Anything positive to say about NCL?

[TSUmom]

I must say I am enjoying this thread. I do get a little tired about the constant complaining about the same things over and over in different threads. I understand why people are unhappy about some of the changes but find myself just skipping those threads anymore. It is nice to hear happy people that have had good experiences.....:)

[netherton4]

Just go and enjoy it!! We are going on our fourth cruise on Jade soon and yes, there are little things that may annoy at times but the good outweighs the bad.Food is good staff are on the whole great, rooms clean and comfy if you don't like it don't use it again!!

[casofilia]

On board experience on all 90 days has been brilliant, only minor complaints well dealt with while on board. One major one that was not NCL's fault.

 

Head office and website experience; generally b...... awful.

 

Enjoy the on-board and hope you don't have cause to go head to head with head office!!

[Sleepylove83]

I went on 2014 and going in October. I thought the service was amazing, the food was good, drinks were strong, and the staff was just super friendly. I had a waitress at 5pm in Cagney's greeted me by name the next afternoon at lunch at the buffet. I freaked out on the ropes course and the guy working it came to me walked the entire course (well the shortest route) backwards holding my rope and encouraging me the entire time so I could have the experience of it. I was trying to get off but he talked me into it. I'm sure glad he did. I'll never do it again but I did it. I got his name and wrote a huge thank you letter to him when I got home.

 

All the nickel and diming is annoying, but the reality is that's life. It happens every where. But service is what makes people come back. I had amazing service so I am going back and can not wait!

[Clancampbell]

I must say I am enjoying this thread. I do get a little tired about the constant complaining about the same things over and over in different threads. I understand why people are unhappy about some of the changes but find myself just skipping those threads anymore. It is nice to hear happy people that have had good experiences.....:)

 

It's like a breath of fresh . Those doom and gloom merchants should take some time out to read all that is good about NCL. ☺

[KeithJenner]

It's like a breath of fresh . Those doom and gloom merchants should take some time out to read all that is good about NCL. ☺

 

 

 

But they have a list, which apparently trumps anything good that anyone else may have experienced. :)

[sfaaa]

You bet like some great NCL last minute cruise deals happening right now. Those who say these no longer exist just need to look harder and dig deeper to find them.

[stickey_mouse]

I must say I am enjoying this thread. I do get a little tired about the constant complaining about the same things over and over in different threads. I understand why people are unhappy about some of the changes but find myself just skipping those threads anymore. It is nice to hear happy people that have had good experiences.....:)

You have the exact right attitude. If you don't want to read the negatives, don't click on the links!

 

I have voiced some complaints on this board, because.. well jeez.. it's the NCL message board! The people who comment just to tell a poster to get over it is not helpful whatsoever. We are not gloom and doom people, we are just airing our dirty laundry, so to speak, on a message board designed to help do just that. Now if someone was shouting in Times Square about recent NCL changes, by all means, talk them down from the ledge.

[mom2tcdx2]

I have sailed on Carnival, Royal, NCL, Disney, MSC and Princess. Overall I found the experience on them all to be more similar than not. Whether you enjoy it has more to do with your outlook and what things may bother you or not. Out of them all I would say NCL has been my least favorite - basically I like having the same dining staff and set times (I have never had to dine with strangers on any other cruise, I have always gotten a table just for us or our group). I like getting to know the wait staff and miss that on NCL. I also have found the food on NCL to be the least memorable of all cruises I have been on.

 

Most people who brag about NCL are often booked in the Haven, which is really just a different experience in general.

 

Entertainment I found to be pretty awful on NCL, I can't stand Second City and don't care for the comedians they have on their ships. They don't have large style Broadway type shows on the smaller ships, like the Star and the Pearl. I have sailed both of those and can't recall any entertainment that we went to after dinner. The Breakaway at least I remember Rock of Ages and Burn the Floor.

 

I have another NCL cruise booked because I really wanted a cruise that was closer and it ended up being a better price than the Anthem in October. I was able to book a mini suite with 2 drink packages including tip for less than an oceanview on the Anthem, so we jumped at it.

 

Overall I don't really like some of the changes, but most don't really bother me. I don't order room service, I do drink Mtn Dew (pepsi product), I don't drink wine or beer so their selections their don't bother me, and their cocktails are fine to me and I will get great use from the drink package. I wouldn't ever drink the $80 a day the package cost, but I clearly would have spent more in 7 days than the $94 (Est) gratuity cost me.

