jkbec101

In your opinion, when you say service in a US restaurant, are we talking high end restaurant like a Morton's or service like at Denny's? Not that I've had really bad service at Denny's, but the level of service at Morton's is elevated.

Those things I know, I was hoping for insight beyond that.

I've bene on the Escape and the Epic. I know that the Pride of America is older and smaller and with less dining options. Is the NCL experience different, if so, how?

I did, but it was moved by the moderators.

For those who've used NCL to book your hotel in Venice, can you please tell me which hotel they used. We're not going to use NCL, but I am trying to get an idea about quality, location, etc. We're book on the Breakaway out of Trieste, but plan on staying in Venice for two nights pre-cruise.

There are. Deck 13 forward. I have a copy of her e docs and the cabin is listed as a suite.

My wife and MIL are boarding the Prima in Barcelona tomorrow (10/13/23) and yes, I'm stuck working in SoCal. We got to talking because we couldn't find anything (and yes I used the search feature). Do non-Haven suite guests get anything close to what Haven guests get in relation to embarkation? So, for example, when we were in the Haven on the Epic last year, we arrived at like 9:45 and were on the ship by 10:00. TIA

We've used the BOGO air twice, once internationally and once domestically. Our international trip was in September of last year and we went LAX to Barcelona roundtrip with a two day deviation at the start. One the outbound we were on WestJet through Toronto, which made me extremely nervous given all of the troubles Toronto experienced last summer, so I check the WestJet flights daily for two weeks prior. Except for a minor inconvenience of being lead out of the sterile area and having to go through security a second time in Toronto, there were no issues and we arrived in Barcelona early enough that we had time to explore the City. The return on Air Canada was less than stellar through Montreal. Tried to sleep Barcelona to Montreal and my mask kept falling down, so the flight attendant kept waking me up (we were the last few flights that still required masks in Canada). When we landed in Montreal, the system for US Customs broke down and we waited in line for over an hour to get through customs (yes, there is US customs in Canada), but we ended up getting through with plenty of time, others were not so lucky. ***Due to airport issues in Toronto, we only did carry ons for our Med cruise. Domestically, this past June we flew LAX-MIA outbound and FLL-LAX on the return. We flew AA non-stop and JetBlue on the return (also non-stop). We had zero issues. MIL and kids all flew Southwest with a stop in Houston (outbound) and AA MIA-LAX (return), aside from the late departure from FL (9:30 PM), no problems. Checked bags both ways and yes we paid for AA and JetBlue, Southwest are free. We were able to pick seats on all flights (paid fee to upgrade to better seats within Economy). Now despite our success, my wife and her mother are doing a 9 or 10 day cruise on the Prima Barcelona ending in Rome and my wife just felt like our luck might run out, so they booked the air themselves and passed on the BOGO air.

Helping out my wife with a pre-cruise hotel. She's traveling with her mother. Do the hotels you all are recommending have elevators? I haven't been able to tell and most do not list it as an amenity. This may seem like a stupid question, but some of the best hotels we've ever stayed at in Europe do not have an elevator.

On the Escape in June, the American Diner was open most days for continental breakfast. It was only open three other times as the pay restaurant, embarkation, and the two sea days, otherwise it was closed. We ate there once on a sea day and it was nothing to write home about. People have raved about the milkshakes, but they were thin and nothing special.

Looking at booking either the Encore or Bliss for Alaska in the Haven. What is your preference? Forward facing balcony Rear facing balcony Why is this your preference? I realize that the rear facing balcony cabins are outside of the Haven proper (that's a non-issue for us).

It really depends on where you're sailing. The beer menu looks drastically different based on the Ship's location. For example, while in Europe, the Epic is likely to have German and Italian beers, yet while in the Caribbean, it will drop those beers for a more American flavor. Just got off the Escape (which also has a District Brew House) and the selection was just ok, I tend to like malty beers and I hate IPAs. That all being said, the selection on the Epic last September in the Mediterranean was just ok and I drank a Warsteiner all week. If you're expecting something like a Stone IPA or similar, you'd be better off on the Joy.

NCL Air One day deviation on arrival. Got nonstop with AA from LAX to MIA arrived at 4:30pm. Booked our own hotel. No issues. Return flight was on JetBlue FLL to LAX nonstop departed at 9:30 pm. Rented a car for the day and saw the sights and did an everglade tour. Cabin 12806 Balcony The room was fine, albeit smaller than the 2br family villa we had on the Epic in September. Cabin attendant was great, asked for extra towels and we had two sets each day. Room was typically cleaned and made up each day by 10:30am. The Ship Overall The ship was fine, aside from an internet package issue, we never had a problem getting where we needed to be. The Ship was clean, for the most part the crew were friendly, we did have some that didn't seem to want to be there, but people have bad days sometimes. It was crowded, we were told that there were a total of 5,200 guests on board and at times it felt that way. Specialty Dining Ocean Blue - The appetizer (crab cake) and salad (wedge) were good. The fish and chips had an off taste and was not good. Everyone else in our party enjoyed their food. Service was also good, not great, but good. Cagney's - My steak was good, my wife ordered the Ribeye and said that the flavor was good, but it was more gristle than meat. Everyone else enjoyed their dinner. Service was as expected. We were not rushed, but it wasn't slow either. La Cucina - My favorite of the entire cruise. I had the carbonara as an entrée as did my daughter. The rest enjoyed their food. Teppanyaki - Always good, and while I enjoy the teppan show, the two chefs at the table behind us were just way too loud. We had to shout to be heard. Complimentary Dining Buffett - This was way better than any other ship I've been on in the past. NCL really upped their game here. O' Sheehan's - This was good at times and just ok at others and really depended on when and where you ordered from. Food was better if you ate at off times and seemed to be better if you ate in the actual restaurant portion rather than the bar area across the walkway. Weird since it all came from the same kitchen. Savor/Taste - We ate at both for breakfast and once for dinner. Service at breakfast was ok, dinner not so much. The food was also hit and miss. At breakfast, once you ordered, it was difficult to get more food, or refills on drinks. The one dinner we had, was ok, but for my daughter, the way under cooked the pasta on her dish. We had some issues during our dinner/breakfast service. It was the same issue that repeated itself multiple times. One or more in our party would customize a dish (my son ordered a plain hamburger from O' Sheehan's (no cheese) and they brought him a burger with cheese) and the customization would be ignored. It wasn't a big deal, but an annoyance that better listening would have avoided. Entertainment Pour House - Free show, no reservations, and a line an hour before show time, was our favorite show(s) of the entire cruise. The Choir of Man - Great show, reserve in advance. Get there early and get a beer. Howell at the Moon - Not very good. Bars District Brew House - My favorite. I like beer. Sugercane's was terrible. All other bars including the pool bars were fine, hardly a wait and drinks were fine. Misc. We did have a major issue (for us). We upgraded to the Free at Sea Plus, and while we got everything it allegedly offered, they left off the unlimited internet for me, so my wife and I had to share the wifi after they claimed it wasn't a part of the package. Guest Services wasn't going to help and we left it, but it cost us a pretty penny. We decided we would not get the Free at Sea Plus again, even if we didn't have the internet issue, we did not find the value in it. Port days Our first port of call was Roatan and there was simply no organization when it came to disembarking that day, the same with Costa Maya. It was a cattle call with everyone trying to get off the ship at the same time. When we were on the Epic, guests with NCL excursions met in the theater and they then called individual excursions one or maybe two at a time, this allowed for easy disembarkation and one could easily walk off the ship and those who did not have an NCL excursion could walk off without having to fight the crowds. We just wish that the crew of the Escape did the same. We were delayed getting into Costa Maya due to winds, but we made it and they extended our time by a 1/2 hour to make up for it. In case anyone cares, we did the following excursions: Roatan - Wife and I Jolly Roger snorkel with lunch. Fun trip. Kids did ATV with animal sanctuary a beach, they could have done without the beach portion. Harvest Caye - No excursion for the adults, the kids did the pedal board and ziplining and had fun. Costa Maya - We all did the Mayan ruin tour (Chaccobean, sp?) and it was long, hot (no ones fault), but would not do it again. Cozumel - Salsa and Salsa, this was a fun event, made margaritas and salsa, personally, I could do without the salsa dancing. We did this as a family. Overall, it was really hot and muggy, we expected humidity, but even the locals were telling us it was unusually hot. Did not bring enough t-shirts. If we do another Caribbean cruise, it will likely be the southern or eastern Caribbean. Would I do NCL again, yeah, but only in the Haven.

