Why do you pick NCL?

[hallux]

9 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

auto correct

In this case, couldn't be a more appropriate term!!

[Russiamomm]

13 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

You have to love auto correct ! Lol! Ha! 

LOL. I didn’t even notice that,  as you say, gotta love auto correct!

[Russiamomm]

10 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Seems like that liquor would be Auto charged to your account.

And that it was.  My son discovered he likes beer.  😃. Unfortunately you cannot get the drink package perk for them.  It would have been a whole lot cheaper.  

[kelib]

They are the best for solo travelers plain and simple. 

[sverigecruiser]

 

When we should book our first cruise we choosed NCL because of their Freestyle dining and they also had the best brochure with prices for every cruise.

 

We were loyal to NCL until they started the bidding program and raised the prices. Now we see no reason not to book MSC Yacht Club instead.

[spanishguy1970]

7 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

We sail many lines . We sail as a family of four and many times there are good discounts with free 3rd and 4th guests on NCL. Our 12 day Alaskan cruise on the Sun this August is the same case. No fare for the kids who are 10 and 12. Many times this, good prices, low deposits, and the drink package made NCL the best deal apples to apples for us. Unfortunately a lot has changed in the past couple months and their “best value for us” reasons have disappeared and we have moved on to Celebrity for 2022 which as a premium line has better deals than NCL now. NCL has terrible value as of today in our opinion and won’t be back after 2021. My two cruises are now up $1800 from when I booked so no more new bookings for us on NCL until they get back to reality .....

AMen this is exactly what is happening to us.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Price, drink package, and on board entertainment.

[mugtech]

Being Platinum Plus and having a good itinerary available on a Jewel class ship is our only reason.  Had been contemplating Jade in Asia, glad we found a better cruise elsewhere. 

[rkelly21]

9 hours ago, HalfHand said:

Nope, we rotate thru NCL, RCL, and Carnival.

 

We enjoy different things on each line, we also dislike different things on each line. As far as cost is concerned, we usually go with the cheapest option dependent upon where we want to go. Unless we are doing a specific ship.

 

 

You should try Princess. I tiny bit more expensive but always great food and entertainment. Great customer service and always consistent. never a hot or miss situation.They know how to treat their guests.

[rkelly21]

After 4 decades of cruising I can honestly say NCL is the absolute worst. Poor food and non caring service especially at the front desk. The exception are the hard working cabin attendants and find a favorite bar tender. Tip them upfront and you WILL be well taken care of. Forget the overpriced liquor package. If you have an issue don't bother trying to contact the head office. It's a waste of time. Of course this is only one person's opinion.

 

Here is what a person posted on I believe this site:

 

Since Del Rio took over,  NCL is just a cold corporate machine that at times has all the personality of a clogged drain.

 

That says it all.

[nhtravels]

Our 1st cruise with NCL (after 3 Carnival cruises in in the 2000's) happened because DBIL had a casino offer.  He picked the cruise and we booked through a points card.  Ended up with an upgrade to the OS on the Escape and we were hooked on the Haven!

 

I don't think anything will top that 1st trip.  But we have 2 cruises with NCL booked currently and are planning for a 3rd!

[rkelly21]

I have to admit the Haven is the only exception. I prefer the midsize Haven ships like the Jade since there are only 12 suites on the top deck. I had a 2 bedroom suite and my friend had H1 which is one of 2 grand suites. The interior is approx 2100 sq ft and another 2000+ sq ft of balcony. Complete with Grand piano. Unbelievable.

[jcscv]

I have sailed on most of the basic cruise lines, and have found different aspects of NCL that wins over the others for me. 

 

I prefer the entertainment of NCL best.  There's a lot of variety that caters to different ages and tastes. 

 

I also appreciate the variety of dining options.

 

And, most of all, I appreciate their consideration of solo travelers.  They are one of the few lines that has accommodation options that don't include a double supplement.  They also not only have a lounge for solo travelers to meet, but every time I've taken a cruise with them, they have a dedicated crew member to organize group dinners/shows/meets, etc. if people want to join in. 

 

And, I appreciate the casual dress code, so much less I have to pack 😁

[PhillyTravelBug]

Their thermal spas have me sold. The originators of freestyle dining.  This is the first year I’m cheating on them to go on the new celebrity Apex and I feel guilty, but excited to try a new line.

