Pride of Aloha--Don't waste your money!

[ldbucha]

:mad: :mad: I had the worst cruise experience of my life sailing the Pride of Aloha in Hawaii. NCL needs to either dock this ship permanently or dry dock it and spend the money necessary to fix their problems.

 

We had booked a pre & post hotel package and had gone through the check in process at our hotel only to be made to stand in line outside in the heat for over an hour to check in again.

 

We had a penthouse suite and found the room very old, but clean. A word to the wise, if you book a penthouse, you are assigned 2 butlers, which means double the tips. On our sailing, we were unaware and were not told beforehand, NCL had changed their tipping policy and only found out about halfway through our cruise that we should have been tipping as we went. BAD!

 

The food was terrible. We were served canned fruit on all the buffets. Here we are sailing in paradise where tropical fruits like papaya, mango and pineapple fall to the ground and literally rot and NCL chooses to insult their guests by serving them canned fruit. Even in Alaska, you are served wonderful fresh fruits every day!

 

Their "Freestyle" dining experience is a joke, also. We stood in line for over an hour and a half to be served cold, raw food! We tried one of the alternate dining restaurants and although the food was better, the service was deplorable. We were totally ignored and had to ask for a menu, refills on our iced tea and even salt & pepper for our table.

 

The ship smelled of raw sewage in several places and mold in others.

 

After we got home, I wrote a letter to NCL to complain. I don't like to do that but we had saved for over 5 years to take that cruise and I felt like I had thrown my money down the drain. I received a form-letter type reply from NCL telling me my complaints were unfounded, mine was the ONLY complaint received and then insulted me even further by offering me a $200 "coupon" for another cruise! Yeah, I see that happening in this lifetime!

 

I felt like sending their "coupon" back to them. Apparently, NCL needs that $200 worse than I do.

 

I'm sure other people have sailed NCL and maybe even the Pride of Aloha and found it great, but I'm just telling you, I had major problems with this ship --from crew all the way down to food. Everywhere on board we went, passengers were complaining, both to each other AND to any available crew member that would listen.

 

I guess the best way to put it is -- THIS IS THE ONLY CRUISE I HAVE EVER TAKEN WHERE I WAS GLAD TO GET OFF THE SHIP AND GO HOME!! How sad is that!

 

Don't waste your money here. Sail a cruise line that cares about their passengers, like RCCL or Carnival.

 

Thanks for letting me vent,

Unhappy in Texas

[cruiser02]

WOW We are booked in a penthouse in a few weeks. What do you mean "tipping as you went?" for both bulters? How was their service? Did you use room service? Besides old - how was the cabin?

Where you not able to make reservations in the dining rooms?

Fill us in more...

[Planer's Edge]

Wow...another one post wonder who happens to have registered today with absolutely NO information in their profile. :eek:

 

They are quite able to find this site to complain, but never seem to find it prior to their cruise to better prepare for their cruise.

 

PE<---wonders how they knew it was "canned" fruit, were there cans stacked up in view...:rolleyes:

 

P.S. cruiser02...you don't actually believe this person was on this cruise??

[shoreguy]

Wow...another one post wonder who happens to have registered today with absolutely NO information in their profile. :eek:

 

They are quite able to find this site to complain' date=' but never seem to find it prior to their cruise to better prepare for their cruise.

 

PE<---wonders how they knew it was "canned" fruit, were there cans stacked up in view...:rolleyes:[/quote']

 

Couldn't even find NCLs website to find out how tipping has been working on NCLA since almost day one.

 

I am sorry I have no simpathy for those that do not do thier homework and come here to vent.

 

I am sure if the OP is real they were clearly dissappointed :rolleyes:

[pdxnelsons]

I'm sorry you had such a disappointing experience. We are booked on Pride of Aloha next week - our first cruise. I've gathered so much great information from this site. Even though I've read many negatives, there have also been many positives. We are a pretty easy-going family and I think we have realistic expectations about this cruise. Can you please be more specific about tipping - I thought they went back to the $10 pp/per day. Also, do you remember what areas on the ship had the offending odors and if they were constant? Should we bring room deodorizer with us? Did you do the buffet or sit down restaurant for breakfast? Thanks for any additional information.

[cruiser02]

Forgot to ask in presious message: What were the "major" complaints - that you and other passengers felt so strongly about?

[tumeroll]

Wow...another one post wonder who happens to have registered today with absolutely NO information in their profile. :eek:

 

They are quite able to find this site to complain' date=' but never seem to find it prior to their cruise to better prepare for their cruise.

 

PE<---wonders how they knew it was "canned" fruit, were there cans stacked up in view...:rolleyes:

 

P.S. cruiser02...you don't actually believe this person was on this cruise??[/quote']

 

Not to defend the original poster but

1. If you can't tell the difference between fresh and canned fruit without being shown the can, there are many cheap places that would like your business.

 

2. How would posting to this site have helped her in learning about the bad food and service as every time someone comes on the board and states such things they are blasted by the ultra loyal passenger that will sail this line or any of the other lines no matter how bad the total cruise package may be.

 

Lighten up. Just because it is post number one does not make it bogus. Does one have to have a certain number of positive posts before one is allowed a negative one?

[shoreguy]

I'm sorry you had such a disappointing experience. We are booked on Pride of Aloha next week - our first cruise. I've gathered so much great information from this site. Even though I've read many negatives, there have also been many positives. We are a pretty easy-going family and I think we have realistic expectations about this cruise. Can you please be more specific about tipping - I thought they went back to the $10 pp/per day. Also, do you remember what areas on the ship had the offending odors and if they were constant? Should we bring room deodorizer with us? Did you do the buffet or sit down restaurant for breakfast? Thanks for any additional information.

 

The 10 pp has never been a tip pool on the NCLA ships. It is a a true service charge to offset the added expense of US workers benefits. The crew gets nothing extra from that charge - never have never will.

 

That said the crew on a NCLA ship are paid much more per hour including overtime. No getting rich but more then the $2 and hour an internation crew member might get. More in the 7-9 dollar an hour. Tipping is not required. If you believe someone deserves extra you will need to tip as you go.

[Planer's Edge]

Not to defend the original poster but

 

1. If you can't tell the difference between fresh and canned fruit without being shown the can, there are many cheap places that would like your business.

 

 

I very much know the difference between canned fruit and fresh fruit. So, I guess those "cheap places" will not be getting my business. :eek: I have been on quite a few cruises and have NEVER seen anything that resembled canned fruit except maybe the cherry in frozen drinks.

 

 

2. How would posting to this site have helped her in learning about the bad food and service as every time someone comes on the board and states such things they are blasted by the ultra loyal passenger that will sail this line or any of the other lines no matter how bad the total cruise package may be.

 

 

I never said anything about posting prior to their cruise. If you actually READ my post, I said "They are quite able to find this site to complain, but never seem to find it prior to their cruise to better prepare for their cruise." There is an abundance of information about tipping on Hawaiian cruises available here. You don't have to register to read these boards and garner information which will only help to make your cruise experience pleasant.

 

 

 

Lighten up. Just because it is post number one does not make it bogus. Does one have to have a certain number of positive posts before one is allowed a negative one?

 

 

I don't feel the need to lighten up thank you very much. I have seen way to many of these "One Post Wonders" to not comment when it is only placed here to scare people. Read the other responses so far. Most are taking this crap seriously and are getting nervous for no reason whatsoever.

 

PE<---will get off my soap box now...

[Jtd724]

Wow...another one post wonder who happens to have registered today with absolutely NO information in their profile. :eek:

 

They are quite able to find this site to complain' date=' but never seem to find it prior to their cruise to better prepare for their cruise.

 

PE<---wonders how they knew it was "canned" fruit, were there cans stacked up in view...:rolleyes:

 

P.S. cruiser02...you don't actually believe this person was on this cruise??[/quote']

 

 

 

It's pretty darn easy to tell fresh from canned fruit unless of course you only encounter fruit from a can. Yes, I do believe this person, Why wouldn't I? I believe the people who complain about RCCL, X, etc...... Trust me, 1 post on a messageboard is not gonna sink a company or lower its stock, this person does not have an agenda.

[tinkerbelldee]

Sovereign of the Seas December 1990

Monarch of the Seas May 1999

Voyager of the Seas May 2001

Explorer of the Seas August 2002

Adventure of the Seas May 2003

Brilliance of the Seas February 2004

 

 

I wonder why those who have never sailed with NCL seem to show up when a 1 post wonder shows up.

 

 

Things that make you go HMMMMMMM:D

[dcp81]

I am sorry to hear you had such a bad week. We sailed the Pride of Aloha in January and had just the opposite experience. Admitedly, we had a balcony and not a suite, I also noted the cabins were not brand new, but were very clean and cared for. I did not find any offensive odors anywhere and we explored just about the entire ship.

 

As for the food, the buffet food was simply that...buffet food. Good but not great. The main dining rooms offered good food and considering there are over 2000 passengers per week onboard, (that's a lot of people being served pretty much at the same time) was always served hot and fresh. The dining was what I considered "leisurely". It did take about 90 minutes for dinner. I just figured I was in Hawaii...slow down and relax. Enjoy every minute in paradise where you don't have to rush! The speciality restaurants served the best meals my wife and I have ever eaten, land or sea. I did not encounter any staff member that was not out to make my vacation a memorable experience.

 

In short, I went in with a lot of information from these boards and a positive outlook and was not disappointed. My wife and I are already putting funds back to sail on POA again!

 

PS I've often wondered if some of the all negative reveiws aren't from someone trying to keep the ship from selling out (by truning potential passengers off) in order to try to get cheap upsells on the unsold cabins.

 

Don

[Planer's Edge]

It's pretty darn easy to tell fresh from canned fruit unless of course you only encounter fruit from a can. Yes, I do believe this person, Why wouldn't I? I believe the people who complain about RCCL, X, etc...... Trust me, 1 post on a messageboard is not gonna sink a company or lower its stock, this person does not have an agenda.

 

If you would have read my followup post instead on instantly posting you would have understood MY understanding of canned fruit.

 

Be that as it may...NO one post wonder will not sink a company, BUT it will put doubt into first time cruisers minds. That is what I have a problem with.

 

PE<---agrees with Tink, HMMMMMM...:cool:

[Zeno]

PS I've often wondered if some of the all negative reveiws aren't from someone trying to keep the ship from selling out (by truning potential passengers off) in order to try to get cheap upsells on the unsold cabins.

 

Don

 

Now that is an interesting thought!

[Jtd724]

I wonder why those who have never sailed with NCL seem to show up when a 1 post wonder shows up.

 

 

Things that make you go HMMMMMMM:D

 

 

 

Thank god I don' cruise NCL, it seems every other person think's a huge conspiracy is taking place. Fear me, I have alterior motive, I will bring down your board! Argh! Oh wait ,I got it, your ships new fleet has the most amazing penthouse/veranda I have ever seen, 5K square feet and what looks like a yard!! amazing.. Their now I'm a good guy right? :)

[Retired not Expired]

 

My wife and I are already putting funds back to sail on POA again!

 

Don

 

Don, My wife and I were on this ship in January of last year. Hated it so bad that 40 or so of our friends from the Branson area have booked it for next January 28. Come join us. We'll make sure Missouri is represented.

[Retired not Expired]

Thank god I don' cruise NCL, it seems every other person think's a huge conspiracy is taking place. Fear me, I have alterior motive, I will bring down your board! Argh! Oh wait ,I got it, your ships new fleet has the most amazing penthouse/veranda I have ever seen, 5K square feet and what looks like a yard!! amazing.. Their now I'm a good guy right? :)

 

I normally shy away from any arguements of this type, but will say in this posters defense, that they have posted the same type response on other boards where they have cruised. I've also seen posts on other boards where they told of things they like that NCL has so do not believe they have any motive other than stating something they believed need be said.

 

This doesn't mean I agree with what they said, just agree with them that they had no ulterior motive.:)

[jeannep]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcp81

PS I've often wondered if some of the all negative reveiws aren't from someone trying to keep the ship from selling out (by truning potential passengers off) in order to try to get cheap upsells on the unsold cabins.

 

Don

 

 

I too have never thought about that. Seems very plausible. I have been checking out NCL for my August cruise and I think it is on its way to be sold out. I guess the prices won't be coming down. Oh Well!!! I will just have to grin and bear it and am sure I will have a great time anyway. No cooking-no going to work-no making the bed- no nothing that I don't want to do. Now that is a vacation.

 

Jeanne

[Markandrews]

:

We had a penthouse suite and found the room very old, but clean. A word to the wise, if you book a penthouse, you are assigned 2 butlers, which means double the tips. On our sailing, we were unaware and were not told beforehand, NCL had changed their tipping policy and only found out about halfway through our cruise that we should have been tipping as we went. BAD!

