NCL Fans- what don't you like

[Sea Monster 2]

I would like that either Cagney's or LeBistro does not allow kids under a certain age... like age 10 or 12. Too often we sit down for a quiet, relaxing dinner in a wonderful atmosphere and there is a crying kid, or one that is running around the table etc. My worst was two kids running around the table, eventually taking their socks off and throwing them around all while the parents and kids were singing some Barney song.

 

I think the problem is disruptive diners of any age, rather than just children under a certain age. Parents have a responsibility to remove children who aren't behaving well from a restaurant, and I think the staff have a responsibility to remove adults who are disruptive, as well. My son is a well-behaved seven y.o. who very much enjoys the rare occasions when he gets stone crabs, lobster bisque, caviar, etc.-- he knows they are special, and he behaves appropriately. But I would be lying if I told you there weren't a couple of times when he was very young when I had to leave a restaurant with him, and he learned his lesson-- if he wanted the social experience and the good food, he needed to behave. There are some adults who still haven't learned this lesson!!!:eek: I wouldn't be happy if he were denied these experiences because of his age. I would rather see the restaurants proactively warn and then remove those who are disruptive to other diners.

[newmexicoNita]

I would like that either Cagney's or LeBistro does not allow kids under a certain age... like age 10 or 12. Too often we sit down for a quiet, relaxing dinner in a wonderful atmosphere and there is a crying kid, or one that is running around the table etc. My worst was two kids running around the table, eventually taking their socks off and throwing them around all while the parents and kids were singing some Barney song.

 

I have to agree with that. Last time we were on Celebrity they had a 12 year old limit. I don't know if that is still the case or if it was enforced.

 

Regardless it is a good idea

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

I love this thread but I am wondering, from a couple of postings if it is gradually going to turn into a "I hate NCL" thread or something similar. I hope not.

 

Nita

[bahama2]

but I hate that they did away with the Bingo machines. I love to play bingo but refuse to play with those stupid cards.:(

[dockrocker]

The above is one of our pet peeves too! Sometimes I have to make a mad dash to open the cabin door to hear an announcement and I end up missing the most pertinent part because I am too slow. I never seem to be able to get the TV tuned to the proper station in time to hear it

(I keep forgetting the station number the announcements are on! :eek:)

 

That must be frustrating, but they're trying to give people privacy from unwanted noise in their cabins. As a devoted afternoon napper while on vacation, I appreciate not having blaring announcements tearing me from my slumber (I imagine late sleepers feel the same way). I think having a TV channel for announcement is a good compromise; it's up to passengers to be proactive enough to find it if they want to use it.

[erdoran]

I love the Epic and freestyle-but since this is a place to vent, here are my complaints:

 

1. Selling one thing and delivering another - I'm only going to hit objective, not subjective.

 

• Spa accomodations on Epic/24 hr access and special keycard access to "spa complex" sold, the reality was spa privileges were identical to what you get with a $199/2 pax spa pass. No special access, no special hours, and no notification or discussion of why the difference.
  
• Posh sundeck - still advertised for suite pax only, but they sell passes and on my trip it was so crowded that we didn't bother with it. Also sold as having nightlife with a DJ, poolside loungers, open-air gaming--all of which never existed. The pass thing is IMHO especially wrong because by my calculations, the amount NCL earns from selling ALL the Posh passes they claim they limit it to (29?) is less than the upcharge for ONE suite for Christmas sailings! But $1500/sailing adds up over 52 weeks. it's such a pittance, though, compared to what they take in that IMHO it just isn't worth ticking off suite pax over so little $$.
  

2. The rest of my issues are NOT just NCL, but pretty widespread among mass market cruiselines:

• Underpaying their staff and putting pax in the position of having to dole out the payroll or the staff won't be paid. Wrong, wrong, wrong, ESPECIALLY for staff in jobs that don't depend on tips for their salary in any other industry! I don't like having a dollar sign on my back. It isn't even about the money (I would gladly pay even more in my cruise fare if that included ALL expected tips for non suite/kids club staff), but rather about the position both the staff and pax are in. And it is DEAD UNFAIR to staff! Yes, they take the job knowing how things are, but that doesn't make it right
  
• The constant selling, selling, selling that goes on from the time you board until you get off. NCL is perhaps not as high pressure with the booze as Carnival is, I give them credit for that.
  
• Not NCL's fault BUT they do give them space on the ship so they bear some responsibility - the art galleries and spa business practices. I can't speak first hand about the art auctions (other than not appreciating the constant pushing them!) but I've read some horror stories online, and I certainly wouldn't buy art without having the resources to properly research it. As for the spa, I do speak from experience--my first and last Mandara spa treatment was ruined by the spa person's constant, nonstop high pressure sales pitch. After 30 mins when I had refused everything she pushed on me she got very sulky and rushed through the rest of my pedicure. When I'm paying top dollar for a treatment, I don't expect to be a captive audience for sales pitches!
  
• I found the slots on Epic to be unbelievably tight, but I can't generalize that it is really the case for everyone, just my experience.
  

[gargoyle999]

I love this thread but I am wondering, from a couple of postings if it is gradually going to turn into a "I hate NCL" thread or something similar. I hope not.

 

I hope not too. That is why I tried to word it so it would be geared to those that like NCL in general. Was not looking for someone who just doesn't like NCL at all.

 

I have learned a lot from the comments so wanted to thank everyone for the input. Some of the dislikes are things I think I will like so it is helpful that way too.

 

I just think it is interesting to read because as I said I like Carnival and Princess but there are things about each I would change. So that is what I was looking for here.

[erdoran]

WEll we all could nit pick but overall ncl offers a very consistent adequate product, the shows are hit or miss but that is to be expected, the buffet food is usually better than the main dining room, and at least in the buffet you can see what you are getting so you can pick and sample so that food is not wasted, several meals in the main dining room were not edible.

 

I love the wide open spaces on the ncl ships, except of course for the EPIC I despise the EPIC.

 

I dont like the smoking policy, I despise the smoking policy

 

I dont like the lattitudes program, pretty much worthless, and there is always a problem with my lattitude number, I keep getting a new one every cruise and it takes awhile to get it straigtened out, (the lattitude people are not very friendly and usually tell me that I should have booked with ncl at a greater cost, instead of an oustide agent)

 

What happened on your Epic cruise that you "despise the Epic"? I've seen your postings on many different threads. You must have had a TERRIBLE experience for you to be so angry about it! I apologize if your review is somewhere on here, if it is just please post a link.

[Traveller20074]

I find the service in the main dining rooms to be very inconsistent. The food itself is OK. But for every meal with attentive service, I have had another one that stretched out ridiculously long due to slow service.

 

YES!! That is my only complaint as well.

 

I would rather eat in the buffet because of this (and that is awesome!)

when we've been on an excursion, it's hard to wait because you're so hungry. The service was way too slow IMHO.

 

thought of another one. The SPA hours need to be extended a bit. (EDITING to add that I looked it up, and it appears they open at 8 am? I think it USED to be 10, but I could be wrong.....) 10 am is when it opens on the Pearl. would LOVE to be able to get to it earlier in the morning...we're leaving for excursions, and when we get back and eat..it barely leaves time for the spa before the night programs sometimes.

[Mooder]

I love NCL and I am having a hard time coming up with an answer, but I appreciate the OP's intent so I am going to try. Full disclosure, I don't have other cruiselines to compare to so this is just things I would change if I could, not things that are better elsewhere.

 

1. We miss Freestyle 2.0, particularly the welcome bubbly but since it is my sister's fault it was taken away, I can't complain. ;)

2. I wish the spa was open later so I could take better advantage of it after purchasing the spa pass.

3. I'd love a non-smoking casino.

4. More shaded areas to sit by the pool. We're not all sun worshippers.

5. Since I cruise with my sister, I wish the queen beds in the suites converted to twin beds the way they do in the lower category cabins. Because of this we'll probably never upgrade.

6. And my #1 complaint is that bill at the end of the cruise. ;):p I'd live on the ship if I could afford it and they'd take my furbabies. :)

 

I disagree with the complaints about the Latitudes program. But I understand it. We live near enough to NYC that we've taken a number of CTNs. I look at a loyalty program as rewarding the fact that every time we choose to cruise, we choose NCL. Not that when we cruise we choose a longer cruise. But, again, I can see both sides.

