No more Norweigan for us!!

[bbryan5]

NCL will be better without you

[Warm Breezes]

Just got back on Sunday from a 7 day cruise on Norwegian, we have only ever sailed on Carnival but got a great deal with lots of perks so we tried Norwegian. There were 9 of us. The only good thing was the embarkation (which was extremely smooth and quick). Cabins were small, ship was plain (even though it was only 4 years old), slow service and lines everywhere. I could go on more but I'll leave it at that.

 

It was the Breakaway - I felt like they squeezed you in on the ship and they wanted you to spend money everywhere. Too many specialty (for fee) restaurants. Ice bar was a rip off! etc, etc

 

I'm sorry you didn't like your cruise on NCL. The larger ships on Norwegian are not for everyone. I have sailed 9x on CCL and 3 on NCL, 2x on NCL Jewel and 1x on NCL Epic. We have upcoming cruises scheduled on NCL Escape and CCL Fantasy. We like sailing both lines. DH is not a fan of NCL larger ships. His main complaints on the Epic was the size and the crowds. I think part of crowd problem was due to us sailing during Christmas break. But he did like NCL's entertainment and found the food and service similar to CCL. Having said that he did like our sailings on NCL Jewel. There were not the same issues with crowds and ship size as he had on NCL Epic. I liked NCL Epic. As a planner I liked being able to schedule our cruise on a timeline of my making. I did not like the crowds on the Lido deck of Epic but we can avoid that on our next cruise by having an angled balcony on the Escape.

 

To us all cruise lines have pluses and minuses. We would get pretty bored if we only sailed on one line and like to mix things up. We have also sailed Princess and Disney too. Princess was our least favorite and Disney our favorite and yet we have sailed Carnival the most as we usually get the most bang for our buck with the cruises we book with them and NCL 2nd most. Like I said before we enjoy sailing on both lines. I would suggest trying the Jewel class ships if you were ever to sail with NCL again. I found our NCL Jewel cruises to be most similar to CCL. I do have to say that I don't find myself spending anymore money on our NCL cruises as I do on our CCL cruises. No one twists your arm to purchase anything and both lines charge for the similar things and both line offer the similar included items. Yes NCL has more for fee restaurants (more choices) but CCL also has for fee restaurants and the both have the similar amounts of included restaurants.

[Warm Breezes]

I have been on a few carnival Cruise during my lifetime and liked all of them. We will take NCL for the first time this summer. I already am so sure that I will like NCL I have already booked a second before my first.

 

The one thing I hated about carnival is the set dining times and having to share a table. Even with that I may cruise control with them again but I like the free style. Eat when we want and only with whom we choose.

 

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You do know that Carnival has Anytime Dining? We have not had set dining times or had to share a table on Carnival for at least 5 years now (if not longer).

[Cyclops32]

You do know that Carnival has Anytime Dining? We have not had set dining times or had to share a table on Carnival for at least 5 years now (if not longer).

That's good to know it has been very 10 years...Even if they did still have the assigned times and seating it would not stop me from booking a Carnival. My first cruise was with carnival when they only had 3 ships. Had out honeymoon on a Carnival and have actually thought about booking that same room because that ship is still sailing. It is just that I got hooked on the Haven and larger size. True there are more crowds which I don't care for but that comes with the size of the ship. At least I have a way to get away when I want.

 

All in all I don't think either are bad lines and if you have a bad cruise on either one then maybe your a bit too picky

 

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[BirdTravels]

Just got back on Sunday from a 7 day cruise on Norwegian, we have only ever sailed on Carnival but got a great deal with lots of perks so we tried Norwegian. There were 9 of us. The only good thing was the embarkation (which was extremely smooth and quick). Cabins were small, ship was plain (even though it was only 4 years old), slow service and lines everywhere. I could go on more but I'll leave it at that.

 

Thank you for leaving it at that. Sad to see you go.

[DMH15]

Thanks for posting on the NCL forum to say goodbye. We would have been wondering where you were.

 

 

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[tjt87]

Just got back on Sunday from a 7 day cruise on Norwegian, we have only ever sailed on Carnival but got a great deal with lots of perks so we tried Norwegian. There were 9 of us. The only good thing was the embarkation (which was extremely smooth and quick). Cabins were small, ship was plain (even though it was only 4 years old), slow service and lines everywhere. I could go on more but I'll leave it at that.

 

It was the Breakaway - I felt like they squeezed you in on the ship and they wanted you to spend money everywhere. Too many specialty (for fee) restaurants. Ice bar was a rip off! etc, etc

 

You said You got lots of perks, just curious, which did you choose. If you had chosen the SDP and UBP what else were they trying to get you to spend money on that you don't on CCL?

[NCLfamily]

I don't get the complaints about "too many upcharge restaurants on NCL" either. The last Carnival ship I was on only had 3 and the last NCL ship I was on had 5 and the newer ships have even more. What's so bad about having more choices if you want to spend your money and there are just as many places to eat that are included in the cruise fare.

 

Its a strange complaint isn't it. There are 6 or 7 complementary options?

[danben]

Sailed as a solo on Epic last year, couldn't fault it. had a fall in Cannes and Epic medical team were superb.

However liked it so much booked again recently to cruise with my daughter.

Booking through Vivavoyage. Wanted a balcony but only inside cabins left and only a few, so booked.

Booked and payed but no 'free at sea' offered and was told our cabin did not qualify us for the offer.

I have checked on VV page, NCL and other agents on line and newspaper adverts and none of them state that the offer is limited to certain cabins.

At no time during booking was this pointed out, nor were we offered different cabins.

I feel this must be illegal, as they are selling under false pretences.

Anyway cruisers BEWARE.

[newmexicoNita]

Just got back on Sunday from a 7 day cruise on Norwegian, we have only ever sailed on Carnival but got a great deal with lots of perks so we tried Norwegian. There were 9 of us. The only good thing was the embarkation (which was extremely smooth and quick). Cabins were small, ship was plain (even though it was only 4 years old), slow service and lines everywhere. I could go on more but I'll leave it at that.

mot every line is good for everyone. Not knowing what ship you were on makes it hard to judge why you call ship plain. Our experience with Carnival is: the ships are gaudy. I agree with cabin size: Other than HAL, Carnival has the largest cabins of any mass marketed lines.

You may want to remember, you choose to sail over spring break, thus the service is going to be a little slower. Hope you find the right line for you next time.Let's hope you still had a nice vacation.

[NCLfamily]

Sailed as a solo on Epic last year, couldn't fault it. had a fall in Cannes and Epic medical team were superb.

However liked it so much booked again recently to cruise with my daughter.

Booking through Vivavoyage. Wanted a balcony but only inside cabins left and only a few, so booked.

Booked and payed but no 'free at sea' offered and was told our cabin did not qualify us for the offer.

I have checked on VV page, NCL and other agents on line and newspaper adverts and none of them state that the offer is limited to certain cabins.

At no time during booking was this pointed out, nor were we offered different cabins.

I feel this must be illegal, as they are selling under false pretences.

Anyway cruisers BEWARE.

 

Guarantee cabins do not qualify for free at sea. Not all cruises qualify for FAS, again, quite clear on the NCl website which ones are. The Terms are quite clear on NCL.com/eu/uk. If the TA didn't offer the correct advice then that's on them.

[newmexicoNita]

It was the Breakaway - I felt like they squeezed you in on the ship and they wanted you to spend money everywhere. Too many specialty (for fee) restaurants. Ice bar was a rip off! etc, etc

I can't imagine anyone not being able to find good dining without going to the specialty dining rooms. They have restarants everywhere, mostly no charge. What other experience did you have with being nickel and dimes? As for bein crowded, we are expecting this on the Breakaway leaving Sunday. The weather this time of year, out of NY isn't going to invite everyone to stay outside. I am not happy about it, but expect it. Do you think if you had sailed out of NY on another line, it would be much different? Not trying to dispute what you have said, but giving my view. As for plain, from what we have heard, the Breakaway is anything but plain.

[packer99]

I live in Wisconsin.........I can have an Ice Bar from December to February.

[hawkeyetlse]

Booking through Vivavoyage. Wanted a balcony but only inside cabins left and only a few, so booked.

Booked and payed but no 'free at sea' offered and was told our cabin did not qualify us for the offer.

I have checked on VV page, NCL and other agents on line and newspaper adverts and none of them state that the offer is limited to certain cabins.

At no time during booking was this pointed out, nor were we offered different cabins.

I feel this must be illegal, as they are selling under false pretences.

Anyway cruisers BEWARE.

Did you book category IX? It is quite clear from the NCL website that this category is excluded from the Free At Sea promotion, and it has been that way for well over a year now. I don't know what this travel agency told you or promised you, but if you booked and paid without confirming exactly what you would be getting for your money, that was foolish of you. It sounds like you booked and paid, and only then asked questions about your perks, and only then shopped around for competing offers. It makes so sense to do things in that order, and if you now regret your decision, you must take much, if not all, of the responsibility for that.

 

Cruisers, BEWARE, ask questions and compare offers BEFORE you hand over your money.

[KeithJenner]

I have checked on VV page, NCL and other agents on line and newspaper adverts and none of them state that the offer is limited to certain cabins.

 

Go to the NCL website, and then click on "learn more" on the big banner about free at sea.

 

Scroll down just a little bit, past the detail about the four offers, and you will see this:

 

"Please note that the categories IX/OX/BX/MX do not qualify for the offer you do not receive an add-on. Terms & Conditions apply"

 

https://www.ncl.com/uk/en/promotions/free-at-sea

[Sea Turtle]

At least you gave it a try. There are some folks on here that only stay with one cruiseline, never experiencing what others may have to offer.

No big deal if you didn't like it, that happens sometimes.

Enjoy your next cruise.:)

 

Well said, tonit964! Too bad this thread didn't end with your post. :)

 

Enjoy the day. :cool:

[dacsmom]

It is good that there are so many cruise lines to fit each persons taste. I sailed this month with NCL for the first time because they offered great perks to book. I was on the Epic and loved it. I bought a few future cruise certificates and canceled my next RCI cruise and booked the Escape.I am a frequent RCI and Carnival cruiser and am now adding NCL to the mix. Each line has something different, and I can always find something to like on each cruise. On NCL if I could sleep in O'Sheehans I would. Oh those Thai Asian wings. I did not think it was possible to eat as many as I tried to eat. To the OP, at least you tried something new. Go back to Carnival and have a great time. Some people will not even try a new line.

[NCLfamily]

Some don't want to or feel the need to try a new line.

 

 

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[philip_eunice1]

Thanks for posting on the NCL forum to say goodbye. We would have been wondering where you were.

 

 

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[emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

 

 

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[Warm Breezes]

Some don't want to or feel the need to try a new line.

 

 

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That's ok. That's your choice. There is nothing wrong with only sailing one line as long as your not bashing others without having tried them. I personally would get bored with one line. Every cruise we try to get something new for us....it could be the embarkation port, the ship, the cruise line, or a port of call. We prefer to mix it up. Other's don't so it is nice to have choices. The same goes for our land vacations. We always try to throw something new in the mix, especially if we are repeating locations.

[Tatka]

Exactly. We sailed with basically every massmarket lines except Cunard and Costa. Each line has own advantages and flaws.

 

The only downside of mixing up is you are getting to higher levels of membership later. OK for us.

[NCLfamily]

That's ok. That's your choice. There is nothing wrong with only sailing one line as long as your not bashing others without having tried them. I personally would get bored with one line. Every cruise we try to get something new for us....it could be the embarkation port, the ship, the cruise line, or a port of call. We prefer to mix it up. Other's don't so it is nice to have choices. The same goes for our land vacations. We always try to throw something new in the mix, especially if we are repeating locations.

 

 

I don't bash other lines, because I have no real knowledge. Other than price for similar NCL cruises.

 

By next summer I will have sailed on 6 different NCL ships and done 7 different itineraries, stayed in 3 different types of room/suite.

 

And I agree with land based, always trying something new, even if it's the bi-annual trip to Florida. We do a different type of accommodation and park choices.

 

I rate my previous cruises 10/10. When that drops, I'll try elsewhere.

 

 

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[AZ Karaoke Girl]

One thing I have learned since I began cruising in 2007 is every cruise is different and every line is different. You can't judge one entire cruiseline based on one cruise. Every bad cruise is better than a day at work. I have cruised twice on NCL, 13 times on Carnival, 4 times on Royal Caribbean and once on Princess.

 

I am platinum Carnival and probably won't go back. They have declined so bad within the last couple years that it is no longer my cup of tea. My last 3 Carnival cruises were disappointing. I still had fun and there were some good parts but food has declined a lot in my opinion. That is subjective but I wasn't impressed. I would have eaten Guys burgers more but they weren't open for dinner. The dining room was a huge disappointment on my 2015 Freedom cruise, 2016 Inspiration and this year on Sunshine. I'm trying NCL on my next cruise (my 3rd NCL cruise). I paid for CCL specialty steak house and would rather pay NCL for one of their restaurants over that disappointment - oh wait, I don't have to pay NCL for their specialty restaurants with my dining package. :)

 

My last NCL cruise was in 2011 so I'm hoping it hasn't declined since then. I had a blast and loved everything about it. The drink package and dining package just helped seal the deal. My next cruise is out of NOLA and NCL & CCL were my options so I am happy to go with NCL this time.

[cage keeper]

At least you gave it a try. There are some folks on here that only stay with one cruiseline, never experiencing what others may have to offer.

No big deal if you didn't like it, that happens sometimes.

Enjoy your next cruise.:)

 

I agree with you. We were also on this cruise with the OP, second time on BA. It wasn't a great cruise but the reason I will not be on BA any time again soon is there are just so many more ships to experience.

[newmexicoNita]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. I actually think NCL is near the top in terms of free restaurants - you won't find anything comparable to blue lagoon/o sheehans or jasmine garden on carnival. They boast guys burgers and the burrito place but they are just add ons of the buffet. Carnival is the cruise I could never find anything open late to eat. Past buffet hours all they had was a deli.

 

Still gonna pick UBP for 14 pp pd over cheers for 50 pp pd.... plus if you get at least an oceanview you can get the SDP free too.

 

 

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I too, have to wonder how anyone could say one of their gripes was places to eat without an extra charge. I have a feeling they didn't seek these places out hard enough. :rolleyes: