graphicguy

You’ll find threads like this in every cruise line’s topic here. I do think that there are some who believe they should be treated like they are the only passenger on board. In fact, there are thousands on board. Then, there are those who can not fathom there are many who really enjoy cruising and, regardless of the nits that can be picked, find it a great way to vacation! To call cruise ship’s food “totally poor”, tells me all I need to know about the OP.

@idocdlw...haven't taken as many NCL cruises as you. But... -Have sailed in a Solo Cabin -Have sailed in the Haven as a Solo -Have sailed in Balconies, Club Balconies, Insides, and Haven as a couple -Have sailed with FAS -Have sailed w/o FAS (FAS is much better and much cheaper) -Have sailed and received a final bill of -65¢ -Have sailed and received a final bill of ~$1,800 -Have sailed on a 7 day cruise for a total out of pocket (incl fare, taxes, DSC tips) of $780 -Have sailed on an NCL ship that no longer exists (SS Norway) -Have sailed on an NCL ship that listed from a sudden gust of wind it threw me out of bed (Escape) -Saw Blue Man Group, Rock of Ages, Illusionarium, SIX, Jersey Boys, Choir of Man, Million Dollar Quartet, Price is Right, Deal or No Deal, Prom Night, Rumours, Beatles at the Cavern Club and more that I'm sure I am forgetting. -Went from a steam room to a snow room to a salt room in the Spa -Received a nice massage (albeit way over priced) -Received a couples massage with the GF on Tabiana Beach for 20% the cost of the one on the cruise ship -Drank "smoky drinks" in the Haven -Danced until I sweat off 5 lbs (literally) at the Glow Party -Went down the "toilet bowl" slide (Epic) -Spent an entire day on the Waterfront reading and finishing a book while being served cocktails, breaking only for meals and bathroom breaks -Saw Whales and a glacier from the Observation Lounge on the Bliss while drinking a hot toddy. -Stood on the bow of the ship while doing a 180º turn around in Glacier Bay while being served Irish Coffee -Ate food that I would NEVER have tried at home -Visited Caribbean, Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Malta, Majorca, Sicily, Nova Scotia, Bar Harbor, Miami, Orlando, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Key West, New York City, Boston, and probably a bunch more I don't recall.......all the while eating and drinking my fill. Shaking my head at those who don't appreciate their great fortune to be able to do the same.

God Bless you. What a great idea for a thread, and so welcomed. Thank you!

Yeah...unless you have unlimited internet, it's impossible to post pics. I find the free access to CC to be limited, at best. It's also tough to do from your phone. Personally, I use either an iPad or a MacBook to post to my live threads. Much easier to catch my mistakes (although I have quite a bit of operator error).

I truly am sorry to hear of your disappointment. I’ve seen some of your other posts. Sometimes a cruise line and a guest just don’t synch. This may be one of those times.

I have ALWAYS found the restaurant manager to be accommodating. They regularly brought my GF sugar free ice creams and mousses. The onboard Concierge would have handled this for you if the restaurant manager didn’t.

Generally speaking, I have found if you give the Haven Restaurant 24 hour heads up on what you want, if they can do it, they will do it. Further, let the precruise Concierge any special needs so they can give the ship’s staff a bit to accommodate where they can. While I do understand someone who would prefer an MDR menu, the Haven would transport that from the MDR. Just dine in the MDR if that’s the menu you want!

Weather can make or break a cruise. Glad you made lemonade out of lemons. That's the right attitude to have. I don't know if this is a recent phenomena or maybe I'm just more cognizant. But, it astounds me the number of cruisers who are totally unaware that the cruise has thousands of guests on board, not just them. I don't know if the narcissism is increasing. I notice it more, though. The WATERFRONT is a great place to hang out, have a few cocktails and play games. What I would not try to do is to take a "nap" there. The "Away" ships all have a soft spot in my heart as they were the first I cruised after the SS Norway (a week before it blew up), which was the very first NCL ship I ever sailed. The "Away" ships were so different (in a good way) and was so different from the Carnival ships I had also sailed.

We're all glad that's cleared up. Martha Stewart was losing sleep over this.

I think that's why it's been a couple of years since I bothered with Royal cruises. They just couldn't seem to get their act together regarding MDRs, Windjammer and Specialty Dining venues. It also seemed like their crew, while not unpleasant, just didn't care. Add in their crazy fares these days, and it's tough for me to book another Royal cruise.

Once again, another thread that has "jumped the shark". No idea what most posts are talking about in here.

Can't argue any of what you state and agree wholeheartedly.

Agree! I just can't find a fare on Royal that makes sense. Lord knows I've tried. Add in the drink package and I have "Oh My" moments when figuring out how much the entire cruise will cost.

Hey....you're welome here. I still don't know what you're saying, politically correct or not. Best of luck to you, though!