 

I love the friendliness and helpfulness of the crew. The casual atmosphere. The variety of entertainment and dining. The action stations on the newer ships. Breakfast in the Great Outdoors. The bar set up. The martini clinics. And then there's the stuff I love about cruising in general but that's another thread. :o

[newmexicoNita]

I love NCL and I am having a hard time coming up with an answer, but I appreciate the OP's intent so I am going to try. Full disclosure, I don't have other cruiselines to compare to so this is just things I would change if I could, not things that are better elsewhere.

 

1. We miss Freestyle 2.0, particularly the welcome bubbly but since it is my sister's fault it was taken away, I can't complain. ;)

2. I wish the spa was open later so I could take better advantage of it after purchasing the spa pass.

3. I'd love a non-smoking casino.

4. More shaded areas to sit by the pool. We're not all sun worshippers.

5. Since I cruise with my sister, I wish the queen beds in the suites converted to twin beds the way they do in the lower category cabins. Because of this we'll probably never upgrade.

6. And my #1 complaint is that bill at the end of the cruise. ;):p I'd live on the ship if I could afford it and they'd take my furbabies. :)

 

I disagree with the complaints about the Latitudes program. But I understand it. We live near enough to NYC that we've taken a number of CTNs. I look at a loyalty program as rewarding the fact that every time we choose to cruise, we choose NCL. Not that when we cruise we choose a longer cruise. But, again, I can see both sides.

 

I love the friendliness and helpfulness of the crew. The casual atmosphere. The variety of entertainment and dining. The action stations on the newer ships. Breakfast in the Great Outdoors. The bar set up. The martini clinics. And then there's the stuff I love about cruising in general but that's another thread. :o

 

I agree about the lattitude program. It is free and whatever they want to give us is fine.

 

Nita

[sverigecruiser]

What is a Monte Carlo casino?

 

As for formal dress, the extra cost of luggage is one reason I am glad there is no more formal nights, but my granddaughter would agree with you. That is her favorite part of cruising and she is in her early 20s.

 

A "Monte Carlo casino" is an elegant casino, like the casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

[janetz]

I love the Epic and freestyle-but since this is a place to vent, here are my complaints:

 

1. Selling one thing and delivering another - I'm only going to hit objective, not subjective.

 

• Spa accomodations on Epic/24 hr access and special keycard access to "spa complex" sold, the reality was spa privileges were identical to what you get with a $199/2 pax spa pass. No special access, no special hours, and no notification or discussion of why the difference.
  
• Posh sundeck - still advertised for suite pax only, but they sell passes and on my trip it was so crowded that we didn't bother with it. Also sold as having nightlife with a DJ, poolside loungers, open-air gaming--all of which never existed. The pass thing is IMHO especially wrong because by my calculations, the amount NCL earns from selling ALL the Posh passes they claim they limit it to (29?) is less than the upcharge for ONE suite for Christmas sailings! But $1500/sailing adds up over 52 weeks. it's such a pittance, though, compared to what they take in that IMHO it just isn't worth ticking off suite pax over so little $$.
  

2. The rest of my issues are NOT just NCL, but pretty widespread among mass market cruiselines:

• Underpaying their staff and putting pax in the position of having to dole out the payroll or the staff won't be paid. Wrong, wrong, wrong, ESPECIALLY for staff in jobs that don't depend on tips for their salary in any other industry! I don't like having a dollar sign on my back. It isn't even about the money (I would gladly pay even more in my cruise fare if that included ALL expected tips for non suite/kids club staff), but rather about the position both the staff and pax are in. And it is DEAD UNFAIR to staff! Yes, they take the job knowing how things are, but that doesn't make it right
  
• The constant selling, selling, selling that goes on from the time you board until you get off. NCL is perhaps not as high pressure with the booze as Carnival is, I give them credit for that.
  
• Not NCL's fault BUT they do give them space on the ship so they bear some responsibility - the art galleries and spa business practices. I can't speak first hand about the art auctions (other than not appreciating the constant pushing them!) but I've read some horror stories online, and I certainly wouldn't buy art without having the resources to properly research it. As for the spa, I do speak from experience--my first and last Mandara spa treatment was ruined by the spa person's constant, nonstop high pressure sales pitch. After 30 mins when I had refused everything she pushed on me she got very sulky and rushed through the rest of my pedicure. When I'm paying top dollar for a treatment, I don't expect to be a captive audience for sales pitches!
  
• I found the slots on Epic to be unbelievably tight, but I can't generalize that it is really the case for everyone, just my experience.
  

 

 

Good read as this will be my first NCL cruise. Love my spa treatmemt. What I say BEFORE my treatment is, I can give you an extra tip or you can try to sell me items I am not going to buy. The choice is yours. Never a sell. :p

[sjbdtz]

6. And my #1 complaint is that bill at the end of the cruise. ;):p I'd live on the ship if I could afford it and they'd take my furbabies. :)

 

 

You have said something which is of great interest, here.

 

If one were to cruise in perpetuity, but the bill doesn't come until the end of the cruise...... free cruising? ;)

 

 

 

A "Monte Carlo casino" is an elegant casino, like the casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

 

The EPIC's casino is quite elegant.

 

 

 

 

.

[newmexicoNita]

A "Monte Carlo casino" is an elegant casino, like the casino in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

 

That is sorta like I thought, I don't think one would work too well on a cruise ship unless it was maybe, the QE 2 or some luxury liner.

 

Nita

[Mooder]

You have said something which is of great interest, here.

 

If one were to cruise in perpetuity, but the bill doesn't come until the end of the cruise...... free cruising? ;)

 

 

Great point! Even if I don't last forever, my heirs can worry about the bill. ;)

[watchdiva]

Spa on the Pearl opens at 8 AM (at least it did during our recent 1/9/11 cruise).....several mornings DH and I were the first pax to check-in. We love it that early - tile loungers and double lounge beds are readily available.:)

[teacher_md]

Only a few things that bothered me on my Pearl cruise:

- Don't like the lobby of the Pearl (or sister ships) - it's not grand.

- I remember having to sign out the towels by the pool. If the towel disappears, you get charged. Annoying. On Celebrity you just walk over to the towel station, with no checking-out of the towels. I guess NCL doesn't want people to steal their pool towels. Also, something similar goes on in the library - you get charged a pretty steep fee if you forget to return a book - just seemed exhorbitant - can't remember the cost. But you have to make sure you get back to the library when it is open to return them... or else!

 

Here is what I loved about my Pearl journey: great nightlife, entertainment, very nice and comfortable balcony stateroom, the ship - even though the colors are LOUD - is FUN and has lots of fun activities, and somehow the vivid colors "work". If elegance and luxury is what you're going for, it's not NCL in my opinion (this is just based on one Pearl cruise, so take my advice for what it's worth) but we seriously had the BEST time - great people, freestyle dining is kind of fun. That's why we booked our honeymoon on the Star this Fall but we're doing it in a Penthouse Suite - wooo hooo! Maybe we'll experience elegance and luxury then - I'll report back :)

 

- AJ

 

* Oh, I forgot - I would also like to see more deck chairs in the shade, like a previous poster mentioned. Love listening to the band with a drink in hand, but with skin cancer in my family, I stay out of the sun at all costs.

[steviek49]

First of all my family and I enjoy NCL cruises. We feel it is the best bang for the buck out there.

However, if I had to state what I don't like or what I would like NCL to do in the future with their new ships............

1) Better space/passenger ratio. NCL's standard and balcony cabins are a bit smaller than most competitors and their new builds (EPIC and the two on order) have more passengers, bigger ships but less space per passenger.

Examples...RCI Freedom class ships are about the same GRT as Epic but cruise with about 500 less passengers. Oasis class ship have a passenger/space ratio of 41.7 compared to Epic's 38.0. As for the future, NCL 2 new builds are approximately 10,000 GRT smaller than Epic yet will cruise with only 100 less passengers thus reducing space/pax ratio to approximately 35.9.

