Feedback Please

[qsuzi]

Considering booking an NCL cruise and request feedback, e.g. pro's and con's. Thank you

[ImNotSteven]

Considering you are posting on an NCL forum chances are you will hear mostly pros. I for one have never had any issue with any of my NCL crusies. Every NCL crew member has bent over backwards to make our cruises the best possible vacation we could have. Not sure if you have any specific questions, but if so ask away!

[SissasMomE]

Considering booking an NCL cruise and request feedback, e.g. pro's and con's. Thank you

 

Do you smoke? LOL kidding!!!

 

The pros, and could also be a con depending on what you like, are no set dining times. You can eat when you want, where you want, and with whomever you want. I like that aspect of NCL the best.

 

The smaller ships have more typical cruise type of stuff - like BBQs on the pool deck, shows every night in the theater, things like that. With the larger ships, you lose that, but you gain production shows - like Blue Man Group, Legally Blonde, etc. Also, on the larger ships you have water parks (with multiple water slides), rock climbing walls, mini-golf, some have rope courses, etc. The medium to small ships are more typical of a cruise ship experience, while the larger ones tend to be more typical of a resort style experience.

 

Is there a particular ship you are thinking of?

Edited July 10, 2014 by SissasMomE

[qsuzi]

Thinking of the Jewel. Have read some negative reviews about lack of quality and selection at the buffets. I like what I hear about it being relaxed dress and atmosphere. IMHO RCL and Carnival's food selection and quality have declined in recent years.

 

Yes my husband is a smoker and his mobility issues make it very challenging. It's really tough losing loyalty perks we worked so hard to get on Princess, RCL, and now Carnival. But honestly our last Carnival cruise was the least satisfying cruise yet.

Edited July 10, 2014 by qsuzi

[SissasMomE]

Thinking of the Jewel. Have read some negative reviews about lack of quality and selection at the buffets. I like what I hear about it being relaxed dress and atmosphere. IMHO RCL and Carnival's food selection and quality have declined in recent years.

 

Yes my husband is a smoker and his mobility issues make it very challenging. It's really tough losing loyalty perks we worked so hard to get on Princess, RCL, and now Carnival. But honestly our last Carnival cruise was the least satisfying cruise yet.

 

Im not really a big buffet fan, and I've never been on the Jewel. I do think it varies with the ship though. The buffet on the Epic was great - the one on the Getaway was horrid!

Edited July 10, 2014 by SissasMomE

[debnjoe1438]

Thinking of the Jewel. Have read some negative reviews about lack of quality and selection at the buffets. I like what I hear about it being relaxed dress and atmosphere. IMHO RCL and Carnival's food selection and quality have declined in recent years.

 

Yes my husband is a smoker and his mobility issues make it very challenging. It's really tough losing loyalty perks we worked so hard to get on Princess, RCL, and now Carnival. But honestly our last Carnival cruise was the least satisfying cruise yet.

 

IMHO buffet on the Jewell is one of the best. Much better than the one Carnival ship I've been on. Been on the Jewel twice, no complaints. :D

[garycarla]

Considering booking an NCL cruise and request feedback, e.g. pro's and con's. Thank you

 

Pro and cons as compared to what?

 

What do you like?

What do you not like?

Where do you like to cruise?

 

Sorry... but the question is very open ended.

[qsuzi]

My husband is the one that is having the problem saying yes to me booking with NCL. Other than the negative food reviews he has mentioned, I will have to ask him for more specifics. Change is harder for him than me.

 

Because of his mobility issues I would say that a relaxed dress code and atmosphere plus a good selection of food at the buffet so he can find things he likes is important to him.. It is hard for him to sit for more than 1 hour and we have had problems on other cruise lines with more timely service in the Main Dining Room. We have been on over 30 cruises so have visited almost all the ports in the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Canada/New England and before he got worse Europe - 4 different times and itineraries. Our favorite cruise line is RCL because of all the entertainment, dining, and venue choices.

Edited July 11, 2014 by qsuzi

[amarvel]

IMHO buffet on the Jewell is one of the best. Much better than the one Carnival ship I've been on. Been on the Jewel twice, no complaints. :D

 

Could not agree more. Our group as a whole had 11 different cruise between us and we all felt the jewel was the best buffet of any of them.

 

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[luddite]

Spend some time researching here on Cruise Critic.

There is no substitute for research.

[UtahCruise]

Loved the staff, the shows and activities were great on our Jewel cruise 2 weeks ago but the food in the MDR for dinner was the worst we have every had. However we were usually able to find something in the buffet or O Sheehans (pot pies were really good). I had some of the best salmon in the buffet and OSheehans had a great prime rib.

Edited July 11, 2014 by UtahCruise

[sparks1093]

Thinking of the Jewel. Have read some negative reviews about lack of quality and selection at the buffets. I like what I hear about it being relaxed dress and atmosphere. IMHO RCL and Carnival's food selection and quality have declined in recent years.

 

Yes my husband is a smoker and his mobility issues make it very challenging. It's really tough losing loyalty perks we worked so hard to get on Princess, RCL, and now Carnival. But honestly our last Carnival cruise was the least satisfying cruise yet.

 

On the Gem they had the same things for breakfast every morning on the buffet- but it was like 70 different things every morning (an exaggeration but there were a lot of choices). Eggs to order, scrambled eggs pre-made, omelets to order, omelets pre-made, sausage, bacon, ham, kippers, breads of every style, hot and cold cereal, fruits, sausage gravy, hash browns, roasted potatoes, eggs benedict, pastries to mention a few of the options. So yes, they had the same selections but that didn't mean that you had to eat the same thing every day (I only went to the buffet at breakfast time). I never had an issue with the quality of the food in any venue.

[marco]

Free Style Dining: Some folks think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, others thinks it's the pitts. We're in the latter. We'd (try to) go to dinner, got a beeper and waited every evening for 20 to 45 minutes to be beeped. Unless we wanted to go to dinner before 6 or after 9, we'd have to wait. The joke became "Free Style" meant we got to dine anytime they were ready to feed us, not when we wanted to. What we ate in the MDR was OK, but many items we come to expect on a cruise was never on the menu and service was not good at all. Not the staff's fault. They are WAY WAY WAY understaffed. There was one server for multiple tables. On other lines we've sailed on there was usually a team of 2 for 2 or 3 tables. We dined in one of the sur-charge restaurants, twice. Both VERY good! Selection,food, service VERY good. But we had to pay $50 (a couple) for what we thought would have been "standard experience" on a different line. Also, we were on the GEM....we thought the cabin, compared to a comparable category cabin on other lines was by far the SMALLEST one we've been in. Room attendant and entertainment....... VERY good!

[LrgPizza]

Pro: No set dining time

Con: No set dining time

 

Pro: Allows smoking on balconies

Con: Allows smoking on balconies

Edited July 11, 2014 by LrgPizza

[HokiePoq]

Considering you are posting on an NCL forum chances are you will hear mostly pros. I for one have never had any issue with any of my NCL crusies. Every NCL crew member has bent over backwards to make our cruises the best possible vacation we could have. Not sure if you have any specific questions, but if so ask away!

 

This. NCL gets trashed on other boards (and by some who come over here for whatever reason) but we've never had a bad NCL cruise or encountered a staff member who was not 100% into customer service.

The price is quite reasonable when compared with others and you can sometimes find incredible deals. Don't let anyone tell you the food is awful (subjective I know) as we've found regular "free" food just fine and magnitudes better than one of the other mainstream lines we've sailed.

The only con is that NCL doesn't go all the places we want to sail and that's the reason we stray.

[nets33]

Free Style Dining: Some folks think it's the greatest thing since sliced bread, others thinks it's the pitts. We're in the latter. We'd (try to) go to dinner, got a beeper and waited every evening for 20 to 45 minutes to be beeped. Unless we wanted to go to dinner before 6 or after 9, we'd have to wait.

 

Andy my experience has been the complete opposite. The most we've waited was 5 minutes and we usually do go to dinner between 6 and 9pm. :) I have found that the first night on the ship can be busier. If we've seen a long wait we often have gone to a different dining room and found little or no wait.

 

The advantage of the Freestyle dining is that you can tell your waitstaff that you don't want a long and drawn out experience, which could still allow you to enjoy a meal at the MDR but keep it within an hour for your husbands needs.

[qsuzi]

Well we booked the NCL Jewel and are looking forward to the cruise. The information was so very helpful so thanks so much!!! Nets33 we will let them know we need fast service and why :)

Edited July 12, 2014 by qsuzi

[TracieABD]

There is no other mainstream cruise line that offers suite perks like MCL. You may want to consider booking a suite.

 

 

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[crusinpsychRN]

Pro and cons as compared to what?

 

What do you like?

What do you not like?

Where do you like to cruise?

 

Sorry... but the question is very open ended.

 

Daily activities, music on the Lido, where to get the best (fill in the blank food).

 

What do they call the daily activity sheet?

How nice are the bathroom--I've seen pics but suggestions to use the space better?

Do not miss things, activity or food.

Where is smoking permitted?