Am I wasting my hard earned dollar???????

[dwjoe]

They changed the itinerary on us, and elminated the port of Nassau, Bahamas, and gave us very "unsatifactory" compensation.

 

There was poor communication when the ship was leaving and many people were confused.

 

We do want to try to Solstice after what we've been through with NCL a cruise line that again we thought we would be sailing on in the future over and over.

By way of comparison, we missed a port day on our August Dawn sailing for mechanical problems, and were offered $50 OBC per cabin, plus port charges. I thought that was fair, although I did feel NCL's communication about the issue was lacking.

 

The Solstice is a fine ship. More formal and traditional, and with an older demographic than NCL.

[Cruisingaway1]

Our refunded port charges for missing Nassau Bahamas was $2. Yup you heard right. NCL can't seem to tell us the breakdown between the taxes and the port charges. The only other ports were their own private island (and one wonders if they even have to pay port charges there!), and Port Canaveral. Looking at the amount we paid in combined port charges and taxes, $2 seems very minimal, and most of our group on the ship felt the same way.

[beachchick]

I hope everyone doesn't call me too negative, but recently took a NCL and wasn't happy. I had cruised with them a lot before and this trip felt they didn't do the right thing. They changed the itinerary on us, and elminated the port of Nassau, Bahamas, and gave us very "unsatifactory" compensation. I thought I would have cruised on NCL a lot more in the future, but this kind of soured my opinion of them. I feel there are other cruise lines out there waiting to be tried now.

 

We went in December, and yes weather is weather, but the only hope of sunshine would have been in the Port of Nassau. At first NCL eliminated the private island and then put it back on the schedule and took away Nassau. There was poor communication when the ship was leaving and many people were confused. Many of us were forced to come in a day ahead of time to meet the ship, then NCL changed plans on us again making all this expense of staying in NYC a waste. So maybe I'm not the best person to say "think positive". We asked NCL for a better refund and were only refunded $2 port charge for Nassau which seemed very low for what we paid for our cabin.

 

We do want to try to Solstice after what we've been through with NCL a cruise line that again we thought we would be sailing on in the future over and over.

 

I am sorry about your experience. No way would I flame you or tell you that you shouldn't be disappointed. Of course you should. I agree that the compensation was really lacking and I get quite irritated when there is a lack of communication.

 

I had a couple of questions. Did NCL tell you why they changed the itinerary or the cruise departure? Did they offer any compensation at all before you asked? I ask because there are some things that are simply out of their hands and where they can't reasonably give advance notice. OTOH, there are things that happen, even when it's unforeseeable, where the cruise line should be able to give passengers some warning and allow them to change plans as necessary. For example, if the ship had last minute problems or severe weather that delayed the departure, there's not much NCL could have done about passengers who arrived early. In that case, I can't see how NCL could possibly be responsible for the advance costs. OTOH, if they knew well in advance that the ship would be delayed by a day or more, then they could at least have tried to let passengers know. It wouldn't have helped anyone with non-refundable pre-cruise planning, but it would have made things a bit more palatable (at least for us). Even then, NCL's contract makes clear that any changes to itinerary are not compensable events. They aren't responsible for any pre-cruise or post-cruise plans we make on our own, and I understand that logic. Otherwise, they'd have passengers asking for compensation for even the smallest changes in schedule, regardless of the reason.

 

Do I think that the one-sided cruise contracts are fair to passengers? No, I don't. But we know the terms and have to decide if we are willing to live with them.

 

The only other thing I wanted to mention is that you can find similar stories on pretty much every cruise line forum here, and I'm sure on other travel and cruise websites as well. Unfortunately, what happened to you has happened and will happen on other ships. What bugs me the most is the lack of communication and the often unwilling attitude of the cruise lines to make small gestures of goodwill that would cost little, but gain them big points with most passengers.

 

Given that you interpret the many positive comments and advice this way, I think I stand by my advice - you really should cancel this cruise - no-one should go on a vacation with negative presumptions and feelings.

 

I think I have to agree too. Feeling that absolutely nothing about the cruise will be good and that the entire thing is a waste of money is the worst way to anticipate or take a vacation of any kind. I would say the same regardless of which cruise line or what kind of vacation was being discussed. Negative feelings breed more negative feelings. When we expect things to be crappy, we tend to look for things to criticize. It has nothing to do with being negative in general, but a matter of expectations.

 

I think most members know I'm not a so-called cheerleader for any cruise line. Some cruises are better than others, some experiences are better than others, and I don't subscribe to the "you're on a cruise, so it must be good" mantra. There most certainly can be horrible cruises, but sometimes a situation is what we make of it and will live down or up to our pre-conceived beliefs.

 

beachchick

[sunline2000]

1st do not compare Disney to another cruise line (in this case NCL) or you will be diddapointed. My 1st cruise was Disney 7nts. on the Magic 2004..the best money spent. have enjoyed other cruises since 2 on Carnival and 1 on Princess

They do not compare to service on the Disney ship... that said my next cruise is NCL Pride of America 2012. Yes i,ve read the posts and wonder about best for my buck as you are..in my case only 1 offers 7 nts of only Hawaiian islands

So off we go to try another. Cruising is an experience that always has its ups and downs hopefully the ups wins out.

[newmexicoNita]

1st do not compare Disney to another cruise line (in this case NCL) or you will be diddapointed. My 1st cruise was Disney 7nts. on the Magic 2004..the best money spent. have enjoyed other cruises since 2 on Carnival and 1 on Princess

They do not compare to service on the Disney ship... that said my next cruise is NCL Pride of America 2012. Yes i,ve read the posts and wonder about best for my buck as you are..in my case only 1 offers 7 nts of only Hawaiian islands

So off we go to try another. Cruising is an experience that always has its ups and downs hopefully the ups wins out.

 

you have a great attitude and totally understand what to expect. Enjoy the islands.

 

Nita

[elcuchio24]

Seems to be alot of negative comments in general about NCL and freestyle cruising that I have read in various places on the web. Things like no service in the cabins, long lines for dinner, unfriendly crews. I am booked on the Spirit, leaving in 63 days, so I can't cancel my trip. I am booked in a suite that is supposed to have concierge and butler service if I choose to use it. I'm getting VERY worried that I am wasting my money on this cruise. Just got back from seeing the ship docked in New Orleans. I have only cruised on Disney before NCL and I must admit the Disney boats look much cleaner and better kept on the outside than the Spirit. Someone tell me I'm not wasting ALL of my money!!!! Will anything on the cruise be positive????

 

You will have a great time and I'm sure 90-100% of the cruise will be possitive. Nice ships, food is fine, the crew is fine (maybe not the best in all of cruising but they get the job done well). Have a great time!

[emcelh]

I hope everyone doesn't call me too negative, but recently took a NCL and wasn't happy. I had cruised with them a lot before and this trip felt they didn't do the right thing. They changed the itinerary on us, and elminated the port of Nassau, Bahamas, and gave us very "unsatifactory" compensation. I thought I would have cruised on NCL a lot more in the future, but this kind of soured my opinion of them. I feel there are other cruise lines out there waiting to be tried now.

 

We went in December, and yes weather is weather, but the only hope of sunshine would have been in the Port of Nassau. At first NCL eliminated the private island and then put it back on the schedule and took away Nassau. There was poor communication when the ship was leaving and many people were confused. Many of us were forced to come in a day ahead of time to meet the ship, then NCL changed plans on us again making all this expense of staying in NYC a waste. So maybe I'm not the best person to say "think positive". We asked NCL for a better refund and were only refunded $2 port charge for Nassau which seemed very low for what we paid for our cabin.

 

We do want to try to Solstice after what we've been through with NCL a cruise line that again we thought we would be sailing on in the future over and over.

Wasn't this the fiasco that took place when they came out of drydock later than expected? Maybe some things were beyond their control but it sounds like communication was lacking.

[newmexicoNita]

Wasn't this the fiasco that took place when they came out of drydock later than expected? Maybe some things were beyond their control but it sounds like communication was lacking.

 

I think you are right, sometimes communications do break down causing unset passengers. I do think it is hard for some to understand many things can interfer with going to the ports originally planned. Most veteran cruisers have had this happen to them more than once. We have had it happen a couple of times with no compensation period.

 

Nita

[emcelh]

I think you are right, sometimes communications do break down causing unset passengers. I do think it is hard for some to understand many things can interfer with going to the ports originally planned. Most veteran cruisers have had this happen to them more than once. We have had it happen a couple of times with no compensation period.

 

Nita

Our last cruise was on the Jewel when they cancelled a port due to the problem with the azipod (which is why the ship went in to drydock early. We had a few weeks notice, alot of people cancelled, the rest of us took advantage of that and got upgraded. (We went from an outside cabin to a balcony at no charge. ) We got an onboard credit as well. Several years ago we booked the Majesty to Key West, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The night before we were to leave we got a call that the ship would be a day late arriving in port because of a medical emergency and it would be a 6 day cruise to Key West, Nassau, and GSC. We could have cancelled with no penalty but we went anyway. We were dissapointed in the change but went anyway and had a great time. There were people who complained the entire time though about the change to the point we felt sorry for some of the crew.

