Getaway, Dec 9-16, A middle aged, middle class opinion

[BlueWaterBaby]

First, let me preface, that almost any cruise situation is better then a regular day at the grind! We enjoyed our cruise because it was a cruise! Someone else did all the cooking and cleaning and we did fun things and relaxed.In that respect, mission accomplished!

We are empty-nesters in our late 40s. We usually cruise once a year, always a regular room, with a balcony.

Western Caribbean itinerary was, Embarkation and Sail Away Night, Sea Day, Roatan(Honduras), Harvest Cay(Belize), Costa Maya(Mexico) and Cozumel(Mexico), Sea day, Disembarkation Morning

We drove to the cruise port as we live in Florida. Miami is a ten hour drive from our home so we stayed with family the night before and then only had to drive three hours to the port Sunday morning. We were two hours late for our embarkation time because some idiot planner thinks it is OK to close down a major chunk of interstate and several main city streets in Fort Lauderdale area for three hours to do a motor cycle rally causing ridiculous stand still grid lock. Obviously not NCL's fault but it was extremely frustrating. 

Embarkation went fairly smoothly, lines were long but kept moving at a slow but steady pace. We never stood in one spot for more then a few seconds. It was a steady creep forward. Much improved over the last time we went through the Port of Miami.

Our room was ready by the time we boarded at about 2pm. Our luggage was there about an hour later. We had room 8112 with the extended balcony (for the sail away rate). We were very happy with the balcony! It was only too windy to be out there one night, other then that it was a wonderful space. We had a couple days of moderate seas but neither of us get motion sickness so being that far forward was not an issue. We rather enjoyed being rocked to sleep. 

We opted out of the "free" perks this time. We figured the money we would save at the sail away rate plus not having  to spend money paying all those "gratuities" for things we may not even consume, would more than make up what we would spend paying for our drinks. This was a cruise to celebrate our anniversary. We did not get a bottle of sparkling wine or a piece of cake or chocolate covered strawberries. What we did get was a small folded table top card that said," happy anniversary" and an invitation to the art auction "to celebrate". I didn't expect to be thrown a party, but I have seen people get nice little surprises for special occasions, I guess we don't rank. The little things matter, don't ask if it's a special occasion cruise and then use that as a lame way to invite us to the stupid art auction... (We did get the regular bottle of sparkling wine we always get for being return cruisers on the second night) 

The casino was tight,tight,tight. We expected this, we've cruised several times before, we know people who cruise, we know the casinos on board cruise ships are just there to bleed the gamblers dry when there is little else to do. We knew this going in, still, it was the worst we have ever encountered. Also the smoke was disgusting. They should glass wall off the smoking section and let those who so chose to, marinate in their own fumes while letting us pink lung people breathe clean air. The section of machines that are dollar machines is far too large, no one was ever playing those games. So between the tightness of the machines, the smoke,and the large selection of games we couldn't afford to play, we did not spend the amount of  time at the casino that we normally would have. 

The food at the buffet was excellent the entire trip. Food was fresh and plentiful. Things that should be hot were hot and things that should be cold were cold. Due to the numerous complaints on CC about food in the MDRs taking forever, being cold, orders wrong, bad servers and impossibility of getting drinks refreshed, we stuck to the buffet.The few times we wanted to pay for a specialty restaurants we could not get the times we wanted so we stuck to the buffet. We never had a problem getting a seat even when it was really busy.Our only complaint was them placing plates at both sides of the food counters, this only encourages people to start the line from both sides which  promotes total chaos at the popular spots. Everyone thinks they have the right of way and expects the other half of the line to move out of their way...very bad planning NCL.  We did try O'Sheehan's a few times and then gave up. The service and food were both terrible each and every time.This used to be a favorite spot, so we were extremely disappointed to see it scratched from our list of places to enjoy on board. 

Our room steward was apathetic. When we saw him he always said hello, but he had the least personality of any steward we have ever had. He never smiled. He certainly was not trying very hard to be friendly. Despite being left cash tips he did not accommodate our one request of more regular coffee. He was good about bringing us ice. We appreciated that because last year on the Epic we couldn't get ice for the life of us. He did keep the bed and bathroom tidy. We did get the towel animals but we don't care about that. 

We only saw one show this time, Million Dollar Quartet. We both really enjoyed it. Johnny Cash was the first concert I ever went to when I was 17  (in the 80s) so I have a soft spot for all things Johnny...

 

The ship was kept very clean. Including the restrooms, which in the past has not always been the case. She was decorated tastefully for Christmas. 

Roatan. It was our first time in Honduras. We did not plan an excursion. It was a rainy day so we hired a driver for $40 ($20 each)  and he took us on a private tour of the island. He did take us to several shopping areas which was kind of annoying, we really only wanted to see the sights. We absolutely would have liked to have supported the local economy but even by American standards the prices were extremely high in the places he took us to. They'd have made a lot more money if they weren't trying to gouge the "wealthy" tourists. I do not blame the Honduran people. The poverty was painful to see. The garbage in the streets was juxtaposed to the laundry on the lines and clean clothes on all the people. I was very uncomfortable with the begging. The little girls with the notes written in English were heartbreaking. My favorite part of the Island that we were shown was West End but even there the begging was prevalent. Coxen Hole was dirty, garbage everywhere. The shopping I did was done at the port, prices there were half of what they were in the shops the driver took us to. I did notice that the guy "painting" the "original" pieces at the port was not actually painting at all. I paint.. I know what paint looks like and smells like. His pallet had dried paint on it and the paints on his brushes were not wet, rather the bristles were dyed from previous paint pigment. I do not think we will return to Roatan, if it ends up on a future itinerary we will plan a snorkeling excursion through the cruise line we use. 

Harvest Cay.We paid for an excursion through NCL for a tour of Mayan ruins and a spice farm on the mainland of Belize. It was interesting and informative. Definitely enjoyed the day even though the weather was grey and a bit chilly. Our tour guides were excellent. We learned a lot. I've read reviews of people being annoyed about the ferry and bus ride to get to this excursion, I did not mind either one. I learned a lot during the bus ride and it was my first time seeing Belize. I don't understand why anyone would be bored with watching a whole different country roll by the window. We bought a small lunch at the end of the spice farm portion of the trip so we could try the local cuisine. It was OK. It was luke warm. It was quite bland for having been made at a spice farm! I did learn that I like rice made with coconut milk. We bought a few things in the spice store for gifts to take home.We did not have long to explore Harvest Cay, by the time we got back some shops were closing. Staff looked ready and eager  to leave. Lo and behold, I saw another guy fake painting some more of the same "original" paintings we saw the day before on Roatan. That isn't to say these paintings aren't worth buying, just be aware they aren't so unique as they want you to believe. 

Costa Maya. Our favorite stop on this trip! We took a $4 each shuttle over to the nearest beach and spent the entire day at the Crazy Lobster. Highly recommend! This place is managed perfectly! Our palapa and table was practically right on the beach, plus we had a couple loungers. Servers were pleasant, friendly and attentive. Bottles of beer were small but only a $1 each. Slushy drinks were priced very well, and twice we were brought free margaritas. We had the fish tacos and they were by far the best either of us had ever had. Our food and alcohol bill was $50 for the day and that is including a generous tip. My husband got an hour massage for $20 plus tip. The beach was not great for snorkeling but we tried anyways and I actually got to see a bunch of tropical fish, including a lion fish,  near the rocks and old pilings right near our spot on the beach. The people that came by our table trying to sell us a large variety of different items were not overly annoying and a slight shake of the head just sent them on their way. I did buy some bowls from one of the travelling vendors. It cost us $4 each again to taxi back to the port. The port area was very nice, we really enjoyed it. My only complaint is one of the bathrooms was not usable by me, it was filthy and  none of the stalls I went into had locks that worked. I tried the next one a little further down and it was far cleaner and door locks all worked properly. Neither of us has ever been keen on Mexico but our day at Costa Maya changed our minds about that. We will go back!

Cozumel. Disappointing, as always. Cozumel ranks second only to Nassau as the two worst ports in my book. Vendors in and around the port are aggressive and intimidating at times. I understand there is a cultural difference but it makes me uncomfortable when people try to physically drag me into their shops when I've already said, "No!" ....  We had an snorkeling excursion booked with a non-NCL business. Due to the "port being closed" it got cancelled. They tried to take us out anyways but then turned us around after being on the water for about ten minutes (after the captain received a phone call) . The water was beautiful, there was no real wind. The "port closure" made zero sense. We tried to look it up online but there is no official Mexican website that will tell you about these things. It made no sense. We got our money refunded and then they suggested a beach alternative. Which we accepted for $15 each that was supposed to include transportation. The tour guy put us in a taxi...only when we got there, after we tipped him, the taxi driver demanded $12 more for the price of the ride. We showed the receipt that showed transport included and then he took us into the beach club to try and straighten it out... we ended up having to pay the taxi driver, the guy in port had screwed us over. So we get to the beach and were told we can't snorkel or kayak in the water because "port is closed"..what?.. the beach is closed? barely any waves..what?... I could see people in the water snorkeling... we just paid $60+ (beach resort fee plus ride both ways) to come to a beach where we can't get into the water and all we can do is pay some more money for food and drinks.. what??!! Since people were swimming we took our gear and went snorkeling anyways. Nobody stopped us. The water was crystal clear and warm. We saw a lot of very beautiful fish. It was a pleasant surprise after how crappy the day had been so far. I stayed in the water until my mask and snorkel got too uncomfortable to wear any longer. We went straight back to the port once we were back on dry land. We waited far to long to get an overly priced weak drink at the upstairs restaurant that looks directly at the ship. We wont get off any cruise ships again in Cozumel unless we have a cruise line sanctioned excursion to go snorkeling. The water is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Color and  clarity, breathtakingly amazing. (On a previous stop in Cozumel we did the Atlantis submarine adventure and that is still one of my all time favorite excursions.)

I think we are done with NCL. The nickel and diming has become too extreme. It is insulting to read, "A 20% gratuity has been added for your convenience" attached to EVERY single thing. It is not convenient to me at all. I tip well, we are business owners in the service industry, I understand what gratuity actually means and it is not what NCL wants you to think it is. When two bottom shelf highballs cost $23 you can understand why some people choose to smuggle alcohol on board.( We didn't want to get the UBP this time because the forced "gratuity" is for the whole package amount no matter whether we drank our "share" every day or not. Care to explain how is that "convenient" to me again?....)When every single thing you want to do or purchase costs an extra $8 or 20%, it gets to the point you just don't want to line any more exec's pockets. It isn't that we can't afford to pay, it's that it is insulting the way NCL treats it's patrons in this way. The offering of "free" drink packages to everybody on board has lowered the level of enjoyment for us on the boat. We are not snobby people, we are relaxed, we like to have drinks, we are very much  "live and let live" type people... But, because of some of the shenanigans and low life behavior we saw from other cruisers, combined with the decline in service, while we are being nickel and dimed to death for everything on board, we will now be looking elsewhere next time we choose to cruise. It's a shame because NCL used to be our favorite line, but it's been a steady decline for the last four years and our brand loyalty has faded to gone. 

I wont say that I will never cruise NCL again. I've lived enough life to know to never say never...but we are going to be exploring our other options as this latest cruise proved the downward trend is continuing. Like I said, almost any cruise is a good cruise...however, NCL used to be a far better experience. We miss that, and we will be looking elsewhere hoping to reclaim that feeling.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

Wow, thanks for the comprehensive review. Sorry to see you go. But, with regard to your complaints, I am not sure that you will find it different on other cruise lines. 

Edited December 19, 2018 by BirdTravels

[Two Wheels Only]

One thing about cruise buffets is that they aren't like HS cafeteria buffets. Cruise buffets are more like Golden Coral. There is no "line" where people go from one section to the next. It's "zip in...grab...zip out". The only lines that I can see are for special order items and maybe fountain drinks.

[Skipper305]

Thank you for the review. No offense, but it seems like the perfect guide on how not to cruise. 

[robinpow]

On the same ship, same time, and agree it wasn’t up to par! Room steward, barely did what was required. Late night snack all but impossible, unless you want to pay $7.95 fee for room service. The slots were tight, even for a ship!  Heck if you could even get a drink in the casino, you felt like a winner. 

 

The Garden cafe, had lines, because of the style of lay out. However wasn’t that bad. 

 

There was a noticeable increase of young drunk activity. I have a funny feeling ship security had their hands full.  Again, annoying but not horrible. 

 

For smokers it was hell on water! Between the ship layout and heavy restrictions sets up an issue for smokers and non-smoker to butt heads! Only four places to smoke on the whole ship, and only one if it’s raining (not counting the tiny corner of the casino). Not near enough space, not convenient,  and pretty much sucked.  The old way of having port side for smokers was much better. Heck we weren’t even allowed to smoke in the cigar bar! 

 

New smoking restrictions, fee heavy, long slow lines even for platinum to embark, lack of quality with room stewards, my days may also be numbered too. 

 

As for the ports, not every port fits everyone’s taste! Didn’t bother to even leave the ship at the private island! Cozamel has changed a lot over the decades, not all for the good.

 

Roatan was my favorite.  Yes Roatan can be a little funky, but at least it still has culture and not just a beach/mega mall shopping port. My first time there, was ages ago when it first opened. No tourist shops, no tours to speak of, no vans or buses, no restaurants... Just a few stands where the stores are now and a lot of very polite locals.  The a few years later went back, and it was starting to look like Cozumel did in the old days.  This trip more development. Figure in another 5 years, it won’t have any of the original charm, and will become just another generic port of call.

 

[david_sobe]

Really enjoyed your review.  Direct and to the point.  Your honesty is refreshing with some of your concerns.  I agree, sometimes the nickel and diming/added fees do get to you.  You tend to absorb and rationalize much of it but there is always a straw that breaks the camels back.

[PATRLR]

6 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

One thing about cruise buffets is that they aren't like HS cafeteria buffets. Cruise buffets are more like Golden Coral. There is no "line" where people go from one section to the next. It's "zip in...grab...zip out". The only lines that I can see are for special order items and maybe fountain drinks.

Do that when I am standing in a line waiting my turn, you are going to hear from me.  

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

Do that when I am standing in a line waiting my turn, you are going to hear from me.  

 

I don't eat meals at the buffet...but I've seen how it's done.

 

If someone places an order for an omlet, for ex., I'd call that a line and people don't jump in front. If someone is loading up on scrambled eggs from the tray, someone else will zip in and grab a few pieces of bacon that are next to the eggs.

Edited December 20, 2018 by Two Wheels Only

[PATRLR]

33 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

I don't eat meals at the buffet...but I've seen how it's done.

You don't eat at the buffet, but you are an expert none the less and can tell people how they work.  smh.  So typical around here, I don't know why I am surprised.

 

As someone who does eat at the buffet, frequently, I assure you there is often lines for the scrambled eggs/bacon/french toast stations and if you "zip in" you are cutting the line and you are the problem.

[kathy884]

Thank you for your review we are on the same ship with same itinerary at the end of January and have three of those mini suites with large balconies on 8 too (two right off and one sail away plus two other rooms in the same vicinity) -- eleven of us in five cabins ages 23-82.  I'm glad to hear you liked the balconies.  We spend a lot of time visiting / sitting out and catching up with family on those when we cruise.  I think you made valid points in your review.  I'm one who wouldn't pick a cruise vacation, but with other family and extended family wanting to go, it is an easy way to travel with a large group.

[Two Wheels Only]

58 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

You don't eat at the buffet, but you are an expert none the less and can tell people how they work.  smh.  So typical around here, I don't know why I am surprised.

 

As someone who does eat at the buffet, frequently, I assure you there is often lines for the scrambled eggs/bacon/french toast stations and if you "zip in" you are cutting the line and you are the problem.

 

I'm not claiming that it "should be done" in that way. I'm stating that it IS often done in that way.

 

Imagine if from left to right there is bacon, eggs, then toast. If someone is standing in front of the toast and taking a few slices and there are 3 people directly behind him to the right, will someone who doesn't want eggs or toast walk up to the bacon and take pieces or will that person wait behind the 4 people?

Edited December 20, 2018 by Two Wheels Only

[Georgia_Peaches]

I must confess... if there’s a pause in the flow of the line, I’ve been known to snatch a few pieces of bacon. 

Edited December 20, 2018 by Georgia_Peaches

[PTC DAWG]

I like Cozumel, great beaches and clear water...no matter the cruise line..

[FAGATRON]

So as a first-time cruiser, what I should take away from this review is to treat the Buffet like you would on land, particularly like a casino based Buffet? 

[newmexicoNita]

20 hours ago, BlueWaterBaby said:

First, let me preface, that almost any cruise situation is better then a regular day at the grind! We enjoyed our cruise because it was a cruise! Someone else did all the cooking and cleaning and we did fun things and relaxed.In that respect, mission accomplished!

We are empty-nesters in our late 40s. We usually cruise once a year, always a regular room, with a balcony.

Western Caribbean itinerary was, Embarkation and Sail Away Night, Sea Day, Roatan(Honduras), Harvest Cay(Belize), Costa Maya(Mexico) and Cozumel(Mexico), Sea day, Disembarkation Morning

We drove to the cruise port as we live in Florida. Miami is a ten hour drive from our home so we stayed with family the night before and then only had to drive three hours to the port Sunday morning. We were two hours late for our embarkation time because some idiot planner thinks it is OK to close down a major chunk of interstate and several main city streets in Fort Lauderdale area for three hours to do a motor cycle rally causing ridiculous stand still grid lock. Obviously not NCL's fault but it was extremely frustrating. 

Embarkation went fairly smoothly, lines were long but kept moving at a slow but steady pace. We never stood in one spot for more then a few seconds. It was a steady creep forward. Much improved over the last time we went through the Port of Miami.

Our room was ready by the time we boarded at about 2pm. Our luggage was there about an hour later. We had room 8112 with the extended balcony (for the sail away rate). We were very happy with the balcony! It was only too windy to be out there one night, other then that it was a wonderful space. We had a couple days of moderate seas but neither of us get motion sickness so being that far forward was not an issue. We rather enjoyed being rocked to sleep. 

We opted out of the "free" perks this time. We figured the money we would save at the sail away rate plus not having  to spend money paying all those "gratuities" for things we may not even consume, would more than make up what we would spend paying for our drinks. This was a cruise to celebrate our anniversary. We did not get a bottle of sparkling wine or a piece of cake or chocolate covered strawberries. What we did get was a small folded table top card that said," happy anniversary" and an invitation to the art auction "to celebrate". I didn't expect to be thrown a party, but I have seen people get nice little surprises for special occasions, I guess we don't rank. The little things matter, don't ask if it's a special occasion cruise and then use that as a lame way to invite us to the stupid art auction... (We did get the regular bottle of sparkling wine we always get for being return cruisers on the second night) 

The casino was tight,tight,tight. We expected this, we've cruised several times before, we know people who cruise, we know the casinos on board cruise ships are just there to bleed the gamblers dry when there is little else to do. We knew this going in, still, it was the worst we have ever encountered. Also the smoke was disgusting. They should glass wall off the smoking section and let those who so chose to, marinate in their own fumes while letting us pink lung people breathe clean air. The section of machines that are dollar machines is far too large, no one was ever playing those games. So between the tightness of the machines, the smoke,and the large selection of games we couldn't afford to play, we did not spend the amount of  time at the casino that we normally would have. 

The food at the buffet was excellent the entire trip. Food was fresh and plentiful. Things that should be hot were hot and things that should be cold were cold. Due to the numerous complaints on CC about food in the MDRs taking forever, being cold, orders wrong, bad servers and impossibility of getting drinks refreshed, we stuck to the buffet.The few times we wanted to pay for a specialty restaurants we could not get the times we wanted so we stuck to the buffet. We never had a problem getting a seat even when it was really busy.Our only complaint was them placing plates at both sides of the food counters, this only encourages people to start the line from both sides which  promotes total chaos at the popular spots. Everyone thinks they have the right of way and expects the other half of the line to move out of their way...very bad planning NCL.  We did try O'Sheehan's a few times and then gave up. The service and food were both terrible each and every time.This used to be a favorite spot, so we were extremely disappointed to see it scratched from our list of places to enjoy on board. 

Our room steward was apathetic. When we saw him he always said hello, but he had the least personality of any steward we have ever had. He never smiled. He certainly was not trying very hard to be friendly. Despite being left cash tips he did not accommodate our one request of more regular coffee. He was good about bringing us ice. We appreciated that because last year on the Epic we couldn't get ice for the life of us. He did keep the bed and bathroom tidy. We did get the towel animals but we don't care about that. 

We only saw one show this time, Million Dollar Quartet. We both really enjoyed it. Johnny Cash was the first concert I ever went to when I was 17  (in the 80s) so I have a soft spot for all things Johnny...

 

The ship was kept very clean. Including the restrooms, which in the past has not always been the case. She was decorated tastefully for Christmas. 

Roatan. It was our first time in Honduras. We did not plan an excursion. It was a rainy day so we hired a driver for $40 ($20 each)  and he took us on a private tour of the island. He did take us to several shopping areas which was kind of annoying, we really only wanted to see the sights. We absolutely would have liked to have supported the local economy but even by American standards the prices were extremely high in the places he took us to. They'd have made a lot more money if they weren't trying to gouge the "wealthy" tourists. I do not blame the Honduran people. The poverty was painful to see. The garbage in the streets was juxtaposed to the laundry on the lines and clean clothes on all the people. I was very uncomfortable with the begging. The little girls with the notes written in English were heartbreaking. My favorite part of the Island that we were shown was West End but even there the begging was prevalent. Coxen Hole was dirty, garbage everywhere. The shopping I did was done at the port, prices there were half of what they were in the shops the driver took us to. I did notice that the guy "painting" the "original" pieces at the port was not actually painting at all. I paint.. I know what paint looks like and smells like. His pallet had dried paint on it and the paints on his brushes were not wet, rather the bristles were dyed from previous paint pigment. I do not think we will return to Roatan, if it ends up on a future itinerary we will plan a snorkeling excursion through the cruise line we use. 

Harvest Cay.We paid for an excursion through NCL for a tour of Mayan ruins and a spice farm on the mainland of Belize. It was interesting and informative. Definitely enjoyed the day even though the weather was grey and a bit chilly. Our tour guides were excellent. We learned a lot. I've read reviews of people being annoyed about the ferry and bus ride to get to this excursion, I did not mind either one. I learned a lot during the bus ride and it was my first time seeing Belize. I don't understand why anyone would be bored with watching a whole different country roll by the window. We bought a small lunch at the end of the spice farm portion of the trip so we could try the local cuisine. It was OK. It was luke warm. It was quite bland for having been made at a spice farm! I did learn that I like rice made with coconut milk. We bought a few things in the spice store for gifts to take home.We did not have long to explore Harvest Cay, by the time we got back some shops were closing. Staff looked ready and eager  to leave. Lo and behold, I saw another guy fake painting some more of the same "original" paintings we saw the day before on Roatan. That isn't to say these paintings aren't worth buying, just be aware they aren't so unique as they want you to believe. 

Costa Maya. Our favorite stop on this trip! We took a $4 each shuttle over to the nearest beach and spent the entire day at the Crazy Lobster. Highly recommend! This place is managed perfectly! Our palapa and table was practically right on the beach, plus we had a couple loungers. Servers were pleasant, friendly and attentive. Bottles of beer were small but only a $1 each. Slushy drinks were priced very well, and twice we were brought free margaritas. We had the fish tacos and they were by far the best either of us had ever had. Our food and alcohol bill was $50 for the day and that is including a generous tip. My husband got an hour massage for $20 plus tip. The beach was not great for snorkeling but we tried anyways and I actually got to see a bunch of tropical fish, including a lion fish,  near the rocks and old pilings right near our spot on the beach. The people that came by our table trying to sell us a large variety of different items were not overly annoying and a slight shake of the head just sent them on their way. I did buy some bowls from one of the travelling vendors. It cost us $4 each again to taxi back to the port. The port area was very nice, we really enjoyed it. My only complaint is one of the bathrooms was not usable by me, it was filthy and  none of the stalls I went into had locks that worked. I tried the next one a little further down and it was far cleaner and door locks all worked properly. Neither of us has ever been keen on Mexico but our day at Costa Maya changed our minds about that. We will go back!

Cozumel. Disappointing, as always. Cozumel ranks second only to Nassau as the two worst ports in my book. Vendors in and around the port are aggressive and intimidating at times. I understand there is a cultural difference but it makes me uncomfortable when people try to physically drag me into their shops when I've already said, "No!" ....  We had an snorkeling excursion booked with a non-NCL business. Due to the "port being closed" it got cancelled. They tried to take us out anyways but then turned us around after being on the water for about ten minutes (after the captain received a phone call) . The water was beautiful, there was no real wind. The "port closure" made zero sense. We tried to look it up online but there is no official Mexican website that will tell you about these things. It made no sense. We got our money refunded and then they suggested a beach alternative. Which we accepted for $15 each that was supposed to include transportation. The tour guy put us in a taxi...only when we got there, after we tipped him, the taxi driver demanded $12 more for the price of the ride. We showed the receipt that showed transport included and then he took us into the beach club to try and straighten it out... we ended up having to pay the taxi driver, the guy in port had screwed us over. So we get to the beach and were told we can't snorkel or kayak in the water because "port is closed"..what?.. the beach is closed? barely any waves..what?... I could see people in the water snorkeling... we just paid $60+ (beach resort fee plus ride both ways) to come to a beach where we can't get into the water and all we can do is pay some more money for food and drinks.. what??!! Since people were swimming we took our gear and went snorkeling anyways. Nobody stopped us. The water was crystal clear and warm. We saw a lot of very beautiful fish. It was a pleasant surprise after how crappy the day had been so far. I stayed in the water until my mask and snorkel got too uncomfortable to wear any longer. We went straight back to the port once we were back on dry land. We waited far to long to get an overly priced weak drink at the upstairs restaurant that looks directly at the ship. We wont get off any cruise ships again in Cozumel unless we have a cruise line sanctioned excursion to go snorkeling. The water is some of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Color and  clarity, breathtakingly amazing. (On a previous stop in Cozumel we did the Atlantis submarine adventure and that is still one of my all time favorite excursions.)

I think we are done with NCL. The nickel and diming has become too extreme. It is insulting to read, "A 20% gratuity has been added for your convenience" attached to EVERY single thing. It is not convenient to me at all. I tip well, we are business owners in the service industry, I understand what gratuity actually means and it is not what NCL wants you to think it is. When two bottom shelf highballs cost $23 you can understand why some people choose to smuggle alcohol on board.( We didn't want to get the UBP this time because the forced "gratuity" is for the whole package amount no matter whether we drank our "share" every day or not. Care to explain how is that "convenient" to me again?....)When every single thing you want to do or purchase costs an extra $8 or 20%, it gets to the point you just don't want to line any more exec's pockets. It isn't that we can't afford to pay, it's that it is insulting the way NCL treats it's patrons in this way. The offering of "free" drink packages to everybody on board has lowered the level of enjoyment for us on the boat. We are not snobby people, we are relaxed, we like to have drinks, we are very much  "live and let live" type people... But, because of some of the shenanigans and low life behavior we saw from other cruisers, combined with the decline in service, while we are being nickel and dimed to death for everything on board, we will now be looking elsewhere next time we choose to cruise. It's a shame because NCL used to be our favorite line, but it's been a steady decline for the last four years and our brand loyalty has faded to gone. 

I wont say that I will never cruise NCL again. I've lived enough life to know to never say never...but we are going to be exploring our other options as this latest cruise proved the downward trend is continuing. Like I said, almost any cruise is a good cruise...however, NCL used to be a far better experience. We miss that, and we will be looking elsewhere hoping to reclaim that feeling.

 

 

wow, thanks for sharing your experience with us: I guess this was not the ship for you and maybe NCL is no longer the line for you. enjoy your next adventure. I have to say, some of what you experienced we never have, some of the negatives we have all had, regardless of the line, from time to time. Thank goodness we have never had them all at once like you did. 

[FPJC03]

I sympathize with your complaint about nickel and diming passengers, but unfortunately it is prevalent in most cruises except for the higher end (Regent, Crystal, Cunard) but there you pay a much higher base price and are similar to all-inclusive land resorts. We have sailed on Regent and enjoyed the high level of service. But we have been on RCL, Celebrity, Princess and Holland and have had excellent service and cuisine on all of them. I would say that Holland has the best food and service, followed by Celebrity, Princess and then RCL. If you have traveled on budget airlines and even some of the majors, you have seen charges for items that used to be included. Travel companies are changing to a la carte pricing to attract folks to a cheaper base price. Kind of like car companies advertising a low lease rate. But all in all, cruising is a relaxing vacation and if you are not pleased with a line, try others, so much competition out there. 

[newmexicoNita]

2 minutes ago, FPJC03 said:

I sympathize with your complaint about nickel and diming passengers, but unfortunately it is prevalent in most cruises except for the higher end (Regent, Crystal, Cunard) but there you pay a much higher base price and are similar to all-inclusive land resorts. We have sailed on Regent and enjoyed the high level of service. But we have been on RCL, Celebrity, Princess and Holland and have had excellent service and cuisine on all of them. I would say that Holland has the best food and service, followed by Celebrity, Princess and then RCL. If you have traveled on budget airlines and even some of the majors, you have seen charges for items that used to be included. Travel companies are changing to a la carte pricing to attract folks to a cheaper base price. Kind of like car companies advertising a low lease rate. But all in all, cruising is a relaxing vacation and if you are not pleased with a line, try others, so much competition out there. 

FPJC, I do agree about the nickel and diming, on all ships, but this is the case with vacationing period I think. Tip this person, buy this gadget, eat at this place, tip that tour guide, throw a buck into the guy's basket who is playing the music outside the museum. etc.

As for service on various lines, this depends more on the particular ship I think. We did have fantastic service on HAL and I agree about the food, but on other lines it has been spotty, depending. We have rarely had bad service but I think our biggest disappointment has been on Princess and RCI. Celebrity has been good for the most part, once not so good. 

[lizp]

Great to read this honest review, thank you for taking the time!  Also, congrats on your anniversary! 

 

Your experience reminds me very much of the first time we cruised with NCL, on Jade (review here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=516183).  That cruise was not our choice of ship or itinerary (it was a work perk bonus trip, so no complaints!) and we were quite disappointed in the overall service and felt very nickle-and-dimed.   It wasn't a terrible trip, but it felt like there were a pile of little things that were just not quite right, and when those add up, you're not happy.  I totally sympathize with your feeling that this trip was a bit lackluster.  

 

We vowed not to cruise with NCL again... but "never say never," we just got off two weeks on Pearl and LOVED every minute of it!  (We chose the cruise based more on itinerary than ship, so we felt the itinerary was worth the "risk" of trying NCL again.)  We felt that NCL had really stepped up their game comparing one cruise to the other.... Service was way better, food was better, drinks were better, pretty much everything across the board was improved.  (Embarkation and Debarkation in Tampa were a bit of nightmare, but that's another story for another time...)

 

In preparing for this most recent cruise, I read review after review after review here on CC.  For the same sailings, there'd be one guest complaining about literally everything, and how terrible the entire trip was.  Next review, same ship, same date, 5-star, happy guest, best trip ever!  I think so much of the cruise experience is based on expectation, and it is so easy for the little things to leave you feeling disappointed.  

[BlueWaterBaby]

10 minutes ago, lizp said:

 

We vowed not to cruise with NCL again... but "never say never," we just got off two weeks on Pearl and LOVED every minute of it!  (We chose the cruise based more on itinerary than ship, so we felt the itinerary was worth the "risk" of trying NCL again.)  We felt that NCL had really stepped up their game comparing one cruise to the other.... Service was way better, food was better, drinks were better, pretty much everything across the board was improved.  (Embarkation and Debarkation in Tampa were a bit of nightmare, but that's another story for another time...)

 

 

Thanks Liz.  I'm curious if you think the 2 week length of your cruise led to things being of a bit higher quality than your last cruise with NCL?  If so do you have any thoughts about why that may be? 

 

I agree that, for us, it was a whole lot of little disappointments and irritants that added up to our feeling that our cruise was less than what we have experienced in the past with NCL. Our expectations were hopeful that it would be like the first time we sailed the Getaway, but the experience was just so far below that. So again, I agree, we set ourselves up with our expecting NCL to deliver like they used to and we should have known better... it has been our recent experience that they haven't been living up to that for us. Plus like you, I spend weeks reading my eyeballs raw before a trip. I like to be prepared, good, bad and ugly...and you certainly do get that here at CC!...nothing took me by surprise, I was just really hoping our trip would fall into the category of people who LOVED it. Unfortunately, although we did enjoy our cruise vacation, it was definitely not stellar. I did try to be fair about that in my review. I am glad other people are still loving their experiences. I hope if/when we try NCL again that we get the experience you just did on the Pearl! 

[Skipper305]

4 hours ago, FAGATRON said:

So as a first-time cruiser, what I should take away from this review is to treat the Buffet like you would on land, particularly like a casino based Buffet? 

For us, not at all like a land based buffet. We only do buffets on cruises because 3 sit down meals a day is way too much food. On a cruise we tend to head to the buffet multiple times a day to graze. We get a few items, small portions. Land based buffets once you leave that’s it, so you tend to eat way more food to last you until your next meal. 

Rarely do we encounter lines on Getaway, and like Two Wheels, if we see a opening in front of an appealing food item we just dive in get and get out. We think the food is great, just wish they had servers to bring your drinks. 

[lizp]

7 minutes ago, BlueWaterBaby said:

 

Thanks Liz.  I'm curious if you think the 2 week length of your cruise led to things being of a bit higher quality than your last cruise with NCL?  If so do you have any thoughts about why that may be? 

 

I agree that, for us, it was a whole lot of little disappointments and irritants that added up to our feeling that our cruise was less than what we have experienced in the past with NCL. Our expectations were hopeful that it would be like the first time we sailed the Getaway, but the experience was just so far below that. So again, I agree, we set ourselves up with our expecting NCL to deliver like they used to and we should have known better... it has been our recent experience that they haven't been living up to that for us. Plus like you, I spend weeks reading my eyeballs raw before a trip. I like to be prepared, good, bad and ugly...and you certainly do get that here at CC!...nothing took me by surprise, I was just really hoping our trip would fall into the category of people who LOVED it. Unfortunately, although we did enjoy our cruise vacation, it was definitely not stellar. I did try to be fair about that in my review. I am glad other people are still loving their experiences. I hope if/when we try NCL again that we get the experience you just did on the Pearl! 

 

It is possible that the length of the cruise helped to contribute, as it seemed like you had great opportunity to get to know the staff quite well!  The biggest difference we saw was in personal service -- waiters, bartenders, stateroom attendants especially were much more friendly and cheerful, happy to chat and happy to be providing you with a service while on vacation. 

 

Having cruised Celebrity and RCI prior to our first cruise on NCL, we were used to the magic of literally everyone knowing your name, but on Jade that just didn't seem to happen.  It's such a small thing, but always so nice to feel remembered, and it feels like when you're remembered that you get better service -- does that make sense?  So maybe on the 2 week stint we felt more remembered?  

 

I know I have read a ton of experiences on NCL's larger ships here on CC (love those live reviews!), and seem to see a higher number of complaints than I've seen for the smaller Jewel class ships.  Maybe the smaller ship size -- so smaller crew and fewer passengers -- just lends itself to a nicer experience for everyone? 

 

I can't point to any one thing that made this cruise so much better than the last, but much like the death-by-a-thousand-cuts leading to overall disappointment, this seemed like all those little things were just that much better and made for an overall better experience! 

[BlueWaterBaby]

I thought perhaps the longer length may eliminate a certain demographic of people sailing for the "free" drinks and thus eliminate some of the behavior we witnessed on our sailing. That being said, we are not snobs! We usually have the UBP ourselves (opted not to this time though). We enjoy a good party! Generally speaking, I could not care less if I see drunk people on vacation.  What we saw this time was a lot of "frat house" behavior that was not in any way appropriate for public display. And I'm not just talking about college aged kids here either..... my whole point to that is, I wonder if the crew are fed up dealing with that kind of behavior and if is reflecting in how they approach their jobs and treat the passengers? Food for thought. 

[lizp]

1 minute ago, BlueWaterBaby said:

I thought perhaps the longer length may eliminate a certain demographic of people sailing for the "free" drinks and thus eliminate some of the behavior we witnessed on our sailing. That being said, we are not snobs! We usually have the UBP ourselves (opted not to this time though). We enjoy a good party! Generally speaking, I could not care less if I see drunk people on vacation.  What we saw this time was a lot of "frat house" behavior that was not in any way appropriate for public display. And I'm not just talking about college aged kids here either..... my whole point to that is, I wonder if the crew are fed up dealing with that kind of behavior and if is reflecting in how they approach their jobs and treat the passengers? Food for thought. 

I did not think of ANY of those factors....!  

 

Definitely the majority of guests on our sailing fell firmly in the retiree-age bracket, longer cruises tend to be tough to get enough vacation time for, I guess!   

 

It did seem like nearly everyone we saw had the UBP, but I don't recall a frat-style party atmosphere, just a lot of folks thoroughly enjoying their time and their drinks in the bars and lounges!  The rowdiest crowds we saw were in the lounge at the champagne bar......  There was a piano player doing sing-along hits most nights who seemed to have a bit of a cult following -- the ladies LOVED him, and the singing along was.....  well.....  you can imagine what drunken ladies singing along to a mediocre piano player sounds like!  

 

I imagine the length of the cruise (and thus the cost) definitely steers the population towards being more mature and/or professional....  Taking 2 full weeks off is not a luxury everyone has in their job, and paying the costs for a 2 week cruise probably prices it out of the average cruiser's budget.  

[MrMike45]

With all due respect...you booked a balcony guarantee room, without taking any perks, to save money.  Which I am sure was a very good deal price wise for you.  That got you on the ship, and everything included for free with your cruise.  

 

Complaining about nickles and dimes you seems to counter your frugal room choice.  You did not have to do any of that.  You knew doing so would cost a fee.  You started your review saying the money you saved on the room would counter any you spent on drinks/meals.  

 

 Other lines are more all inclusive...and more expensive.  Or, you could have included those options (drink package, dining package) when booking your room with NCL at a much more expensive rate than what you chose.  Can't have it both ways.

 

You want more, have to pay more.  Be in as add-ons/fees, etc with NCL, or part of the cost of the room when you book with Royal.  Same thing/different wording-names 

[FPJC03]

Mr Mike45 - couldn't have said it better! While I respect everyone's critique and honest reviews, looking at CC is like Olympic scoring - you throw out the highest and lowest scores and make up your own mind as to what is the most important part of a cruise and go with that line and ship that fulfills those priorities the most. Many people believe that the upgrade fairy will grant them a huge upgrade for next to nothing. Some posters will fib a bit to get their point across. My philosophy is that every vacation is special and different and I want to get the best service and cabin location that I can reasonably afford. So if by going from a mini-suite to Haven is available for $500/pp, then I will spring for it. As others have said, flying first class or coach gets you to the destination at the same time, but with different comfort levels. So you make your choices and accept it as it is..l