Are you thinking of giving up on NCL?

[jackparts]

Beerman and Sparks, yes the Fascination is old and yes it is well maintained but it seems like the last two NCL cruises has given us problems. Mainly the Damn Dawn in 2014 with embarking and disembarking where NCL knew there were problems but did not contact us about boarding when they had our phone and email info. Disembarking, they gave us the ok to line up only to stand there without moving for over 30 minutes. Since they gave us the ok to line up, we contacted the car service to be there early. The car service waited for half hour, apprx 9:30 and left. We were off apprx. 10:15. We had to pay for taxis and lost the payment to the car service. On the Breakaway in 2015, we had problems with our TA and guest services on board was a nightmare. We were to have specialty dining all seven nites but guest services screwed up and we finally gave in after three nites of free specialty dining and used the buffet. Really should have known this beforehand as CC posts had a lot of messages about guest services being a problem. Thru all this, we will be on the Damn Dawn again in 2016. We could have cancelled but felt sure that the last straw about water and soda not being allowed to be carried on board would be changed or water being realistic repriced. As far as that policy change for security reasons, who does NCL think cruises with them? MORONS? We are supposed to believe that crap? Not that we hate NCL, just feel that for us, NCL is no longer a good fit. Carnival in 2017 and Disney in 2018, who knows in 2019. Are you listening NCL?

[NLH Arizona]

Those days are gone for mainstream cruisers. Many more people travel these days and ships are far larger. Still, we have done 15 ocean cruises sine 2010 and all were good. Some were fantastic.

 

I don't like crude and rude people on cruises wearing wife beater T shirts and short shorts to the MDR. However, after doing the formal nights on Celebrity, I don't miss wearing the Tux either. Life is good.

Not just mainstream cruising, premium and luxury as well, all of them have changed. I like that Celebrity has gone to Evening Chic (otherwise know as more casual) instead of formal, because passengers pretty much changed that about 4 or 5 years ago. I would wear long gowns and some would wear what I call everyday dresses. It didn't bother me what they worn, but I felt overdressed, now it is a black dress and I'm a happy camper.

[spanishguy1970]

I also started cruising way back when. I remember being escorted to my cabin upon embarkation with someone carrying my carry-on luggage. I remember white gloved waiters serving me on fine china. I remember the food being equal to a Michelin star restaurant. I remember ladies dressed in fine gowns and men in tuxes on formal nights and also being dressed to the nines on other nights. But one thing I really remember is that the price way back then was so much more than what we pay today for our cruising experiences.

 

Wow very ocean liner Titanic kind of cruising :-)..( don't mean any disrespect about your age). I started cruising in 2009 and i am fascinated by the old way of cruising. I have an Aunt who took a cruise back in the late 60s to Italy and she describes everything you describe here..Orchestra dancing, formal wear, people taking Trunks of clothing YIKEs..I guess things change with time..

 

I also remember the mother of a friend who took a 6 month cruise on the Queen Elizabeth back in 1989.. which cost 45 thousand dollars. and she had to take TRUNKs of formal wear, dancing every night. The ship left December 28 and it return sometime in June. When she came back she said she was exhausted and that never again LOL...I guess is an experience..or should i say it was an experience for those who did it :D

Edited September 18, 2016 by qtaromar1970

[NLH Arizona]

Wow very ocean liner Titanic kind of cruising :-)..( don't mean any disrespect about your age). I started cruising in 2009 and i am fascinated by the old way of cruising. I have an Aunt who took a cruise back in the late 60s to Italy and she describes everything you describe here..Orchestra dancing, formal wear, people taking Trunks of clothing YIKEs..I guess things change with time..

 

I also remember the mother of a friend who took a 6 month cruise on the Queen Elizabeth back in 1989.. which cost 45 thousand dollars. and she had to take TRUNKs of formal wear, dancing every night. The ship left December 28 and it return sometime in June. When she came back she said she was exhausted and that never again LOL...I guess is an experience..or should i say it was an experience for those who did it :D

Not as old as you think, I'm in my 60's.

 

Try Crystal, the still have a little of what the olden days were all about.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Slightly shifting towards "leaving" NCL, as we FEEL that their product has gone up in price and that we can get better deals at for example Celebrity (Coke products yay!) taking in the total product and final bill.

But we do think we won't find NCL's outdoor activities water slides, ropes courses etc combined with a freestyle dresscode on any other line, at this moment so we're still on board so to say.

 

RCCL would not be an alternative with formal nights, we do like to change for dinner but not in full formal. Casual smart will do for us.

