Warning: Do NOT cruise NCL, pick Princess or RCCL

Research their unique and nickel and dime policy that prevents ALL soft drinks and water NOT purchased from them. Cabins with no shelves or drawers, cheap food (cut lobster, shrimp, escargot and strawberries) I assume to save $$$.

NCL IS NOT as good as, or even similar to RCCL or Princess. Pick someone else....

I'd suggest brining more research, proof, examples and actual cost comparisons between them before crapping all over one cruise line as if the others don't have similar issues or cost add-ons.

Research their unique and nickel and dime policy that prevents ALL soft drinks and water NOT purchased from them. Cabins with no shelves or drawers, cheap food (cut lobster, shrimp, escargot and strawberries) I assume to save $$$.

 

NCL IS NOT as good as, or even similar to RCCL or Princess. Pick someone else....

Everyone has their own opinion, but in this case the OP is wrong. There is no nickle and dimeing on NCL. Almost everyone sails with a beverage package. The cabins are as nice as any other mass market lines. Food quality is excellent. Shrimp and strawberries are always available.

In other words IGNORE the original post, as it is not based on true facts.

Yeah OP, you are so right. NCL should lose money to you and keep you happy.

Our 10 day with them last year was fantastic value with our grats and drinks thrown in. Fabulous line...it has become my husband's favourite line.

The money we saved we could have bought lobster as a supplement and whatnot and escargot and strawberries and prawns are hardly premium food.

Actually...I ate a lot of free prawns and strawberries on that cruise.

Cabins with no shelves or drawers, ...

Cabin with no shelves or drawers. Really? I don't know what cabin OP stayed in but this sounds like some kind of fake news.

Cabin with no shelves or drawers. Really? I don't know what cabin OP stayed in but this sounds like some kind of fake news.

Maybe it was the brig.;)

Wow

Strangely I remember both shelves and drawers on my last NCL cruise. But then I could always be mistaken. Anyway, we love NCL. It's our favorite

While I rate NCL somewhat below RCCL and Princess - and am not likely to sail them again, OP must have had a really bad time to come up with such an extreme critique. They are a low cost, mass market line - and they deliver a low cost mass market product. No valid reason to complain.

Nothing in the post indicates the OP actually sailed an NCL cruise. Just drawing conclusions based on their "research"

And funny they mention RCCL--which is not a cruise line but the parent corporation of RCI and X (big pet peeve of mine on here. But I digress...). While NCL may offer more upcharge "opportunities" than most other lines, I felt way more imposed upon by incessant salesmanship onboard the one each RCI and X cruises I've taken in the past few years than the one NCL. Strictly my own experience, but an actual experience it is--and however intangible it is the reason I would consider another NCL cruise in the future over RCI or X.

Oh, and I wonder if the OPs "research" discovered that RCI also prohibits bringing your own soda and water:

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-alcohol-guest-policy (emphasis mine)

Guests are not allowed to bring beer, hard liquor or non-alcoholic beverages onboard for consumption or any other use.

OP, I see you haven't posted here in almost one year. In that time, did you go on an NCL cruise? Please feel free to come back and tell us more specifically what bothered you and what you observed first-hand.

There are others who would disagree with you completely and would never cruise RCI or Princess. Personally, I'm glad we all have choices in this world because no one line suits everyone's needs. :)

Research their unique and nickel and dime policy that prevents ALL soft drinks and water NOT purchased from them. Cabins with no shelves or drawers, cheap food (cut lobster, shrimp, escargot and strawberries) I assume to save $$$.

 

NCL IS NOT as good as, or even similar to RCCL or Princess. Pick someone else....

Weird post, considering that previous posting history was pretty stable and rational.

I could be called a “rusted on” Princess cruiser but looking forward to trying NCL later this year.

Don’t really care what others think, what I think is the important thing, and I’ll let you knOw after I try it.

