Ninenout2002

Forgive me if this has been asked before, but can the 18% gratuity be removed upon request?

We actually did ask to have the 18% for the cigar removed - NCL refused so I'm going to say in our experience "no".

as I said, it's not that we didn't have a good time - we enjoyed our ports, had great food, met some very nice people. This was "our" experience and certainly others will have different views. We are by no means experienced cruisers but it just seems that NCL is lacking informed staff members, staff in general and creating revenue by whatever means they can think of regardless of merit.

Am going to post a short review after I get caught up with work this week but some initial comments:

This was our second ever cruise, our first having been on the Breakaway in December 2013. That first trip was on a very full ship but just magical all the way around. We weren't expecting to have the exact same experience but believed it would be close. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case...not to say we didn't have a good time but if this had been our first experience then I don't think we would have gone again on NCL.

Overall, the staffing seemed short and uninformed. They seemed to make things up as they went along. One example is that We signed up for the slot tournament after asking the rules and we were told it's $20 per person, qualifying held on Monday, three minutes per round and the top points person in each round moved on to the finals on Saturday. Turns out it was two minutes per round, additional qualifying was held Friday AND Saturday, and worst of all only the top six scores would play in the finals. So after Monday I was the highest point person in my round but lowest of the day. By Friday I was eliminated. Wouldn't have been an issue if I had been told this from the beginning - I would have waited to play until later in the week but no one cared that we had been given a false set of information. I was told that I could play again if I wanted to spend another $20. It just left me annoyed and definitely not in the mood to play more.

I resent being charged an 18% gratuity for my husband's cigar purchase. Literally the guy opened the case - he didn't select the cigar, he didn't cut the cigar, he didn't light the cigar, etc. What service was performed that was deserving of a gratuity? I purchased a single cupcake - 18% gratuity added. For putting it in a bag? They may as well start charging an 18% gratuity for clothing and gift purchases as well! It's not the money - it's the point. I tip well, I tip very well for excellent service. I don't think that opening a case or putting a pastry into a bag is any more deserving of a tip than a cashier at the local grocery store is. Unless said cashier is ringing me up, packing my bags and loading them into my car they're not getting a tip for ringing up my items!

Lots of Smoking on the balconies and I'm guessing in the rooms around us to the point that our room and the hallway reeked, children/ teens literally running up and down the hallway, about 20 teens congregating outside the buffet pushing each other and shouting at the tops of their lungs - just a lot of rude and disrespectful behavior...staff said nothing.

Didn't order room service due to the "convenience fee" which was something we had enjoyed on our first cruise - a lot of people we encountered weren't happy about the fee. Going by guest services there seemed to be quite a few people complaining about the convenience charge and the mandatory 18% charges.

We didn't want our first cruise to end and this one, our honeymoon cruise, we were quite ready to be done after our day in Nassau.

NYC to either Bermuda or Bahamas on the Breakaway...which one would you rather do and why. We took our first cruise last December on the Breakaway to Bahamas and loved the itinerary but we do enjoy trying something new! Also am looking to find out if Hennessey White is available to purchase in Bermuda or on the ship on the Bermuda route...I did a search but didn't see anything so if that answer already exists I apologize!!:o

:confused: Having never been on a cruise to nowhere...sorry for the stupid question but is the casino open? Is Duty Free Open?

My Fiance and I were also on this cruise - our first cruise - and could not have been more pleased! Yes, the ship was full but we didn't find it to be too bad except for those "Black Friday" sales!! We ate at the Buffet, Taste, Savor, Teppanyaki, and O'Sheehans. Rock of Ages was great but I also don't understand why people bring small children to this show - it's not as if there aren't warnings in the Freestyle, on TV and before the show starts!! Cirque was AMAZING, the food was "eh" in our opinion. It is hard to eat and watch the show at the same time. GSC was beautiful - if you walk past the first beach and keep going, you pass several little beaches and other places where food was served. We spent the day in a quiet lagoon at the end of the island, short walk to food and drinks and it was peaceful! I'm a non smoker and the casino wasn't bad unless you were seated next to someone smoking. Didn't encounter screaming kids except by the pool and that's to be expected while playing in the water. We did encounter some very rude guests, one who crushed my toes (enough to draw blood on one) in the elevator and then thought it would be smart to make jokes about it instead of apologizing, some who just wouldn't move into the elevator to make room for those coming in or off...we just chose not to let some people's "me, me, me" attitude ruin our trip. Our neighbors and all the staff were great. Did notice that there was always a long line at Guest Services. We look forward to planning our next cruise! :D