 

Costa, MSC, Carnival just aren't our taste and Germain aimed lines like AIDA and TUI cater to German speaking guests. HAL and Princess are an older demographic and are too classic for us, Celebrity is more modern.

 

Oh and too poor to cruise on anything above premium mainstream. ;)

 

you must revisit RCI as an option as they have no full formal.

 

They may still call it formal night but believe me it's far from it.

 

The last couple of cruises we have taken a pair of khaki pants and a polo shirt was sufficient.:)

 

Bill

[Windsailer]

I started cruising on NCL in May 2015 after many years of cruising on HAL. The Jewel to Alaska was great - food was good and the UBP was really free. Fast forward to November on the Jewel to Mexico, the same in January then the Epic in February. Along the way came the myriad of changes. 18% gratuity on the UBP, surcharges for food in the MDR, a fee for room service and no water allowed to be brought on board. Then a long HAL cruise in April, with excellent food and terrific service.

 

We just got off the Jewel. Food was horrible to barely adequate in the MDR. The sirloin steak in the Steak Diane had so many tendons running through it it was difficult to cut. The Prime Rib consisted of 1/2 real meat and 1/2 a blob of fat. The salmon was tasteless - like it had been frozen and then thawed too many times. Many times the descriptions of the food did not match what ended up being served. Service was very slow. And the food in the Lido was lukewarm at best.

 

Having paid full price for all these cruises - the cost no longer matches up to the product, So I'm cancelling my two booked NCL cruises and going elsewhere.

[decemberpsyche]

I'll answer from a different perspective.

 

I've been on 7 cruises. The first 5 were with NCL and loved them all. In 2015 we did a Carnival cruise because they had a great itinerary that NCL didn't offer. We had a great cruise and it (for lack of a better phrase) freed us up to try other lines. We did RCL last December, again chosen because it was an ABC cruise (which NCL doesn't do) and it was 11 days. We have an 11 day booked on Celebrity this December.

 

I've watched the changes happening on NCL and they've just put a serious bad taste in my mouth. In all honesty, most would not effect me, but it's just so much so often.

 

Now, we look for which line is going where we want at a price we want. We haven't ruled out NCL, but it's no longer our first or only choice.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

What's an ABC cruise? :o

[All-ready2cruise]

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao

 

Thank you. Wouldn't have gotten to that definition in a million years!

[ColoradoGurl]

What's an ABC cruise? :o

 

 

The ABC islands are commonly mentioned together as great diving and snorkeling destinations due to the sea life and well preserved reefs that are found in the far southern Caribbean, where those 3 islands are located right next to each other. Because they are so far away they are less traveled by cruise ships, and if you're going to try and visit one on a cruise, it's favored to go to all 3, hence, the "ABC" islands cruises are well sought after.

 

 

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[All-ready2cruise]

Thank you. Wouldn't have gotten to that definition in a million years!

 

You're welcome but I'm pretty sure you would have figured it out had it been used correctly or more appropriately as "ABC Island cruise". Most would just look for islands that start with those letters, right... easy then.

 

Cheers,

[4774Papa]

I'll answer from a different perspective.

 

I've been on 7 cruises. The first 5 were with NCL and loved them all. In 2015 we did a Carnival cruise because they had a great itinerary that NCL didn't offer. We had a great cruise and it (for lack of a better phrase) freed us up to try other lines. We did RCL last December, again chosen because it was an ABC cruise (which NCL doesn't do) and it was 11 days. We have an 11 day booked on Celebrity this December.

 

I've watched the changes happening on NCL and they've just put a serious bad taste in my mouth. In all honesty, most would not effect me, but it's just so much so often.

 

Now, we look for which line is going where we want at a price we want. We haven't ruled out NCL, but it's no longer our first or only choice.

 

It is wise to consider other cruise lines. We started with NCL but moved to Celebrity because they offered far more interesting itineraries. We still go with NCL when they seem of offer the best deal for the right itinerary.

 

One thing, since we are Platinum on NCL, Elite on Celebrity and Diamond on Royal Caribbean (due to being elite on Celebrity), we look at those three lines first. Still, we check out Princess sometimes. We don't do HAL due to the smoking policy. Just not interested in Disney unless the grandchildren are going. Also, Carnival doesn't appeal to us.

 

Celebrity's pricing has made it less competitive compared to NCL and Royal, due to the bundled pricing including drink packages, etc.

 

We recently compared cruises for April 2018 out of Sydney and booked two on Royal. One to NZ (Royal's price was less than half of Celebrity-drink package included) and a transpacific all the way to Seattle, was not offered by NCL or Celebrity. Also, price was better.