[klingoncruiser]

WOW!

 

First off.... never let others make your cruise decision for you!

 

I just got off the Spirit with back to back cruises. 14 days was not enough. I can not say enough nice things about the ship, crew and ports. Are the rooms small? Yes, but that is about the end of my grumbles. Give it a try and see for your self.

[terrymtex01]

OP.. I always say that no cruiseline is for everyone, or even will go as far to say that no cruise ship will be terrific for everyone. For instance I LOVE what we get with NCL, but to be surrounded by so many children (as you would expect with Disney) would be a nightmare for me. I love kids, one or two at a time, but to be on a ship full of them I would jump overboard. To each his own, so to speak. For the money I do not believe you will find better suite service than you will on NCL. They are fairly known for that within their level of the cruise industry.

 

As a few others have said, this will be a make or break, all depending on you. It's your attitud going into the cruise that will determine the outcome. I have to be honest and say I feel you have a positive attitude and were discouraged by the postings or reviews you have read, so I do not think you will have any trouble as long as you keep that positive attitude. Always remember people are much more inclined to search out the web to find a place to ***ch about a bad experience than to find a place to tell everyone what a great time they had.

 

I can tell you that as huge of a fan of NCL as I am, there are a few negatives I could mention, but I could also assure you they would not ruin all of the positives we have experienced. Since I have never been on Disney, I will tell you the one thing I would think maybe just a bit under what you experienced will be the food. Again, I love love love NCL and they have good food, sometimes great food. But overall when I compare it to RCCL, RCCL wins as far as the food. To give one to NCL, I feel the service and services we recieved on NCL have been better, slightly, than we experienced on RCCL.

 

I do hope you come back and tell us about your cruise once it is done. We have never been on the Spirit, but I know NCL has great crews so I am sure you will have a great time.

[commission1]

How did they compare pricewise? Celebrity always seems to be more expensive when I've compared the two.

 

 

We paid 7 dollars more per night for Celebrity

[commission1]

I think you are forgetting one very important thing: you are talking about 2 totally different classes of ships. Oh, BTW, you can get rack of lamb in the main dining room on NCL one night as well as Loster. No, the Dawn does not have an indoor pool but remember it is an older ship compared to the Solstice. The Sotstice is the top of the Celebrity line. Trying to compare the 2 is like trying to compare the Mercury or the Century with the Epic.

 

Nita

 

I paid 7 dollars more per night, so my comparison is more than fair. All of us know the difference between, Mcdonalds, TGI Fridays, and SPAGO. Our tastes may be different but we all know the pecking order.

[luckyprincess]

OP, I and anyone else that isn't a lemming understood your question. It's a natural and smart thing to get nervous about an expensive vacation when you start to hear negative reviews from people that have experienced it. If you didn't question these things you'd have bigger problems.

 

I personally think the 'a vacation is what you make it' mantra is silly at best. Really? Ok, so why go anywhere? How about a cup of crystal light lemonade and a blow up kiddie pool in your front yard instead of going on vacation? What? You wouldn't be happy as a goon with that? Well, then, that's because you went in to it with a negative attitude, of course :rolleyes: The food on your cruise was poorly cooked and tasted like it was under a heat lamp for three hours? It would have tasted great if only you had a positive attitude about it! You had indifferent or poor service from the employees on board, and had to resort to tracking down someone and complaining about it? Maybe if you had the right mindset you would actually enjoy poor service! :p These are the kind of bizarre things people say when they tell you that 'a vacation is what you make it'. There is nothing wrong with recognizing when you aren't getting the product you paid for and speaking up about it and even negatively reviewing it.

 

Do these same people say 'a car is what you make it'? How about 'a television is what you make it'? So the same headlight on your car goes out every other day. You bring it in, complain, they fix it and it still continues to go out. Do people plaster a silly smile on their face and say 'I'm not going to let this ruin my experience - I'm going to enjoy this car no matter what!'. Sorry, makes no sense at all to me. It's just as bad as the people that feel like guilt should make you not care if you get a poor experience. If someone tells them 'the engine broke down, we had to stay in one spot in the ocean for 3 days, there was very little food, someone stole my laptop and the water was filled with sharks' and they would say 'well, at least you can afford to take a cruise! I'd rather be on that cruise then working!'.....:confused::rolleyes::eek:

[luckyprincess]

just wanted to add that I'm pretty sure you'll have a great time. Vacations usually have more good than bad, especially cruise ships with a lot to do on them.

