I will NEVER cruise with Norwegian again!

[beerman2]

With the onset of the beverage and dining promos, you'd think that NCL would hire more staff to accommodate the higher demand.

 

OP, I have never sailed on a mega ship yet, but I have always enjoyed my cruises on the Jewel Class ships. Lesser crowds, and the service was always good. We will be on the Gem next month, and are looking forward to it.

 

Read the reviews of the Jewel class ships and compare them to those of the megas. See what you think of them. Some will be great, others-----not so. The reviews are the opinions of the individuals.

 

It enables NCL to make more profit!

 

Charge more for cruise, give people something they think is free (UBP , SDP ) charge DSC, then don't have enough staff to serve/pour drinks (probably alcohol cost are down.

 

All makes NCL more profitable.

 

Case in point last year mini-suite on Epic = $799.00 included drinks

This year on Escape $1049.00 + DSC (app $180.00) = $1229.00 includes UBP ,SDP Balcony this year.

 

So for 800.00 more ( per couple ) we get the SDP!

 

Why would NCL care about service????

[helen haywood]

I'm sorry this happened to the OP. I've sailed on Getaway last September and Escape the end of January and never experienced any problems getting a drink or having long waits at either O'Sheehans or Taste. And if you read The Doug Out and Yorkvillan's reviews of Escape, they didn't encounter problems with waits for drinks or MDR either. So it isn't the norm. Again, I am sorry for the experience the OP had.

[navybankerteacher]

It is easy to say that NCL should hire more staff, but are there cabins to accommodate them on the ships? If not, do they take passenger cabins to house them?

 

 

There would be sufficient space to house staff if NCL were willing to staff adequately and to build the necessary staff accommodations. My experiences on NCL have always involved apparent under-staffing as well as generally more crowded public spaces such as bars, lounges, libraries, etc. - in contrast with every other line. I would say that NCL simply carries a higher proportion of passengers than other lines - and this is manifested by lower staffing and more crowded public areas because so much space is dedicated to passenger cabins. It naturally makes it more profitable to NCL - but at a cost in service.

[bellevuemountain]

I am not surprised at your experiences on the Getaway. We sailed on the Breakaway for two weeks in January. This was our sixth cruise with NCL and our second on the Breakaway, having sailed on her in 2014. In our opinion, service has deteriorated to the point where we will now take our cruise dollars elsewhere. We had a hard time getting drinks even when we tipped with CASH above and beyond the 18% (among numerous other issues). We don't expect perfection, but we work too hard for our money and there are many other cruise line choices. I think NCL lures passengers in with "freebies" to fill the ships, but cares less and less about customer satisfaction and retention. What a shame.

 

i also agree.

[vicocala]

The smaller ships tend or at least tended to have 2:1 passenger to crew ratio. On these large, newer ships that ratio has increased to 3:1 if not 4:1.

Edited March 9, 2016 by vicocala

[NLH Arizona]

There would be sufficient space to house staff if NCL were willing to staff adequately and to build the necessary staff accommodations. My experiences on NCL have always involved apparent under-staffing as well as generally more crowded public spaces such as bars, lounges, libraries, etc. - in contrast with every other line. I would say that NCL simply carries a higher proportion of passengers than other lines - and this is manifested by lower staffing and more crowded public areas because so much space is dedicated to passenger cabins. It naturally makes it more profitable to NCL - but at a cost in service.

Well I guess they are not the only ones that are making a profit from being understaff. Breakaway 3,969 passengers and 1,651 crew members and Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas has 4,180 passengers and 1,500 crew members.

 

Many have reviewed the Breakaway, Getaway and Escape and have reported no wait time for drinks or dinner, so I guess it is just happening on some, but not all cruises.

[galensgrl]

I am not surprised at your experiences on the Getaway. We sailed on the Breakaway for two weeks in January. This was our sixth cruise with NCL and our second on the Breakaway, having sailed on her in 2014. In our opinion, service has deteriorated to the point where we will now take our cruise dollars elsewhere. We had a hard time getting drinks even when we tipped with CASH above and beyond the 18% (among numerous other issues). We don't expect perfection, but we work too hard for our money and there are many other cruise line choices. I think NCL lures passengers in with "freebies" to fill the ships, but cares less and less about customer satisfaction and retention. What a shame.

