NCL proving too much for us + anyone use the Thermal Spa Pass?

[tasha99]

Luxury cruise lines tend to be all inclusive. I'm taking a Crystal Cruise to Iceland next year, and the only extras are spa treatments, shore excursions, and specialty dining in excess of the 2 complimentary visits. Even gratuities are included. The overall cost of the cruise is higher than a mass market cruise, but not as much as it first appears when you start adding everything up.

 

[mjkacmom]

Eh, on our last NCL cruise, there was no such thing as a free UBP - we paid over $800 for it! The room service menu is now much better than it was, and you can still get free continental breakfasts. I'd never remove the service charge - if I have an issue, I'll complaining, and I always tip extra for those that do a great job.

The new not allowing beverages to be brought onboard is a policy that effects me negatively, since we drive to the port and always bring water on. We were always charged for dining reservations made ahead of time, even before they had dining packages - that's not new. It probably cuts down on people reserving times "just in case."

It's still a pretty inexpensive vacation compared to others!

 

[Jaya]

I'm a cruise line's nightmare. I get an inside cabin, I drink the free iced tea, I don't gamble in the casino, get pictures taken, drink frou-frou drinks or buy souvenirs. I eat at the buffet or in the main dining room. I do my own excursions. I do, gladly, pay gratuities. I have a wonderful time doing whatever is free. I expect any time now for them to impose a "cheap-skate" fee for those who don't spend a minimum amount of money on board - LOL.

 

[tvguy]

I think it depends how u cruise. I know a family member who cruises. She and he dh never buy anything that isn't included. Only drink the free beverages and take an inside cabin. They go off season and choose local to save on airfare.

This is not the way we like to travel but it works out for them.

That was my mom. Well, she did budget $10 a night for a glass of wine with dinner, but other than tips, didn't spend an additional cent. And she could cruise on short notice and off season since she was retired. She found a cruise from San Francisco to Mexico and back, 7 days for $299.
She found another cruise around Hawaii (back when the foreign flagged ships stopped at Fanning Island as their international port for a good price, but the ship was being re-positioned after that cruise to Alaska. For an additional $100 she stayed on board an additional 4 days as they moved the ship to Vancouver. She said there were very few passengers on board for that leg of the cruise, and crew members were very busy doing cleaning all 4 days, but she loved sea days, so it was perfect.

 

[dhardawa]

I've cruised NCL tons, but the last time was about 7 1/2 years ago (at the same time they got rid of the NCL credit card that gave 3% back on all purchases). They were nothing like that then. Sounds like times have changed!

 

[ronandannette]

All the main-stream lines now have a variety of up-charge items available. NCL may seem to have alot, especially if those are things you'd like to try and end up paying for them all. I'll admit I find the room service charge to be very irksome but most of the other OOP options are just not things I'm interested in. NCL also has it's good points - the specialty restaurants are extremely varied and high quality and the entertainment options are arguably among the best at sea. Our next cruise is going to be with RCCL but it was between Freedom of the Seas and the Norwegian Epic and really, we could have gone either way.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm confused about the water. Do the cruise lines routinely not allow you to bring water? What about water on the ship? Is it not included?

Also, what about liquor and soft drinks? I've heard of strict limits on wine and beer and not allowing other liquor in some cases.

 

[RedSox68]

Yes, NCL has been doing a lot changing. I have never even tried the line. But I think the charge for the room service is way out of line, along with that outrageous charge for the water. That is insane. But some of the lines are going that way due to the fact that people try and smuggle the alcohol on. This is not the only line changing things up. I could be wrong , but at some point I think all lines will stop allowing people to bring soda or wine in carry on only. Carnival still allows a 12 pack can of soda no bottles of anything. And one bottle of 750 ml of wine. No more water, you have to buy it from them. So everyone just needs to read the new rules for bringing on drinks. Your not alone in feeling the way you do.

The problem is that right now, from the several articles that were posted and blogs, NCL is the only cruise line not allowing unopened bottles of water and soda to be brought on board -- yet they allow two bottles of wine to be brought on board with an exhorbitant corkage fee! Carnival, Disney, Princess and HAL (as of right now) still allow unopened bottles of water in the original manufacturer's shrinkwrap to be brought on board -- and Carnival only charges $3.99 for a 12-pack, as opposed to NCL's $58.00 for a 12-pack. Yes, they are one-liter bottles, but come on.......I don't mind not being allowed to bring the water onboard, as long as their onboard prices are not insane like NCL's.

In addition, they are now considered to have the highest drink package deals in the industry. We were very fortunate, we got in on the free drink package last year but would never pay the over $79/pp per day price they are now charging. And oh yeah, the just raised their gratuities too -- but we luckily prepaid so aren't affected.

I do wonder if that many cruise lines will now follow suit as the backlash that NCL is getting is voluminous. I wrote them an email and a letter and just got a phone call from a rep to assure me that my feedback is taken very seriously and that I should know that my comments have been passed on. We shall see

 

[declansdad]

The problem is that right now, from the several articles that were posted and blogs, NCL is the only cruise line not allowing unopened bottles of water and soda to be brought on board -- yet they allow two bottles of wine to be brought on board with an exhorbitant corkage fee! Carnival, Disney, Princess and HAL (as of right now) still allow unopened bottles of water in the original manufacturer's shrinkwrap to be brought on board -- and Carnival only charges $3.99 for a 12-pack, as opposed to NCL's $58.00 for a 12-pack. Yes, they are one-liter bottles, but come on.......I don't mind not being allowed to bring the water onboard, as long as their onboard prices are not insane like NCL's.

In addition, they are now considered to have the highest drink package deals in the industry. We were very fortunate, we got in on the free drink package last year but would never pay the over $79/pp per day price they are now charging. And oh yeah, the just raised their gratuities too -- but we luckily prepaid so aren't affected.

I do wonder if that many cruise lines will now follow suit as the backlash that NCL is getting is voluminous. I wrote them an email and a letter and just got a phone call from a rep to assure me that my feedback is taken very seriously and that I should know that my comments have been passed on. We shall see

With the attitude NCL has had I think this may have happened after you hung up.

 

[RedSox68]

I'm confused about the water. Do the cruise lines routinely not allow you to bring water? What about water on the ship? Is it not included?

Also, what about liquor and soft drinks? I've heard of strict limits on wine and beer and not allowing other liquor in some cases.

The NCL reps are telling me to drink the tap water -- while on Cruise Critic there are two former NCL employees who say they were always told NOT to drink the tap water. My problem with the "free" water is every time I have tried to drink it I swell up and have stomach reactions. I was told there is sometimes sodium in the water, which explains that. But nowadays I have a medical condition that requires I drink 6-8 bottles of water a day minimum on top of whatever other liquids I drink (can't have soda, etc.), so not having bottled water readily available is not an option. I did earn lots of onboard credits with their credit card, so will just use a portion of them for the water. HOWEVER, I did just get an email from them with the pricing and they do sell individual bottles of Aquafina -- one-liter bottles for $4.00. Still high, but between that and what we buy in the port to drink on excursions, I may not have to blow the whole $58.

Oh, and they made it very clear to me that anything you buy in the port -- water, soda -- cannot be brought back on board. You have to dump or drink it.

 

[RedSox68]

With the attitude NCL has had I think this may have happened after you hung up.

I know they are getting slammed about this because when you call and mention it you can hear the defense walls go up on the other end and the attitude starts immediately.

Well, just like last year's decision not to allow food to be taken from the buffet, which blew up in their faces, we'll see how long this goes on. The girl that left me the message this morning did mention that "while I cannot guaranty that the water prices will go down, we are taking all feedback into consideration".

 

[kamik86]

I have an NCL cruise in january but I'm not too worried about the water. I can drink ice tea and be fine.

I'm not sure why drinking the water would be an issue though. Think about it the soda is made from the same water. So if people would get sick from drinking the water everyone that drinks soda would get sick too.

 

[John VN]

Typical of NCL, they are the kings of nickle and diming you.

