Of course, this has been hashed and hashed, BUT . . .
While the cruiselines (in general) don't exactly market themselves as being an 'all inclusive' vacation option, they DO run up to that line andblow on it a lot in their marketing from time to time.
People are given the impression that a cruise is 'mostly inclusive,' from various sources.
If night club cover charges become normal practice, then it's just one more thing added into that list of things that are NOT included...
I'd sasy they need to all start walking away from that line so people don't continue to get the 'mostly inclusive' impression.
I realize that NCL has made some innovations that others have followed with.
That does not mean that I have to agree with them.
We enjoyed 2 cruises with NCL before Freestyle. After it was well established We tried NCL 2 more times. We did not care for the Freestyle dining. We also had issues with odors in our cabin on both of those ships.
As it happens my FIL enjoys cruising on NCL and does so 4-5 times a year.
But does it get bashed by your fellow guides and stewards??
PE
Take it easy, PE. I didn't realize the stewards and fellow guides were bashing NCL.
PE, as I see it, they were giving an opinion on the cover charges. I personally don't see anything wrong with the picture and the people in it, which is what started this thread, and don't agree with the thread's creator either, but it's just hers and others opinion.
You & I know all too well, that a lot of people don't like NCL, but we both do also know, that NCL has a large loyal following, and that says a lot. Their ships do not sail empty. As I mentioned, Costa also gets bashed. If Costa was as bad as some say, 1 million people would not have booked cruises with them two consecutive years, and they did it 5 weeks earlier this year than last. All of the bashing Costa gets does not bother me in the least.
Oh, btw, I'm a huge fan of Freestyle cruising.
I'll try not to be bashy (if there's such a word), but was just showing hubby that photo and we started talking about freestyle/anytime dining, and he agrees with me that we don't have a problem with traditional dining and don't understand what the big advantage to "freestyle" if you're not guaranteed a specific dining time/restaurant when you want. To each his own. It's nice if there's a choice and those who want flexible dining can have it and those who enjoy traditional, can chose that instead. I really like it when my waiter for the duration of the cruise knows my preferences. For example, no salad dressing. I wish I had that choice last night at the Bar Mitzvah I went to. But the only salad was pre-mixed and dressed.
I guess if a cruiseline thinks people will pay extra for an entertainment lounge, and tries it, I just hope enough people say no and the experiment fails. Part of our enjoyment on a ship is the ability to walk around and check out the various combos and singers and not have to whip out our sign and sail card to sit down and listen. Or pay some upfront fee. We could stay here and go to some club and pay for a ticket and drinks. Being on a cruiseship means to be able to enjoy a total experience of being away from having to pay for each and every thing. I hope those at Corporate (for any cruiseline) understands that.
I guess I am not infavore of NCL because their line does not offer what I look for in a cruise. But I know others to whom I would definitely recommend NCL. We have some friends who do club med every year because they don't want to dress up on vacation. NCL would be perfect for them.
For us, we like a more formal environment. Also, we see the set dining and table assignments as a plus. Never a worry about where and when to dine. Severs get to know what you like.
But, I also like traditional pleasure cruising(as apposed to Ocean Liner Crossings which have class systems), on smaller ships ( if I can afford them), because of the inclusiveness. I don't really mean price inclusive, but passenger inclusive...IE... everyone is together, enjoying their time together, meeting one another, mingling, and there is no class distinction to keep the passengers apart. In other words.... everyone is invited to the party!!! for the most part, with the exception of a few captains club activities, everyone is invited to the party on a traditional pleasure cruise. I find that very enjoyable.
When you start having cover charges and crowd control, and excluding one group from another I just don't find the cruise enjoyable. More and more lines are starting implement perks that are exclusionary to guest who book lower level cabins.
The picture is definitely CGI, and it made me laugh because.... lets face it, we are all real people who cruise, not the young models composited into that picture.
NCL definitely has a loyal following and I think that is great for them and the people who prefer this type of cruise. I just hope that I will always be able to find a traditional pleasure cruise at a reasonable price
It has nothing to do with which cruiseline I am on, I am just not going to go there if it involves a cover charge. The nickel and diming has really grown on all lines, and this is not something I am willing to pay for, JMHO.
I guess I am not infavore of NCL because their line does not offer what I look for in a cruise. But I know others to whom I would definitely recommend NCL. We have some friends who do club med every year because they don't want to dress up on vacation. NCL would be perfect for them.
...and I am not in favor of traditional type cruise lines. But, I don't spend my time critiquing what I don't like about it.
I am sure you will always be able to find what you want in a cruise line. Myself, I have found everything I like in NCL. I cannot tolerate the regimentation of traditional dining and I have come away with more new friends on freestyle than I ever did on a traditional type cruise.
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Take it easy, PE. I didn't realize the stewards and fellow guides were bashing NCL. 
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