POH Cruise 11/6- Never Again!

First of all let me say that I and my husband have cruised several different cruise lines,and have been on NCL on the Dawn in January of this year and had a great cruise.We read all of the negative comments about this ship, but went in with an open mind.We brought 3 other couples with us, their first NCL cruise.We went in with the opinion that the ship would be our hotel and place to eat, and not to expect too much pampering.We were extrememly disappointed!

I never expected the below standard of service we received on this cruise!

We first had to deal with the Norovirus, which no one can control, I understand, I am a nurse. But,they did not let us know about this health hazard for 3 days! Everything was covered in plastic and we could not even have ketchup or sugar on our tables.We finally received a notice on our beds after 3 days telling us what was going on and htere was a virus on the ship, wash your hands,etc.If there was something threatening our health on that ship, we should have been made aware from the beginning, and not left in the dark.It was pretty obvious. my sister in law had to go to sick bay and there were 4 people throwing up in there and they told her it would be better if she waited outside in the hall for her turn.

THe lines were so long that your food was cold by the time you got to eat it.

And no staff was cleaning the tables,they were all dirty,so we were all cleaning off the dirty tables ourselves!Touching other people's germs anyway!

They ran out of plates and silverware on a daily basis which was very frustrating.

The Grand Pacific Dining Room was a mess! We ate there on lobster nite and formal nite and our waiter asked for our dessert orders at the same time as our dinner orders because"it would be easier for him". We were never asked if we wanted coffee in the main dining room with our desserts and some desserts never came at all.( He was not American)

The waiter started pushing the lobster onto my plate of steak without even asking. I did not want the buttery lobster on my steak.It was rathewr rude!

We cancelled reservations in this area as the food choices were terrible, on Formal nite 3 people ended up with cheeseburgers!No one even filled our water glasses.

We tried to get to eat breakfast in the dining room, forget it! There were waiting lines each morning, they only had the Alizar open.They closed the doors around 915am.

The menus have definitely changed! and not for the better!

We ate at cagney's and it was wonderful and we ate at Poppa's twice and the service was excellent and the food also excelent!( american waitstaff)

We made reservations as soon as we boarded, you better do this , as there were long lines, and angry people waiting for the "Freestyle" dining options.Beepers were handed out, and many people waited 1 hour or more.Some were frustrated and left to the buffet.

If you try to change your reservations forget about it,everything is booked up, except the mexican rest.We ate at the Buffet rather than go back to the main dining room. some nites it wAS ALMOST EMPTY.

We went to the Magnum Bar and the service was quite slow there also, we went to the bar and ordered our drinks. The waitress brought thema nd told us she was sorry, but 2 bartenders left the ship that day and never returned, and she was leaving after this cruise also.( she was American)

Many bartenders would walk past you on the ship and never ask if you would like a drink, they seemed disinterested.

Our room staff on the other hand were wonderful! Michado was great, didn't miss a beat!(Not American) Great service!

The point I am trying to amke is that everyone has been saying that the problem is the american crew, and I don't believe it from what I witnessed on this cruise. The american crew worked very hard. It seems to be poor management, especially in the dining areas.

The Housekeeping staff was great and they were not american,the rooom was

always made up and towels there when we needed them!

We loved Hawaii and the ship is beautiful!But the substandard service and food on this ship is not and should not be tolerated. we pay good money for these cruises and this is not acceptable.We did go to the desk and complain, but they did not seem to want to hear about it.We removed our tips from the bill, and tipped those we deemed appropriate,very well, I may add.

The group I went with will never cruise NCL again unfortunately.

First of all let me say that I and my husband have cruised several different cruise lines,and have been on NCL on the Dawn in January of this year and had a great cruise.on this cruise!

We first had to deal with the Norovirus, which no one can control, I understand, I am a nurse. But,they did not let us know about this health hazard for 3 days! Everything was covered in plastic and we could not even have ketchup or sugar on our tables.

THe lines were so long that your food was cold by the time you got to eat it.

And no staff was cleaning the tables,they were all dirty,so we were all cleaning off the dirty tables ourselves!Touching other people's germs anyway!

They ran out of plates and silverware on a daily basis which was very frustrating.

? you are a nurse...not a red flag when things were covered in plastic? no clean tables?..fast exit for me!

"It was pretty obvious, etc.," your statement!..fast exit for me!

Long lines and you did not opt for a restaurant?:confused:

So, did the tips you removed from your bill outweigh the tips you added to your bill? Just curious;)

I think that everyone needs to realize that NCL and NCLA are two different cruiselines, just like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean are two different cruiselines. They may be owned by the same parent company but are totally different.

Oppgaard points out something that can't be stressed enough. As for the virus, our DD just got off the Century about a week ago: they had the same thing, and guess what, no one told them why there was no sugar, salt and pepper, cream, etc on the tables. As a veteran traveler she and her hubby knew right away. They did ask and yes, the wait staff varified the situration, but never did anyone actually announce it. This was a couple of days before the end of the cruise. NMnita

Maybe she reads and learns and only posts when she has something to say... maybe she has a life... why would you say something like that to someone who has provided us with some informative intell on what, by all appearances, seems to be a problematic cruiseline... I did the POA last year and said, NCL, never again... I even suggested it was the Grayhound Bus of the seven seas, or at least one of them. So, after saying, never again, here I go again later this month on the POH, or by all accounts, what appears to the be the good ship stoop and puke. Man, I sure hope they solve their little problem by the end of November but if not, I won't be disasppointed... from my cheap seat NCL can only go up... I look at my upcoming POH cruise as a bed, shower, and at least a warm cup of coffee... the splender begins when you step off the boat...

I would love to see a class act like Disney float into that market...

Sorry for the rant... I grow nervous of all this virus discussion... since I pretty much have zero expectations regarding the overall quality of service on the boat (and yes Ethyl, there are a number of NCL staff members that bust their tails to insure you have a good time on their boat.. it only takes a few to tarnish the image of the entire crew) I was not expecting too much... man, I hope they cure their little virus problem before we get there...

Maybe she reads and learns and only posts when she has something to say... maybe she has a life... why would you say something like that to someone who has provided us with some informative intell on what, by all appearances, seems to be a problematic cruiseline... I did the POA last year and said, NCL, never again... I even suggested it was the Grayhound Bus of the seven seas, or at least one of them. So, after saying, never again, here I go again later this month on the POH, or by all accounts, what appears to the be the good ship stoop and puke. Man, I sure hope they solve their little problem by the end of November but if not, I won't be disasppointed... from my cheap seat NCL can only go up... I look at my upcoming POH cruise as a bed, shower, and at least a warm cup of coffee... the splender begins when you step off the boat...

 

I would love to see a class act like Disney float into that market...

 

Sorry for the rant... I grow nervous of all this virus discussion... since I pretty much have zero expectations regarding the overall quality of service on the boat (and yes Ethyl, there are a number of NCL staff members that bust their tails to insure you have a good time on their boat.. it only takes a few to tarnish the image of the entire crew) I was not expecting too much... man, I hope they cure their little virus problem before we get there...

Thanks Maddmax you saud exactly what I feel, these boards are CRUISE CRITIC after all, whay is it when someone says a negative someone always has to pick that person apart? We are here to find out information good and bad it need to be said, sorry all, but I want to hear what EVRY perswon says, leaving for the Spirit in like 20 mins, have a hppy turkey day I now I will, Cathi

Of course I realized there was a virus right away. My point was that since it was so obvious,they should have told people and maybe would have had more compliance with hand washing if people eally knew what was going on.Many people gave the staff a hard time about disinfecting their hands.

It is easy to critique someone if you are not there, but we did try to eat elsewhere every morning other than the buffet, but you could not get in. The only thing open is the Alizar and that is open 1 1/2 hours for breakfast and it is quite small for 3,000 people.

I did a lot of homework for this cruise, I read all that i could read.I am not a big writer though,hence, not a lot of posting from me, and I bought and read all the revealed books.I thought and still do that this is the best way to see the islands, if there is halfway decent food and service on the ship.I did not go in with really high expectations,and was a cheerleader for this ship and cruise, that is why I am SO disappointed.