Princess has also placed orders for 2 new ships in 2013 and 2014 (just like NCL) but their 141,000 GRT ships will cruise with 3600 pax (400 less) than NCL's 2 new ships (143,500 - 145,000 GRT and 4000 pax)

2) Bring back soaring atrium lobby with glass lifts and more elegant atmosphere. The 2 story atriums with the wii screens just don't cut it for me.

3) For a cruiseline which advertises homeport cruising, ships should have either 1 indoor swimming pool or at least one with a magrodome.

4) With a clean sheet of paper I wish NCL would add a dedicated cinema and/or movies under the stars.

5) Non smoking cabins

 

Having said all of this , we still prefer NCL most of the time and have cruised on 3 other cruiselines.

[ctinct]

Love NCL; don't love that they don't do something about chair hogs.

[dockrocker]

Good read as this will be my first NCL cruise. Love my spa treatmemt. What I say BEFORE my treatment is, I can give you an extra tip or you can try to sell me items I am not going to buy. The choice is yours. Never a sell. :p

 

I think the problem with that approach is that they have to chance getting in trouble with their supervisors if it's discovered that they skipped the big pitch. Spa management doesn't care if the staff gets tipped, but they do care how much product is sold. So it's a risk for the person working there.

 

It's really too bad. I never have much time for manicures and such in my onshore life. I would love to take advantage of the lazy pace of shipboard life to get more spa treatments, but I seriously cannot stand the constant shilling. It's certainly not just NCL; every line does this.

[bcakes]

I wish NCL didn't allow smoking on balconies. If the wind is blowing the right way, an entire row of cabins is forced to "enjoy" one passenger's smoke.

[Stella49]

We are waiting in the airport, just about to fly back to Michigan after a trip to Mexico, Belize and Honduras aboard the NCL Spirit. Here are the things that weren't great from my perspective:

 

1) Cigarette smoke! We had an 11th floor balcony suite and had a chain-smoking neighbor. They need to limit smoking to locations less likely to bother non-smokers. This really affected our cruise.

 

2) The food. We took a cruise on the NCL Dream 4 years ago and the food was much better. We ate primarily in Windows and found the food to be boring and the service not great--they kept seating my husband and I in a spot where waiters were running back and forth between the kitchen and their prep area. Our dinner at the sushi bar was the exception--yum--but of course, we paid extra for that.

 

3) Constantly being marketed to!! Seems like every time we turned around, someone was trying to sell us something. We already spent $$$ for the cruise, but any time you wanted to do anything, there were always additional service fees. Or, "Just put $250 down on your next cruise and get $100 shipboard credit right now!!" All I wanted to do was just enjoy the moment--not constantly spend money.

 

4) The port areas. With the exception of Cozumel, all the ports we visited (Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan) had intense junky 'Americano' vending areas. Fake beaches, controlled 'safe' areas. Heck. I could have gone to Disney World and experienced the same plasticky environment. I know that some people are afraid of leaving a 'safe zone', but I felt walled in and also felt like there were few options to really get to know the areas we were visiting. On our trip 4 years ago to most of these same ports, it was much more 'real'.

 

5) AWFUL entertainment, for the most part. There was a 'Captain and Tennille-type' duo that sang terribly--Barry Manilow, 'Under the Boardwalk', etc. Seemed like they were trying to appeal to everyone and really missed the mark. The trip left from New Orleans and could have featured incredible jazz, but I sure was not impressed by the offerings on the ship. We ended up hanging out in our room most evenings. We paid extra for a murder mystery luncheon on the last day that was the only exception--was fun.

 

Overall, we enjoyed getting away in the sunshine, spent much of our time on shore snorkeling and liked our vacation. When we book again, I will look for certain things--like what is included in the price, smoking policies and entertainment as well as options at the ports. While we decided to re-book on NCL this time because of a great past experience on our first cruise, I will be looking at other cruise lines for our next cruise experience.

 

I noticed that NCL doesn't have a location on their website for feedback--I work as a quality improvement specialist at a major healthcare system--seems like they might really benefit from carefully listening to some customer feedback.

 

Hope this info is useful to you!!

[newmexicoNita]

I think the problem with that approach is that they have to chance getting in trouble with their supervisors if it's discovered that they skipped the big pitch. Spa management doesn't care if the staff gets tipped, but they do care how much product is sold. So it's a risk for the person working there.

 

It's really too bad. I never have much time for manicures and such in my onshore life. I would love to take advantage of the lazy pace of shipboard life to get more spa treatments, but I seriously cannot stand the constant shilling. It's certainly not just NCL; every line does this.

 

I have had better luck with spa attendants not trying to sell me everything on NCL than a couple of other lines, but the best was Celebrity. I actually asked if I could buy some of the products, she told me, if I gave her my email address they would contact me. They didn't so I wasn't out a penny, other than my treatment. iknow some can be pretty darn insistant about selling you everything including their next born.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

We are waiting in the airport, just about to fly back to Michigan after a trip to Mexico, Belize and Honduras aboard the NCL Spirit. Here are the things that weren't great from my perspective:

 

1) Cigarette smoke! We had an 11th floor balcony suite and had a chain-smoking neighbor. They need to limit smoking to locations less likely to bother non-smokers. This really affected our cruise.

 

2) The food. We took a cruise on the NCL Dream 4 years ago and the food was much better. We ate primarily in Windows and found the food to be boring and the service not great--they kept seating my husband and I in a spot where waiters were running back and forth between the kitchen and their prep area. Our dinner at the sushi bar was the exception--yum--but of course, we paid extra for that.

 

3) Constantly being marketed to!! Seems like every time we turned around, someone was trying to sell us something. We already spent $$$ for the cruise, but any time you wanted to do anything, there were always additional service fees. Or, "Just put $250 down on your next cruise and get $100 shipboard credit right now!!" All I wanted to do was just enjoy the moment--not constantly spend money.

 

4) The port areas. With the exception of Cozumel, all the ports we visited (Costa Maya, Belize City, Roatan) had intense junky 'Americano' vending areas. Fake beaches, controlled 'safe' areas. Heck. I could have gone to Disney World and experienced the same plasticky environment. I know that some people are afraid of leaving a 'safe zone', but I felt walled in and also felt like there were few options to really get to know the areas we were visiting. On our trip 4 years ago to most of these same ports, it was much more 'real'.

 

5) AWFUL entertainment, for the most part. There was a 'Captain and Tennille-type' duo that sang terribly--Barry Manilow, 'Under the Boardwalk', etc. Seemed like they were trying to appeal to everyone and really missed the mark. The trip left from New Orleans and could have featured incredible jazz, but I sure was not impressed by the offerings on the ship. We ended up hanging out in our room most evenings. We paid extra for a murder mystery luncheon on the last day that was the only exception--was fun.

 

Overall, we enjoyed getting away in the sunshine, spent much of our time on shore snorkeling and liked our vacation. When we book again, I will look for certain things--like what is included in the price, smoking policies and entertainment as well as options at the ports. While we decided to re-book on NCL this time because of a great past experience on our first cruise, I will be looking at other cruise lines for our next cruise experience.

 

I noticed that NCL doesn't have a location on their website for feedback--I work as a quality improvement specialist at a major healthcare system--seems like they might really benefit from carefully listening to some customer feedback.

 

Hope this info is useful to you!!

 

This is exactly what I was afraid would happen. The OP asked for little things that bugged NCL loyalist about NCL, not a full blown "lets blast away" commentary. I don't know how to tell you this, but the beaches in Roatan are not fake. For those of us who have paid attention we know the new pier in Roatan is like a Disneyland theme park, but that is not what you get when you do a tour of the city. What tour did you do to think the beaches were fake. I would ask the same about Belize as we all know you tender and the shopping area at the pier has been there for at least 6 or 7 years now, this has nothing to do with NCL or any other cruise line for that matter. Most docking areas now have shopping malls and upscale piers. I am not sure how you found Cozumel any different/ if any port, other than St Thomas has a huge, more materialistic, junky shopping area than Cozumel I would like to know which one.

 

You will probably get an email asking for feedback I would add. I am not sure if everyone gets one or not, but if they have your email address you might get lucky.

 

Nita