 

We had a cruise a little bit ago that was 'eh'. The weather was horrible, we didn't see sun except for maybe one day. There was something wrong with the stabilizers and people were sick everywhere and literally walking into the walls. The hot tubs on the top deck had water splashing out of each side as we rocked. That part was actually kind of fun, lol! Almost all of our excursions were canceled due to it. The food was a humongous step down for us from our first cruise together. The crew had no idea what the wine package was, lost the wine we had the first night, asked us to explain what we meant by 'pre paid for wine' because they didn't know what that was and sent us to three separate locations to go find our wine. It was horrendous service! And yes, we are in the service industry so although we may recognize poor service faster, we are also more sympathetic. But nothing could make any of that positive. It all impacted the cruise for us greatly. But, other people on board the same ship had a great time! lol - so you really never know how something will impact you. Hope you have a great time!

[newmexicoNita]

We paid 7 dollars more per night for Celebrity

 

Yes, there are times when you can get great deals on any line. Much depends, not only in the class of ship, but the timing and the itinerary. Years ago we choose the Connie over the Sun. The price was almost the same and we wanted to give Celebrity a try. The only difference was the Connie went out of San Juan and the Sun Miami. Obviously that was part of the reason the Connie was not much more. Embarkation out of San Juan is always less expensive. The Connie and the Sun are almost identical in size and age and we found the cabins similar as well. We had sailed the Sun about 6 months earlier.

 

I can assure you if you got the Solstice for only $7.00 more, and the dates and itineraries are the same, you got a great deal.

 

Nita

[fergusonvt]

Seems to be alot of negative comments in general about NCL and freestyle cruising that I have read in various places on the web. Things like no service in the cabins, long lines for dinner, unfriendly crews. I am booked on the Spirit, leaving in 63 days, so I can't cancel my trip. I am booked in a suite that is supposed to have concierge and butler service if I choose to use it. I'm getting VERY worried that I am wasting my money on this cruise. Just got back from seeing the ship docked in New Orleans. I have only cruised on Disney before NCL and I must admit the Disney boats look much cleaner and better kept on the outside than the Spirit. Someone tell me I'm not wasting ALL of my money!!!! Will anything on the cruise be positive????

 

I just got back from a week on the Sun and everything was great, no worries. I had read bad reviews also but went in with a positive attitude and had a great time. Room attendant was fantastic (mini-suite) and the food in my opinion was very good. We ate dinner at around 5:30 each night as we preferred going to the early shows at 7:30 and only had to wait maybe 5 minutes before being seated. All the crew members we had the opportunity to talk to were very friendly and helpful.

[Micchi]

Will never understand these threads. Do people only think to do research AFTER they book?

[wdrl]

I have not cruised on DCL or NCL (considering both) but have cruised on a variety cruise lines. And each one is different. I would say if there are things about DCL that you really enjoy and don't want to do without, and no other cruiseline has it (like Disney character meet and greets or the rotating dining from one restaurant one not to another the next night, or the kids programs that might be more unique. Then stick with the cruise line you know you love. If you are interested in trying a different itinerary, a new cruise line or interested in saving some money but still want to cruise then maybe that's why you should cruise some other line.

 

It's only one vacation and you're trying something new and as many have said, your attitude and determination to have fun and enjoy the cruise will make all of the difference. If you know you have the tendency to focus on the negatives (many of us do) and it will affect your overall enjoyment, why put yourself into a situation where you'll regret your decision? You know what you and your family enjoy and how changes affect you all, consider that and then decide whether an NCL cruise is right for you.

 

Personally, I'm looking forward to an NCL Hawaii cruise in 2012.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Seems to be alot of negative comments in general about NCL and freestyle cruising that I have read in various places on the web. Things like no service in the cabins, long lines for dinner, unfriendly crews. I am booked on the Spirit, leaving in 63 days, so I can't cancel my trip. I am booked in a suite that is supposed to have concierge and butler service if I choose to use it. I'm getting VERY worried that I am wasting my money on this cruise. Just got back from seeing the ship docked in New Orleans. I have only cruised on Disney before NCL and I must admit the Disney boats look much cleaner and better kept on the outside than the Spirit. Someone tell me I'm not wasting ALL of my money!!!! Will anything on the cruise be positive????

 

WOW! :eek:

 

As a past passenger on the Spirit I'll tell you how I can help you out. If you are really that concerned about wasting your money this is what we can do. I'll pay you 75% of what you paid for your cruise and take your cabin, that way you won't be disappointed.

 

In all seriousness everyone has favorites/likes/dislikes. Some prefer freestyle others don't. Some like big ships...some don't.