[dolita22]

Have not read all of the responses in this thread (so as not to sway my opinion), but DH's and my top 3 favorite things about NCL:

 

1. Freestyle dining. We don't like dressing up, don't like having assigned times to dine, don't like dining with others (we're not super introverted; just like to be with each other), and we really don't mind not having the same wait staff each night. All of the wait staff we've ever had on NCL have been nothing but friendly and attentive. Compare that to Anytime Dining on RCCL (or do they call it MyTime Dining?), where one of the waiters couldn't have cared less about us...

 

2. That leads me to the staff. Love NCL staff. We've always had friendly room stewards, bartenders, waiters and waitresses, etc. I cannot recall any staff member we've encountered being anything but friendly and helpful. Earlier this year on the Escape, we were walking down the hallway to our cabin. One of the room stewards (in a cabin nowhere near ours) was in the middle of cleaning a room, and must have heard us talking as we walked down the hall. As we got nearer to the room, we saw him stop cleaning and walk to the hall to say hello to us. That stood out to us.

 

3. The UBP. We've had it on some cruises and not others. Will have it, plus the UDP, on our next cruise. I like going to a bar and not thinking about how much a round of drinks will cost. Just wish they'd include bottled water in the UBP now.

 

Enjoy your NCL cruise! And thanks for posting a thread on positivity. :)

[cruizecrazygramma]

I cant say enough good things about NCL. We have sailed Epic 3 times, Getaway once, Sky once and Escape once. I will admit I did not love the Getaway but the weather was not good and I don't love the pool area. Its just too crowded but I do believe that the pool area is the only thing lacking on Getaway and Escape.

We loved loved loved the Escape. The service was outstanding, the food was amazing. We only did Teppanyaki as a specialty dining option and its a favourite of mine. We love the convenience of O Sheehans and both food and service were great. We read poor reviews of service there but common sense tells you when the restaurant is full it may take longer to get served. I have a particular way that I like my maritini prepared and in every bar I went to and had it made "my" way, the bartender remembered for subsequent drinks which shows their professionalism. I think negative reviews have their place but keep in mind what bothers one person will not affect the next. While I don't like the pool area on Escape or Getaway, we went into it knowing that so we stayed away from that area and enjoyed the hot tubs instead.

People complain about nickle and diming but they are just giving you choice. If a cruise was truly all inclusive many of us could afford it. I don't use the arcade so why would I want it included in my fare? Same can be said for specialty dining, or bingo etc. You pay your base fare with meals and spend on those extras that you will use and enjoy.

[NLH Arizona]

It's like a breath of fresh . Those doom and gloom merchants should take some time out to read all that is good about NCL. ☺

I don't have an issue with those that are negative toward NCL, but they have to realize that not everyone thinks like they do. Many of us don't care where the NCL stock is at or that their debt ratio is X or that they don't serve lobster or that the hippo slide is gone or you have to pay for room service, etc. we care about the experience we have on the ships and that that experience holds a value to us. They just don't seem to understand that we don't agree with them on everything they feel is negative.....one really has to wonder!!! Edited August 4, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[NLH Arizona]

But they have a list, which apparently trumps anything good that anyone else may have experienced. :)

What is so funny is many of the items on their list are actually a positive for me and the rest I could care less about.

[KeithJenner]

Most people who brag about NCL are often booked in the Haven, which is really just a different experience in general.

 

 

 

I don't think I agree with this. It's true that a lot of people who are positive about NCL on here stay in the Haven, but posters on here include a higher proportion of Haven people overall.

 

Personally, I don't stay in the Haven because I have enjoyed my non Haven cruises as much, if not more than the one we did there. I know a lot of people, both on these boards and elsewhere, who have never stayed in the Haven but very much enjoy NCL.

 

Overall, I would say that most people I see who are generally happy with NCL don't stay in the Haven (and my quite some margin), but of course I may be wrong.

[dolita22]

Most people who brag about NCL are often booked in the Haven, which is really just a different experience in general.

 

Disagree. We have never stayed in the Haven and probably never will. While it sounds pretty amazing, being on the ship is enough for us. We've only stayed in balconies and been very happy with all of our NCL cruises.

