NCL Bad Reviews

[dmbcanada]

Seems like NCL is getting bad reviews lately, booked the Epic for next year cruising to Greece and Italy.   However having second thoughts due to bad reviews, what are the chances things will change for the better in a year?   We have cruised NCL twice in the past and love the itinerary for next year.  

[quagmire0]

I saw the same thing with reviews coming in about the Escape.  I will say that a lot of times the reviewers seem to be griping about things that could have been avoided given just a little bit of research and preparedness. I mean, we're talking watch one of the hundreds of 10 minute Youtube videos and you'd avoid it/expect it. Or, it's things that can unfortunately happen from time to time, like embarkation/disembarkation delays. There's also reviews from the same trip that are polar opposite and those people had a great time. 

[hallux]

Keep in mind that people are MUCH more likely to complain than to praise.  For every complaint you read about a particular trip there are probably 3,000 others that had a good time.

[BunnyHutt]

5 minutes ago, hallux said:

Keep in mind that people are MUCH more likely to complain than to praise.  For every complaint you read about a particular trip there are probably 3,000 others that had a good time.

This!!!

 

OP - if you’re booked on an itinerary that appeals to you at a price and timeframe that works for you, take it!

[dmbcanada]

5 minutes ago, hallux said:

Keep in mind that people are MUCH more likely to complain than to praise.  For every complaint you read about a particular trip there are probably 3,000 others that had a good time.

Yes that is a good point, some of the bad reviews were due to silly things like rough towels.

[njkate]

I take reviews both good and bad with a grain of salt. As for complaints also with a grain of salt, what may seem minor to me may be a big deal to someone else. I read them to become aware of what if's what may etc. 

A review will not influence me to not book a cruise if the price, timing and itinerary works for me.

You can go to each cruise lines page here and find the same complaints, some very valid and some I find just a minor annoyance.

Take your cruise and enjoy it

Edited June 5, 2023 by njkate

[graphicguy]

Generally speaking, I always advise that if you start booking a cruise with a lot of trepidation, it’s best not to book it, regardless of reason.  So, if you’re worried about taking that Epic Cruise, you should probably look elsewhere.

 

Although, I will say that after sailing just about all the other major cruise lines (including some minor ones like MSC), I’ve found there are people on all lines who will find something to complain about,  That’s more a reflection of the complainers and not the cruise lines.

[KKB]

1 hour ago, dmbcanada said:

Seems like NCL is getting bad reviews lately, booked the Epic for next year cruising to Greece and Italy.   However having second thoughts due to bad reviews, what are the chances things will change for the better in a year?   We have cruised NCL twice in the past and love the itinerary for next year.  

ALL cruiselines are getting bad reviews.

They always have--complainers always seem to be more interested in writing a review than happy campers.

And since COVID, labor supply issues as well as cost-cutting make cruising not QUITE what it used to be.

Admittedly, we felt those issues on Encore in Dec. Still a good cruise, but labor shortage was clear.

 

Look for PATTERNS in complaints about a ship--do you see the same complaint popping up over & over? If so, that likely is an issue. But if all you see is different laundry lists of complaints, it's probably more issues of the complainer than actual problems.

[golden6911]

I think some of the bad reviews are because NCL markets themselves as the "chill" cruise line where you don't have to do a lot of scheduling and planning, but it turns out that if you want to do EVERYTHING, you actually DO have to plan some stuff.  Can you walk on the ship with no preparation, and then just wing it? Sure, but you might miss a restaurant or a show.  I personally think a lot of the complaints I see would be alleviated by people spending 30-45 minutes reading and researching before the cruise. 

[Elsammo46]

People will complain about literally anything sometimes. I read a review where someone was upset that a crew me never didn’t immediately step against the wall to let them pass in a hallway or that they weren’t properly greeted with a towel on the pool deck by the crew, just a bunch of “passenger princesses” out there. I wouldn’t put a great deal of stock into most of them out there. 

[hallux]

3 minutes ago, Elsammo46 said:

People will complain about literally anything sometimes

Some people aren't happy if they're not complaining.

[graphicguy]

18 minutes ago, hallux said:

Some people aren't happy if they're not complaining.

Amen to that!  Every once in a great while, I’ll run into one of those chronic complainers.  I tend to extricate myself from conversations with them.

Edited June 5, 2023 by graphicguy

[graphicguy]

39 minutes ago, golden6911 said:

I think some of the bad reviews are because NCL markets themselves as the "chill" cruise line where you don't have to do a lot of scheduling and planning, but it turns out that if you want to do EVERYTHING, you actually DO have to plan some stuff.  Can you walk on the ship with no preparation, and then just wing it? Sure, but you might miss a restaurant or a show.  I personally think a lot of the complaints I see would be alleviated by people spending 30-45 minutes reading and researching before the cruise. 

Interesting point.

 

Free Style does not apply to crowded pools that are too small.  It doesn’t alleviate those who are chair hogs around those same pools that are too small.  You can walk right up to a Specialty dining restaurant and get a seat.  It may not be until 9 at nite, but you can get it.  Some of the entertainment venues are too small for their best shows (thinking Cavern Club and Syd Norman’s).

 

But, comparing that with having to identify which “seating” you’d like (5:30 or 8:30) every nite for dinner isn’t a “thing” with NCL as it is with other cruise lines.  Having a “formal nite” isn’t an NCL thing as it is on other cruise lines…..etc!

 

Whole heartedly agree about spending just a little prep time to make your on board experience more relaxed is excellent advice.

[mcmomny]

I hadn't been on a Cruise since before the Pandemic started, so our first cruise back was on The Escape and we not the cruise line made the major mistake of booking during Spring Break so it was a sold out cruise and super crowded!

 

We made the best of it and had a great time but many people were upset and wrote bad reviews due to how crowded the ship was, how hard it was to make reservations, crowded elevators and the small pools.

 

With a simple bit of research you should know that you can pre book specialty dining online before you cruise and that all cruise ships pools are too small for at sea days and in all honesty the elevators are crowded because too many people are too lazy to take one or two flights of stairs instead of the elevators!

 

Take the stairs and let those who really need the elevators the space to do so!

 

I have been on The Epic twice and she receives tons of bad reviews but our two times on her were great! Once in Europe and once in The Caribbean.

 

You liked the itinerary so go with it! Relax and enjoy!

 

 

[graphicguy]

Spring Break cruises are a hard “NO” for me.

 

Took my son on a Spring Break cruise many years ago when he was still a teen.  He said the same thing.

[quagmire0]

I look at a few things with critical reviews:

1. Age.  Not to be ageist, but older passengers are going to tend to be more sensitive to food quality, waits, crowds, etc. If you don't believe me, pick any ship and look at most of the lower-rated reviews and look at the reviewer's age.  If you're younger, or you're a more active older adult, you'll likely not be as sensitive to the smaller things.  This could also work in reverse, as younger passengers who are of a party mindset will be too busy 'having fun' to recognize mediocre food, crowds, lines, etc.   

 

2. Were they prepared?  Are the things they are complaining about common knowledge?  If they watched a 10 min cruise tip video on YouTube, would they have avoided it?  Was it a problem that is relatively common/possible when you take a cruise?  To me, those kinds of things are disappointing, but they may not justify me giving the cruise a 1 star review. For example, I know that embarkation and disembarkation can be a pain.  I know that when I get on the ship my room won't be ready.  I know that the buffet will likely be crowded and there's a good chance that the restaurant that all the YouTube folks tell me to check out instead may also be crowded. I know that this cruise I'm going on will have 5k+ passengers and I should book everything that is 'must do' as soon as I get on the ship, or before.  I know that bringing by bags on or off board myself can be a major pain and not worth the effort since my flight is later.  I know that tender ports can be slow to load or end up not loading at all. Etc. etc. 

Edited June 5, 2023 by quagmire0

[Ellis1138]

3 hours ago, dmbcanada said:

Seems like NCL is getting bad reviews lately, booked the Epic for next year cruising to Greece and Italy.   However having second thoughts due to bad reviews, what are the chances things will change for the better in a year?   We have cruised NCL twice in the past and love the itinerary for next year.  

 

In addition to what others have said, I'm sure every line gets the same bad reviews. Each line does have a vibe and I use the bad reviews as much as the good reviews to decide. Sometimes, it's a complaint that doesn't mean anything to me (towel animals, crew subservience, turndown service), and I discard that. The Coffee Mate/No Cream issue is a bit more important to me, but will I not go on my NCL cruise because I have to hunt down cream or grab a carton of milk from the buffet for my coffee? No. Is the Pride of America aft sewage smell concerning? Yes, but what I did was research the possible causes and what I can do about it and, if it's that bad, I'll go seeking FCC. 

 

I have special needs, so I contact NCL ahead of time and I make the preparations for what I need. Many times, when I read the negative review, it's as others have said; The cruiser didn't research or pay attention. I mean, yeah, you can totally wing a Freestyle time on NCL, but they aren't going to handhold us if we need or expect certain things. 

 

TLDR; Read the good and bad reviews, decide what's important to you and make Plan A, B, C for what you want to do in case of the important thing to you. 

[golden6911]

Yeah, I made the Spring Break cruise mistake once, and it was indeed my worst cruise, complete with a case of Noro and two missing ports.  But we still managed to have a decent time.  If that had been my first cruise, it probably would have been my last. 

 

I also read good and bad reviews and make adjustments accordingly.  I try not to get too overwhelmed by the negativity, just try to learn from them. 

[mistertomatoe]

I don't do reviews. My experience is unique to my cruise and the things I care about. What matters is what concerns you. So what about your upcoming cruise concerns you? We can only give you a specific answer if you give us some specifics. When's the cruise and what cabin category did you book? You said "in a year" which means anything can happen. They might even do a refresh/remodel.

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 hours ago, mcmomny said:

in all honesty the elevators are crowded because too many people are too lazy to take one or two flights of stairs instead of the elevators!

Really?  Wow.  I thought that elevators were there for the convenience of all.  Are they only to be used by old, lazy people (like me)?  I welcome the younger crowd to join me.  We're all going to get to where we are going.  I've actually made new friends in the elevators. 😎

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 hours ago, quagmire0 said:

1. Age.  Not to be ageist, but older passengers are going to tend to be more sensitive to food quality, waits, crowds, etc. If you don't believe me, pick any ship and look at most of the lower-rated reviews and look at the reviewer's age. 

Which review site lists the reviewers' ages?  I would really like to check this out.

[insidecabin]

As said its picking out what is important to you and trends.

 

Even if familiar with a line/ship worth updating if it's been a while to reset expectations.

 

A lot has been changing over the last couple of years on all lines, we did 4 lines 5 ships  last year and don't expect them to be the same this year.

 

A good example on NCL is cabin service has changed a lot, the new regime needs different expectations.

 

For new line/ship it's pretty essential to get a feel for how things might work.

 

I like YouTube vids you soon get a feel for those with an agenda and those giving a more representative presentation.

They can be useful to give written reviews visual context.

 

A lot can change in a year what you read see now may be nothing like it when you sail.

 

 

 

Edited June 6, 2023 by insidecabin

[mcmomny]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Really?  Wow.  I thought that elevators were there for the convenience of all.  Are they only to be used by old, lazy people (like me)?  I welcome the younger crowd to join me.  We're all going to get to where we are going.  I've actually made new friends in the elevators. 😎

 

I did not say "old" I said lazy, those who moan and groan that the elevators are taking to long and push their way onto a crowd elevator only to go one deck.

 

By the way, I'm a retiree also!

[Laszlo]

On 6/5/2023 at 8:19 AM, dmbcanada said:

Seems like NCL is getting bad reviews lately, booked the Epic for next year cruising to Greece and Italy.   However having second thoughts due to bad reviews, what are the chances things will change for the better in a year?   We have cruised NCL twice in the past and love the itinerary for next year.  

Take the reviews with a grain of salt. Think about how many thousands of people are cruising with NCL every week....50,000+    

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

I think you need to be aware of what kind of traveler YOU are. I've read a lot of complaints on things that would just not bother me. I love cruising because I get a huge selection of cooked food (I hate cooking), someone makes my bed, the scenery is wonderful, and the drinks are tasty. Plus, I am hanging out with people I really like and who tend to go with the flow. We're not picky or demanding, and honestly the cruise is such a good value for the price. Where else can you get your own room (tend to travel with singletons), all meals, entertainment, transportation, and alcohol for $180/day which is what we are paying for our next cruise including tips and packages? (Not excursions, but with the $50 off we booked 7, yes seven, for $435!) We can hang out with each other when waiting in line or to eat. If we don't like a food we just don't eat it, there's more coming. None of us worry about the high sales stuff because we're not interested, and on the rare occasion we meet an unfriendly crew member we just assume they are having a bad day. We're booked on the Sun, which we went on last year, and it's an older ship and I guess worn, but I just don't care. It's beautiful as are the ports. We'll have fun, enjoy ourselves, not need 2x/day service (which never mattered although the pillow chocolates are missed), and talk with fun passengers. You can decide to go and be nit picky and have a miserable time, or watch some videos of ships caught in massive storms with furniture and people flying everywhere before you leave, and travel in gratitude that it's not you. (Unless you get caught in the rare Italian hurricane. :D) 

 

If you are really picky, easily upset, or really demanding, this probably is not the time to go on a cruise. (I'd argue it's probably a bad time to travel since most places have low staffing now, but we know it's happening in cruising.) But if you tend to have a good time even when others are complaining, can be flexible and go with the flow, and get some good advice from the helpful posters here, and keep in mind what a great value you are getting (unless you paid more than usual, in which case ignore this) you will probably have a really good time. A floating hotel is always going to have problems, even in best times. How you react to them will decide your cruise. And keep in mind people hate changes, and they tend to complain more about them. You've cruised NCL in the past, it was a good experience. At least give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that people are more likely to emphasize the bad, but that doesn't mean you won't find it good.

 

(Caveat: Again, I could care less about 2x/day service, am not a gourmet, and just love being out and about. Plus I spent a year hosteling in my youth, so it's hard to scare me. But I know too many bitter people to not assume that some, if not most, people make their own bad cruises. 😉 )

Edited June 10, 2023 by SeekingKillerWhales!