Review of Pearl sailing 11/16/07 - Missing Items

[shamda]

I sailed on the Pearl on 11/16/07 and wrote a review that you can find here:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...?EntryID=35025

 

 

In my review I left out a couple of things I thought are worth mentioning.

 

My review centered around the noticing of expense cuts that was so obvious that NCL has made. One thing that really annoyed me was their protection of cookies. If someone from NCL reads this, please explain to me why the cookies were locked up like they were 24 ct gold? Several times thought the cruise I noticed by the buffet that some folks had nice looking cookies. I asked for them several times from someone at the buffet and was either told no, or told that maybe they would have them later. At one point, I asked for them as we were having lunch with our friends and was told no. One of my friends that was with me got up and went over and asked someone else and he reached under the counter and gave her a few. Why keep them locked up like that and so hard to get?

 

Another point I forgot to mention was to comment on the flat screens thoughout the ship showing the restaurant table availabitlity. This was a complete waste to me. What difference does it make? If you do not have reservations you are not getting in anyway. I would rather them use the screens to post the daily activities that are listed in the Freestyle Dailies. This way we would not have to carry it around with us. There were some things I wanted to attend, but not having my Dailie with me I forgot the exact time or place. Why not use the screens for this?

 

One last thing was the annoyance of being asked for drinks from the bar staff. How many times can they ask? At the deck party we were sitting outside at a table and every 30 seconds someone came by asking if we wanted to order drinks. This went on for an hour. We finally had to get up and leave. It is just as bad at the Spinnaker Lounge during shows. They have the shows just to sell drinks. Maybe they should issue a pin to wear or a wrist band to wear to alert the bar staff that you do not want to be bothered. This was the worse I have ever been bothered by bar staff on any cruise I have ever been on.

 

Sorry for leaving these things out of my review, but they are big enough items that I wanted to mention them somewhere.

 

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions regarding this post of my review.

 

Howard

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

[bahamapapa]

Bring your own cookies and don't make eye contact with the bar staff.

 

Seriously, thanks for the observations, even though most seem fairly negative. We are new to NCL and chose this cruise over the Emerald Princess based largely on the $300/pp price difference and a slightly preferred itinerary. We have cruised on every major line except NCL and previously avoided it based largely on reputation. From your comments, I fear this may be our first and last NCL cruise.

 

In any event, we will lower our expectations and hope to be presently surprised.

[NorthernNeighbour]

While I appreciate the comments about the cookies and bar staff, I still plan to use NCL quite often for cruises. I also cruise on other lines.

 

Since 1) I never eat cookies and 2) I always nurse my drink to avoid being bugged about ordering another (they do this at bars on land too!!!), not a problem for me.

 

That said, in my experience every cruise line has some little oddity that one would prefer were different. My only bad experience on NCL was one cruise where the ship's photographer kept insisting to take our pictures, even though we told him politely several times 'no pictures'.

[shamda]

If you read my review you will see that much if it is positive. Negative comments aside we still had a great time and I am sure you will too. There were many positive things about the cruise and the Pearl is a great ship. Enjoy your trip, the reviews are just to alert you to certain things you may want to try to do or avoid. Have a great time!

 

 

Bring your own cookies and don't make eye contact with the bar staff.

 

Seriously, thanks for the observations, even though most seem fairly negative. We are new to NCL and chose this cruise over the Emerald Princess based largely on the $300/pp price difference and a slightly preferred itinerary. We have cruised on every major line except NCL and previously avoided it based largely on reputation. From your comments, I fear this may be our first and last NCL cruise.

 

In any event, we will lower our expectations and hope to be presently surprised.

[Warm Breezes]

Does the Pearl have a childrens buffet? Thats where the cookies were on our Jewel cruise last week.

[Travel Angel]

Bring your own cookies and don't make eye contact with the bar staff.

 

Seriously, thanks for the observations, even though most seem fairly negative. We are new to NCL and chose this cruise over the Emerald Princess based largely on the $300/pp price difference and a slightly preferred itinerary. We have cruised on every major line except NCL and previously avoided it based largely on reputation. From your comments, I fear this may be our first and last NCL cruise.

 

In any event, we will lower our expectations and hope to be presently surprised.

 

Please do not lower your expectations.... that is the start of a bad cruise ! I have sailed the Pearl and felt it was a wonderful ship/staff/entertainment/food amd service and really had the opposite feelings of the flat screen purposes regarding restaurant availability... I thought a NICE TOUCH !

 

As for the cookies.... I too wondered why they kept them secure as if at Ft. Knox....I asked and the staff had no problems going and getting me what I asked for.

 

I think a cruise perception has alot to do with the attitude going in and the way you treat the staff.... show them some kindness and it will go a loooong way and usually get you what you are requesting !

[Vyhanek]

I think being harassed by the wait staff to buy drinks is fairly common among all cruise lines. Honestly i don't think NCL is any worse than the others. I agree it is very annoying.

 

I seem to remember that they used to leave a paper coaster on the table after they have asked you for drinks. Not in recent cruises by maybe 3ish? years ago. That way when different waiters come by you didn't get asked over and over. That was nice.

 

I'm sure if they really DID read their customer comment cards like they say they do the would re-implement this basic system. No one likes to be asked over and over if they want drinks. That's a regular complaint of many cruisers.

[fllchick]

I was on the 11/16 Pearl sailing, and when we said no thank you to drinks, the server left a cocktail napking on our table. Not a problem at all.

 

We had a wonderful time. This was our first time on NCL and would cruise with them again.

 

Travel Angel, I couldn't agree with you more!!!!!!!!

[shamda]

We had the paper napkin on our table as well, but they still would not leave us alone. Maybe we looked like a couple of drunks. One night I ordered a beer and nursed it just so they would leave me alone. That did work.

 

 

I was on the 11/16 Pearl sailing, and when we said no thank you to drinks, the server left a cocktail napking on our table. Not a problem at all.

 

We had a wonderful time. This was our first time on NCL and would cruise with them again.

 

Travel Angel, I couldn't agree with you more!!!!!!!!

[Travel Angel]

We had the paper napkin on our table as well, but they still would not leave us alone. Maybe we looked like a couple of drunks. One night I ordered a beer and nursed it just so they would leave me alone. That did work.

 

I have been asked on a couple occassions by servers would I like another drink and by simply telling them "I will find you when I need additional drinks" seemed to get their attention and they steered clear of the table we were at until I asked for an additional drink.

[AnglerGirl]

Howard, your point about the bar staff was right on. Although it wasn't a major peeve of ours, on sea days we stayed on the pool and sun decks and it got annoying with the bar waiters. I'm half done with a bottle of beer (and we've got a bucket load of new ones sitting between us) and every 10 minutes (it seemed) I'm being asked if I want a drink! DH and I found our waiter (Caitlin) on Day 1 and placed most of our orders through him . Maybe that is why we were being targeted by other wait staff! LOL!

 

We had people next to us one day on the sun deck complaining about the frequency of the bar waiters stopping by and they began to ignore them completely! I think that is rude, but it worked for them.

 

On a positive spin, nobody on NCL is ever going to have to get up from their chair and go to the bar to place their order. There are plenty of bar waiters who will stop by with frequency to take your order. I also think the turn around time from order to delivery was good. It wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow.

 

As for the mysterious cookie plays, you are not the first person I've heard about this from. Funny thing is, I never got a cookie on this cruise I even liked! :D

[shamda]

Telling them I will find you when I need you does not work when 10 different waiters ask you the same question. The problem was not one waiter asking over and over, it was many different waiters asking the same question. If they see the napkin they should leave us alone, but they did not.

 

 

I have been asked on a couple occassions by servers would I like another drink and by simply telling them "I will find you when I need additional drinks" seemed to get their attention and they steered clear of the table we were at until I asked for an additional drink.

[bahamapapa]

Please do not lower your expectations.... that is the start of a bad cruise ! I have sailed the Pearl and felt it was a wonderful ship/staff/entertainment/food amd service and really had the opposite feelings of the flat screen purposes regarding restaurant availability... I thought a NICE TOUCH !

 

As for the cookies.... I too wondered why they kept them secure as if at Ft. Knox....I asked and the staff had no problems going and getting me what I asked for.

 

I think a cruise perception has alot to do with the attitude going in and the way you treat the staff.... show them some kindness and it will go a loooong way and usually get you what you are requesting !

 

Point understood, but I think we are talking past each other. I always go on a cruise with lowered expectations. By that, I mean expect a few things to go wrong, but enjoy all the good things more. And we all treat staff with respect and are treated accordingly.

 

My concern goes more with the recent thoughts re declining food quality and overwhelmed staff. I will not expect the same food or service we have received on Princess or Celebrity. If it is equal, then it will exceed expectations. If not, then I will not be disappointed. It is all about attitude. My philosophy is that I am going to have a great time relaxing and exploring, and nothing will bring me down.

 

Of course, there was the time on RCCL Enchantment when we went through the teeth of Hurricane Wilma with 60-foot swells, but that is another story....:-)

 

At the end of the day, I love to cruise, and will enjoy NCL. At the same time, I am very aware of the substantive comments of other posters. Overall, it seems to me that the "quality" of refinements in the cruise experience is declining in the face of price pressures. That will not ruin my cruise. I have never had a bad cruise, and will never allow that to be the case.

[salty dingo]

I'm sure they were trying to make the cookies last. I don't see what the big deal is - there is so much food to eat, why focus on something that is not out there? I don't get that at all.

 

Yes, the bar staff can be annoying, but I have found that once they determine you are not drinking, they will leave you alone. They don't want to waste their time any more than you want them to waste yours. They don't know until they ask. But they should get the hint if you are not drinking.

 

I can't believe the OP thinks the flat screens for wait times are a negative! I agree, if they would post the daily activities throughout the ship, it would be a help, but I personally don't like to keep on a schedule. If there is something I really want to do, I will remember it, but mostly I just happen upon activities as I am moving about the ship.

[shamda]

My point was not that the cookies were a big deal, my point was that they hid them and made them so hard to get. I would just like an explanation as to why they did this.

 

As far as the bar staff, how do they know you do not want to be bothered when there are so many of them? At the deck party I must have told 20 different bar waiters i did not want a drink. Some came by a second and third time, but some did not.

 

As far as the screens, I never said that I thought they were negative. I just did not see the point in them as without a reservation to one of the restaurants we could not get in anyway. I just found the information on the screens useless. I rather see them use the screens for more useful information. I thought that posting the daily events would be a good idea.

 

 

 

I'm sure they were trying to make the cookies last. I don't see what the big deal is - there is so much food to eat, why focus on something that is not out there? I don't get that at all.

 

Yes, the bar staff can be annoying, but I have found that once they determine you are not drinking, they will leave you alone. They don't want to waste their time any more than you want them to waste yours. They don't know until they ask. But they should get the hint if you are not drinking.

 

I can't believe the OP thinks the flat screens for wait times are a negative! I agree, if they would post the daily activities throughout the ship, it would be a help, but I personally don't like to keep on a schedule. If there is something I really want to do, I will remember it, but mostly I just happen upon activities as I am moving about the ship.

[sazzle99]

I can see that being consistently bothered to order a drink could be annoying and I do totally accept your point - although personally I would be more annoyed if I couldn't get a drink :D

 

I guess that says more about me than you :D but I do wonder if this is one of those situations where the staff can't win

 

They may be criticised if they ask if you want a drink (and how are they to know who else asked you unless the Bar Supervisor allocates them specific tables to wait) but would be criticised if they didn't ask you. for me, a simple "No thanks" is not a hardship - even every 10 mins

 

We are on the Pearl in Feb and if my only complaint is that people keep asking me if I want a drink then I will be one happy bunny :o :D LOL

[taxmantoo]

I sailed on the Pearl on 11/16/07 and wrote a review that you can find here:

 

One last thing was the annoyance of being asked for drinks from the bar staff. How many times can they ask? At the deck party we were sitting outside at a table and every 30 seconds someone came by asking if we wanted to order drinks. This went on for an hour.

 

Let's see... every 30 seconds for one hour... hmmmm... that would be 120 times in ONE HOUR somebody asked you if you wanted a drink? There must have been a long lineup of them next to your chair...

 

Are all the other comments as accurate as this one or might they be slightly exagerated too?

 

Not defending NCL's policy of harassing for drinks here (it is annoying) but reviews like this are just as annoying...

[outahere2]

Does the Pearl have a childrens buffet? Thats where the cookies were on our Jewel cruise last week.

 

Yes, there is a children's buffet on the Pearl, and I do recall that there were cookies there. The children's buffet, that we found, was all the way at the aft end of the main buffet, on the starboard side.

[shamda]

Well. ok, maybe every 30 seconds was not quite accurate, but it was short enough intervals that it was annoying. Just tyring to make a point. Geeez.

 

 

Let's see... every 30 seconds for one hour... hmmmm... that would be 120 times in ONE HOUR somebody asked you if you wanted a drink? There must have been a long lineup of them next to your chair...

 

Are all the other comments as accurate as this one or might they be slightly exagerated too?

 

Not defending NCL's policy of harassing for drinks here (it is annoying) but reviews like this are just as annoying...

[tommy]

Shamda,I think most of us realized you were just making a point.It seems it is a preety common occurence aftyer rerading past reviews and postings.Thanks for the review.I appreciate your opinions.

[AnglerGirl]

The really annoying thing is someone reading (lurking) the threads and posting that they are annoyed at someone's review or post.

[1kycat]

[shamda]

haha, now that is funny!

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

I sailed on the Pearl on 11/16/07 and wrote a review that you can find here:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberre...?EntryID=35025

 

 

In my review I left out a couple of things I thought are worth mentioning.

 

My review centered around the noticing of expense cuts that was so obvious that NCL has made. One thing that really annoyed me was their protection of cookies. If someone from NCL reads this, please explain to me why the cookies were locked up like they were 24 ct gold? Several times thought the cruise I noticed by the buffet that some folks had nice looking cookies. I asked for them several times from someone at the buffet and was either told no, or told that maybe they would have them later. At one point, I asked for them as we were having lunch with our friends and was told no. One of my friends that was with me got up and went over and asked someone else and he reached under the counter and gave her a few. Why keep them locked up like that and so hard to get?

 

Another point I forgot to mention was to comment on the flat screens thoughout the ship showing the restaurant table availabitlity. This was a complete waste to me. What difference does it make? If you do not have reservations you are not getting in anyway. I would rather them use the screens to post the daily activities that are listed in the Freestyle Dailies. This way we would not have to carry it around with us. There were some things I wanted to attend, but not having my Dailie with me I forgot the exact time or place. Why not use the screens for this?

 

One last thing was the annoyance of being asked for drinks from the bar staff. How many times can they ask? At the deck party we were sitting outside at a table and every 30 seconds someone came by asking if we wanted to order drinks. This went on for an hour. We finally had to get up and leave. It is just as bad at the Spinnaker Lounge during shows. They have the shows just to sell drinks. Maybe they should issue a pin to wear or a wrist band to wear to alert the bar staff that you do not want to be bothered. This was the worse I have ever been bothered by bar staff on any cruise I have ever been on.

 

Sorry for leaving these things out of my review, but they are big enough items that I wanted to mention them somewhere.

 

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions regarding this post of my review.

 

Howard

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Howard, I think some of what you have said is very true, but cut backs are not just happening on NCL, they are part of every mass marketed line right now. With the price of so many things increasing and the price of cruising staying pretty stable something has to give. Cruising is a great vacation value but it isn't what it was 10 years ago or even 5 years ago. As for pushing drinks, we did not have that problem on the Star, did they offer drinks? Sure, even in the casino more than it times past, but we didn't feel pressured in anyway. As for the screens letting people know about openings in varios restaurants, I am not sure they are of much value, but to let something like that bother you so much that you thought it necessary to post it rather surprises me. Just my thoughts.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Bring your own cookies and don't make eye contact with the bar staff.

 

Seriously, thanks for the observations, even though most seem fairly negative. We are new to NCL and chose this cruise over the Emerald Princess based largely on the $300/pp price difference and a slightly preferred itinerary. We have cruised on every major line except NCL and previously avoided it based largely on reputation. From your comments, I fear this may be our first and last NCL cruise.

 

In any event, we will lower our expectations and hope to be presently surprised.

Please don't let things like this bother you. If you want to enjoy the cruise you will. NCL has wonderful ships, the friendliest crew at sea and lots of positives, read what others are writing at this time about RCI< HAL and Princess. For some reason all the cruise lines are taking a beating. I think the crabbies came out in November....