For the record, this would be for my teenage boys.

Has anyone had the pizza from La Cucina on the Escape or any other ship for that matter? Was it good, would you order again?

In the last month or so, how has embarkation been? We board on the 11th and trying to mentally prepare my kids.

Why? These expectations are what I experienced pre-covid on Carnival and RCI and on the Epic this last September. I only based my expectations on prior experiences. Do I always get what I expect, of course not, do I pitch a fit if my expectations aren't met, nope. Things only change for the better when we hold our vendors (yes NCL is a vendor) to a higher standard. Accept mediocrity and you get mediocrity.

As a paying customer, I try and be understanding of the reality of the world we live, but I still have certain expectations to be met, especially when I'm paying my hard earned vacation dollars. Here are a few of my expectations of NCL (Pre-Cruise and while onboard). What are yours: When I call into NCL Customer Service, I expect the person on the other end of the line will be knowledgeable and have correct information. If I'm given bad information by NCL, then NCL should make it right. Price match up to 30 days prior to sailing and issue a refund instead of a credit. Also, if the price drops, just honor the new price, don't make me lose any of the benefits of my existing reservation. If I use NCL air and there is a problem, I expect, NCL to have people on duty 24/7 to handle air emergencies. This is especially true during peak travel periods. If they're not going to do that, then transfer ownership of the reservation to the customer, so that the customer can make any changes needed. On Embarkation day, I expect that the terminal will be fully staffed, so that everyone can get checked in and onboard as quickly as possible, this means that if the Haven or other dedicated stations are empty, they should help the regular passengers so as to move the line along. Have snacks and water for passengers if there is a delay in boarding. My cabin should be ready and my bag in my cabin at a decent time, room ready by 1:30 and bags by 2:00pm. When I walk up to the bar for a drink, I expect prompt service, acknowledge me if you're busy, I'm more patient if the bartender makes eye contact, or simply says give me a minute. The food in specialty restaurants should be top notch. The same with service. The server should be asking if we have plans after dinner that would effect speed of service. If we have a show to get to, that should be kept in mind. On the flip side, if we have no where to go, don't rush us out the door. Cabins should be made up as early as possible each day, if I'm still in my cabin, take note and come back, but don't come back at 4:00. On sea days, breakfast should be served until 11:00am or better yet, serve brunch in the main dinning rooms until 2:00 pm. I shouldn't have to get up early on a sea day just to eat breakfast. Excursions should run timely, but with enough flexibility to allow for extra time at places of interest. The shopping opportunity should always be at the end of the excursion, so that people can skip it or it can be cut short. I do not need an hour and half at the Curio factory on my way to Pompeii. Debarkation should be as quick or as slow as I the passenger want it to be. I have an early, flight, let me off earlier upon a showing of proof. When something happens that requires the ship to alter course, results in a cancellation of a show or whatever, there should be clear communication from the ship staff. Can't tender in X port due to Y, then say so and say so as quickly as possible. Choir of Man is cancelled, say why, have an alternative in place. Delayed debarkation due to Customs and Boarder Patrol, say so. Can't start boarding because the Coast Guard is running an inspection, let everyone know in advance so that you don't have a terminal full of angry passengers.