AND that is why DCL is the tops because with DCL we get paper money to death not chump change......... DREAM Concierge Nov. 2017

 

[mjkacmom]

The problem is that right now, from the several articles that were posted and blogs, NCL is the only cruise line not allowing unopened bottles of water and soda to be brought on board -- yet they allow two bottles of wine to be brought on board with an exhorbitant corkage fee! Carnival, Disney, Princess and HAL (as of right now) still allow unopened bottles of water in the original manufacturer's shrinkwrap to be brought on board -- and Carnival only charges $3.99 for a 12-pack, as opposed to NCL's $58.00 for a 12-pack. Yes, they are one-liter bottles, but come on.......I don't mind not being allowed to bring the water onboard, as long as their onboard prices are not insane like NCL's.

In addition, they are now considered to have the highest drink package deals in the industry. We were very fortunate, we got in on the free drink package last year but would never pay the over $79/pp per day price they are now charging. And oh yeah, the just raised their gratuities too -- but we luckily prepaid so aren't affected.

I do wonder if that many cruise lines will now follow suit as the backlash that NCL is getting is voluminous. I wrote them an email and a letter and just got a phone call from a rep to assure me that my feedback is taken very seriously and that I should know that my comments have been passed on. We shall see

I believe carnival no longer allows bottled water, and limited amount of canned beverages. Most lines allow 2 bottles of wine, NCL allows unlimited, with a $15 fee per bottle. We utilize this option, because the quality and prices of wine on the ship are pretty bad. The UBP is super expensive, but it seems like most get it free.

 

[okeydokey]

I understand a corkage fee when bringing your own wine to the dining rooms. However, charging me a corkage fee when I personally open my own room to drink in my cabin is ridiculous.

A friend just returned from a NCL Alaska cruise after cruising Disney that last time and she said she got so tired of the constant selling. So many announcements over the loudspeakers advertising events to pay for. Charging for every thing. And the "free" drinks package which cost them high service charges. No more NCL for her family. I had been warned away from them for food quality alone.

 

[declansdad]

I believe carnival no longer allows bottled water, and limited amount of canned beverages. Most lines allow 2 bottles of wine, NCL allows unlimited, with a $15 fee per bottle. We utilize this option, because the quality and prices of wine on the ship are pretty bad. The UBP is super expensive, but it seems like most get it free.

Carnival no longer allows you to bring water but you can have 12 bottles delivered to your cabin and the cost is something like 2.99 for 12. That's what is was in December, I think it may be a dollar or two higher now.

 

[declansdad]

I understand a corkage fee when bringing your own wine to the dining rooms. However, charging me a corkage fee when I personally open my own room to drink in my cabin is ridiculous.

A friend just returned from a NCL Alaska cruise after cruising Disney that last time and she said she got so tired of the constant selling. So many announcements over the loudspeakers advertising events to pay for. Charging for every thing. And the "free" drinks package which cost them high service charges. No more NCL for her family. I had been warned away from them for food quality alone.

Exactly, we felt we were constantly being bombarded with messages about the pay restaurants while on the cruise. We were on the Dawn and with all the extra restaurants there was very little space available for nighttime activities (1 bar and 1 lounge that was always filled to capacity).

 

[luvavacation]

So we booked a cruise to Bermuda on the Breakway last year for this October. Since then, we have discovered that NCL now charges a $7.95 fee for room service, added gratuities to our "free" drink package (never had another cruise line do that -- their drink packages included the tips), and now won't let you bring water onboard but want you to pay $58 for a 12-pack case.

Is this going to become the cruise industry norm -- or is this typical for NCL to nickle and dime people so much. We've sailed 16 cruises on five different lines and I've never seen so much expense before we even board (must pay for any specialty restaurants up front -- so we couldn't use our onboard credits for that either). And then a rep tells me on the phone that under no circumstances are we allowed to remove or change our prepaid gratuities as they are considered service charges! Since when don't we have a say as to how we pay our gratuities or how much or to remove them if we have a problem with our stateroom host or server, etc.? Sometimes we prefer to pay the individual servers and room steward in cash and the NCL rep says we can't do that anymore?!?

After this one, I think I'll stick to my promise that after our horrid experience on Pride of America in 2008, we really don't need to consider NCL ever again!

