anyone?

[OctoberKat]

Just giving an opinion (is that okay with you)? Do hope that you try NCL and enjoy it. It is simply not our cup of tea!

 

Again with particular respect, your cup of tea apparently avails itself of a, gasp, tea bag. So quaff as you will, and Jim and I will do the same.

Edited June 10, 2015 by OctoberKat

[Travelcat2]

Again with particular respect, your cup of tea apparently avails itself of a, gasp, tea bag. So quaff as you will, and Jim and I will do the same.

 

With all due respect, what are you talking about? I am clueless and wonder if your comment is off topic or just a slam against me? As mentioned, I am happy for anyone that wants to sail on NCL but do feel that everyone's input is and should be welcome on that topic (and any topic for that matter). My opinion was not directed at you -- it was directed at anyone considering NCL. Kindly disagree with the essence of a post - not directly to the poster. Thank you!

[OctoberKat]

Goodness me, no slam indeed. You cited NCL was not your cup of tea so it was pertinent to point out your affection for Regent's tea service which is accomplished with tea bags rather than a steaming pot of loose tea which is my preference. It's all subjective, naturally, and mine is for loose tea in a pot. Thus, not off topic in the least, you introduced tea and i appreciated your post.

 

As indicated above, this thread is useful to me and echos some of my thoughts regarding NCL as to future voyages.

 

"[A] slam" -- no, only the usual go-with-the-flow with a lighter touch. I think it becomes me.

[irishwitchy]

Ladies, do we have a start of a "cat/kat" fight. Let's face it you both have very strong opinions and write very well. As my mother would say agree to disagree and move on. Enough said.

[OctoberKat]

Indeed, onward!

[Travelcat2]

Ladies, do we have a start of a "cat/kat" fight. Let's face it you both have very strong opinions and write very well. As my mother would say agree to disagree and move on. Enough said.

 

Definitely agree! Thanks for your post -- it is definitely helpful:)

 

P.S. Just for the record, I do not drink tea!

Edited June 10, 2015 by Travelcat2

[fizzy]

Anyone who is a regular on the Regent board as a contributor or a reader that had decided to do some looking into the NCL product probably came upon a myriad of threads and posts and deletions and battles that you had going being very critical of the NCL cruise line in the past couple of weeks. There seem to be some very satisfied customers who sail with them and somehow you got involved big time. On this particular thread, some of us were interested in NCL input and not seeking advice about Disney or Celebrity and that is most certainly not a personal attack. I'm sure you understand.

[OctoberKat]

Speaking to the topic, I welcomed this thread because I was not impressed with what Regent delivered as "luxury" aboard Navigator in our January voyage. There always is a quid pro quo regarding cost and experience and I came off our cruise ok but unimpressed.

 

Thus my thinking is: why not try NCL's The Haven for mondo less cost to see what that experience is like, especially when / if we can do so from a semi-convenient embarkation.

 

It's always a balancing act: cost vs. delivery. Given my Regent experience, i'd be willing to do a trial voyage in The Haven, understanding it might elude some Regent standards but lower cost such that I'm not left so ho-hum.

Edited June 10, 2015 by OctoberKat

[Travelcat2]

Anyone who is a regular on the Regent board as a contributor or a reader that had decided to do some looking into the NCL product probably came upon a myriad of threads and posts and deletions and battles that you had going being very critical of the NCL cruise line in the past couple of weeks. There seem to be some very satisfied customers who sail with them and somehow you got involved big time. On this particular thread, some of us were interested in NCL input and not seeking advice about Disney or Celebrity and that is most certainly not a personal attack. I'm sure you understand.

 

I certainly understand that some people like NCL some like Disney, Carnival, Celebrity, HAL, Princess, etc. If this was meant to be a NCL only thread, it would have probably been posted either on the NCL board or ??? When looking at going from luxury to mainstream, it is usually helpful to know what else is out there. Although Celebrity is not mainstream, it is much less expensive than Regent as well. And, from what many people on NCL are saying, Disney is great but a bit pricey for the folks that sail on NCL.

 

Prior to NCHL purchasing Regent, I thought of NCL as being the bottom of the food chain (even when compared to Carnival). I do believe it is on the way up but would wait until at least next year before reconsidering it. This is my opinion. There have been times when I recommend that someone looking at Regent try Oceania or Silversea. Recommendations have never been a problem on CC. My opinion of NCL comes more from people I know that have sailed on them - not based on the crazy threads regarding the changes FDR is making on NCL.

 

I realize that you are not attacking me but do believe that giving an opposing view to mine would have seemed less confrontational than pointing a finger at me. As mentioned above, let's not start a battle over this. IMO, this is rather an odd place for a NCL thread to be but am going with the flow!

[computerworks]

TC... I won't elaborate, since it is really not important...

 

But much of what you say or believe about NCL is just not true.

 

It's a good choice for the right reasons and it is not for everybody... and of course, it is not comparable to any line out of its class.

 

For what it is, and what they offer... at the price they deliver... they are doing just fine. :p

[Travelcat2]

TC... I won't elaborate, since it is really not important...

 

But much of what you say or believe about NCL is just not true.

 

It's a good choice for the right reasons and it is not for everybody... and of course, it is not comparable to any line out of its class.

 

For what it is, and what they offer... at the price they deliver... they are doing just fine. :p

 

I believe 100% that NCL is doing well (and will do even better under current management). As you know, there are a LOT of people that sail on NCL, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. The main reason that I saw NCL at the bottom of the pack is reports about food (not reports on CC). Frank Del Rio has stated that food will be improved on NCL. When he has finished with improvements, we will be interested in giving it a try (my DH is interested now but not enough to do it over my dead body:D (that was a joke:eek:)

Edited June 10, 2015 by Travelcat2

[TrulyBlonde]

TC... I won't elaborate, since it is really not important...

 

But much of what you say or believe about NCL is just not true.

 

It's a good choice for the right reasons and it is not for everybody... and of course, it is not comparable to any line out of its class.

 

For what it is, and what they offer... at the price they deliver... they are doing just fine. :p

 

Computerworks, I trust your judgement and yesterday did some research on NCL Haven cruises. It has piqued my interest and a trial run may be in the future with the right itinerary. Thank you.

[hondorner]

First (in answer to a specific question), I have not sailed on Disney and have no intentions to do so. I have sailed Celebrity, twice, but only to destinations not served by Oceania at the time (Alaska and Hawaii). There were some things that were OK on Celebrity, but I won't be sailing with them again.

 

Of course, I have sailed Oceania 13 times and Regent twice. I have also sailed NCL twice, for a total of 34 days (and am booked for 11 more in November of this year). I have only sailed Jewel and Star, and booked on Pearl. I have not, and do not intend to, sail on the large ships (Epic, Breakaway, Getaway and Escape -- said together quickly, sounds like Bonnie and Clyde ;)). No matter the circumstances, they are simply too large for me.

 

I have not sailed in The Haven, and do not intend to do so. While there may be some scale to the largest ships' Havens, the Haven on the smaller ships is too claustrophobic, and perhaps too snobby, for me, and not worth the extra money over the "ordinary" suites. I have sailed in a suite on Star for 24 days. It was a fabulous suite, not matched on any other NCL ship except Dawn. It is located in the area formerly used as the forward observation lounge, is 406 sf, has a great bath with tub and very large shower, has floor to ceiling and wall to wall windows -- and no balcony. None needed with that view (Suite SJ on Star and Dawn). It is also much less expensive than the more crowded penthouse suites with balcony.

 

Every perk that is granted to the Haven is also granted to the Suites, and many of the suites, such as Star and Dawn, are in their own area on the ship.

 

I have also sailed in a standard balcony (class BA, their top before a mini-suite) for 10 days on Jewel, and will sail in a BA balcony again on Pearl in November.

 

My primary reason for sailing NCL, especially in a BA balcony (which is about the size of a balcony on Oceania's "R" ships), is economic. I probably have less income than anyone on this forum, and whenever we spend more than a couple of thousand on a cruise, it comes from asset sale. Yet, we love to cruise. I have a simple attitude, expressed in different ways by others in this thread -- my expectations are set by the price I paid. On NCL, I pay a low price, so my expectations are low -- and they have always been exceeded. On Regent, my expectations are very high (in line with the price), and they have barely been met.

 

Unlike some on this forum, I can live with -- and enjoy -- lower expectations. I do have certain "rules" I follow with NCL. Only sail cruises longer than 7 days. Never sail in the Caribbean, although we are making an exception in November because we are sailing with close friends who do not have the same experience we do, and want to see the Canal, Roatan, etc. Always try to sail out of the country, and NEVER sail NCL when school is on vacation.

[pingpong1]

Don - Thanks very much for your post. You've provided some additional and very valuable perspective. Regards.

[newlondon]

Don, Outstanding post. Shows why I always enjoy your thoughts obviously carefully considered before posting.

[Travelcat2]

Guess the key is to lower expectations, avoid the Haven, the overcrowded ports of the Caribbean and any time when children are out of school. Don, could give any feedback about the food on NCL since FDR seems to feel it is in need of improvement?

[fizzy]

Guess the key is to lower expectations, avoid the Haven, the overcrowded ports of the Caribbean and any time when children are out of school. Don, could give any feedback about the food on NCL since FDR seems to feel it is in need of improvement?

 

the key is to have different expectations and enjoy what there is to offer. Don seems to feel that the food must be OK. Maybe DelRio should be concentrating and communicating more about Regent issues. This has always been an issue despite all the monitoring of the CC boards that we are told about. The Med. cruise ports are jammed in the summer. Maybe everyone should avoid them. I adore the little SS cloud and much prefer it to the comparatively big Mariner with so many people but I am open to trying new things. This is. I believe, about to take on a very snobby tone. How much absurdly fussy, foo foo food does one need to be satisfied? Regular NCL customers seem to sound quite satisfied and have a less cynical tone to their comments.

[Travelcat2]

I found your post a bit confusing. Yes - the Med. ports have been crammed with ships for years. On one of our Regent Med. cruises, the captain changed the itinerary to avoid being in port (Santorini) with 11 other ships. Not sure what Regent can or is suppose to do about this.

 

I remain interested in Don's thoughts on the subject of food as we have met him and had long discussions about Oceania and Regent. In terms of food in general, it definitely does not have to be fancy for us but needs to be good quality and prepared properly.

[hondorner]

Didn't know that Frank has made any pronouncements about NCL food. I'm sure he will be concerned that the food will be the very best within the budget that NCL has set for food (I'm reminded of a study published a year or so ago that stated the average mainstream cruise line had a budget of a little more than $9 PER DAY, for all food, per passenger. I assume NCL was part of that study. I also know that Oceania spends more per passenger for food than most, if not all, cruise lines.)

 

In the very early days of Oceania, in 2002, even before they sailed their first cruise in 2003, FDR made a decision that was epic in terms of their future success. He knew, with their limited startup funds, they would not be able to match other premium cruise lines in many areas. He made the decision to concentrate on food, striving to have Oceania serve the finest cuisine at sea. I believe he succeeded.

 

If he tries to make the same decision with regards to NCL, I believe he will fail miserably. For the most part, NCL serves good food, mainstream food, meat and potatoes if you will, well prepared and presented. Theoretically the specialty restaurants serve a better quality; I do not find it so, so I do not spend extra money to dine in them. In fact, the worst meal I have ever had aboard any ship was served to us in Le Bistro on Star. We had different entrees, both were inedible. We tried a different pair; after a few bites we gave up and left the venue. That might have been a rare anomaly; we'll never know, because we won't try again. La Cuchina (or however they spell it), the Italian venue, is not worth the $15 plus 18% gratuity they charge for it; it's ordinary Italian food on the level of Papa's Pizza in your home town. CAgney's steakhouse is excellent for breakfast and lunch if you are in a suite and get it for free (they do not serve non-suite guests for those meals), but nothing special for dinner, and we simply are not going to pay $50 or $60 (plus that 18%) over and above what we have already paid for food in the cruise fare.

 

But, the typical NCL cruiser loves the food, loves the specialties, feels very special to be dining in what they consider to be elegant surroundings, and often (on "dress up or not" nights). outdresses the typical Oceania cruiser. That's the clientele FDR has to impress.

 

We do not dine in their buffet; it's even worse in terms of crowds, bumping, hustle and bustle in all directions, and finding a table, than Oceania's buffet, where we also refuse to dine.

 

We are advocates of the main dining room on any ship in which we sail. We like to dine leisurely; we like to be escorted to a table; we like to be served; we like good conversation with our tablemates, who are often freshly new friends through sharing or folks we've gotten to know on the ship. Most NCL ships have two main dining rooms -- one less formal, in which shorts and tank tops are acceptable, and which tend to be dark, low-ceilinged and noisy; and the other, more elegant, usually overlooking the stern, with a dress code (similar to Regent and Oceania, but where jeans are acceptable). That's what we prefer. The atmosphere, service and company are very much like that on Oceania.

 

As I hinted, the food quality may not be as good -- the steak may not be Choice, the pork may not be Iberico, and lobster is all but forgotten. But, it is good, wholesome fare, more simple in construction than foodie Oceania or "luxury" Regent, where the choices are sometimes (in my opinion, with an uneducated palate) "Whacky". Sometimes, I'm even happier with NCL food! Obviously, I don't consider myself a gourmet. So, take my comments with a grain of salt, or not if you have a salt phobia...:D:cool:

Edited June 11, 2015 by hondorner

[Travelcat2]

Thanks Don -- what you described is pretty much what I expected. One reason that I mentioned Celebrity earlier is that I hear that the specialty restaurants have really good food. As you know, we do not like paying extra for anything -- "included" is a word we like and are willing to pay for (well, to be honest, "included" and "excursions" don't work for us but aren't a deal breaker). The only dining venue worth the $$$ is Le Reserve on Oceania (IMHO). Really an excellent dining experience!

 

We are hoping that the "new" restaurants on the Explorer (Chartreuse - also new to the Voyager and Mariner in 2016) and Pacific Rim will meet the quality of similar restaurants on Oceania's Marina and Riviera.

 

I suspect that we are not good candidates for NCL or even Celebrity since we have been everywhere on our bucket list and now travel to enjoy the food, beverages, atmosphere and people (mostly crew) on the ships. With the exception of our Norway cruise last year and repeat Cape Town cruise this year, we are satisfied to forego excursions and just hang out in different ports -- tasting local food, visiting markets and taking long walks. Prices have definitely skyrocketed in the past couple of years so we cut back a bit on cruising -- doing only 2 cruises this year and next year (unless something shows up that we can't live without;) ) Unfortunately, we are not able to do world cruises but are certainly looking forward to reading about yours next year.

 

NCL would probably be too loud, have too many people and the food would not meet our expectations. If we can't go to an Italian restaurant and enjoy a good plate of spaghetti and meatballs, we may as well not bother to sail on that ship.

 

What you and computerworks have posted has helped tremendously - thank you for taking the time to post!

Edited June 11, 2015 by Travelcat2

[computerworks]

Here are a few Main Dining Room Menus. Like many lines, they have some standards every night...and vary the specials each day. NCL Fleet has a rotation of 11 different menus, changing each day.

 

The same menu is used in all main dining rooms.

 

 



 

[pingpong1]

I think I'll "skip" the main course/s and go straight to the "warm black cherry strudel" - with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream, please!

[fizzy]

Those were exactly the kind of fair observations that we were looking for. It's good to get some honest views from people who are familiar with both products. It sounds as if you enjoy yourselves enough to sail with NCL again. Perhaps there will be some changes now that the lines share the same corporate umbrella but people are always commenting that they are noticing changes. We are looking at the Gem as we think the big boys may be just to big for us.

[OctoberKat]

Yes, useful indeed. Do the smaller ships have Havens? We, too, likely would avoid the bigger behemoths.

Edited June 12, 2015 by OctoberKat

[computerworks]

Yes, useful indeed. Do the smaller ships have Havens? We, too, likely would avoid the bigger behemoths.

 

The big ships that have a Haven are the Norwegian Escape (2015), Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway, and Norwegian Epic.

 

The smaller ships that have the haven are the Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Jade, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl.

 

I have been on every one of these ships... (sailing the new escape in Feb 2016).