Mira28

I have sailed (solo) out of NYC many times. Years ago on Carnival, of late only on NCL. I loved every one of my cruises, never saw a fights or arguments or anything close. Maybe a few noisy teens (Carnival Splendor, 2014) who were immediately calmed and dispersed by security. 
 

I love sailing out of Manhattan; for me the experience is unforgettable. The port is not pretty, but I have found embarkation and disembarkation to be relatively straightforward there. I guess I’ve been fortunate.

It’s very sad that the OP and his family witnessed such an assault on this young girl. I don’t think that the OP’s negative experience on the Venezia has anything to do with NYC, but certainly I can understand drawing that conclusion. I’ve debated sailing on this ship, but so far just haven’t done it. (I cancelled my Feb. 2024 cruise due to my husband’s illness).

I guess I’m more comfortable with NCL, but I still might give the Venezia another try. 

Great review! Thanks. I’m looking forward to the Joy next year. The Bliss is also beautiful if you get a chance to sail on her.

16 minutes ago, jimmieg said:

OK, so you're not a standard fare customer. Even better:

 

If you're a PLUS pkg cruiser, room service is waved, app ordering is waived, you get 2 free Alfredo's (or Salty Dog Pub, etc.) 3 course meals/pp. If you CHOOSE to eat at Alfredo's every day additionally on a 7 day sail, that is 5x15 or $75/pp.  If you choose other free venues it's $0.

Still not seeing the significant

It’s significant to some. It’s $14.99 per person per meal now for food that used to be included.

Yes, it’s optional, but it is a change and an increase for those who don’t book a package. It doesn’t personally affect me but I can see why it’s upsetting to those who are affected. Sure, the cruise line can do whatever it wants, but it seems that changing the product (after it has been paid for) is, while profitable, a questionable business practice.

1 hour ago, mattcj89 said:

I think a lot can be said with these issues on Venezia out of NY. Carnival seems to have had issues with behavior regardless of the ship placed in that port or the length of the itinerary. Putting it’s nicest ship in NY was probably not the best idea IMO. Place a Spirit class ship there with fewer cabins to help drive the price up to keep the riff raff off and that’s probably the answer to keeping a ship there year round, unfortunately. 

   Back in the day, I took cruises out of NYC on Carnival Splendor. Never saw any fights or rowdy behavior except for a handful of young teenagers racing across the Lido. They were stopped and spoken to by security. (It is true that I was never in the nightclub in the early morning!)

  More recently I have cruised on Norwegian, again, mostly from NYC. A sedate and well-behaved crowd. The biggest excitement was angling for a seat in Syd Norman's Pour House. (But no fist fights or even verbal altercations occurred during this process.) 

   I do not know what is prompting these recent events. It's sad. The ship looks beautiful, and I'd really like to give it a try, since cruising from NY is so much easier for me. But if this type of behavior continues unabated, I cannot see myself feeling comfortable. I just do not want to see or hear that on my vacation. Peace is all I am looking for on my cruise.

1 hour ago, chisox021 said:

Hi..  I've also cruised on RC and NCL...  This was only my 7th cruise, but first I've seen and actually witnessed this type of behavior.  don't let the actions of a very few ruin your vacation.  This cruise was definitely not the norm, as I see post cruise reports for all NYC and Bayonne cruises, and except for the occassional issue, you'll have no issues...  But like some say, just don't put yourself into any situation that you can't control.  You'll know quickly on where those potential areas of concern are.

Yes, I agree. All but one of my cruises have been from NYC. I have never seen a fight or domestic incident. A few drunk people here or there, I suppose was the worst of it. 
Hearing all these reports is a concern.

I wonder why this ship, these cruises?

They say it can be 10 business days back to the credit card. In the past year when I have cancelled I've received the refund within 4 or 5 days. 

A lot of issues! The food and entertainment things really are what would bother me the most.

What's being said about the ship is a big concern, since I think many were (and still are) looking forward to a new ship leaving from NYC. I am booked on Venezia for February, so I hope things improve. I wonder if that is likely. It would be a shame if such a beautiful ship is marred by all the poor aspects you and others have reported.