 

We stayed in an Owners Suite on the Pride Of Aloha. We had also sailed on the ship as the Sky so we knew the ship was not brand new. However, our AA was refurbished and looked brand new as did the AB and AC cabins our friends stayed in. Granted this was late summer 2004 but I can't believe these cabins are worn out already.

 

We also had two butlers. We tipped them both graciously at the end of the 12 day cruise but I am sure they would not have minded splitting a tip.

 

The tipping policy is the same today as it was when NCLA started in July 2004. That is stated in the brochure. There was never pressure to tip for drinks on our cruise.

 

"Their "Freestyle" dining experience is a joke, also. We stood in line for over an hour and a half to be served cold, raw food! We tried one of the alternate dining restaurants and although the food was better, the service was deplorable. We were totally ignored and had to ask for a menu, refills on our iced tea and even salt & pepper for our table."

 

As a Penthouse guest if you would have called your conceirge before you headed down he/she would have arranged for you to be "next" on the list in the main dining rooms.

[melika091900]

im sorry that the OP had a bad cruise. but dont let that make you not go on NCL again.. every ship and iten is different and everyone expects different things. NCL was our favorite cruise and we are going again.

i would always give any crusieline another chance and i wouldnt say i would never go on them again.

we always look the the itenerary and then price..and then we decide ,

but of course we do love freestyle dining :)

[JPAU]

My wife and I cruised P of A last March and "Sky" in 2003 in the same BA cabin. Don't know what "old" means, but the ship is only about 7 years old between Sky and P of A. How many hotels have you stayed in the same age? We found the food and service to be sufficient and the crew to be friendly and accomodating. A pleasure cruise, like life is what "you" make of them; expect everything to be handed to you and you'll be disappointed; "make" things happen and you'll be happy. Most of my US Navy cruises were on aircraft carriers in excess of 25 years of age. The service left a lot to be desired, I had to work 18 hours a day and had aircraft landing on my ceiling at all hours of the day and night. Enjoy what you have, there are young sailors in very bad places that would readily trade with you.

That being said (had to vent) love "Freestyle" cruising concept and will continue. New to the posting process so hope I got it right. Enjoy all the comments.

 

Norwegian SKY 03/03 Southern Caribbean Room 003

P of A '05 03/05 Hawaii Room 003

Norwegian Sun 03/06 Western Caribbean Room 003 (next week)

Norwegian Sun ?/07 Alaska hopefully room 0003

[Host CMLA]

Enough already with the post count stuff! This thread is a review of a cruise. Good or bad it's what this person experienced. If you have something to say about the review, say it. The OP's post count is what it is. And remember, ALL OF YOU only had one post at some point. Attacks back and forth over the merits of a review of a first time poster will be removed. So will any more discussion about post counts.

[fin]

Maybe the original poster, like me, had never heard of this board until they were ON the ship and talking to other passengers who mentioned it.

 

My first post here was likewise nevative, and was met with exactly the same kind of blindly uninformed hostility.

 

There is a lot of good, useful infomation to be found here, but one needs waders and a strong stomach sometimes to mine it There are, in fairness, some very nice people on these boards, to counterbalance the outright prats.

[Seago2]

I hate reading bad reviews because I feel so badly for the poster AND I start to sweat bullets about whatever upcoming cruise I am getting ready for. But I never think the person is posting a fraudulent review. Hard as it might be for us to believe, most people have lives... I'll just leave it there. It just looks so bad when people immediately jump all over someone, accusing him or her of having the most base motives or even of outright lying. That is precisely why I almost never go to the Carnival board. The last time I went to that board a few times in a row I didn't sign on to Cruisecritic for three months. It's like a lunatic asylum over there. The NCL board is usually more polite and respectful.

 

The funny thing is that I have seen maybe one good NCLA review for every twenty bad ones. More like 1:50. Bad service, bad smell- isn't that in almost every NCLA review?

 

The only thing helpful I saw in the immediate attack on the OP was the... I'll call it a suggestion... that the OP consult CC before booking the cruise. If the OP had done so he/she would have read the poor reviews and been far more prepared for the exact problems listed in the review.

 

God forbid I come back from my next cruise and write a negative review and you all jump all over me.

[CruisinMatt]

I am sorry I have no simpathy for those that do not do thier homework and come here to vent.

 

 

Who's to say the OP didn't read here before the cruise? I read these boards for a long time before posting for the first time.