 

Overall since you're sailing in a suite I'm 99% certain that you will enjoy yourself. From all the comments I've read I have yet to read someone in a suite on NCL dislike their time. In fact most people who book suites on other lines have written that NCL does a better job with THEIR suites.

[richstowe]

Thankyou OPer for starting this thread. Now go away.:D

Looking to cruise on NCL Gem or Jewel at the end of Feb

and the info here is great. Thanx all.

 

 

 

I We asked NCL for a better refund and were only refunded $2 port charge for Nassau which seemed very low for what we paid for our cabin.

 

On Carnival Pride we got $9.88 p.p. for missing Freeport. Woo Hoo!

[trb351]

We have been on a couple of NCL cruises now and have booked our 3rd. We haven't had a problem at all with the ships, service or staff. We found all to be lovely. We were on the Spirit in Feb 2009 and found her to be a wonderful ship. The decor is beautiful and unusual and makes her unique.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time!

[edawn]

My dh and I were on a cruise out of NY is August. First time cruising for him and first in a long time for me. We were on the Dawn in an inside cabin...we had an absolute blast. The ONLY thing we complained about (and really it became the running joke with us) was the other guests on the ship...mostly NY'ers and NJ'ers...WOW, they can really complain about nothing. We sat next to one family in the Blue Lagoon. I guess one guy thought the server was upset because he had to go to the bar to get the guy a coke. So the guest thanked the server to his face and then went on and on to his family about the guy being rude. "I don't give a sh*t if he's mad about it...I'll order three more cokes...blah, blah, blah." On and on... the next day at the beach, who should park themselves right next to us....yep...same family with a bed sheet from the ship, complaining about everything being sandy...they only stayed 15 minutes and never sat down because it was too sandy and hot....two of them were dressed in long pants...

 

So, as long as you don't leave out of NY you'll be fine ;)

As for me, we're doing our 2nd cruise out of NY in March. Wish me luck!

[travelexplore3]

I have reread some of the responses to my post and I obviously have given the wrong impression. I'm not looking for people to wait on me hand and foot, nor will I be sensitive and "nit-pick" the ship. I'm NOT a complainer. I just want to have a fun family time.

 

I totally understand you 100 percent. I will answer you because I as well came to NCL from being a strict Disney cruiser. I have taken 4 disney cruises and decided to try RCCL. I spent the entire cruise comparing RCCL to Disney, in the end I felt my trip was miserable and I swore I'd never ever give another cruise ship a try. We prefered disney since we have an 11 year old son, and no one does kids club like Disney right? So we tried NCL in 2009. We did a 4 day cruise on the Sky to the bahamas. And... we decided to go into it open minded and no comparing. AND**** My son LOVED the kids club, we fell in love with the freestyle dining, the entertainment was good, and the food was fantastic. We left the Sky and were at that point SOLD on NCl. We booked the Jade in Sept. 2010 for the 7 night Med. And again we were completly impressed with service, kids club, room stewards, rooms, cruise director, staff.... we have no complaints. We booked again for the Spirit in New Orleans in APril 2011, and we are planning on 2 more NCL cruises. We do miss Disney, but if I can get fantastic service and what I am looking for at a cheaper price, why not? For the record we stayed in a balcony room on the sky, a Mini suite on the Jade, and a balcony room booked on the spirit. Have a great cruise, you will enjoy the differences.

[jebrn5503]

I just experienced my first cruise on NCL Sky to the Bahamas with my grown daughter and it was awesome! We upgraded from a balcony cabin to a Penthouse suite with a huge balcony and enjoyed fresh flowers, champagne, bottled water and fruit on arrival as well as a food treat served each night in our room.

 

Our room was clean, the butler was wonderful and available for anything we needed as was the concierge. With the upgrade, we were able to dine any breakfast and/or lunch in one of the restaurants that require an additional fee or enjoy in-suite dining. I enjoyed this but the inclusive restaurants were just as delicious plus there were other options ie buffets that were fine.

 

We experienced no lines or crowding in any area of the ship. The service could NOT have been better! Every person we had contact with was courteous, pleasant, helpful and very doting.

 

In talking with others during the cruise, no one had any complaints or problems. The people with children loved the programs they were involved with.

 

I have traveled extensively but this is the first cruise I have been on so I have no other cruise line to compare it to. HOWEVER....a friend who has been on many cruises with Carnival, RC and Princess surprised me by joining us on this cruise with her daughter as well! She also upgraded. She loved the experience and is going to use Norwegian later this year.

 

For me, it was a lovely experience and I look forward to my next cruise with Norwegian!