Experienced cruisers to design next NCL Ship

[yakcruiser]

I think where NCL went wrong was trying to build one style of ship for all people in the Prima/Viva. I would like to see a redesigned Sun/Star class of ship. And maybe an expedition sized ship like I seen mentioned earlier. And maybe they can go the opposite direction and design a BA ++++ ship that would be bigger than the Icon. Something for everybody.

[Laszlo]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

We'll miss you on the NCL boards! I guess I'll have to jump over to Oceania to say hi every now and then!

Not gone yet Lol. I was pricing out a 12 day Oceania cruise and was surprised at how affordable it was. It was not cheap but it was pretty close to being in a Haven Cabin on NCL on a 7 day cruise. The ship was much smaller, I think it was the Vista with 1300 pax?

[Panhandle Couple]

1 hour ago, seemoreroyals said:

As I mentioned earlier I would not be very good at designing the next NCL cruise ship.  But I would be very good at designing a new itinerary for them.

 

The closest two ports to where we live are NOLA and Galveston.   The only 7 day cruises offered from these two ports go to Cozumel, Costa Maya, Roatan, and Harvest Caye.  

 

I would gladly offer my services to help them go somewhere else on a 7 day cruise from either one of these ports.  We have been to Cozumel so many times that we only get off the ship to get our daily walk in.  Same way with the private island.  It is nice enough there but once you have been there done that a few times it makes more sense to us to stay on the ship with free food and free drinks.

 

I would like to see them leave out of Galveston or NOLA and take a more easterly route which might include something different like Key West,  Bahamas, the other private island Great Stirrup Caye, and back.  We like sea days so for us if we had one less port day and one more sea day that would work.

 

Or if there is not enough time to do this  substitute Tampa Bay for GSC.  I have looked all the way through 2025 and see no 7 day eastern route itineraries out of Galveston or NOLA.  There has to be some way they can make an eastern trip out of one of these two ports work.

 

 

Tampa Bay is limited due to the interstate bay bridge south of St. Petersburg.

I believe only Jewel class and smaller can use this route.  We did sail Dawn from Tampa in 2022.

 

Any eastern trip from NOLA or Galveston would be more like a 9 to 11 day cruise.  Then you get off weekend embark-disembark, and lose customers.  Or you have to work 4 - 6 day cruises in along the way.  NOLA may not be available on weekdays?  

 

Possible solutions are Jamaica and Grand Cayman.  We went there enough times on Carnival back in the day, but maybe having them on every 3rd cruise from NOLA - Galv would work.

 

Cuba seems to be out for foreseeable future, for many reasons.

 

If Mexico could add a port facility on the north side of the Yucatan, that would be an alternative, and make Chechen-Itza and Merida much more accessible.  But it hasn't happened, probably because Cancun likes their tourists, and doesn't want competition. 

[Panhandle Couple]

21 minutes ago, yakcruiser said:

I think where NCL went wrong was trying to build one style of ship for all people in the Prima/Viva. I would like to see a redesigned Sun/Star class of ship. And maybe an expedition sized ship like I seen mentioned earlier. And maybe they can go the opposite direction and design a BA ++++ ship that would be bigger than the Icon. Something for everybody.

The Dawn would be great as an adult only ship.  The kids pool is small and on an aft deck, away from the main pool, making it fairly useless for families.  Simply take that out, add a few hot tubs and another Spice H2O.  The tiered main pool area is odd, and can get hot.  Make the top tier like a Vibe with Cabanas to rent (daily, not per cruise) 

 

 

[graphicguy]

54 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Awesome idea. Too bad you're not running NCL's F&B Department.

 

A couple of Carnival's ships have actual Brewpubs onboard. I've never cruised Carnival and I don't know how good the beer is, but it has to be better than NCL's uninspired standard beer list.

It’s been before the Covid shutdown, about 4 years ago on the Vista.  Actually got a tour of their brew pub their brewmaster.  Interesting!  Better or worse than NCL’s?  They’re about the same overall!

 

I think their real benefit is having another pub like venue to have a beer!

[CruiseMH]

22 hours ago, yakcruiser said:

 a ship designed by the experienced cruisers on Cruise Critic would look like compared to their existing ships?

 

Every cruiser has its personal preferences and so would design the ship to fit his personal preferences the most regardless of what be useful or helpful for the other cruisers or even the majority.

 

[Sailing12Away]

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Is it Cunard that invites pets to accompany their guests?

 

 

Yup, but the dogs on there need to stay in kennels and be of a certain size. There's actually a few dog friendly cruise lines. Not many of the mainstream ones that we're familiar with, but they are out there. https://www.bringfido.com/blog/are-dogs-allowed-on-cruise-ships/

[RocketMan275]

7 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I never understood that.  If you can't leave your pet at home when you cruise, find another venue that allows pets for your vacation.  They should not be allowed on cruise ships.  It scares the pet and is way inconsiderate of other guests.

Our dogs are the reason we only take seven day cruises where we can quickly get to/from the port.  We don't want to kennel the boys for more than nine days tops.  

BTW, the 'boys' would not be scared on a ship.  They're accomplished counter surfers and would love the buffet, the MDR, the Haven Restaurant, in fact, any place food is served.

[KarenRB]

8 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Told you I'd be back!!

 

Entertainment (for a weeklong cruise):

 

Comedy - at least two comedians doing two shows per night. One PG-whatever, one R/X-Rated with no underagers allowed. In the newly redesigned 200-seat Improv. 

 

Broadway Shows - Wicked, Book of Mormon, Aladdin, Harry Potter, Avenue Q, Hamilton 

 

Bands/Singing Acts

 - A diva (Madonna, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Beyonce, Niki Minaj, Taylor Swift)

 - 2000's era music (Eminem, Outkast, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, Missy Elliott, Black Eyed Peas, Shakira, Katy Perry, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Shaggy, Kelly Clarkson, Nelly, Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte, The Killers, Plain White Ts)

 - Boy Bands/Girl Bands

 - Shawn Mendes - he's his own category....because it's Shawn!!

 - Folk (Rogue Valley, The Head and the Heart, Mumford & Sons, Noah Kahan, The Lumineers, Lord Huron, Vance Joy, Passenger, Edward Sharpe, Jake BuggNoah and the Whale)

 - Broadway songs (just like Broadway Unplugged on Getaway)

 - Country (Zac Brown Band, Alabama, Kenny Chesney, Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Dixie Chicks, Walker Hayes, Dan and Shay, Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett)

 

Entertainment Acts - I'm not really into this, so someone else can take up the mantle here

 

Organized times to play board games/card games

No mention of Motown or R&B?  Shame!

[ChiefMateJRK]

18 minutes ago, KarenRB said:

No mention of Motown or R&B?  Shame!

There are two types of music on my NCL cruises.  The good stuff and the other crap that they play.🤣

 

disclaimer: yes, that was a joke, but not a very good one🤡

[cruiseny4life]

12 hours ago, KarenRB said:

No mention of Motown or R&B?  Shame!

True! Ya know what...folks on Cruise Critic always read my posts slamming the current music offerings onboard as they are all from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The 90's are just barely starting to make it on NCL ships. 

 

But, a MoTown Tribute Night would be really great! I'd absolutely be down for some Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, etc. No Stevie Wonder, please. My Grandpa really didn't like him, so I didn't like his music either. So, yea...let's get some actual good 60's music going. I'm thinking one night would be enough, given the genre probably isn't quite as popular as it should be. 

 

I'm a 90's child and my husband's a 2000's child...we both love us some MoTown! We can't be the only Millennials out here enjoying Proud Mary! 

 

Who did I miss that you'd add? 

[seemoreroyals]

13 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

There are two types of music on my NCL cruises.  The good stuff and the other crap that they play.🤣

 

disclaimer: yes, that was a joke, but not a very good one🤡

 

You must be in hog heaven today.  Today January 17th is Popeye the Sailor Man Day.  

[PATRLR]

14 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

BTW, the 'boys' would not be scared on a ship.  They're accomplished counter surfers and would love the buffet,

And they'd probably be more hygenic than some humans I've seen at the buffet.  Pretty sure a dog isn't going to put something back that it handled 🙂

(this is a joke for those that might not recognize it)

[RocketMan275]

3 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

And they'd probably be more hygenic than some humans I've seen at the buffet.  Pretty sure a dog isn't going to put something back that it handled 🙂

(this is a joke for those that might not recognize it)

They wouldn't complain a lot either.

[RocketMan275]

35 minutes ago, PATRLR said:

And they'd probably be more hygenic than some humans I've seen at the buffet.  Pretty sure a dog isn't going to put something back that it handled 🙂

(this is a joke for those that might not recognize it)

They will also clean your plate at no extra charge.  (Tips are optional)

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

True! Ya know what...folks on Cruise Critic always read my posts slamming the current music offerings onboard as they are all from the 60's, 70's, and 80's. The 90's are just barely starting to make it on NCL ships. 

 

But, a MoTown Tribute Night would be really great! I'd absolutely be down for some Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, etc. No Stevie Wonder, please. My Grandpa really didn't like him, so I didn't like his music either. So, yea...let's get some actual good 60's music going. I'm thinking one night would be enough, given the genre probably isn't quite as popular as it should be. 

 

I'm a 90's child and my husband's a 2000's child...we both love us some MoTown! We can't be the only Millennials out here enjoying Proud Mary! 

 

Who did I miss that you'd add? 

They did a Bob Marley tribute on our Prima cruise this past summer. That was great! And I even had chose to put on a Bob Marley tee shirt that morning even before I read the activities for the day!

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

They did a Bob Marley tribute on our Prima cruise this past summer. That was great! And I even had chose to put on a Bob Marley tee shirt that morning even before I read the activities for the day!

Wow! I just looked Bob Marley up to see if he had just died this past summer or something and that's why they were "tribute"izing him. Apparently he died before I was born...learn something new every day! 

 

I'm listening to some of his music now. I'm loving the island vibe. Definitely going on my new ship! Maybe an island theme music party, including him, Jack Johnson, and other good island vibe singers (sorry, I can't think of any right now). A private island day spent onboard listening to these songs...ahh, what a relaxing day.

 

Speaking of - I want at last three pools: that lap pool I mentioned, an adults-only pool, and an all ages pool. Oh, I'm imagining the atmosphere with the wind whistling past the palm trees planted in the pool space and a whole pig being roasted. Talk about being transported from CNY's cold winter to an island oasis in dream form. 

[yakcruiser]

54 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

 

Speaking of - I want at last three pools: that lap pool I mentioned, an adults-only pool, and an all ages pool. Oh, I'm imagining the atmosphere with the wind whistling past the palm trees planted in the pool space and a whole pig being roasted. Talk about being transported from CNY's cold winter to an island oasis in dream form. 

I like this! I will be keeping this thought in my head as I get ready to go out and shovel more snow.

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 hours ago, seemoreroyals said:

 

You must be in hog heaven today.  Today January 17th is Popeye the Sailor Man Day.  

I did not know that!

 

That said, I'm pretty much in hog heaven every day now that the W#@K part is done.  It's just how I choose to live my life.

[cruiseny4life]

I kind of think RCL's Bionic Bar is kind of cool. I wish it served non-alcoholic drinks though. Perhaps a bar of the future where you can wander in, be accompanied by AI throughout the venue, and receive your drinks from the machine. 

 

Of course any music played in the venue will have to be played by AI too. Throw a little Doctor Who theme into the mix...what a cool spot to rest your laurels while drinking futureized drinks. Mmmm

 

@yakcruiser, I have to hand it to you - this is such a dreamy thread. Thanks for coming up with the idea! It gets me through my work day and helps me think positive cruise thoughts! 

[cruiseny4life]

And my imagination has brought up another one. You analog folks will enjoy this and I bet you never thought I'd be saying it. I'd love to see a decently sized space reserved as a library onboard ships. This space could be surrounded by books, but also the most recent issue of a *gasp* physical magazine. Perhaps newspapers too, but definitely magazines. 

 

Of course there would be really comfy seats you can just sink in to where one could read the magazines. This would be a delight! I know I'd definitely be utilizing this space, especially if a cafe were placed nearby, ala Barnes and Noble Starbucks cafes with light eats and drinks. 

 

Surrounding the library could be a few private (and small) meeting rooms where those that must work (boooooooo) could do so quietly with no disruption. The cruise lines could be sure to put the strongest possible WiFi (or ethernet cables) here so Zoom or Team meetings could be attended. 

 

More importantly, just a quiet'ish space for folks that want to read or work and don't want to carry around magazines, kindles, or books.

 

I'm thinking the space could be about the size of Improv on Pr1ma. Nothing too big as it wouldn't be really utilized. As for ambiance, a fake electric fireplace could be added, with some plush carpets and armchairs around it. More realistic artwork, like Hudson River School, could be added along the walls. 

[ontheweb]

29 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

And my imagination has brought up another one. You analog folks will enjoy this and I bet you never thought I'd be saying it. I'd love to see a decently sized space reserved as a library onboard ships. This space could be surrounded by books, but also the most recent issue of a *gasp* physical magazine. Perhaps newspapers too, but definitely magazines. 

 

Of course there would be really comfy seats you can just sink in to where one could read the magazines. This would be a delight! I know I'd definitely be utilizing this space, especially if a cafe were placed nearby, ala Barnes and Noble Starbucks cafes with light eats and drinks. 

 

Surrounding the library could be a few private (and small) meeting rooms where those that must work (boooooooo) could do so quietly with no disruption. The cruise lines could be sure to put the strongest possible WiFi (or ethernet cables) here so Zoom or Team meetings could be attended. 

 

More importantly, just a quiet'ish space for folks that want to read or work and don't want to carry around magazines, kindles, or books.

 

I'm thinking the space could be about the size of Improv on Pr1ma. Nothing too big as it wouldn't be really utilized. As for ambiance, a fake electric fireplace could be added, with some plush carpets and armchairs around it. More realistic artwork, like Hudson River School, could be added along the walls. 

This would truly be an improvement on the Prima/Viva ships. It would hopefully mitigate one of the problems with the small lounges where music was played. Often one would go there and there would be no seats. And part of the reason was that tables were taken up by people playing cards or board games. There was really no other place for those folks to do that. A library with tables would go a long way to solving that problem.

[yakcruiser]

18 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

And my imagination has brought up another one. You analog folks will enjoy this and I bet you never thought I'd be saying it. I'd love to see a decently sized space reserved as a library onboard ships. This space could be surrounded by books, but also the most recent issue of a *gasp* physical magazine. Perhaps newspapers too, but definitely magazines. 

 

Of course there would be really comfy seats you can just sink in to where one could read the magazines. This would be a delight! I know I'd definitely be utilizing this space, especially if a cafe were placed nearby, ala Barnes and Noble Starbucks cafes with light eats and drinks. 

 

Surrounding the library could be a few private (and small) meeting rooms where those that must work (boooooooo) could do so quietly with no disruption. The cruise lines could be sure to put the strongest possible WiFi (or ethernet cables) here so Zoom or Team meetings could be attended. 

 

More importantly, just a quiet'ish space for folks that want to read or work and don't want to carry around magazines, kindles, or books.

 

I'm thinking the space could be about the size of Improv on Pr1ma. Nothing too big as it wouldn't be really utilized. As for ambiance, a fake electric fireplace could be added, with some plush carpets and armchairs around it. More realistic artwork, like Hudson River School, could be added along the walls. 

They actually had this on cruise ships not that long ago Except for the fast internet and fake fireplace. And as someone who loves the touch and feel of real books and doesn't own a kindle, I would utilize this space often. There would also be people sewing and knitting and just chilling out. It was a nice spot to go escape the rat race outside for a while.

[yakcruiser]

And as I look outside watching it snow again, I was thinking our ship could have a retractable roof that would close when the weather got bad. And it would have a giant projection screen that would project blue skies and sun up above. And stars at night.

Edited January 18 by yakcruiser

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

This would truly be an improvement on the Prima/Viva ships. It would hopefully mitigate one of the problems with the small lounges where music was played. Often one would go there and there would be no seats. And part of the reason was that tables were taken up by people playing cards or board games. There was really no other place for those folks to do that. A library with tables would go a long way to solving that problem.

 

1 hour ago, yakcruiser said:

They actually had this on cruise ships not that long ago Except for the fast internet and fake fireplace. And as someone who loves the touch and feel of real books and doesn't own a kindle, I would utilize this space often. There would also be people sewing and knitting and just chilling out. It was a nice spot to go escape the rat race outside for a while.

I remember Getaway had a room. It was very small, at least for the number of people using it. Many people, surprisingly a lot of under 20's, were in there playing board games, cards, and a few people were even reading. There wasn't really any comfy furniture. But yes, to your point, some tables set up with board games, cards, and for reading/working would be nice. Maybe some of those quiet rooms I mentioned could be slightly larger to accommodate a larger group playing Cards Against Humanity, Monopoly, Settlers of Katan, or the more popular board games. Give them a place to play that's quiet, but where they won't disturb others as these rooms would be mostly soundproofed 

 

Heck, a room or two that is truly soundproof would be nice for all those influences trying to add audio to their videos. 

 

Sewing, knitting, chilling, yep! This sounds like a great escape from the cruise ship mall atmosphere (at least on the ships I've been on).