The ship is understaffed and if staff is leaving and not coming back in the middle of the cruise their MUST be a bigger problem.

As for the tips, they were equal,just divided differently. We were not out to save money in any way.We just wanted to tip those who really were working hard for us and giving us good service.

As with anything, everyone has an opinion and is entitled to that opinion,and I am just giving my experience and observations in my disappointments.

The show productions were really good, the comedian was great.As I said, the ship itself is beautiful.Embarkation was easy as was debarkation,but the inbetween was enough to turn me of to Norwegian.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

We were on the POH cruise beginning November 6, and we did not ever get a paper telling us there was a virus on the ship. On the day before our cruise ended, we got a sheet of paper inside the daily newsletter that gave instructions on proper handwashing (with pictures). However, there had been plastic cling wrap all over the buffet areas from the moment we boarded the ship on day one.

I respect tbedard1's review. I think it is one that can safely be regarded as correct and a good one.

The main litmus test that we put negative reviews through are passed by tbedard:

1.) She posted before her cruise

2.) She has sailed on an NCL ship in the past and so knows what Freestyle is all about.

3.) She gave facts to back up her claims.

4.) She did not comment on the food taste but objective things like wait times, food temp, etc.

5.) She pointed out positives.

While I agree that some negative reviews may have a hidden agenda or are just whining. This one should be regarded as a real view of the POH.

It is a shame that this took place and it appears that NCLA is still having the same old problems.

Tbedard1: I hope you will tell your friends about the Dawn and the great cruise you had on her. Perhaps you can convince them to give the Dawn, Star, Jewel or Pearl a chance to show them the best NCL has to offer before they write off the whole cruise line.

Maybe she reads and learns and only posts when she has something to say... maybe she has a life... why would you say something like that to someone who has provided us with some informative intell on what, by all appearances, seems to be a problematic cruiseline... I did the POA last year and said, NCL, never again... I even suggested it was the Grayhound Bus of the seven seas, or at least one of them. So, after saying, never again, here I go again later this month on the POH, or by all accounts, what appears to the be the good ship stoop and puke. Man, I sure hope they solve their little problem by the end of November but if not, I won't be disasppointed... from my cheap seat NCL can only go up... I look at my upcoming POH cruise as a bed, shower, and at least a warm cup of coffee... the splender begins when you step off the boat...

 

I would love to see a class act like Disney float into that market...

 

Sorry for the rant... I grow nervous of all this virus discussion... since I pretty much have zero expectations regarding the overall quality of service on the boat (and yes Ethyl, there are a number of NCL staff members that bust their tails to insure you have a good time on their boat.. it only takes a few to tarnish the image of the entire crew) I was not expecting too much... man, I hope they cure their little virus problem before we get there...

If you really feel that way why are you going again?:rolleyes: I was on the Oct. 30 - Nov. 6 cruise and the service and the food were excellent! I wrote comments already all over this board as well as the review section. I really find it hard to believe the service and food went down hill in just a week.

If you really feel that way why are you going again?:rolleyes: I was on the Oct. 30 - Nov. 6 cruise and the service and the food were excellent! I wrote comments already all over this board as well as the review section. I really find it hard to believe the service and food went down hill in just a week.

When Norovirus is on a ship, it can change a lot of things including the service. With the extra work the crew must do plus being short because some of them are sick too, I have no doubt the people reporting on THAT cruise are painting an accurate portrait of the cruise as they saw it.

I've taken the NCL PofAm and loved every minute.

Having said that, we all need to recognize that NCL is the ONLY cruise line exclusively operating in Hawaii because our crooked politicians years ago caved to the Maritime Labor Unions and banned non-American crews from operating in American waters.

I guarantee you service would improve dramatically and costs would drop like a rock if Carnival, R.C. and others could post ships in Hawaii, but they won't because our wonderful labor unions don't want competition.

Of course I realized there was a virus right away. My point was that since it was so obvious,they should have told people and maybe would have had more compliance with hand washing if people eally knew what was going on.Many people gave the staff a hard time about disinfecting their hands.

It is easy to critique someone if you are not there, but we did try to eat elsewhere every morning other than the buffet, but you could not get in. The only thing open is the Alizar and that is open 1 1/2 hours for breakfast and it is quite small for 3,000 people.

I did a lot of homework for this cruise, I read all that i could read.I am not a big writer though,hence, not a lot of posting from me, and I bought and read all the revealed books.I thought and still do that this is the best way to see the islands, if there is halfway decent food and service on the ship.I did not go in with really high expectations,and was a cheerleader for this ship and cruise, that is why I am SO disappointed.

The ship is understaffed and if staff is leaving and not coming back in the middle of the cruise their MUST be a bigger problem.

As for the tips, they were equal,just divided differently. We were not out to save money in any way.We just wanted to tip those who really were working hard for us and giving us good service.

As with anything, everyone has an opinion and is entitled to that opinion,and I am just giving my experience and observations in my disappointments.

The show productions were really good, the comedian was great.As I said, the ship itself is beautiful.Embarkation was easy as was debarkation,but the inbetween was enough to turn me of to Norwegian.

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask.

It is a shame that this took place and it appears that NCLA is still having the same old problems.

if 1 in a 1000 hates it they will share, less of the people who loved it will.

I've taken the NCL PofAm and loved every minute.

Having said that, we all need to recognize that NCL is the ONLY cruise line exclusively operating in Hawaii because our crooked politicians years ago caved to the Maritime Labor Unions and banned non-American crews from operating in American waters.

I guarantee you service would improve dramatically and costs would drop like a rock if Carnival, R.C. and others could post ships in Hawaii, but they won't because our wonderful labor unions don't want competition.

The Passenger Services Act has existed since 1886. Grover Cleveland was the President who placed his signature on the legislation. I don't even think a maritime union existed at that time.

We too were on this cruise. Here is a copy of my review.

This was our 29th cruise, 4th on NCL, 1st on NCLA. I can truly say this was the worst staffed ship we have cruised. You will hear the word SORRY many times from the staff. They say SORRY but do nothing to correct the problems. Our room once told ready 3 hours after boarding was a mess. The sheets had blood stains, pillow cases were not fresh, carpet was not vacuumed and dirty clothes under the bed from the previous guest. Bedding was changed immediately but the carpet took 3 days to be vacuumed. We asked the room steward in writing many times to leave 4 towels, didn't happen. We would leave our room at 8AM and return at 3PM only to find it had not been refreshed by the steward, not a good thing. Freestyle dining? Hows this, you go to the main dinning room only to be given a pager that will have you waiting 45 minutes. We did make reservations at several specialty restaurants. Jasmine/Teppanyaki was out first stop, good all around food and service. Next stop Grand Pacific, never again, poor service & long wait to be seated. Next off to Cagney's only to find a surcharge above the surcharge for some items. Food was over cooked and once again heard the word SORRY with no offer to correct or replace. Next stop Paniolo Tapas & Salsa, the food in this place makes Taco Bell seem gourmet, once again told SORRY with no other offer. Next stop Le Bistro, finally a place with good food and service to match. To bad it was our last night. But once again they have a surcharge above the surcharge for some items. Yes all this was brought to the attention of the staff at the purser desk only to be told SORRY with no correction. I could go on and on but why, you get the picture. If you go on this cruise you will enjoy the islands, that's why we went. Had a great time on the islands its just to bad our floating hotel was such a disappointment. Will we cruise again, OH YEAH, on NCL or NCLA - NEVER...

To tbedard1 and others that were on the Nov. 6th cuise. I encourage you to go to Cruise Critics home page and scroll down to where you see FIND A SHIP, click on Pride Of Hawaii and post a review. Your coments here are soon lost, but in a review it will be easier for others to find...Good luck.

Next off to Cagney's only to find a surcharge above the surcharge for some items. ... Next stop Le Bistro, finally a place with good food and service to match. To bad it was our last night. But once again they have a surcharge above the surcharge for some items.

This should not have come as a surprise. It's clearly indicated that a few items on the Cagney's/Le Bistro menus carry an extra charge beyond the initial surcharge.

And when Congress passed the exception to the Passenger Services Act to allow NCL to cruise within Hawaii, the unions insisted it be worked by an American crew. Thus, we have no competition in the Hawaiian Cruise market, with higher prices and lower service for all.

Thank you American Labor Unions.

This should not have come as a surprise. It's clearly indicated that a few items on the Cagney's/Le Bistro menus carry an extra charge beyond the initial surcharge.

True its on the menu but when you make reservations you don't have a menu in front of you...So YES it was a surprise.

True its on the menu but when you make reservations you don't have a menu in front of you...So YES it was a surprise.

On the Dawn, Star and Spirit (all ships that I have been on with both a Cagney's and Le Bistro), the menus are posted at the entrances to the restaurants. I assume that the same is true on the POH. If this isn't the case, then I stand corrected. You should have checked them out before making your reservations - first, to make sure that there was something on the menu that appealed to you; second, to find out what the applicable charges were.

We too were on this cruise. Here is a copy of my review.

This was our 29th cruise, 4th on NCL, 1st on NCLA. I can truly say this was the worst staffed ship we have cruised. You will hear the word SORRY many times from the staff. They say SORRY but do nothing to correct the problems. Our room once told ready 3 hours after boarding was a mess. The sheets had blood stains, pillow cases were not fresh, carpet was not vacuumed and dirty clothes under the bed from the previous guest. Bedding was changed immediately but the carpet took 3 days to be vacuumed. We asked the room steward in writing many times to leave 4 towels, didn't happen. We would leave our room at 8AM and return at 3PM only to find it had not been refreshed by the steward, not a good thing. Freestyle dining? Hows this, you go to the main dinning room only to be given a pager that will have you waiting 45 minutes. We did make reservations at several specialty restaurants. Jasmine/Teppanyaki was out first stop, good all around food and service. Next stop Grand Pacific, never again, poor service & long wait to be seated. Next off to Cagney's only to find a surcharge above the surcharge for some items. Food was over cooked and once again heard the word SORRY with no offer to correct or replace. Next stop Paniolo Tapas & Salsa, the food in this place makes Taco Bell seem gourmet, once again told SORRY with no other offer. Next stop Le Bistro, finally a place with good food and service to match. To bad it was our last night. But once again they have a surcharge above the surcharge for some items. Yes all this was brought to the attention of the staff at the purser desk only to be told SORRY with no correction. I could go on and on but why, you get the picture. If you go on this cruise you will enjoy the islands, that's why we went. Had a great time on the islands its just to bad our floating hotel was such a disappointment. Will we cruise again, OH YEAH, on NCL or NCLA - NEVER...

I am assuming you reported your Housekeeping problems to the housekeeping department - from reading the reviews of this cruise you seem to be one of the reviewers who had housekeeping issues on that cruise - if you had a bad steward he/she should have been reported.

Why did you expect the purser to give you a "correction"? I am not sure why you felt entitled to any refund. Surcharge items are CLEARLY posted on the menus of the specialty restaurants and you could have just ordered items that did not require a "surcharge on the surcharge" or you could have eaten in the dining rooms for no surcharge at all. The Freestyle Daily clearly indicates which restaurants have an extra charge.

On the Dawn, Star and Spirit (all ships that I have been on with both a Cagney's and Le Bistro), the menus are posted at the entrances to the restaurants. I assume that the same is true on the POH. If this isn't the case, then I stand corrected. You should have checked them out before making your reservations - first, to make sure that there was something on the menu that appealed to you; second, to find out what the applicable charges were.

True the surcharges are posted on the menu at the entry to each resturant. But if you read all the post of people that could not get reservations because they waited to late in the first day to book. We read and found to be true that you needed to book all you dinner reservations early on day one. So we booked as soon as we boarded to assure the time we wanted was available. Good thing we did as many onboard found themselves with very few choices for dinner. Later.

I didn't want to get into this argument, but if youbid has cruised NCL four times before, he/she should already know about the charges in the specialty restaurants..:rolleyes: