questions re: ncl; and gem suites

[brovol]

my wife, two small children, and i are considering sailing on the gem in late march. we have been on several cruises (13 i think), mostly with princess (also holland, carnival, rci, and ncl). the last time we sailed ncl was many years ago, and from what i have read, it sounds like ncl has declined in quality. how would it compare to carnival? more importantly, what perks are provided with a suite and/or a mini-suite? are the perks the same for a mini as a regular suite? free internet? priority embarkation/ disembarkation? free laundry? will booking a suite ensure an increase in quality of service? lastly, while i dont require formality, the quality and choice of food is important. should we avoid ncl? any help will be appreciated.

[Planer's Edge]

Seems as though you already have your mind set against cruising NCL.

 

I think if read a little further you will find many people that believe NCL's quality has gone up with the advent of freestyle. By this I mean without the structure of assigned seating and dining time my vacation much more relaxing. No rushing back to the ship to get ready for dinner!

 

Now do you really want us to convince you to sail NCL? Or is your mind already made up? If you truly want to try NCL in its' current form ask away but try it without the negativity.

 

PE

[zqvol]

my wife, two small children, and i are considering sailing on the gem in late march. we have been on several cruises (13 i think), mostly with princess (also holland, carnival, rci, and ncl). the last time we sailed ncl was many years ago, and from what i have read, it sounds like ncl has declined in quality. how would it compare to carnival? more importantly, what perks are provided with a suite and/or a mini-suite? are the perks the same for a mini as a regular suite? free internet? priority embarkation/ disembarkation? free laundry? will booking a suite ensure an increase in quality of service? lastly, while i dont require formality, the quality and choice of food is important. should we avoid ncl? any help will be appreciated.

 

Most of your questions can be answered by checking the NCL web site. It is very accurate and comprehensive. You can also get a hard copy of a brochure. Food quality is very subjective, and is you well know from cursing 13 times can be hit or miss. If the food is that important, will any mass market line work? Some people say both Carnival and RCCL have terrible food, I have sailed both recently and while the food is not five star it is very good and not disappointing.

 

Unless the formality of the other mass market lines is attractive give NCL a try, you may find that it works perfectly for your family

[brovol]

Seems as though you already have your mind set against cruising NCL.

 

 

actually, i quite enjoyed our last ncl cruise. and yes, i do want you to convince me to sail with ncl again. when i read comments about ncl on the princess board, it is mostly bad, so i came here for the other perspective. i didn't expect to get criticised for asking. the freestyle concept sounds great; but if it turns out to be poor quality, i would rather pick another line. i thought , perhaps, someone may be able to give me some unofficial insight on suites and mini-suites.

[nyflush]

actually, i quite enjoyed our last ncl cruise. and yes, i do want you to convince me to sail with ncl again. when i read comments about ncl on the princess board, it is mostly bad, so i came here for the other perspective. i didn't expect to get criticised for asking. the freestyle concept sounds great; but if it turns out to be poor quality, i would rather pick another line. i thought , perhaps, someone may be able to give me some unofficial insight on suites and mini-suites.

 

hi brovol, I have been on NCL Dawn 3 times and will be going on the Gem in Feb cant wait! My son is 12 now he loves the Kidscrew on NCL each time we stayed in an AB penthouse if its affordable for you I would go for it! It really is amazing The service for the penthouses are great you board early and get off early at ports Our butler was great on our last cruise, also on the Gem you get to have breakfast and lunch at cagneys so I hear. You can read my review click the link also ncl has a suite and villa link to see perks:

http://www.nclsuitesandvillas.com/

I dont think you get much with the mini its a little larger than a balcony and has a tub. Any questions feel free to ask :)

As for food it was good to excellent plenty of choices. You can read some of my early post I to needed a little convincing because of bad reviews I read and had great support on this board and Im so glad I did so IMO go for it NCL rocks!

[Former Goalie]

my wife, two small children, and i are considering sailing on the gem in late march. we have been on several cruises (13 i think), mostly with princess (also holland, carnival, rci, and ncl). the last time we sailed ncl was many years ago, and from what i have read, it sounds like ncl has declined in quality. how would it compare to carnival? more importantly, what perks are provided with a suite and/or a mini-suite? are the perks the same for a mini as a regular suite? free internet? priority embarkation/ disembarkation? free laundry? will booking a suite ensure an increase in quality of service? lastly, while i dont require formality, the quality and choice of food is important. should we avoid ncl? any help will be appreciated.

I will tell you, if you book an A3 Courtyard Villa, that set up IMHO would be perfect for your needs. You and the wife could have the master BR with a spectacular attached bath, and the kids could have the small stateroom (basically an inside) w/shower and facilities, which is part of the A3 configuration. Nice balcony and living room/dining area for all. A big plus is the courtyard sun deck, one deck above, shared by the small group with Courtyard access. The Courtyard area itself, again shared by this small group, is also terrific. No way would you see any decline in quality with Courtyard accomodations, with all its attached perks.

It certainly is not cheap, but it's well worth it.

[garycarla]

The AB suites will give you the same layout, benefits for way less money.

 

No free internet or laundry in any cabin or suite.

[brovol]

hi brovol, I have been on NCL Dawn 3 times and will be going on the Gem in Feb cant wait! My son is 12 now he loves the Kidscrew on NCL each time we stayed in an AB penthouse if its affordable for you I would go for it! It really is amazing The service for the penthouses are great you board early and get off early at ports Our butler was great on our last cruise, also on the Gem you get to have breakfast and lunch at cagneys so I hear. You can read my review click the link also ncl has a suite and villa link to see perks:

http://www.nclsuitesandvillas.com/

I dont think you get much with the mini its a little larger than a balcony and has a tub. Any questions feel free to ask :)

As for food it was good to excellent plenty of choices. You can read some of my early post I to needed a little convincing because of bad reviews I read and had great support on this board and Im so glad I did so IMO go for it NCL rocks!

 

 

thank you. that is just what i wanted to hear. you convinced me. i appreciate you (and others) taking the time to respond. what did we all do before the internet, and cruise critic?

[jimswims]

We stayed in an AB Penthouse on the Dawn with our 12 and 9 year old kids. This was our 10th cruise (kids 4th) and first time in a suite. The AB on the Gem is the same set up. It is a great cabin with the 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. There were 4 TV's too!

 

What I liked best was the VIP services of the concierge and butler. Having a hot breakfast in our cabin each morning and afternoon snacks served by the butler was great. We also had the concierge make our restaurant reservations for the week and were lucky to get the time and place that we wanted.

 

It made for a stress free week. We really love freestyle cruising for our family and have 3 more planned on NCL!

 

Good luck with your decision.

[tomk3212]

my wife, two small children, and i are considering sailing on the gem in late march. we have been on several cruises (13 i think), mostly with princess (also holland, carnival, rci, and ncl). the last time we sailed ncl was many years ago, and from what i have read, it sounds like ncl has declined in quality. how would it compare to carnival? more importantly, what perks are provided with a suite and/or a mini-suite? are the perks the same for a mini as a regular suite? free internet? priority embarkation/ disembarkation? free laundry? will booking a suite ensure an increase in quality of service? lastly, while i dont require formality, the quality and choice of food is important. should we avoid ncl? any help will be appreciated.

We're just back from the Gem & it is GORGEOUS!!!!!

 

To answer some of your questions:

 

1) We've sailed on NCL five times & love it. Have never sailed Carnival so can't compare. Sailed on Celebrity's Horizon back in '01. Liked the ship & trip but hated the traditional dining arrangements. We like NCL's Freestyle MUCH better.

 

2) We do inside cabins so are not familiar with suite perks & such. There IS free laundry onboard on decks 9 & 10 & 5; three machines & three dryers. You just pay for the soap.

