IS NCL FOR ME...OR not?

[rucruizin]

By my signature, you can tell I've sailed a bit.

 

I have been quite happy with Carnival overall, but I am bored of the itineraries, **********

Looking at different options, and I like the 9 day itinerary being offered for 3/09.

 

I have read some, not so favorable reviews, but I realize "cruising is subjective." My biggest concern is the dining, I HATED anytime dining on Princess.

 

I love good food.

 

I can party, or not.

 

We are very friendly, and generally get along with everyone.

 

We like to dress up, but don't mind not dressing for dinner either.

 

Will I like NCL? What do you all think?

[gcjstri]

Hi rucruizin,

i have never sailed on Princess so i am curious what u did not like about the anytime dinning ???

I have been on 10 NCL cruises and i love the Freestyle dinning. They have soo many restaurant options and (where and when) U can go to the same dinning room every nite and sit at the same table with the same waiter at the same time if that is what u like. Or u can go to a different restuarant evey nite with a different waiter at a different time. i really LOVE having the options to eat whererever and whenever i want.

minimom:) :) :)

[rucruizin]

I've sailed Carnival 11 times, and depending on your timing you can find a rough crowd. BUT, I also find professionals like myself, and my DH who choose Carnival as well. The surgeons, the anesthesiologists, and my nurse friends have all been very happy with Carnival as well, so this is not a Carnival bashing thread.

 

I would bash Princess before I'd bash Carnival.

 

As for the anytime dining...I HATED it because...the very first night I had a fabulous wait staff. I was so pleased I decided to try to get that table the next night. First I was told to make reservations, then I was told I had to wait until 5pm that day. So promptly at 5pm I called to make reservations, but I was told they didn't take reservations, just request the table upon arrival. Upon arrival I asked for the table, and was told I had to have reservations. Long wait to get into the dining room, and with the exception of that first night...the wait staff SUCKED! All the staff sucked for that matter.

I had MUCH better service on Carnival.

 

We tried Princess again, but found the same sort of thing the second time. I would sail Princess again if the itinerary, and price suited me. But it would not be my first choice.

[GaryWT]

Our last cruise was on Carnival and we liked it better than some of our Royal cruises, less drinking leading to rowdy guests on Carnival, believe it or not. As for K Mart and WalMart, The K is a step above.

 

I am interested in the comment about the same table each night comment. I was under the impression from other posts that the waiters have different tables and or different restaurants each night so there was no way you could automatically get the same waiter. As for the same table, that would only be if someone did not get there before you, am I wrong with that?

[newmexicoNita]

By my signature, you can tell I've sailed a bit.

 

I have been quite happy with Carnival overall, but I am bored of the itineraries, **************

 

Looking at different options, and I like the 9 day itinerary being offered for 3/09.

 

I have read some, not so favorable reviews, but I realize "cruising is subjective." My biggest concern is the dining, I HATED anytime dining on Princess.

 

I love good food.

 

I can party, or not.

 

We are very friendly, and generally get along with everyone.

 

We like to dress up, but don't mind not dressing for dinner either.

 

Will I like NCL? What do you all think?

What about "anytime" dining did you not like? That could be the answer to your question. One of the biggest pluses for most cruising NCL is freestyle which as you know offers the flex dining plus several dining options. anyother plus, right now NCL has the youngest fleet of all cruise lines, with the exception of the Dream and majesty they have no ships more than 7 years old. You say food in important and you have read reviews:

 

to us the NCL food, most of the time is good to very good, gourmet it isn't, nor does Carnival offer gourmet food. the specialty dining rooms are outstanding.

 

One thing I do want to point out, you are looking at the height of spring break, especially with Easter being so early this year. Whatever line you choose there will be an influx of kids, mostly college kids. This will certainly change your overall cruise experience.

 

Hope this gives you some food for thought. Pardon the pun!!!!

[lidodeckbound]

Well we have only been on RC and Carnival. We are booked on NCL for July, simply because she sails out of Baltimore to Bermuda, and we don't want to waste valuable vacation time flying. I love Carnival myself...call me trailer if you want. But I am going to party and have fun, it is vacation for heaven's sake. RC was ok, not as "fun" and not as much entertainment. But as for NCL, I guess you can tell me? We have fun no matter where we go, or on what ship. I think it depends on your outlook and the people you hang around with. But you seem pretty laid back, you should fit in anywhere! Have fun!

[nattie]

If you hated anytime on Princess, stay away from NCL! I have cruised with NCL one time and will NEVER go back. For me waiting in line for 30 min to an hour to be seated at the table with surly waiters and wait for your appetizers to be served for 45 min AFTER you order, is just not a relaxing/desirable cruise experience. And also, counting that I payed for the cruise similar price that I would pay on Carnival or RCI, I REFUSE to plank down $$ nightly to go to "aletrnative" dining rooms for decent food and service. Once a cruise at a specialty steakhouse, absolutely! but not every day.

Personally, I stick to Carnival and RCI (Tahiti doesn't count, Tahitian Princess doesn't have anytime dining). Just my 2 cents.

[rucruizin]

Nita? Where in NM?

[rucruizin]

I have also observed who enjoys what lines has a lot to do with what part of the United States they call home. Again, of course I am generalizing, but certain people, from certain parts of the country look at life in a different way. some know how to roll with the punches, others are only satisfied when the snob appeal is visable.

 

Nita

 

This is true, for sure. We avoid certain ships, dates, and itineraries. Unfortunately...Spring Break has been when our kids are out of school. Even though our "baby" is now in nursing school, we are tied to that time of year because the surgeon's kid's are still in school.

 

We try to roll with it. Take the good with the bad, and amke the most of it anyway.:D

 

I've never had a horrible vacation...except maybe that 24 hours in Mexico:eek:

[newmexicoNita]

This is true, for sure. We avoid certain ships, dates, and itineraries. Unfortunately...Spring Break has been when our kids are out of school. Even though our "baby" is now in nursing school, we are tied to that time of year because the surgeon's kid's are still in school.

 

We try to roll with it. Take the good with the bad, and amke the most of it anyway.:D

 

I've never had a horrible vacation...except maybe that 24 hours in Mexico:eek:

omg, I didn't notice you live in Edgewater, I have clients in Sandia Peak and good friends that used to live in Edgewater. We are in Belen, or about 5 miles east, closer to the mountains. My clients in Sandia are on a cruise right now.

 

Your baby is in nursing school, our oldest granddaughter, after getting her bacholors from Colo State is now about to go back to nursing school in OK.

 

Well we are kinda off the subject, but it is always fun to realize how small our world is.

 

Nita

[rucruizin]

omg, I didn't notice you live in Edgewater, I have clients in Sandia Peak and good friends that used to live in Edgewater. We are in Belen, or about 5 miles east, closer to the mountains. My clients in Sandia are on a cruise right now.

 

Your baby is in nursing school, our oldest granddaughter, after getting her bacholors from Colo State is now about to go back to nursing school in OK.

 

Well we are kinda off the subject, but it is always fun to realize how small our world is.

 

Nita

 

lol! Actually it's edge WOOD...we are at the edge of the woods, not at the edge of the water, that's why we have to go cruising;) AND, you still didn't tell me where you live.:p

 

I grew up in Durango, my mama lives in Ft Collins.

[rucruizin]

omg, I didn't notice you live in Edgewater, I have clients in Sandia Peak and good friends that used to live in Edgewater. We are in Belen, or about 5 miles east, closer to the mountains. My clients in Sandia are on a cruise right now.

 

Your baby is in nursing school, our oldest granddaughter, after getting her bacholors from Colo State is now about to go back to nursing school in OK.

 

Well we are kinda off the subject, but it is always fun to realize how small our world is.

 

Nita

 

Oh, Belen...I skipped right over that. You should join us for our Celebrity cruise in March, then we'd have all 4 sides of Albuquerque represented:D

 

It's my thread, I can hijack it if I want

[Antioch Cruiser]

NCL is for me. I love the freestye. Eat when ever you want or what ever. I have only been on NCL and am kind of nervous to go to a different cruise line. If I did I would have to buy a suit. The last one I had was when I graduated from college.

I don't think Kmart sells suits, so I would be SOL.:D

[rucruizin]

To answer everyone's questions...why I don't like anytime dining, or freestyle dining.

 

The reason we enjoy cruising so much...we don't have to make descisions past what to eat for dinner, or what to do tomorrow in port.

 

We spent way too much time on previous vacations, going back and forth asking. Where do you want to eat...uh I don't know. When do you want to eat...uh I don't know. Then we would usually end up somewhere that neither of us wanted to be, because we were trying to figure out how to please each other.

 

Traditional dining means...I have to be ready on time;) No descision about where, or when needs to be made. I like the personal service I receive by having one waiter all week. The little extra's like brie, waiting for me on the table. Lemons in my water. Tea with cream, and always chocolate for dessert. My DH likes fresh berries with vanilla ice cream...as a dessert appetizer:D I enjoy getting to know my tablemates, and look forward to sharing my day with them. Some long time friends, started out as table mates on a cruise.

 

I have only had tablemates that I didn't like, once. We voted them off the table, and asked some new found friends to join us.

[mbisson]

I agree. I find it difficult to decide when I'm hungry! ;)

 

From your most recent post, I think I can now answer your original post...I don't think NCL is for you. But I'm not sure I'd personally enjoy cruising with you on a traditional line...I'd be afraid of getting voted off the table! Sounds like a reality show, and I don't enjoy those either

 

I'm starting to think I maybe should've been offended by the trailer comments!

[electricron]

I have only had tablemates that I didn't like, once. We voted them off the table, and asked some new found friends to join us.

 

How much trouble did you go through doing that with Traditional Dining? With NCL's Freestyle Dining, you wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble.

[hazeleyez3]

To answer everyone's questions...why I don't like anytime dining, or freestyle dining.

 

The reason we enjoy cruising so much...we don't have to make descisions past what to eat for dinner, or what to do tomorrow in port.

 

We spent way too much time on previous vacations, going back and forth asking. Where do you want to eat...uh I don't know. When do you want to eat...uh I don't know. Then we would usually end up somewhere that neither of us wanted to be, because we were trying to figure out how to please each other.

 

Traditional dining means...I have to be ready on time;) No descision about where, or when needs to be made. I like the personal service I receive by having one waiter all week. The little extra's like brie, waiting for me on the table. Lemons in my water. Tea with cream, and always chocolate for dessert. My DH likes fresh berries with vanilla ice cream...as a dessert appetizer:D I enjoy getting to know my tablemates, and look forward to sharing my day with them. Some long time friends, started out as table mates on a cruise.

 

I have only had tablemates that I didn't like, once. We voted them off the table, and asked some new found friends to join us.

 

Based on your post you may want to re-think NCL. You would need to decide when you would want to eat, and where. If it would be in a specialty restaurant than you may need to get up early to make the reservations. Since there is no guarantee that you will have the same waiter you will not have the "special touches" you referred to with traditional dining.

[JoeCanadian]

DW and I write out an "itinerary" of where we want to eat before we even get on the ship.... we leave a couple of nights open for 'whatever'... and our itinerary is 100% absolutely positively subject to change! :D

 

For us, this takes care of some of the decision making... and avoids, for the most part, the "going back and forth asking. Where do you want to eat...uh I don't know. When do you want to eat...uh I don't know."

 

It works for us... :cool:

[newmexicoNita]

Based on your post you may want to re-think NCL. You would need to decide when you would want to eat, and where. If it would be in a specialty restaurant than you may need to get up early to make the reservations. Since there is no guarantee that you will have the same waiter you will not have the "special touches" you referred to with traditional dining.

special touches may not always be there, I agree. As for getting up early, we have found if you wait til about 9:30 to 10am you can walk up and in most cases get the alternative dining of your choice: habachi table being the exception or the specialty dining rooms the last day or so. as for same waiter, if you request and make reservations in advance in the main dining rooms you can get the same wait staff. See we can all learn from each other.

 

Nita

[bcs819]

RU - you requested my opinion here so I will try to summarize for you:

 

We haven't sailed NCL yet, our first cruise will be on the Jewel on 2/29. Looks like you're getting on when I get off. Amzingly, I got on the Triumph when you got off this year. Small world.

 

Ok, no real opinion of NCL yet, but so far I am cautiously hesitant. We did NOT want to leave Carnival, but wanted to do SOuthern Caribbean and don't want to do the Destiny. NOw that she's moving, we were excited, but they're replacing her with the Victory, and we've already sailed her.

 

There is NOTHING we don't like about Carnival except the size of the pools. We have been amazed by the service, but as people who work (for more than 20 years each of us), I am not afraid to address issues immediately. ANy issue we've ever had on Carnival has been taken to the Purser's desk and was reacted to with more than we would have wanted or expected. Example - on our first Carnival cruise, we were out on our balcony and the kids in the cabin next to us were throwing trash (not a little - they were emtying garbage cans into the ocean)over the balcony. This was very upsetting to me and I called the Purser. The next day we had a letter apologizing for the disturbance and a discount to apply to a future cruise. It wasn't even Carnival's fault - I just felt obligated to report it and make it stop. Not 10 minutes later there was security banging on the door and we could hear them reprimanding the kids and parents (which was good enought for me). We've had bigger issues on other lines and got nothing - not even a letter. As to the clientele on Carnival, the rudest drunkest people we have ever encountered on any cruise were on the GRAND PRINCESS. Fall down, throwing up in hallways, banging on doors int he middle of the night, fights by the pool kind of drunk. Go figure. We sail during off-peak times for the most part, but that cruise was SPring Break so it could have happened anywhere I guess. We sailed in the summer early on, but decided, just like vacations to Disney and other places, we would rather go when there are fewer kids.

 

Dining. I'm not happy about Freestyle at all. I HATED dining on Princess. It's fair to say we hated almost everything on PRincess. Service for things like handing you a tray at the buffet was OUTSTANDING but when I complained to the bartender at the adult pool that there were kids int he pool he told me he "wasn't getting involved". When I asked to use the phone at the bar to call the Purser's desk, he directed me to a public phone somewhere else. I never got any response from Princess at all. Entertainment also stunk for the most part on Princess. We were bored a lot of the time. We had gotten a great deal on the Grand and didn't really have high opinions of Princess but many many posters convinced us she was an older ship, yada yada. So we went back once more - never again. We didn't have a bad time, just not the time we would have had on Carnival. We learned our lesson with anytime dining and made reservations for the same table same time same restaurant so for us it was like traditional dining.

 

Anyway, we are a little tired of formal nights so are trying the Freestyle thing. I plan to try the same time-same table-same restaurant thing again - so we'll see what happens. I am extremely concerned about the dining for our upcoming cruise as that is my favorite part of the trip - not having to plan anything once onboard the ship.

 

Let's see, ROyal Caribbean, we had a great time but spent several hundred more PP on the cruise and onboard than on any Carnival cruise, and did not feel like we had EXTRA fun to justify the extra expense. ALso, this cruise was our worst dining experience EVER. To make a long story as short as possible, I was 2nd in line when the Maitre D opened up - first on the list for a table for 2. "Come back tomorrow" - I did. "Nothing, sorry, try again tomorrow" - I did. We spent the first 4 nights of a 9 night cruise in the buffet before I blew a gasket and went to the Purser's Desk. Yes, I know it's just a request, etc. Here's the kicker. WIthin an hour of going to the Purser we recevied a letter that we had a table for 2. We went to dinner that night and the waiter asked us where we had been all week - the table had been EMPTY!!!!!!!!! If we had a good deal we would probably sail Royal again, but I would go to the Purser ASAP with any issue.

 

Basically - we've never been unhappy with Carnival, and we had our first suite this year. The perks of the suite have inspired us to stick with Carnival whenever possible so we get to 10 cruises and get the perks even when not in a suite.

 

ANything else you wanted to know?

[deepnite10]

i have no loyalty s to any single cruise line..and take critisim of any with a grain of salt..

 

having just gotten off a RCCL cruise i was quite satisfie d with the

schedule d dining time s..they also had an alternative dining venue

we decide d not to to try..but, we had no problem s with this time of

service..

 

then sailing this past jan on the star..the freestyle experience was quite

a pleasant alternative to what we ve experience d..certainly other cruise line s offer their line of specialty restraunt s..the NCL ship s so many more

alternative s..they also have 2 very good no surcharge restraunts..the endless summer and the le trattoria..reservation s are require d but no extra charge s..their menu s are extensive..it would take us 4 nite s to

try what i would like on the menu..

 

additionally they have 2 main dining room s serving the same menu..and

the 24 hr Blue lagoon..not great..better than any fast food joint s..

 

i think you ll like it :D

[CanadianTwosome]

Wow, you are so lucky that couple didn't come back to the table. Giving them an ultimatum worked... but if they had chosen to ignore you, and continued to come to the table as well as abusing the parents, what would you have done? I'm glad it wasn't me!!! Yuck. Good for you for standing up for the parents, though. That sort of thing is just reprehensible, in my opinion.

 

You're also lucky that in all your cruises, you've only had the one bad experience - and were able to resolve it. I've only been on five cruises so far and I've had unpleasant company on two of them - that's 40%!!! If you discount the NCL cruise because it was freestyle, it's 50% of traditional dining cruises!! I can tell you from my experience, it's really difficult to enjoy a lovely meal when there's someone at your table who revels in being offensive, and it's not much better to be with someone who just IS offensive, but is totally oblivious to it.

 

I'd still go back to traditional dining if the cruise was right (itinerary, dates, price), but now that I've tried Freestyle, it's definitely my preference. :)

[Down-Unders]

By my signature, you can tell I've sailed a bit.

 

I have been quite happy with Carnival overall, but I am bored of the itineraries, *********

 

Looking at different options, and I like the 9 day itinerary being offered for 3/09.

 

I have read some, not so favorable reviews, but I realize "cruising is subjective." My biggest concern is the dining, I HATED anytime dining on Princess.

 

I love good food.

 

I can party, or not.

 

We are very friendly, and generally get along with everyone.

 

We like to dress up, but don't mind not dressing for dinner either.

 

Will I like NCL? What do you all think?

 

 

What do you think?

[rucruizin]

What do you think?

 

I still don't know...

 

I'm aprehensive to leave the traditions that we really enjoy. At the same time...maybe this new experience would be something fun. On Princess, you still have both options. Traditional as well as anytime.

 

Is NCL ALL freestyle?

 

I guess it wouldn't be much different than a land vacation that is all inclusive.

 

We'll see how it all shakes out, I know the DH would love it it he didn't have to dress up every night.

 

Thanks for everyone's input.

[JoeCanadian]

Is NCL ALL freestyle?

 

Yes, NCL is 100% Freestyle on all of their ships.