What we learned from cruising NCL

[Goldenknight]

Spouse and I never cruised until 2019.  We've now sailed on NCL seven times, and once on another cruise line. 

 

Even though our most recent cruise on the Bliss (our third on that ship) was disappointing, the key word there (factually) is "disappointing."  It was most definitely not terrible, horrible or the "worst"  (insert any negative adjective there).  In fact, we take accountability for being foolish enough to book a March sailing, not realizing the profound impact of cruising during spring break month. (silly us, thought it was far enough away from Easter week). 

Fortunately, we also do not blame NCL for our disappointing experience.  I've previously factually stated that it is NOT the fault of NCL who boards their ship, they exist for the revenue/shareholders.  So, 2100 kids on board that sailing  . . .   well, it's revenue.  Of course, the ship was not overbooked, since that's physically impossible to do (indeed, there are only X number of cabins with X occupancy limits)

 

Having experienced the disappointing along with the overwhelming awesomeness of NCL, here's what we learned:

 

(1)  The crew tries.  No matter what, they TRY to ensure you have a great cruise.  Management CARES, the crew CARES, they will do everything they can to make you happy.  It's easy to be treated well by the crew when you treat them well as just people.  Not servants.  

Spouse and I have received innumerable unexpected perks from just being polite and respectful, even when "stuff happens."  We have never asked nor "demanded" compensation (more free internet, more free ____)  Never.  

 

(2)  Give NCL the opportunity to "fix" what you don't like while you are on board, not by griping here, either during or after your cruise has ended.  Spouse and I had a couple of unusual issues on day one of our last cruise.  We advised the appropriate departments of said issues on day one.  Done.  It was all  resolved immediately, with grace and kindness.  

 

(3) We both learned to speak some Tagalog.  We are not proficient speakers, but communicate reasonably well. The result: profound joy, some amusement (when the crew member points out our word choice/pronunciation error) and enriched time on board

 

(4) Appreciate the human investment the officers have on board. They are away from home for months at a time, and may actually want to talk about stuff besides the speed of the ship and the waste management system.  We're happy to see them dining in the buffet at any time of the day, even on embarkation day.  We've been remembered on subsequent cruises by a couple of senior officers (for the right reasons, ha ha).  The unexpected perks are special and always amaze us.  (one encounter happened in the buffet on day one, before they even had the chance to look up our cruise history to refresh their memory. 🙂  )

 

(5)  Before disembarking, take time to fill out a Crew Hero card (or more than one).  I have personally seen the binder of one crew member, who retains those cards in that binder, once the cards are circulated to management and find their way back to that crew member.  

 

In sum, we are thankful we've had 90% awesome experiences and just one disappointment that came last.  Had this last cruise been the first ever, we might have never cruised again, thinking that was a "normal" experience.  Factually, 2100 kids will impact your cruise.  That doesn't mean the entire crew, including senior officers, won't do their best (with what they are given that week).  

FYI, we stayed on the Bliss all week, no port visits at all.  Out of 20 meals on board, 16 were at the buffet.  (never do speciality dining).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[www3traveler]

THANK YOU  Nice to read something positive about the Bliss.

[smillerholmes]

Perspective.  I love it.  This so reminds me of my beginning to cruise.  First cruise Alaska/Sept/2016.  Tons of research precruise.  Fell in love.  Bought 8 CruiseNext.  Sat down with a calendar to figure out when I would have enough vacation time to go again.  Hmmm...March - OK! Booked on the ship.  No research into the Western Caribbean, but it's just islands right?  Fast forward to March - the whole trip was different from airport to ship to cruise to back home.  Did thousands of kids (or at least it seemed like it) ruin my cruise?  No, it was just different (OK - VERY different!).  Had that been my first experience I sincerely doubt cruising would have become my preferred vacation method.  I learned and I am better for it and I love cruising more now than ever.  

 

Thanks for highlighting crew interaction and human investment.  I think it's an underappreciated aspect of cruising. 

[complawyer]

what my wife and i have learned, in 24 cruises with ncl, ( we were on the bliss last july. hellova ship), is to just cruise for the shear joy of  cruising. if there are 2100 kids on board so be it. i escape to my balcony, get a cold beer and read my kindle. 

 

by the way, regardless of the amount of fellow passengers, if you book a haven or a suite, you can escape from the hustle and bustle even easier.  

 

ive always maintained that we choose ncl, because it gives us the best bang for our buck, both pricewise and with their multi-varied itinerary. 

 

i'm 75 years old, and have been with ncl to places i never thought i'd see in my life. sure other lines may go to the same ports, but i seem to be most comfortable with norwegian.

 

i have almost 2600 posts on this site, and in the past have indicated numerous times, once on board, my needs are few and far between. a number of their shows dont  interest me, i dont stay up very late anymore, so i dont bar hop. the drink package in and of itself allows me to drink more than i should or normally would. im on vacation, and there is no one at home i need to speak to, so the wi-fi is irrelevant for meet, we usually hire a cab so i rarely book an ncl shore excursion.

 

so, at the end of the day, im very happy just to be able to relax on a cruise ship and watch the world go by.

 

again, after all is said and done, regardless on little annoyances, my long lasting and on going complaint is the sogginess of the hamburger buns.  If that's all i can b***h about, i figure i'm still batting 1000

[UKstages]

great attitude about this and all of your cruises!

 

thanks for sharing your views.

 

i do agree that a spring break cruise is challenging. this happened to me last year and about half the passengers were those under 18. while it's true that the ship's capacity is not exceeded, it is considerably stretched. rooms that can take up to 4 passengers have 4 passengers. rooms that can have 6 passengers have 6 passengers, whereas on a"normal" cruise, those rooms often sail with few passengers. apart from many kids sitting on the stairs, often eating, blocking others' ability to go up and down the stairs... the other big drawback to a spring break cruise is the demand it makes on the wifi system. every one of those kids is on their damn phone 19 hours a day and that slows down the throughput on an already slow and overtaxed system.

 

with regard to learning a few words in tagalog... i have traveled extensively in the philippines and so i do know a few words and phrases. just saying "salamat" usually brings a big smile to a filipino cruise ship worker's face... and often a subsequent discussion about my trips to the philippines and which cities i have visited.

[mcphreek]

10 hours ago, Goldenknight said:

It's easy to be treated well by the crew when you treat them well as just people.  Not servants.  

Spouse and I have received innumerable unexpected perks from just being polite and respectful

Thank you Goldenknight - this cannot be overstated!

[amygutman]

Thank you for sharing a lovely post and perspective.

Focusing on the positives, understanding (which doesn't mean blindly accepting) the negatives and appreciating how hard the crew works to give you an amazing time at sea. 

I love this...and am grateful for your eloquent words. 

Salamat po, Amy

[sunkey1]

I have taken MANY cruises and hope I never fall into that group that becomes so jaded that all they can do is nit pick and look for faults. At the end of the day I am on a ship. I am fortunate that I can take a vacation with someone I love, knowing that I have a lovely home to go back to, and have a good job and no worries about paying my bills. Given what we are seeing in the world lately I consider myself to be hugely fortunate and try to focus on that instead of the negative, as so many others seem to do on these boards. Yes, I want honesty, but some of these people seem totally unable to be satisfied about anything and I'm so happy to read your review where you managed to find the rose in the thorns. Bravo!

[ChiefMateJRK]

7 hours ago, sunkey1 said:

I have taken MANY cruises and hope I never fall into that group that becomes so jaded that all they can do is nit pick and look for faults. At the end of the day I am on a ship. I am fortunate that I can take a vacation with someone I love

BINGO!!   Sometimes when they get to raining all over everything, I just pull out my umbrella and March my happy parade through their rain.  They don't like that and start calling me names like "apologist."  I've been called worse. 🤣🐀

[graphicguy]

I've been cruising for a while (almost 30 years).  I've sailed Carnival, MSC, Royal, Celebrity, HAL and NCL.

 

I've sailed NCL the most.  Mostly, I like their product.  But, they always want to make sure I'm enjoying myself.  If something goes sideways, I let them know, and they do their level best to make it better.

 

Do they stub their toes from time-to-time?  Absolutely!  I was so PO'd at them after the start up I swore them off.  Then, the deals started....good deals.  That got me back on board.  I remembered why I liked sailing them.

 

Not a swipe at any of the other cruise lines.  I will still sail them when the itinerary, fare, and/or timing works.  Overall, NCL offers a good product (usually).  Have said it many times, their entertainment is the best at sea.  They have beautiful and well-maintained ships....some of them, the most innovative at sea.  Their crew does their absolute best to make sure I'm happy.  The "vibe" of their cruises fits with what I like (dine where and when I like without worrying about packing "dress" clothes).  

 

I know some get their panties in a bunch over this or that fee.  But, they tend not to look at their total cruise cash outlay.  If you drink alcohol and like specialty dinners, the daily tips on the drink package and the dining packages are well under what you'd pay to go a la carte on any other cruise line's packages.

 

Not sure I could ask for much more.

 

 

[JennKach]

I've been cruising for over 20 years and never had a bad cruise.  We've tried many lines but NCL just fits our style and "level" of cruising at a fairly reasonable price.  I've experienced canceled ports due to weather, super rough seas, noisy rooms, toilets that quit working, seen fights onboard, run out of my favorite drink, and lots of other things that people said made their trip a nightmare, but I always think how lucky I am to be vacationing.  I sympathize with complainers when they've truly been hit with a bad event that can't be fixed, like planning a family trip with cabins together and having them moved all over the ship.  Or people that have to reserve vacation so far in advance and a ship gets chartered or canceled on them.  All I can do is prepare as well as I can to avoid known possibilities and go with the flow. On the next trip I get to sleep overnight in an airport for the first time, and I will still enjoy it!    

[happytotravel]

Bravo for your post!

happytotravel

[Goldenknight]

Adding a little insight here to my original post:

 

(1) we book and pay for the cabin category we want.  On NCL, have sailed twice in the Haven, plus a balcony, aft balcony, and a few simple oceanview cabins.  Tried the online bidding process once, nothing, that was it.  Numerous recurrent threads on C.C. about bidding, status upgrades, and accompanying stress/anxiety/disappointment. 