[DomoYoshi]

My partner and I have been on three NCL cruises through casino comps. I like the freestyle dining, shows, and balcony rooms/suites we’ve stayed in have been nice. The thermal spa on Breakaway is amazing, and I love the Observation Deck on Joy.

 

That said, we choose Azamara or MCS when we book outright for ourselves. NCL prices are getting a bit outrageous for what they offer. 

[hallux]

Everyone is saying the entertainment is better on NCL.  I'd say it's 50/50.  I was on RCI's Anthem of the Seas in 2018, had some great entertainment from the theater show (Queen tribute show, an original), the Journey cover band (DSB Band, GREAT group) and the Cabaret.  I was on the Bliss 2x last year, also had great entertainment.

 

What gave NCL a bit of an edge last year was the CD and the passenger-interactive entertainment staff.  On the second cruise the asst. CD even recognized me from my first, I guess he FINALLY just left the ship recently.  They were all GREAT, saw the CD at many of the activities, and he interacted with guests (including myself) and there were several of the staff that just "captured our hearts" so to speak.  Their interactions with each other and the guests during activities were great and they definitely did their jobs in making the cruise enjoyable.

[Comi.uy]

2 hours ago, DomoYoshi said:

That said, we choose Azamara or MCS when we book outright for ourselves. NCL prices are getting a bit outrageous for what they offer. 

Thats such a pity really, they used to have great prices !

[Edinburghgirl1]

Only book NCL is travelling with my friend and we want to keep costs low. If travelling with my husband we would normally go for Celebrity as food and service far superior to NCL. Trying Azamara for first time in November. 

[KateQ22003]

At this time NCL is the only line that sails out of Boston heading South. This is important to me as I hate to fly and don't need the added expense. If another line chooses to move into Boston I would have to seriously take a look at them. 

[cruisekitty22]

We choose NCL for no dressing up whatsoever!  I cannot gt DH to bring a sport coat if he had too!  Even a button down shirt is too much! NCL has the best entertainment, IMO. Nice big ships with lots of things to do and we are an older couple!  The food is good in the specialty restaurants.  We are sailing March 22, 29, 2020 to the Bahamas on Bliss from NY.  We wont consider Carnival, way too many kids or Celebrity, too stuffy. Royal C is ok. Went once and went right back to NCL.

[klscaz]

For my upcoming transatlantic cruise, it was the itinerary and the fact that there would be a lot to explore on the 5 consecutive sea days. This will be my 18th cruise (3rd on NCL) and I am not loyal to one line. 

[gmbhardy]

19 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

You have to love auto correct ! Lol! Ha! 

 

I was texting my son last winter to warm him that there was a bad snow storm brewing. Auto correct changed it to bad stromboli. Totally confused my son. I think I cried for two hours.

[fshagan]

The only line I pay extra for is Disney, as I find them worth a premium over NCL. Otherwise it's price and itinerary; if NCL is up against another line for the itinerary I want and the price is about the same, I'll give the nod to NCL because of true freestyle dining and good entertainment.

 

So much of this is subjective though. Most people love Celebrity, but in our one cruise with them they left us absolutely underwhelmed in food, service and entertainment. So many people love them, though, that we will try them again when price and itinerary are good. Any individual cruise can be good or bad and it takes a few to really get the flavor of the line.

[kathybelcher2433]

Interesting question!

 

We’ve done cruises on NCL, Princess and RCCL, exclusively to the Caribbean, and all 25+years ago. After that big break, we decided to try cruising again and picked a Med cruise on NCL for itinerary, time of year, and price, and we’ve stuck with them ever since for another 4 cruises within the last 5 years. I keep looking at other lines but with those top 3 reasons, NCL wins out. Is everything perfect? Hardly! But nothing of any consequence is a deal breaking issue for us.

 

I do think a really odd phenomenon is how after a cruise or two on one line, you take any criticism super personal, since it calls into question your choices and makes you super defensive! I do it too, in my head of course, just not in social media. It does make me laugh though!

 

 

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[Tutontow]

We sail NCL because we receive comped cabins through the casino.  Quite honestly the day we have to pay full price on any cruiseline  we will most likely quit cruising.