 

We had four really good cruises with Norwegian, and we considered it "our" cruise line. On our last cruise with NCL in 2013 the deterioration in service and other areas was so very disappointing. We figured if we were just going to pay the basic fare and then have to "add on"" things like edible food, we could get more for our dollars elsewhere as well. Besides even the quality of the food in the specialty restaurants was going downhill on that last cruise. Their room service wasn't anything to write home about when it was free, now they have tacked on a $7 service charge? Also service was getting pretty dismal. It's too bad because we loved Norwegian to begin with. They have made it clear that pax are nothing but walking dollar signs. I know all cruise lines are in it to make a profit, but NCL is so obvious about it. Also their service has become so impersonal. I read the posts where some people just accept NCL's shortcomings as part of their cruise experience, it amazes me what some people are willing to pay good money to put up with on their vacation. To us it's just not worth it anymore. JMHO, though it's not what NCL cheerleaders want to hear.

 

Lorie

[LrgPizza]

Looking at your signature, it seems you cruise mostly in November and May which are quiet times. Likely the ship isn't at full capacity. Even the TA was listed as close to full, but many of those were cabins with one person in each. In my group who travelled together - 6 people, 6 cabins. It does make a huge difference.

 

I've been on much busier sailings and you don't just walk up to the bar and get a drink, it's a 15 minute ordeal at the pool every time. One or two waiters now instead of the dozen that were selling their drinks, not sure where they've put them all?

 

 

Other than my TA, the Epic cruise (Thanksgiving holiday) and the May Getaway cruise (Summer break from school) were at capacity (and also overrun with kids, for what it's worth). I'm interested to see if Escape this May (Summer break again) will be different.

 

 

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[CP3o]

Cruise lines don't have incentive to hire more staff bc of UDP, it would decrease profits at two angles, cost of the staff, cost of pax getting drinks quicker means more total drinks (ups cost of ingredients in drinks and energy to wash glasses).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SuiteTraveler]

We have sailed Oasis class the past three spring breaks and haven't experienced similar issues. We are sailing Escape this spring break. I'm excited to compare

 

 

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When we sailed on Allure last year, we did experience something similar in terms of very busy on the private island - and this was in the suite area. Fortunately, our cabana server told us what time the buffet would open, so we walked up there early. I got in line and my DH got a table. I was #10 in line. Within about 5 minutes the line was 100 deep and growing fast. The folks ahead of me were super slow at getting what they wanted from the buffet. I grabbed 2 plates and got food for both me and my husband so he would not have to stand in line. I'm very swift when moving through a buffet line, but the people ahead of me were so so slow and had me gridlocked until the end of the very, very short buffet. When I got back to our table, the line had extended down the beach past most of the loungers. Just crazy how long it was and the bar was completely mobbed. We had brought water from our cabana, so we just sat and ate and watched the craziness of these long lines. By the time we were done eating, there was still a massively long line moving ever so slowly. I can only imagine, how much worse the regular part of the island's buffet line was. What amazes me is there are so few options on the buffet (burger, hot dog, chicken, fries and a few salad items), yet people take forever to go through this buffet.

[rochelle_s]

 

Many have reviewed the Breakaway, Getaway and Escape and have reported no wait time for drinks or dinner, so I guess it is just happening on some, but not all cruises.

 

Yes, that is very much the case.

 

In regards specifically to bar service, within a 12 month period I was; On the Gem X 2 and bar service was practically non existent. It did not really matter the location although some areas were better than others. In particular I was in Bliss playing a slot machine for 3-4 hours one night and not once was I ever offered a drink. This is a bar!! Then I did the Jade X 2 where I did receive service but it was most often painfully slow. There should be no reason to be sitting in Magnums and it consistently taking over 30 minutes to get a drink between 5 -7 pm in the evening. People have plans for the evening , whether they be dinner or a show etc. and I doubt they factor in it taking this long to get a drink. I did contact management about this and did have a sit down conversation with the Beverage manager. I never saw any improvement on those two cruises but at least I let my concerns be known. My next cruise was on the Pearl and the service anywhere and everywhere, and at any time of day was top notch stellar! We had an end of cruise M & G follow up with some officers and I made sure to compliment them on this side of things. The rest of the fleet could and should take notes on how this ship is run. The very next week I was on the Star and beverage service hit new all time lows pretty much everywhere. It was pretty shameful actually. This is 6 cruises in 12 months and there was clearly no consistency.

