NCL in the New York Times -- Bad Review!

[cruisecruiserAS]

Hello everyone,

 

I found this in the NYT and wanted t share it with you. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/your-money/12haggler.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=NCL&st=Search

 

I don't like how the writer bases his opinion about NCL on 1 passenger's experience. I personally like the food on NCL, sometimes it's a hit and miss but it's not as awful as he describes it.

 

Any opinions?

[swedish weave]

Hello everyone,

 

I found this in the NYT and wanted t share it with you. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/your-money/12haggler.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=NCL&st=Search

 

I don't like how the writer bases his opinion about NCL on 1 passenger's experience. I personally like the food on NCL, sometimes it's a hit and miss but it's not as awful as he describes it.

 

Any opinions?

 

One person's bad experience as opposed to approximately two thousand who had a good cruise does not impress me. Perhaps the NYT needs to resort to this type of journalism to sell papers !

[dabear]

Almost all of the travel crusing guides and travel magazines do not rate NCL high on food , so apparently it's more than 1 to 2000. I'd push NCL for better food in their no charge dining rooms rather than defending them from bad reviews.

[swedish weave]

Almost all of the travel crusing guides and travel magazines do not rate NCL high on food , so apparently it's more than 1 to 2000.

 

What are the percentages ?? Note the article says the food is awful. I have never had a bad meal on NCL and rate their food on par with the other cruise lines I have used. I speak from personal experience, and do not rely on magazines or other peoples opinions.

[GigCrusier]

Almost all of the travel crusing guides and travel magazines do not rate NCL high on food , so apparently it's more than 1 to 2000. I'd push NCL for better food in their no charge dining rooms rather than defending them from bad reviews.

Hello dabear, I agree with you that we do keep seeing a lot of issues with food on NCL espically in the MDR.

[Don Haynes]

As many reviewers do here, the New York Times is comparing food to food, not a low price cruise line with a high price cruise line, ones which are twice as much... The value with NCL MDRs is product by price...

[GigCrusier]

As many reviewers do here, the New York Times is comparing food to food, not a low price cruise line with a high price cruise line, ones which are twice as much... The value with NCL MDRs is product by price...

Don, Very well stated! You get what you pay for. Nice post!

[zerooveride]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, even the writer. If you don't agree with the writer's opinion, there is always the option to write a letter to the paper about your feelings.

 

As for the food, in my opinion, I thought the MDR and Buffet were better then the speciality dining venues. The two most expensive ones I went to on the Jewel, Teppanyaki and Cagney's were not worth the upcharge.

[srlafleur]

My last NCL cruise was to Bermuda. I didn't have any problem with the food. I found it comparable to previous cruises on other lines. The menu varied as much as on other lines, and it didn't seem all that difficult to get into the specialty restaurants, though we only ate in one once. The monitors made it easy to find out where there was availability when we wanted to eat.

 

Is it the cruise line's responsibility to inform you if there's some sort of national holiday going on at the port of call? For all they know, that's WHY you're going there.

 

I'm not a cheerleader for NCL (I'm actually a Carnival stockholder), but that was a ridiculous "review".

[Boytjie]

That was not a New York Times review, it was someone from in Washingtnville, NY that wrote to The Haggler complaining about their cruise. ;)

 

As for food on NCL: only experience on NCL was Pride of America and I have to say the best meal I had during the cruise was lunch at the Kona Brewing Company. :D The food on the ship was consistently inconsistant. I had a better steak at Appleby's than in the steakhouse on the ship.

[Planer's Edge]

Almost all of the travel crusing guides and travel magazines do not rate NCL high on food , so apparently it's more than 1 to 2000. I'd push NCL for better food in their no charge dining rooms rather than defending them from bad reviews.

 

What do you base this statement on? I am just curious as to what your experience is as it pertains to NCL "no charge dining room(s)" food?

 

I personally find the food to be on a par with what I have experienced on other cruise lines. Yes, some do some things better than others. But, when you look at the whole spectrum everything is pretty equal.

 

PE

[Don Haynes]

What do you base this statement on? I am just curious as to what your experience is as it pertains to NCL "no charge dining room(s)" food?

 

I personally find the food to be on a par with what I have experienced on other cruise lines. Yes' date=' some do some things better than others. But, when you look at the whole spectrum everything is pretty equal.

 

PE[/color']

 

As Gordon Ramsay has found out on Hells Kitchen, some chefs are donkeys and some can actually cook...

[Planer's Edge]

As Gordon Ramsay has found out on Hells Kitchen, some chefs are donkeys and some can actually cook...

Huh?? What does this have to do with my post??

 

PE

[Don Haynes]

Huh?? What does this have to do with my post??

 

PE

 

That different ships have different chefs, and that the chefs aboard today may not be the chefs on board six months from today, with any cruise line... Anyone who has ever watched Gordon Ramsay is aware of keeping standards up is the hardest thing to do, and every chef has a different opinion how well they cook... Not only do us diners have different tastes, chefs do as well...

[monteman]

Almost all of the travel crusing guides and travel magazines do not rate NCL high on food , so apparently it's more than 1 to 2000. I'd push NCL for better food in their no charge dining rooms rather than defending them from bad reviews.

 

I personally will defend them based on the fact that I like their food! Ranges from Good to Excellent, which is fine by me.

[sunshine 229]

That different ships have different chefs, and that the chefs aboard today may not be the chefs on board six months from today, with any cruise line... Anyone who has ever watched Gordon Ramsay is aware of keeping standards up is the hardest thing to do, and every chef has a different opinion how well they cook... Not only do us diners have different tastes, chefs do as well...

 

I agree. Give the same menu to two different chefs and two different kitchens and the results can vary a lot. So for one poster to say that another poster is wrong for criticising the food, based on the meals he himself was served, on his cruise, is foolish.

 

IMO it is NCL's job to keep the standards, across the fleet, up to a basic minimum. I'm not going to be scared off a whole line because of one review that pans the food, but if poor food begins to be a common complaint, then I'll assume that NCL isn't doing their job well and might move then down my list of cruise choice preferance.

[newmexicoNita]

Hello everyone,

 

I found this in the NYT and wanted t share it with you. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/your-money/12haggler.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=NCL&st=Search

 

I don't like how the writer bases his opinion about NCL on 1 passenger's experience. I personally like the food on NCL, sometimes it's a hit and miss but it's not as awful as he describes it.

 

Any opinions?

 

this is the second time someone has posted about the article in the NYTimes. Remember, the NYTimes is known for their negative attitude.

 

I would pay no attention to this except to laugh.

[newmexicoNita]

Almost all of the travel crusing guides and travel magazines do not rate NCL high on food , so apparently it's more than 1 to 2000. I'd push NCL for better food in their no charge dining rooms rather than defending them from bad reviews.

 

Have you cruised NCL recently or are you depending on what you see posted from time to time? Would you like to share with us some of the Travel Guides and Travel magazine articles that have rated NCLs food inferior to say, RCI or Princess? I have sailed all the mass marketed lines, with the exception of HAL the food is pretty similar. NCL does serve smaller protions, but the quality is no better or worse than most lines. By the way, I also subscribe to a couple of travel magazines and have yet to see an article stating NCL food in below par. Am I defending them? yes, because I don't mind opinions but I think when someone states something as fact they really need to back it up.

 

Nita

[marinaro44]

What are the percentages ?? Note the article says the food is awful. I have never had a bad meal on NCL and rate their food on par with the other cruise lines I have used. I speak from personal experience, and do not rely on magazines or other peoples opinions.

I agree. I'll never understand this "bad food" rap NCL's been given.

[pompey8]

We just came back from a cruise, NCL Pearl to be exact. It was our first cruise so I went in with no expectations or comparisions with other ships.

 

With that being said, we loved the food on the Pearl. We ate most of our dinners at the MDR (Summer Palace) and all other meals at the buffet. Most of the people we talked to also enjoyed the food. We went to 2 specialty dinings and felt it was worth it considering what you're getting for that cover charge.

 

I don't read much into reviews. It's like restaurant reviews where one person is the jury and the judge. Basically they're all biased from the very beginning. And since I'm not a picky eater then to some my standards are considered lower!

 

I would definitely consider dining with the Pearl again.

[Flying Solo]

I've been on a few NCL cruises and find their food to be comparable to the food that I have had on other cruise lines. The one exception that I've had was on the Epic where I thought the food was better than what I've had on other ships, NCL or otherwise.

[Boytjie]

Remember, the NYTimes is known for their negative attitude.

 

Really?? A negative attitude about what?! :confused:

[newmexicoNita]

Really?? A negative attitude about what?! :confused:

 

just about everything, from this columnist to Paul K and a bunch of others..The paper is known for it's slanted views and they usually do turn out to be on the negative side. Sinsationalism (spelling) is usually negative. That being said, I only pointed this out to make a statement about the article we are discussing. I don't think CC is the place to debate the overall views of a newspaper. There are other thread though, that are for this.

Nita

[emdobl03]

I was on the same sailing as the person who wrote in for the article, and I had the opposite experience; that is to say, I had a great time. I was well aware of potential positives and negatives before my trip, and despite horrendous weather in Bermuda, as well as getting an infection on my face that required a trip to the ship doctor, I had a wonderful trip and am actually in the process of booking my next cruise!

 

Just goes to show that one person's experience really can't be taken as the experience for all.

[PreciousMissy]

They asked people to write in with bad experiences, of course they're going to get a response. They didn't ask for good and bad so they can publish both. If they asked for someone to write in about a bad experience at a major theme park they're going to get responses. You can't make 100% of the people happy 100% of the time.