Nothing in the post indicates the OP actually sailed an NCL cruise. Just drawing conclusions based on their "research"

 

And funny they mention RCCL--which is not a cruise line but the parent corporation of RCI and X (big pet peeve of mine on here. But I digress...). While NCL may offer more upcharge "opportunities" than most other lines, I felt way more imposed upon by incessant salesmanship onboard the one each RCI and X cruises I've taken in the past few years than the one NCL. Strictly my own experience, but an actual experience it is--and however intangible it is the reason I would consider another NCL cruise in the future over RCI or X.

 

Oh, and I wonder if the OPs "research" discovered that RCI also prohibits bringing your own soda and water:

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-alcohol-guest-policy (emphasis mine)

 

(though admittedly there are almost-daily threads on the RCI board claiming non-enforcement)

I think you have your pet peeve the wrong way around

I think you have your pet peeve the wrong way around

RCCL: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. the parent corporation

RCI: Royal Caribbean International one of the six individual brands of said corporation

http://www.rclcorporate.com/about/#brands

Uhmmm.....OK

My parents & DS23 have both sailed NCL (as well as Princess, Celebrity & RCCL--yes, we understand this stands for Royal Caribbean). They all agree it is their least fav line & ranks a bit below the other 3.

THAT BEING SAID--would they cruise NCL again? YES

We are looking at a family cruise over New Years. NOT a cheap time to cruise. NCL is tossing in a drink package; NO other line can touch their prices. Is it cheaper? Yep. But when 5 of us are going during high season (it's the only time we can), I need to save where I can.

Let's see--does NCL still have pools? Stop at Caribbean islands? Drinks? Shows? Meals included? Yep.

And ALL lines like to nickel & dime you--they are TRYING to get you to spend $ on the ship. I just rarely do other than some photos...

As my parents & DS said (and I always say)--mainstream lines are more alike than different. We find things we prefer about one line/ship over another, but good value nearly always brings us back.

Ncl was one of my favorite cruise lines in 80’s and 90’s , totally agree line went downhill about same time they did away with tradional dinning, will never consider another ncl cruise, only line we will not consider cruising again, I do have other reasons also.

RCCL: Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. the parent corporation

 

RCI: Royal Caribbean International one of the six individual brands of said corporation

 

http://www.rclcorporate.com/about/#brands

and on these boards RCCL = Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

of all things to worry about this is not one of them.

Ncl was one of my favorite cruise lines in 80’s and 90’s , totally agree line went downhill about same time they did away with tradional dinning, will never consider another ncl cruise, only line we will not consider cruising again, I do have other reasons also.

I loved NCL right up until they started Freestyle. After a horrible cruise with them post-Freestyle, I stayed away from them for a long time. I gave them a fair shake on Sky and Dawn later on, but both sucked and I stayed away again for a while.

That said, I think they found new life starting with Breakaway. For the most part, I really Enjoyed Escape. I'll never sail anything older than Breakaway though.

Ncl was one of my favorite cruise lines in 80’s and 90’s , totally agree line went downhill about same time they did away with tradional dinning, will never consider another ncl cruise, only line we will not consider cruising again, I do have other reasons also.

We dislike traditional dining, one of the reasons we love NCL. We tried traditional on DCL, not our thing, we’ve never had to wait for a table of 7 on NCL no matter when we show up.

We dislike traditional dining, one of the reasons we love NCL. We tried traditional on DCL, not our thing, we’ve never had to wait for a table of 7 on NCL no matter when we show up.

Almost every cruise on offers a choice tradional or some type of flex dinning , ncl is only line I know of that does not

Almost every cruise on offers a choice tradional or some type of flex dinning , ncl is only line I know of that does not

And I believe they do it the best (because it’s all they do). I don’t think DCL does freestyle dining.

 

 

That said, I think they found new life starting with Breakaway. For the most part, I really Enjoyed Escape. I'll never sail anything older than Breakaway though.

Different strokes... : I will never sail anything more than half the size of Breakaway; and have not seen anything built much after 2000 that does not look like an apartment building lying on its side. Why does NCL have to paint their ships like circus clown cars?