 

Posting at the same time as KeithJenner!

Edited August 4, 2016 by dolita22
ETA: Posting at the same time as Keith!

[hamrag]

My DW are embarking on our first NCL cruise at the end of September and are very much looking forward to it.........What I want to know is do people have anything good to say about NCL? It would make a refreshing change to see some positivity here for a change. Perhaps you can tell me your top things about NCL; I am sure it can't be that difficult.

 

 

We have 30+ cruises under our belt, with 12 different cruiselines and 7 of those cruises were NCL as is our next one out of NYC in October. We find that every cruiseline has its whingers, and complain about the most ridiculous things.

 

To NCL specifically we like the following:

good itineries; best in the industry for promoting hand cleanliness; generally speaking the shows are excellent; most crew we encounter are customer focused (for the others, who amongst us doesn't have a bad day at work?); best in industry Platinum level perks; attractive itineries; even the older ships are good and recently refurbished.

 

We have found recently that the MDR food quality has declined by about 10%, no big deal for us but we have read that Fred Del Rio changes have improved the offerings...we will find out for ourselves in a couple of months. The specialty restaurants, most of which are excellent, can be accessed at sensible pricing if you purchase a dining package for 3, 4 or 5 nights.

 

As a fellow Brit, let me warn you their drink prices are extortionate. Most of our USA cousins will argue that is not the case. We are not big drinkers, so it is not a huge problem and certainly not a deal breaker.

 

Enjoy, and purchase a Future Cruise Credit or two, as you will want to sail with them again!

[csmart1152]

I must say I am enjoying this thread. I do get a little tired about the constant complaining about the same things over and over in different threads. I understand why people are unhappy about some of the changes but find myself just skipping those threads anymore. It is nice to hear happy people that have had good experiences.....:)

 

Couldn't have said it better. Haters gonna hate!

 

We've had nothing but great experiences on 3 previous NCL cruises. Can't wait for the 4th!

[fabnfortysomething]

Dealing with NCL pre cruise can be extremely frustrating (I'm currently in another situation where a booked cruise is being rearranged), although that's a consequence of booking early.

 

However, I don't book with NCL to enjoy the pre cruise issues. I book to enjoy the cruise itself and can honestly say that we have enjoyed every single one. I had some nervousness before our last cruise, as I'd started to let the negative comments influence my thinking, and I remember saying to my wife when we were in Barcelona that it could be a bit of a make or break cruise for us. Then we got onboard and the experience was honestly not noticeably different from our previous experience.

 

We have always got on well with the staff. Our preference with service staff is that they treat us like people and expect us to treat them the same way, I am always put off by the fawning that you sometimes get in some upmarket places. On NCL we invariably make friends with some crew members. That's very important.

 

We like the food. We aren't massive foodies, but I like a bit of variety and we have had some excellent meals, lots of good ones and a few just ok. Overall, very satisfactory.

 

We certainly don't cruise for the entertainment. Sometimes we do a few shows, sometimes none, but the variety is usually good. We do enjoy live music so the likes of Howl at the Moon on the larger ships, or the solo guitar players that you often find in the smaller ships are very enjoyable.

 

The destination is the main thing for us, but a cruise ship is a great way of getting between the different places. I'm not for a second claiming that NCL is the best cruise option. I wouldn't know that as I haven't tried the others, but the reason that I haven't is that we have never felt the need to. For us, if something works as well as NCL does for us there is no great need to move.

 

The final thing I would say is that the time that I always feel that I really want to book a cruise is when I have just finished one. The reminder of just how much we enjoy it shows that it really can't be bad at all, can it.

 

just got off the Spirit a few days ago and the blip that was the indifferent bar service on the Epic in March was just that a blip

 

excellent service and 6/Ian was well served as detailed in my latest review

[The Merrill]

I am a cruise "virgin" and will finally experience one in about a month. We picked NCL for a few reasons ranging from free style dining, to the casual atmosphere onboard to the lovely waterfront features. I have been reading a lot of comments about NCL and some are pretty shocking but never once have I wanted to cancel this cruise. I am beyond excited and look forward to seeing what it's all about. I think if you go into it with a positive attitude you'll have a wonderful cruise like I'm sure I will have. It's a vacation so dance like no one is watching, drink and eat anytime you want and laugh!

 

Let us know how it goes!!!

 

Enjoy!

 

Cheryl:D

 

PS I don't know what happened with he tag line on this message .. LOL

Edited August 4, 2016 by The Merrill
title

[KeithJenner]

We have found recently that the MDR food quality has declined by about 10%, no big deal for us but we have read that Fred Del Rio changes have improved the offerings...we will find out for ourselves in a couple of months. The specialty restaurants, most of which are excellent, can be accessed at sensible pricing if you purchase a dining package for 3, 4 or 5 nights.

 

 

The reaction to the new menus is very mixed. Personally, I think that they are a big step up from the old ones. But others state the opposite.

 

Whenever I've looked at the menus or eaten there, I've seen dishes which are a step up from the last menus. In fact, one of the reasons why we haven't eaten there all that much on our last cruises is that a there aren't now quite as many dishes that our fussy son will happily eat (he doesn't really like ordering from the kids menu).

 

As a fellow Brit, let me warn you their drink prices are extortionate.

 

 

I'm pleased to report that I know from another thread that this isn't an issue to the OP, who has the UBP and was pleased to hear that there is no gratuity to pay. :)

[hamrag]

....Most people who brag about NCL are often booked in the Haven, which is really just a different experience in general.

....

 

With reference to my substantially positive experience, posted above, all our NCL cruises have been inside cabins although we are now Platinum and enjoy those perks.

[Texasmotherofthree]

I have sailed Carnival, Costa, Royal Caribbean and NCL.

We sailed NCL Breakaway last July and The Escape this June. NCL is now our favorite line now for many reasons. Does it mean I will not try Oasis or Allure? Of course not But as we book relatively last minute NCL has been the best bargain. My husband wears a Suit every day to work and the idea of freestyle dining appeals to him. We have had nothing but positive experiences on both cruises. Is there always someone who could provide better service? Sure but that is the same at any hotel, restaurant or airline you experience. Waiting 3 hours to get through customs from the Navigator in Galveston I remember. Will I cruise RCL again, of course if the price is right.

The complaints on this board are minor, Pepsi vs Coke, paying for water, no towel animals etc..

Most positive reviews do not get posted so the number of people with negative reviews are minimal compared to the thousands that cruise each week.

I personally enjoy the new, larger ships as I have 3 children. There is plenty to do, lots to eat, and we did have the Internet on the Escape which was sufficient. Yes there is 4000 guests but we never had a problem finding a lounge chair on the deck above the pool and we never had to wait to be served.

A cruise will be what you make of it. Go with a positive mind and enjoy!

Edited August 4, 2016 by Texasmotherofthree

[KeithJenner]

just got off the Spirit a few days ago and the blip that was the indifferent bar service on the Epic in March was just that a blip

 

 

 

excellent service and 6/Ian was well served as detailed in my latest review

 

 

 

I really enjoyed your updates, and will settle down and read your review this weekend on my way to Copenhagen. :)

 

I'm really pleased that the service was better than on the Epic. I know that you and others had some trouble on the Epic, and we're really pleased that it improved before we got there.

 

I think it's too early to say whether such issues are a sign of trouble ahead or just temporary issues, which go along with any changes within companies. I'm keeping an open mind.

[david_sobe]

NCL is a great cruise line. I think some believe that any discussion about changes in a negative way indicates NCL is not a good cruise line. Were they better a few years ago, I personally think so. Will I sail with them again? I sure hope so.

Their ships are spotless and constantly maintained. They still do (at least for now and once did) have the best entertainment at sea, and the food is pretty good.

Is that positive enough for ya?

;)

[karoo]

Love the freestyle dining, so I don't have to go and eat at a designated time. The crew are great, friendly, happy and helpful. I've always had friendly, efficient cabin stewards who check to ensure everything is fine. Love the entertainment crews activities and parties. Love a balcony cabin with 24/7 views of the ocean and I can enjoy the fresh sea air as they are non smoking. Love waking up in a different place each day. The sunrises and sunsets- although I don't see too many sunrises. Sometimes I travel solo and they have a solo co ordinator, who sets up a daily meeting time, dinner, shows etc. I've always loved my cruises and as an earlier poster mentioned, the only way I get over my post cruise blues is to book another straight away, but overall my best cruises are also about the fun, friendly people I meet onboard.