Chops was better than Cagney’s. That said, Park Cafe was my “go to” in Royal for both breakfast and lunch vs the Windjammer buffet!

I’m with @bkrickles1. This is some sort of language code that is foreign to me. I have no idea what any of this means! 🤷‍♂️

You can bring any mug with you that you'd like, as long as it's empty upon embarkation. After that, oil it with water, coffee, etc from the buffet spigots.

If you love cruising (I Do) then changes happen. Not only with NCL, but the rest of the cruise industry as well. The industry is so silo'd and segmented, you're bound to find a cruise product that suits you. Recently, some have bemoaned they can't get multiple lobsters with their Haven dinners. It's not that they can't get lobster, it's that they can't get multiples of lobsters at each dinner. Think about that. The complaint is they can't get multiple lobsters. Seriously? Some bemoan the changes in entertainment. I get it. I like the big broadway type shows (for the most part). Some of them were "meh" (e.g. SIX or Kinky Boots), but there are those who liked them. I'm not a fan of the game shows. But, they are enthusiastically and well attended, so I'm in the minority again. Point of all this, changes are made, on all cruise lines. Some, as a result of the monetary hit they took during COVID. Some, is just operational. There are some areas where I find NCL is better than before. I really LOVE their new INDULGE food court on their new ships. The food is more varied and WAY better than what used to be available on ANY buffet on ANY cruise line. That's just one example. Fact is, you'd be hard pressed to find a better vacation value than a cruise...including NCL, as they are sailing with full ships across the board. NCL has ticked me off in the past. I've been vocal about those times. So, I'm not a cheer leader. But, if NCL doesn't work for you, there is Royal, Celebrity, Virgin, Carnival, Princess, etc. It's easy to find something that suits you if it's not NCL. NCL is still my "go to", however! I still like them more than the other cruise lines I've experienced.

I've dined at Coastal Kitchen, Chops, Jamie's and Giovanni's. Out of all of them, Chops was the one I liked the most. The rest? Not worth the uncharge. Pizza? I'm Italian so NONE of them are very good (including MSC's). NCL....I have dined at ALL of their specialty restaurants. Favorite has been Ocean Blu. But, on a 7 nite cruise, while not Diamond, I am Sapphire. That gives me 2 SDs and 2 more SDs from FAS, plus one dinner at LeBistro (my LEAST favorite SD) from AMEX for paying for the booking with my card. Haven Restaurant is consistently very good. And, given you can order from the MDR menus also, good variety. Drinks are strong and the service is good. What more can you want? Celebrity faves? Tuscan Grille (one of the MDRs so no extra charge) and Blu (included with the Sky and Aqua Cabins). Luminae is fine. Except, their dinner choices are a bit funky for my tastes. I'm sure they are "haute cuisine" type choices. Those just aren't my "thing".

Same with Royal. I'm Diamond, also. As you say, my 4 drink vouchers mitigate the drinks bill, but they are still pretty expensive. Their fares have, for the most part, been tough to swallow. I can find a Haven Fare with FAS on NCL for about what it costs for a Jr Suite on Royal, with no perks. Drink packages range from ~$55/pp/pd to over $100/pp/pd. Neither is attractive price wise. And, that's on top of their high fares with no perks. I still shop Royal but haven't found much that even tempts me in the last couple of years. Everything else? The constant whining. It isn't exclusive to NCL. IT seems ALL cruise liens have their fair share of whiners. But, it just wears on me. People complain about not getting this or that food item. Seriously? It's a cruise ship. You can't find ANYTHING you want at ANY of the restaurants on board? It's not like there aren't enough restaurants or bars on cruise ships.

Overall, changes don’t bother me. To me there is so much food available, even late at night (Local, O’Sheehans), I can always find food. Entertainment is different. Some I like better (Cavern Club, Rumours, Prom). Some I don’t care for (game shows). But, all of it seems popular. I LOVE the new ship(s)…sailed Prima…beautiful ship. I still think NCL with FAS is one of the best values in cruising!

May not put you over the edge, but I’m glad you’re here!!!!🙂

I believe if the shutdown lasted another year (maybe less) the entire cruise industry would look much different (and worse) than it does today. Like cruise management (on all cruise lines) or hate them, they did indeed weather the storm. And, they've come out the other side without being buried alive. I sold my shares a few months ago at $18/share. Got a lot of OBC from it, too. Bought in at $11. Should I have held on a little longer? Knowing what I do now, YES. But, I'm happy with what my ROI.

I would imagine they would discourage/disallow that, too.

Can't really get to Quebec City (flights from my city are slim to none), but can get to Montreal. I would need transport from Montreal (YUL) to my hotel in Quebec City (Hotel Port Royal). I know it's a 3 hour trip. Any suggestions?