OP, regarding the payment for specialty dining, I called NCL directly and reserved my dining, and this way the charge was not applied until I got onboard (and was thus able to apply any room credits to that charge). This is what I did about a month ago - not sure if anything changed in the last month since my experience!

Regarding gratuities - you heard correctly, they can not be removed before or during boarding, HOWEVER, if you have any issues or would like to adjust, go to Guest Services and ask for a "gratuity adjustment form" (that might not be the actual name of it, but it's what I was told to ask for). Once you get back home, fill it out and send it off to NCL with what you request for an adjustment. For example, we were in the Haven, and while we absolutely loved it (and for the price, with the included Haven restaurant, it was much less than concierge on DCL!), our room steward really left something to be desired. Though we did ask to speak to someone about it when we went to Guest Services, we never were contacted to rectify the problems while we were onboard. Hence the gratuity adjustment, which I emailed in last week and received an email back from NCL that it will be taken care of in 14 days. I am not sure if that means 14 days in normal time, or 14 days of Island time (which might be 140 normal days, one just doesn't know if Island time is being followed ).

I really don't like that I can't adjust gratuities once onboard, but at least NCL will still allow it after-the-fact. At least, they did a couple weeks ago!

 

[RedSox68]

I understand a corkage fee when bringing your own wine to the dining rooms. However, charging me a corkage fee when I personally open my own room to drink in my cabin is ridiculous.

A friend just returned from a NCL Alaska cruise after cruising Disney that last time and she said she got so tired of the constant selling. So many announcements over the loudspeakers advertising events to pay for. Charging for every thing. And the "free" drinks package which cost them high service charges. No more NCL for her family. I had been warned away from them for food quality alone.

I was very fortunate -- when they offered me the "free" drink package and then tacked on over $138 in gratuities for the pleasure, I contacted corporate and inquired as to why after sailing on 4 other cruise lines, their "free" options like dining packages and drink packages come with a gratuity fee -- if they are free, then everything should be included. We have had dining packages on Princess and HAL and they never tacked on gratuities to our bill! The person I spoke with agreed (yes, I almost passed out) and was an extremely nice lady and removed the gratuities from the package. So at least we have that. Ironically, the "drink package" does not include bottled water LOL

 

[RedSox68]

OP, regarding the payment for specialty dining, I called NCL directly and reserved my dining, and this way the charge was not applied until I got onboard (and was thus able to apply any room credits to that charge). This is what I did about a month ago - not sure if anything changed in the last month since my experience!

Regarding gratuities - you heard correctly, they can not be removed before or during boarding, HOWEVER, if you have any issues or would like to adjust, go to Guest Services and ask for a "gratuity adjustment form" (that might not be the actual name of it, but it's what I was told to ask for). Once you get back home, fill it out and send it off to NCL with what you request for an adjustment. For example, we were in the Haven, and while we absolutely loved it (and for the price, with the included Haven restaurant, it was much less than concierge on DCL!), our room steward really left something to be desired. Though we did ask to speak to someone about it when we went to Guest Services, we never were contacted to rectify the problems while we were onboard. Hence the gratuity adjustment, which I emailed in last week and received an email back from NCL that it will be taken care of in 14 days. I am not sure if that means 14 days in normal time, or 14 days of Island time (which might be 140 normal days, one just doesn't know if Island time is being followed ).

I really don't like that I can't adjust gratuities once onboard, but at least NCL will still allow it after-the-fact. At least, they did a couple weeks ago!

Thank you so much for this valuable information. I do not plan to cut our gratuities, but after the service we received in Hawaii -- where we removed all our gratuities (trust me, it was justified) -- I want to make sure we have an option should the housekeeping of our room be as horrendous as it was in Hawaii (my daughter walked into her inside room and immediately stepped in a puddle of maple syrup on the floor -- and that's the "nicest" example of what we found in both our rooms). Several reports on Cruise Critic were saying that their rooms on the Breakaway were incredibly dusty -- headboards, nightstands, etc. So we shall see.

Not sure if I clarified above, but we are not going into this expecting to have a terrible time. We are looking forward to exploring the ship and the shows and hopefully no more drama.

I will call NCL about changing my specialty dining so it can come out of my onboard account. Thanks again.