[chisoxfan]

I started cruising on NCL in May 2015 after many years of cruising on HAL. The Jewel to Alaska was great - food was good and the UBP was really free. Fast forward to November on the Jewel to Mexico, the same in January then the Epic in February. Along the way came the myriad of changes. 18% gratuity on the UBP, surcharges for food in the MDR, a fee for room service and no water allowed to be brought on board. Then a long HAL cruise in April, with excellent food and terrific service.

 

We just got off the Jewel. Food was horrible to barely adequate in the MDR. The sirloin steak in the Steak Diane had so many tendons running through it it was difficult to cut. The Prime Rib consisted of 1/2 real meat and 1/2 a blob of fat. The salmon was tasteless - like it had been frozen and then thawed too many times. Many times the descriptions of the food did not match what ended up being served. Service was very slow. And the food in the Lido was lukewarm at best.

 

Having paid full price for all these cruises - the cost no longer matches up to the product, So I'm cancelling my two booked NCL cruises and going elsewhere.

 

I just booked an aft balcony on Jan. Eurodam as an option to the Getaway Spa balcony. As posted previously I had real concerns about the NCL nickle and diming but honestly am most concerned about the passenger density on the ship particularly the pool area. Our last NCL cruise was Epic a few years ago and a aft suite on Jade in the Med. The Getaway was a 'return' to

NCL from X, HAL, Princess.

[derek005]

NO! We love NCL! :)

[jetta8300]

I don't personally understand being "loyal" to one cruise line. We will cruise Norwegian if the itinerary, ship, and price are right! Same goes for any line. The company really has nothing to do with our decision. The minimal perks of using one line does not persuade us to do anything. We will go where we want on the ship we want and compare prices on all kinds before booking. I hope we eventually cruise all the ships on all the lines. Variety is the spice of life! :)

[Aquahound]

Wow what year was the Norway? :eek::eek: wasn't the Norway before freestyle? and that has been 16 years or more? :confused:

 

I think that was part of her point. NCL used to be an excellent cruise line. Personally, I saw a HUGE decline when Freestyle was implemented. In the late 90s, NCL was my favorite line, mostly because I didn't know any better (like a lot of people today who have never sailed another line). But when Freestyle was implemented resulting in an awful cruise on Norwegian Sea, it was a long time before I gave NCL another shot. Today, they still aren't tops, or close to it, in my book.

[graphicguy]

I don't personally understand being "loyal" to one cruise line. We will cruise Norwegian if the itinerary, ship, and price are right! Same goes for any line. The company really has nothing to do with our decision. The minimal perks of using one line does not persuade us to do anything. We will go where we want on the ship we want and compare prices on all kinds before booking. I hope we eventually cruise all the ships on all the lines. Variety is the spice of life! :)

 

I feel the same. I do like variety. I've sailed CCL, NCL, HAL, RCCL, Celebrity and getting ready to try MSC next month. First cruise was well over a decade and a 1/2 ago. I'm in my 50s.

 

Do I miss the whole assigned dining times? Gotta wear a tux, suit, gown, etc? Did I think the service, food, entertainment was better on the SS Norway?

 

No to all.

 

As mentioned...at least on NCL, the entertainment is worlds better today than it was on the SS Norway.

 

Today's current ships have lots more to do than the SS Norway did.

 

Freestyle set an industry trend (which I welcomed). And, it has been adopted in one form or another by other lines.

 

Did I enjoy my SS Norway cruise? Absolutely! Would I want to go back and repeat that experience knowing what I know about cruising today? No way!

 

If you want a top notch pampered experience, that exceeds anything I've experienced even at top notch land resorts, try the Haven Experience on NCL. Yes, it's more expensive. But, certainly less expensive that similar service on other cruise lines....(excepting MSC) and at least offers the dining and drinking packages that are downright cheap to go along with the pampered service.

[spanishguy1970]

I think that was part of her point. NCL used to be an excellent cruise line. Personally, I saw a HUGE decline when Freestyle was implemented. In the late 90s, NCL was my favorite line, mostly because I didn't know any better (like a lot of people today who have never sailed another line). But when Freestyle was implemented resulting in an awful cruise on Norwegian Sea, it was a long time before I gave NCL another shot. Today, they still aren't tops, or close to it, in my book.

 

well i am always glad when someone tries other cruise lines and see and enjoy the differences. My only concern is when there is this attitude that when you stay with one cruise line you don't know any better. There are people who stay in a cruise line ( me included) because i enjoy the freestyle, and itineraries, when i find another cruise line that offers what i want then i may try them. For some of us not about loyalty is about convenience. I don't believe in loyalty to a hospitality business but i do believe in staying with one if you enjoy it. I always find it interesting when some complain about a cruise line but still come back to them and then complain so more. I find that odd but to each its own. :confused:.. Thank all for your comments..