 

(2)  Never have any drink package, even when "free" at sea.  Never.  Iced tea, hot tea, water are just fine.  Numerous recurrent threads on C.C. about specific liquor options, will it be available, and on and on.  

 

(3)  grateful that NCL (and other cruise lines) are still in business, cruising.  The impact of the Covid shutdown on all business, especially cruise lines,  is significant. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[graphicguy]

16 hours ago, Goldenknight said:

Adding a little insight here to my original post:

 

(1) we book and pay for the cabin category we want.  On NCL, have sailed twice in the Haven, plus a balcony, aft balcony, and a few simple oceanview cabins.  Tried the online bidding process once, nothing, that was it.  Numerous recurrent threads on C.C. about bidding, status upgrades, and accompanying stress/anxiety/disappointment. 

 

(2)  Never have any drink package, even when "free" at sea.  Never.  Iced tea, hot tea, water are just fine.  Numerous recurrent threads on C.C. about specific liquor options, will it be available, and on and on.  

 

(3)  grateful that NCL (and other cruise lines) are still in business, cruising.  The impact of the Covid shutdown on all business, especially cruise lines,  is significant. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Been in every cabin from solo cabin, to inside, to a Balcony to an Aft Suite, to the Haven.  Sailed on 6 (7 next month) of her ships.  It just works for me with NCL.

 

I have yet to see one of those bidding fares that were won to be any sort of a “deal”.  So, I do not participate.  If I want a specific category of cabin, and it’s reasonable, I book it.  I have found some really good Haven deals in the past.  Just have to be diligent with shopping.

 

Am glad NCL and the rest of the cruise industry sees the light at the end of the tunnel.  NCL will be fine.  It’s going to take a while, but they’ll end up fine.

Edited March 29, 2023 by graphicguy

[sassycruiser]

We went on a March cruise out of Tampa once after going to Detroit Tigers Spring Training.  I think there were 4 couples that weren’t college age.  Still had a good time.  Reminded us of the stupid things we did when we were that age.  Never booked another March cruise…..

 

In 20 years never had a bad cruise.  Some experiences I don’t want to repeat but that is life.

 

We just came back from Epic.  For what we paid for the week with packages, etc we couldn’t have gone to one island.  Which is why we started cruising originally.  It’s still a great cost savings vacation.  

 

 

 

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 hours ago, sassycruiser said:

For what we paid for the week with packages, etc we couldn’t have gone to one island.  Which is why we started cruising originally.  It’s still a great cost savings vacation.  

It's also much more relaxing to have the "hotel" move you from destination to destination instead of planes, trains and automobiles.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

It's also much more relaxing to have the "hotel" move you from destination to destination instead of planes, trains and automobiles.

And the packing and unpacking is also a lot easier when the "hotel" does the moving.

[amygutman]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And the packing and unpacking is also a lot easier when the "hotel" does the moving.

And the hotel does the cooking....

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, amygutman said:

And the hotel does the cooking....

And washes the dishes afterwards.

[Goldenknight]

I didn't notice this until today.  There is a little symbol next to my name on this thread.  I clicked on it, it says "Great Review" and then "rare."  Apparently, this is "mabuti."

 

I don't know how it got there, so wanted to post "thank you" to those of you who replied on this thread, and to whomever thought I had something interesting to say.

 

Maybe I am a Norwegian "apologist."  I seldom post on this forum, but have read numerous threads (haha, I mean complaints).  Wishing that on our next few cruises, that we meet the charming posters here from this thread that share our appreciation for NCL and cruising (just won't find me on any ship in March 🙂 )

[Goldenknight]

Today is the first day in nearly two months that I've logged on to read comments on the CC boards.  . .  partly because we are again on the Bliss next week, so looking for new reviews/helpful comments since our last cruise in March.

 

**Sigh**

 

Many thanks to poster - graphicguy - - for the nice Bliss review.

 

Otherwise, just posting in my old thread, and reiterating what apparently can't be emphasized enough - -  look for the positives because we are all fortunate to be able to cruise, meet crew from other countries, and enjoy that ocean breeze.  Seven days till onboard!!

Edited May 7, 2023 by Goldenknight

[Goldenknight]

Adding a sixth thought to my original post above:

 

(6)  No matter what NCL may do to resolve a guest issue, some people may never be satisfied.  (imagine the famous line from "The Merchant of Venice." 🙂)

 

Sort of off topic about learning life lessons:  we've been fortunate to have schnauzers in my family for decades.  Our second schnauzer developed cancer in his rear leg, high up near the hip joint.  The oncology veterinarian recommended amputation, and assured us it wouldn't impact the quality of that dog's life. He was right. Not long after recovery, that beautiful tripod dog was happily prancing on his walks once again, grateful to still be with his family.  Sheer happiness for everyone, not just him.  

Well.

 

Sometimes, nitpicking and whining consumes your life, eh?