39 minutes ago, Incognito1 said:

Failed to live up to the hype.  And not by just a little.  Great while the president was on board.  Got progressively worse.  I feel really cheated on it. 

 

Didn't get a survey after the cruise -- guess they didn't want to hear about all that was wrong.

 Yes, I wonder if you can give us a sense of what went wrong. Many reviews do seem to be negative. I'd be very interested in hearing about what happened. 

Hi, I just booked this cruise.

I've cruised out of NYC several times in the winter, the last time being the fateful March 8-15th, 2020 cruise on the NCL Bliss, just as the world seemed to be shutting down! Memorable to be sure.

With luck, this cruise will be less eventful. 🤞😄

I was planning to cruise on the Venezia in October but that didn't work out, so this one is my fallback. Very exciting! 

13 hours ago, HappySails4U said:

So on your previous NYC sailing, how was debarkation on your return?    I have read that the port area is very chaotic (disorganized)  trying to get to your transportation.     We will be flying home from LaGuardia and don't know if we should plan to use a taxi / Uber/Lyft  or Carnival transportation.

 Hi,

  Disembarkation can take a while or it can be pretty smooth and quick. It's hard to know ahead of time. The Manhattan Cruise port isn't particularly attractive, but things do move along once you get your bags, and you basically just walk straight through out of the terminal to the street. Taxis are lined up across 12th Avenue. There should be no problem getting one to LGA. You will encounter some Uber/Lyft drivers offering rides just before the taxi queue. If you want Uber or Lyft, my suggestion is to walk straight past these people and go east, about a block away from the pier. Order the ride then. It may not be any cheaper, but it will be less chaotic. I have not used the cruieline shuttles, but I'd imagine they are easy to find and a straightforward way to get to the airport. 

52 minutes ago, Crown Vic said:

Just off the Meraviglia. Really enjoyable.

Uber to the port from Brooklyn. Lotsa traffic so slow but steady.
On the return this morning, took the ferry from Red Hook to DUMBO, another ferry to North Williamsburg and then Uber. Easy peasy!

Taking a ferry to the ship would have been faster and less expensive…plus…you get another ‘cruise’.

Cheers!

 Thanks for this! Yes, the ferries sound good. I'd be coming from Manhattan, but I think that's also pretty easy to and from Red Hook. Sounds like you had a great cruise!

1 hour ago, smokeykat said:

Surprisingly the Brooklyn port was no problem for us. We were coming from Long Island and usually we drive to NJ for RCCL and park our car there but I was hesitant not knowing what to expect the first time in Brooklyn. We used a car service and it took us about 40 minutes to get there. Plenty of parking is available and the lot was not even full as I was able to see the lot from my cabin balcony.

When you first pull into the port area there is a car pick up area under the blue awning on the right side. Continue around and there are plenty of cabs waiting in the middle section for passengers. Continue past that and there is the luggage drop off and then the terminal. Keep going and there are signs directing you to parking.

We went out of Manhattan on NCL and to me the car service pick up was a pain because we had to leave the terminal, cross the street and walk a few blocks to where the car was able to pick us up from.

Brooklyn was easier.

 

Thank you! Very helpful information. It sounds doable! 🙂

Hi, 

Thanks for the great review. I'm wondering, how much of a hassle was it to get to the Brooklyn port? Did you drive or take other transportation? Did you happen to notice if there were a lot of cabs on disembarkation morning? I'm used to sailing out of Manhattan, but wonder about the feasibility of getting to and from the Brooklyn port.

Hi Megan,

I've cruised solo several times. I've done Blue Lagoon in Nassau, and have also walked all over near the port and have always felt safe. For me, getting off the ship and exploring a bit is all part of the experience. Taking an excursion will be fine. I hope you find something to enjoy.