 

3) Food can be VERY subjective; one person's gourmet meal can be hog slop to another. That said, the Gem's food was GREAT in our opinion. Also there are a number of specialty restaurants sporting different cuisines. Some are free (LaCucina & the Mexican) and others have a surcharge (LeBistro, Cagney's, Orchid Garden, & Tappanyaki) and ALL require advance reservations be made a day in advance. The main restaurants (Magenta & the Grand Pacific) do not require reservations. The Garden Cafe (the buffet) was also quite good, in our opinion.

 

4) Our kids are MUCH older (TG!!) so we haven't had any experience with NCL's Kids Club. That said, though, we've heard from others that the kids (especially under 10) have great experiences. We would see the kids trooping through the Garden Cafe in pirate costumes & other costumes every once in a while & they seemed to be having a great time. We met the Kids Crew counselors while we were on the Gem & they are TERIFFIC people so your kids should have a great time.

 

We recommend NCL & the Gem highly.

 

Tom & Eileen

[nyflush]

Thanks so much!

 

Did you see any of the shows if so how were they?

I have only been on the Dawn and most shows were great:)

[avalanche2]

I just returned from a Courtyard Villa on the Pride of HAwaii and there is no comparision between Carnival, Princess, RCCL or Holland America. NCL is far superior in regards to suites. We hardly left the private pool and deck. Service was unsurpassed with a great concierge and awesome butlers. If you can afford it, it is the only way to cruise.

[nyflush]

I just returned from a Courtyard Villa on the Pride of HAwaii and there is no comparision between Carnival, Princess, RCCL or Holland America. NCL is far superior in regards to suites. We hardly left the private pool and deck. Service was unsurpassed with a great concierge and awesome butlers. If you can afford it, it is the only way to cruise.

 

We will be in a CV in Feb can you tell me how late the pool stays open?

[Former Goalie]

We will be in a CV in Feb can you tell me how late the pool stays open?

I'm not sure, but I don't think it ever closes. Keep in mind the pool is very small, but it's nice for a quick splash. Nice whirlpool and small exercise equipment area.

[nyflush]

Thanks, Looks like a nice place to just chill and have tea late night just wasnt sure if they lock the doors to the courtyard area.

[Former Goalie]

Thanks, Looks like a nice place to just chill and have tea late night just wasnt sure if they lock the doors to the courtyard area.

You described the Courtyard area perfectly, it's definitely not a party area, rather a really relaxing place. At night, with the roof open and the breeze blowing, it would be a nice place to chill.

[greywillow]

actually, i quite enjoyed our last ncl cruise. and yes, i do want you to convince me to sail with ncl again. when i read comments about ncl on the princess board, it is mostly bad, so i came here for the other perspective. i didn't expect to get criticised for asking. the freestyle concept sounds great; but if it turns out to be poor quality, i would rather pick another line. i thought , perhaps, someone may be able to give me some unofficial insight on suites and mini-suites.

If you want our opinions on NCL, why do you insist on telling us what they say on the Princess board? Who cares? Would you expect them to say "NCL is much better than Princess, but we choose to sail Princess anyway?"

 

Do you think we would all sail NCL if the cruises were "mostly bad?" Or if we felt they were of "poor quality?" Why not just ask what we think?

[starfamily]

We were in a suite last year on the sun and are giving it one more shot this year on the jewel. On the sun we had an AD suite and we have an AB on the jewel. We have cruised several times in suites on princess and there was very little comparison. We were dissapointed with the sun,as were our friends who had the owners suite. But they too are giving it one more try this christmas as the itinerary is great and freestyle is nice. (although you can get that on princess with "anytime" dining)

 

I think after this trip we will know for sure if NCL is for us, you can't judge from one trip. Last year we were the last cruise before dry dock and the ship and crew were both "tired" it seemed. We have had similar experiences on princess too though.

 

I do think the "suite perks" are much better on princess, even more so on celebrity. The butler is a nice perk on NCL and cagneys is nice as long as you get one of the higher suites, (mini suites don't get anything by the way except a bathtub) Suites on Carnival get nothing, at least not one perk I can recall except the priority boarding so suite wise I would put them on the bottom of the list. Give NCL a try especially on one of the newer ships, for the money you can get a lot more on ncl than compared to celebrity or princess.