[Quilting_Cruiser]

You're welcome but I'm pretty sure you would have figured it out had it been used correctly or more appropriately as "ABC Island cruise". Most would just look for islands that start with those letters, right... easy then.

 

Cheers,

 

True, that would have helped. I haven't cruised in the Caribbean in several years and have no plans to return so am not as familiar with those itineraries. :o

 

I don't personally understand being "loyal" to one cruise line. We will cruise Norwegian if the itinerary, ship, and price are right! Same goes for any line. The company really has nothing to do with our decision. The minimal perks of using one line does not persuade us to do anything. We will go where we want on the ship we want and compare prices on all kinds before booking. I hope we eventually cruise all the ships on all the lines. Variety is the spice of life! :)

 

 

I understand the loyalty if you're really into the benefits of a loyalty program. I haven't seen any that are so good that they would entice me to cruise with only one line. I also understand being a creature of habit. My ex-husband had some mild social anxiety and it lessened his anxiety to stick with the same cruise line--he knew what to expect and that helped. He is also a creature of habit in the extreme (JMHO). We took our first cruise with Carnival so that became "our" cruise line. We did do one Princess cruise, but I had to push really hard to get to do that! After we split, I did the next three or four cruises with Carnival out of habit and then it dawned on me that there was no reason for me to continue being loyal to one cruise line when I suspected there are other lines that would be a better fit for me. So far, that's been NCL.

 

There's an itinerary I really want to do and researched it last night. I found the prices for similar itineraries on Celebrity, HAL, and Princess were about 20 to 30% higher than NCL. So, for at least the next year I'll be sticking with NCL. But, I would have no issues trying just about any other line.

 

Blind loyalty doesn't make any sense to me at all.

Edited September 19, 2016 by Quilting_Cruiser

[kjmvacation]

Gave up on NCL because they continued to make changes that they would implement AFTER final payment- so you had no recourse, and the only response from corporate was "it's the new policy." Increasingly it was a one sided contract. Made the switch to Celebrity, and love it. Celebrity is great- and with their "select dining" program, we still get to choose times and we still get an intimate table for two whenever we want. Specialty Restaurants much better than NCL. I'm thankful to NCL for getting us into cruising, and even for pushing us toward trying other options. Once things seem to settle with NCL, I could see us trying again, but right now its not so much the changes as it is the underhanded way they implement them. Don't like them calling things FREE that are not... I get it, the perks are not "free" anywhere, but no one seems to be as blatant in their disregard for customers as NCL lately.

[beerman2]

The ABC islands are commonly mentioned together as great diving and snorkeling destinations due to the sea life and well preserved reefs that are found in the far southern Caribbean, where those 3 islands are located right next to each other. Because they are so far away they are less traveled by cruise ships, and if you're going to try and visit one on a cruise, it's favored to go to all 3, hence, the "ABC" islands cruises are well sought after.

 

 

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That will be my next cruise, the ABC islands, so will have to choose a cruiseline that goes to them.

[Aquahound]

Don't like them calling things FREE that are not... I get it, the perks are not "free" anywhere, but no one seems to be as blatant in their disregard for customers as NCL lately.

 

I totally agree with this statement. No one is as deceptive as NCL with their so-called "free" promotions.

[sparks1093]

I totally agree with this statement. No one is as deceptive as NCL with their so-called "free" promotions.

 

Oceania is just as bad.:)

[NLH Arizona]

Oceania is just as bad.:)

Celebrity had a promotion where you could pick 1 or more perks and the price of the cruise went up each time you picked another perk, so their perks weren't free either. For the Celebrity or NCL promotions, all you have to do is read the terms and conditions and all will be made clear as far as what the promotions are all about. If one doesn't want to pay the 18% gratuities on the SDP or UBP, pick another perk.

 

If I changed cruise lines because they are different then they were back I started cruising on them, I'd have to stay home, because every cruise line has made changes, some before my final payment and some after. If you look at the other cruise line's threads, folks complain all the time about their changes and how they want them to go back to the way they were. Crystal has changed over the years I've been cruising with them, but they still have a great product. Celebrity has changed over the years I've been cruising with them, but they still have a great product. NCL has change over the years I've been cruising with them, but they still have a great product. Each of the three cruise lines fits into a niche for me and I can easily cruise on all three of them without comparing them against each other or looking back at the way they were.

Edited September 19, 2016 by NLH Arizona