On 5/22/2023 at 4:20 PM, frankp01 said:

The ferries actually have a fair amount of room for luggage. With barely sloping boarding ramps. As long as you have rolling luggage, you should be OK. Here's a photo of quite a bit of luggage for the three of us. Leaving Red Hook we often take the ferry to Wall Street, then change to the ferry to E 34th St. There's an express bus from the ferry terminal to Penn Station.  It does involve two changes, but otherwise it's very painless (and faster than traffic, sometimes)

Helpful post, thank you. Might I ask, how long does the ferry take from Wall St. to Red Hook? Does it dock close to the pier? When leaving the port you take the ferry back to Wall St. and then another to E. 34th?

Hello everyone,

Regina from Albany, NY.  Looking forward to this cruise on a beautiful ship. Exciting!

7 hours ago, corman-cruise said:

I posted how I felt about the way ncl charged and decided that and other things would cause me not to sail with them in the future. 

Today, I spoke to a senior server in one of the specialty dining rooms. 

She told me about how long she worked for company and her jobs over the years working for ncl. 

I mentioned that I noticed that ncl doesn't have people walking around in the buffet offering coffee, pastries and orange juice like other cruise lines. 

She seemed puzzled by that comment , she told me that is what one of her jobs when she fist started. 

She said to best of her knowledge ncl still does that. When I told her that I only saw them once and it's been day 10 on the ship, she urged me to email my feed back to corporate, so much for ncl never offering that. 

There are things that others in this thread have criticized ncl for that I have also noticed while on the ship. 

There was no alternative motivation, like someone has posted earlier, it's called cruise critics. 

 

It seems no matter what one says on here, there are those who want to pick through your comments, select a few words (often out of context) and then will try to engage you in a back and forth dispute. As we each see our experiences through our own lens, it seems pointless to get into that. 
 

Many have pointed out that NCL (and all the cruise lines) have made changes and cutbacks over the years. Some of these are negative. It is also true that each line has their loyalists who will allow no criticism. I have enjoyed every cruise I’ve been on very much, but still believe it’s ok to post about issues or problems experienced. Whatever anyone’s response, you are allowed to see it your way, and do not have to justify your opinions.
 

 

19 hours ago, JillK said:

When I compare cruise prices, I look at the all-in price (inclusive of extras, daily gratuities and ancillary costs) and not just the initial fare to get a real feel for the value on a per person per day basis. Only then can I make a truly informed choice about the value of what I am buying.

 

The OP says that Princess does not charge for "free" items. I hear what he is saying in that one doesn't pay for the value of the drinks package but pays the gratuities on that value so there is a cost to the end user. The reality is that you are paying upfront for the drinks on Princess and Celebrity as well for example, it's just in the way it's presented.

 

Celebrity has a clear price difference to include drinks, wifi and gratuities as another poster mentioned. 

We cruised over Christmas with our four children in three cabins on Princess last year. Hubby and I felt that the Princess Plus fare inclusive of drinks and wifi was worth it for us to avoid the hassle of buying drinks a la carte, but we did not purchase it for our children. The price difference for Princess Plus (drinks and wifi inclusive) was $550 Cdn per person more than the fare for the kids (total of $1100 Cdn). So even with Princess you do pay for the additional service that you get with them if you want them. They don't present it as free because it's not. At least with NCL, you are only paying the gratuity on the value of the package based on the number of days sailed so it is a substantial savings vs having to buy the package outright. As others have mentioned, you don't have to take the "perks" and can book a sail-away rate that excludes them. 

 

We cruised NCL, Carnival and Princess last year and each had their strengths and weaknesses. Based on those experiences though, we have eliminated Princess entirely. The value for us just isn't there and it is clearly geared toward a more elderly crowd. I could go on about why we feel this way but this isn't really the right place for that so I will digress.

 

Last year we felt we had excellent value with Carnival and good value with NCL. We would consider both lines again for future cruises and after much debate have decided that for us, focussing on NCL is better thanks to the perks associated with the Latitudes program, despite some things that we don't like about them (highest daily grats- for us when you add 40% exchange rate starts to get astronomical; high wifi cost; high spa costs). We still feel that for us NCL provides an excellent product at an acceptable price point and have two future cruises booked with them accordingly. 

 

All that to say it's really important to understand what you're getting for what you're paying... only paying for what you want and doing due diligence by reading reviews to see what other people are saying about their experiences (taking everything with a grain of salt however as one man's trash is another's treasure). 

 

I'm sorry you were disappointed by your current cruise with NCL and hope that you find a line that better suits your needs.... best wishes for happy sailings in the future.

 

   This. A sensible (and kind) response to the OP. We need more of this on here.

Hi Pete,

 I just booked this cruise! So happy to be cruising from NYC again. The ship looks to be quite beautiful and I think it will be a lot of fun. Hope others loin the roll call soon. I wonder if the cruise will be full or not. It's a nice itinerary and I can't wait to get on the ship!

I was on the TA from Barcelona to New York 12/8-12/22. First time on the Gem. It is a lovely ship, and I had only positive interactions with the crew. Room steward, bar servers, Garden Cafe staff, all were friendly, kind, and efficient. I thought the food was acceptable to good in all venues, very good in both MDRs and Le Bistro. 

In my opinion the entertainment on the cruise was poor to just okay. While I enjoyed the Latin band in the Bliss lounge, the acrobat brothers,  and the B12 group, most of the rest of the offered entertainment was not memorable. Although many of the performers had talent, what was presented seemed not up to NCL standards. I’m wondering why this is the case on this ship. Having sailed the Getaway, Breakaway, and the Bliss I know how great the entertainment on NCL usually is. 
 

Finally, the Wi-Fi failure during 4 out of the 6 sea days was a major concern for me and caused a lot of frustration all around. I don’t think it’s right for NCL to claim to offer unlimited and/or premium Wi-Fi (at a very high price) when they really cannot provide this service. 
 

Overall, this was a good cruise. The ports were amazing, and I had several great shore excursions through NCL. I hope the issues regarding entertainment quality and Wi-Fi will be addressed by NCL, as they significantly affect an otherwise positive experience. 
 

Great news!

22 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Not sure that empathy is the right reaction....after all, this is a public forum, not a support group. Nobody is owed unconditional support for their opinion.

 

I also disagree with the idea that people can't be a critic here. Assuming, of course, that by "critic" you mean:

 

"one who expresses a reasoned opinion on any matter especially involving a judgment of its value, truth, righteousness, beauty, or technique"

 

...and not:

 

"One who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder"

I suppose it’s all a matter of opinion,

and personal choice.
I maintain that (even in a public forum), one can speak courteously and with regard for the experiences of others. 

To the OP. Since you’ve been on CC for a while you probably knew that when you posted this you’d get lots of negative responses. Apparently one is not allowed to be a critic here! While some posters make good points here, there is often a lack of courtesy and empathy on these boards. I’m not sure why it’s like this.

I can empathize with your experience. I’m glad that some aspects of your trip were positive, as I know how much time, money, and hopes go into planning a cruise. I do hope you’ll give NCL another chance at some point.
 

4 hours ago, GTJ said:

First get into the taxi, then give the destination. It does not matter that the taxi driver does not want to take a passenger to Pennsylvania Station--the driver has no choice about it--and so if you're already in the taxi it will be more difficult for the taxi driver to act unlawfully. No driver wants to appear before TLC for denying transportation.

The drivers lined up on 12th Ave. across from the terminal would ask your destination before agreeing to take you. Again, this was my experience. Obviously one could challenge the driver and make and issue of it. I chose not to. 
My point was to tell the OP that getting to Penn was easy from about a block away, and took 15-20 minutes (at most) from that location. 

Hi, I very recently sailed the Getaway (9/12/22-9/22/22) and took the train from NY Moynihan Station (the new Penn Station). I had an 8:00 am disembarkation time and easily made an 11:10 train. I found it easier to walk across 12th Ave. and go about a block away from the terminal and all the waiting taxis.  In the past (and I don't know if this is still the case) the taxi drivers waiting there did not want to take a passenger to Penn Station. (I guess not a high enough fare.)  But from a block away (11th Ave. & 48th St.) it was easy to get a taxi or call an Uber. 

Since you have priority disembarkation, you can get off even earlier. Of course, there can always be delays with disembarkation. But I have cruised from NYC several times and have always been able to get the train from Penn in the late morning. I hope it works out for you!