaurants are becoming a la carte (more expensive).

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=6443

The thing that frightens me about NCL is that their base fare is so cheap, but they have so many up charge choices that I suspect (and have read some reviews that confirm these suspicions) that the 'free' food is so subpar that you "have" to eat at the specialty restaurants. I don't know, I like to feel pampered and relaxed on a cruise, not anxious and budgeting the whole time... But, my sister cruises on NCL all the time and likes it.... I don't know, I almost feel like they are the cruise line equivalent of a used car salesman - I might get a good deal, but I just don't trust them..