Here are my comments about each point raised. In a hotel, the room is only made up once, so as long as the room is made up while I'm out, then I'm ok with it. However, the reports I'm reading here and other places, is that the cabins are not being made up until late in the day. What has also been reported is that if the cabin is still occupied, then it gets bumped to the bottom and may not be made up until late and that the cabin stewards have until 5:00 pm to finish. This is simply poor show (Disney expression for Customer Service). Cabins should, as a rule of thumb be made up by 1:00 pm at the latest. There will be exceptions, but they should be exceptions. On our last cruise we had the regular drink package and we weren't limited in any fashion. This time around we opted for the Premium Plus Drink package, so we'll see. This is just business and coupled with a labor shortage, it makes sense. What doesn't make sense is the rumor that NCL transferred their best crew from across the fleet to staff the Prima and will do it again for the Viva. Now, I get putting your best people on the latest shiny toy, but it should not be done to the detriment of the rest of the fleet. Increasing gratuities while a nice gesture, I believe adds fuel to the fire of heightened expectations regarding service. I'm now paying you X, you better give me Y level of service, when Y is not either available or practicable (see # 1 & 3) Not sure what you mean by changing the rules on the Premium Plus Beverage Package, please explain. I'm not a big show guy while on board, but I realize I am probably in the minority. People tend to form attachments to certain shows and then get upset when it leaves, if NCL is going to keep with the Broadway shows, then they should be switched up on a regular basis (every couple of years). Increase in fares is a simple supply and demand problem. Too many people, not enough space. When it comes to my cruising vacation, I am really a simple person. I just want the following: An easy to understand website, with clear simple cost breakdown, if my second person cruises for free show that, don't do funny math and don't make me do math to try and figure out if I'm getting a good deal. If you offer flight deals, then you need to have a department that will offer assistance when/if there is a problem. If my flight cancels or if there is a delay causing me to miss my connection, there should be someone at NCL to help me and it should be staffed 24/7, since NCL books flights all over the world and at all times of day. When I get to the embarkation point, get me through security and on the ship as quickly as possible. I want my cabin to be a decent size and clean, if you say the cabin sleeps four, then when there are just two of us, it should feel roomy. When I walk up to a bar, don't make me wait a half hour, if you're busy acknowledge me, don't ignore me. Make my cocktails stiff and serve me beer cold. When I go to dinner (Free dining room or specialty restaurant), my service should be consistent. Ask me if we have plans later that would require a faster pace of service. If I tell you we're not in a hurry, don't rush me. My food should be five star, regardless of the venue and if it's not or there is something wrong, just fix it. If I book an excursion through NCL, it should be priced fairly, run on time and be entertaining. I also believe that in the excursion description, it needs to be specific and if there are "shopping opportunities", it needs to say so. When I book my excursion to Pompeii, I don't need to make a stop at the Curio factory for an hour.

While I'm hoping for some recent feedback on the Escape (we sail June 11th), I'll take whatever reports I can get. When NCL dropped from twice a day cabin cleaning to once a day, it also seemed to correspond to a delay in getting into one's cabin on embarkation and getting one's bags delivered. I am wondering if this has gotten any better.

I wouldn't plan on taking the train any time soon. The tracks in Southern Orange County were closed for nearly six months due to rock and land slides and now they're closed again due to slope instability above the tracks in San Clemente. This is a situation that will take millions and millions of dollars to fix and right now there is nothing being planned to provide for a long term solution. I would recommend renting a car instead.

We're cruising on NCL Escape in June on the NCL boards there are a ton of complaints about the service once on board (slow service, running out of various items, etc.) I'm curious if other cruise lines are having the same issues.

We upgraded to the Free at Sea Plus which comes with the upgraded drink package. I'm a beer guy normally, but on a cruise (last one on the Epic), I will drink margarita, Blue Hawaiian, simple drinks. If you had the upgraded drink package, what's the one (or two drinks) you would order, that you wouldn't normally if you had the regular drink package?

I know that there is a thread similar about the Bliss. I am looking for opinions/reviews of the Escape's District Brewhouse. Also, do they have food?

Here's are scenario. We have three cabins booked for June on the Escape. There are a total of 7 of us. We are using NCL air. Six of us live in SoCal, one (my mom in her 80's) lives in KC, MO. We put my mom and daughter (21) in the same cabin for air reservation purposes (we'll fly my daughter to KC in order to fly with my Mom, but once on the cruise my daughter and my Mother in Law will switch cabins. My question is when would you make the switch, at check-in, right after boarding, some other time?