 

The UBP's appear to be here to stay. With the increased stated value and hence the increase in gratuities paid on the promo UBP, NCL needs to ensure that the service matches the 18% gratuities and service fees being charged. I would imagine anyone purchasing the package outright or even when buying drinks on an individual basis would expect the same. It should not matter if you order your drink through a promo UBP or you are a pay as you go guest, the fact is that any guest should be able to receive a drink in a timely manner.

 

It appears that NCL wants to move up the ladder to a more polished experience does this really equate to now having to get in a long line at the pool bar in order to get a drink?? Oh yeah the sparate shorter line for those just wanting a beer.

 

In the good old days you were inundated with servers trying to sell you drinks no matter where you were on the ship. Those days are definitely gone. Where did all that crew go? As to earlier comments about cabin space, as far as older ships go, I doubt they removed cabins from the crew areas to reflect the cutbacks.

 

I believe the accounts of those who had no problems getting a drink and I also believe those who had troubles trying to do the exact same. I have first hand experience of both myself. If NCL wants a more upscale image and a higher price point to match, then they really do need to improve their levels of service and ensure there is consistently good service throughout each individual ship and throughout the entire fleet.

 

 

Rochelle

[Cuizer2]

The smaller ships tend or at least tended to have 2:1 passenger to crew ratio. On these large, newer ships that ratio has increased to 3:1 if not 4:1.

 

I agree that passenger to crew ratio has slipped from two to one to almost three to one. However, I have not yet seen any approaching four to one.

[Love my butler]

I agree that passenger to crew ratio has slipped from two to one to almost three to one. However, I have not yet seen any approaching four to one.

 

Keep in mind the official crew capacity and the actual crew on the ship at any given time can be vastly different. I doubt many NCL ships sail with a full crew. The downward spiral in the last few years in staffing and training is very obvious on NCL.

[DMH15]

I sure did...after waiting in line for 45 min the lady said all she could do was fill in a form to get my prepaid service fees back, so she filled in the form and I went on my way....submitted over a month ago and still waiting for my refund.

 

 

So, you never mentioned how your cabin and steward were. Since you decided to tip them zero.

[NLH Arizona]

Yes, that is very much the case.

 

In regards specifically to bar service, within a 12 month period I was; On the Gem X 2 and bar service was practically non existent. It did not really matter the location although some areas were better than others. In particular I was in Bliss playing a slot machine for 3-4 hours one night and not once was I ever offered a drink. This is a bar!! Then I did the Jade X 2 where I did receive service but it was most often painfully slow. There should be no reason to be sitting in Magnums and it consistently taking over 30 minutes to get a drink between 5 -7 pm in the evening. People have plans for the evening , whether they be dinner or a show etc. and I doubt they factor in it taking this long to get a drink. I did contact management about this and did have a sit down conversation with the Beverage manager. I never saw any improvement on those two cruises but at least I let my concerns be known. My next cruise was on the Pearl and the service anywhere and everywhere, and at any time of day was top notch stellar! We had an end of cruise M & G follow up with some officers and I made sure to compliment them on this side of things. The rest of the fleet could and should take notes on how this ship is run. The very next week I was on the Star and beverage service hit new all time lows pretty much everywhere. It was pretty shameful actually. This is 6 cruises in 12 months and there was clearly no consistency.

 

The UBP's appear to be here to stay. With the increased stated value and hence the increase in gratuities paid on the promo UBP, NCL needs to ensure that the service matches the 18% gratuities and service fees being charged. I would imagine anyone purchasing the package outright or even when buying drinks on an individual basis would expect the same. It should not matter if you order your drink through a promo UBP or you are a pay as you go guest, the fact is that any guest should be able to receive a drink in a timely manner.

 

It appears that NCL wants to move up the ladder to a more polished experience does this really equate to now having to get in a long line at the pool bar in order to get a drink?? Oh yeah the sparate shorter line for those just wanting a beer.

 

In the good old days you were inundated with servers trying to sell you drinks no matter where you were on the ship. Those days are definitely gone. Where did all that crew go? As to earlier comments about cabin space, as far as older ships go, I doubt they removed cabins from the crew areas to reflect the cutbacks.

 

I believe the accounts of those who had no problems getting a drink and I also believe those who had troubles trying to do the exact same. I have first hand experience of both myself. If NCL wants a more upscale image and a higher price point to match, then they really do need to improve their levels of service and ensure there is consistently good service throughout each individual ship and throughout the entire fleet.

 

 

Rochelle

I was just on the Dawn in December and I didn't have an issue getting a drink. I will say that I don't hang out at the pool during sea days, so that could be where folks had the issue. Prior to that I was on the Pearl twice and never had an issue at any bars. On all three cruises, there was servers walking around the pool asking if you wanted anything (at least they asked me). As I said, I can see that slow/bad service is happening on some cruises, but not on all and I can only go on my firsthand experience and from reading reviews from other posters.

 

I will say that the only time I ever had an issue (not in a bar) was in the casino on one cruise when the young man was the server; he really never came around the slots and I had to ask one of the poker dealers if they would send a drink person over.

 

BTW, the Pearl is my favorite NCL ship and as you said, the service is fantastic.

Edited March 9, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[DMH15]

Pretty sad that some consider lines to get bar service normal and expected.

 

 

 

Actually I'm surprised that there are those who are apparently quite content with long lines and reduce service times.

 

 

 

Most consumer oriented businesses experience busy and less busy periods. Good ones increase staffing during busy periods so that customers can continue to receive a level of service consistent with company standards. Apparently Norwegian is not in that category.

 

 

I equate it to being at Disney. Or my fave restaurant on Saturday night. There will be lines.

[broberts]

It is easy to say that NCL should hire more staff, but are there cabins to accommodate them on the ships? If not, do they take passenger cabins to house them?

...

 

It's easy to say that NCL should hire more staff because that is a fact. If NCL was diligent in evaluating new pricing/packaging the need for additional service staff should have been abundantly clear. How many staff, where they are housed, etc. should have all gone into the decision making process. Excuses should not be needed.

[NLH Arizona]

It's easy to say that NCL should hire more staff because that is a fact. If NCL was diligent in evaluating new pricing/packaging the need for additional service staff should have been abundantly clear. How many staff, where they are housed, etc. should have all gone into the decision making process. Excuses should not be needed.

If there was such a need for additional crew members, I would think that each and every cruise would have an issue, which isn't the case.

[SuiteCruiser]

It's easy to say that NCL should hire more staff because that is a fact. If NCL was diligent in evaluating new pricing/packaging the need for additional service staff should have been abundantly clear. How many staff, where they are housed, etc. should have all gone into the decision making process. Excuses should not be needed.

 

Not even hire more staff, bring back the ones that were in the job already! On the pool deck you used to be asked if you wanted a drink every five minutes and there were lots of waiters and bartenders on the go. It was how they made their money. Now they make their money by selling or giving away (plus 18%) packages and then not having the same amount of staff to deliver.

 

The interior bars always had two or three waiters working it, now you may see one occasionally, more often you go to the bar for drinks.

[Cuizer2]

I equate it to being at Disney. Or my fave restaurant on Saturday night. There will be lines.

 

Disney has lines?

[2ManyCruises]

Cruise lines don't have incentive to hire more staff bc of UDP, it would decrease profits at two angles, cost of the staff, cost of pax getting drinks quicker means more total drinks (ups cost of ingredients in drinks and energy to wash glasses).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Good point.

[DMH15]

Pretty sad that some consider lines to get bar service normal and expected.

 

 

 

Actually I'm surprised that there are those who are apparently quite content with long lines and reduce service times.

 

 

 

Most consumer oriented businesses experience busy and less busy periods. Good ones increase staffing during busy periods so that customers can continue to receive a level of service consistent with company standards. Apparently Norwegian is not in that category.

 

 

I equate it to being at Disney. Or my fave restaurant on Saturday night. There will be lines.

[LMaxwell]

With the onset of the beverage and dining promos, you'd think that NCL would hire more staff to accommodate the higher demand.

 

No, that gives away too much product. Having less staff, slower service, longer lines, etc. means you use less product. The customer has already paid and so there is no incentive to have fast service. This is not exclusive to NCL or even to cruising.

[rochelle_s]

I will say that the only time I ever had an issue (not in a bar) was in the casino on one cruise when the young man was the server; he really never came around the slots and I had to ask one of the poker dealers if they would send a drink person over.

 

BTW, the Pearl is my favorite NCL ship and as you said, the service is fantastic.

 

I did the same on the Gem and joked I would be bringing my own bell on my next cruise!

 

 

Rochelle

[DMH15]

Disney has lines?

 

 

Disneyland or Disney Land. Sorry.