VERY DISAPPOINTED with Feb 8 sailing aboard Pearl - will not sail NCL again!

[mmitch999]

I will be on the pearl in march and was pleased to hear that there will be few organised activities .....I just hate those cruise directors....I want to be left with peace and quite....or some background music by real musicians.....food i like but I will be trying the surcharge restuarants and will use those if the food else where is poor..I prefer quality over quantity so again i should be OK..............either way I will enjoy......

[johnritt]

I enjoyed the review but wonder why (maybe I missed it) the poster removed the service charge/tips?

[JWestShuh]

Thanks to the OP for the review. I like to hear the good with the bad. Luckily the things that you find as a negative (no planned activities, people not dressing up, etc.) don't really bother me as much. Sorry you didn't like NCL, but at least there are a lot of other lines to choose from!

[klct39lg]

Thank you for a well written review. I appreciate the time and effort that was put into it. Knowing what a person likes and dislikes allows me to better gauge my expectations. :)

 

That said, the only thing that really bothered me was the title, which I believe set the tone for this thread:

VERY DISAPPOINTED with Feb 8 sailing aboard Pearl - will not sail NCL again!:eek:

 

I didn't read anything in your review that would warrant such a negative thread title....

 

Just my humble opinion.:o

[Got2Cruise]

I will be on the pearl in march and was pleased to hear that there will be few organised activities .....I just hate those cruise directors....I want to be left with peace and quite....or some background music by real musicians.....food i like but I will be trying the surcharge restuarants and will use those if the food else where is poor..I prefer quality over quantity so again i should be OK..............either way I will enjoy......

 

I think that you will find the food fine. . . but NCL is not the place to go if you prefer the white-gloved service of Celebrity. It is not the place to go if you want to sit down with three entrees and two desserts at once. But, if you don't care for the dish, the waiter will be more than happy to bring you a different entree immediately, no questions asked. Remember, the suites eat the same food as the passengers in the least expensive inside cabin.:) Here is a hint, if you are going to try Le Bistro for sure and will order a bottle of wine. . .order the anniversary package. . .then you get strawberries, canapes, cake, and a bottle of sparkling wine, and an 8x10 photo for an additional $19

[alpinemccain]

Always disappointing to read negative reviews - especially a month before travelling on the same boat myself! However' date=' I am comforted by the fact that there were many good points and the bad points focussed on a lot of areas that are unimportant to us. Also, this review shows how 2 people's experiences can be completely different from each other even tho' they were on the same boat at the same time. ClairDavid's review http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=38268 of the same trip was glowing in it's tributes and many of the negative points raised by the OP were completely refuted! :confused: I quote:

 

[i']"This is one of the best ships we have sailed on, the most state of the art, smoothest, with the friendliest staff we have ever encountered. We are completely spoiled now by freestyle dining - don't know how we'll ever return to the traditional set times. And thanks to this board, we met some really terrific people".[/i]

 

I guess I'll just have to make my own mind up.

 

 

We were on the same trip and we LOVED IT!!!! We had a blast and would highly recommend it! I sailed RCCL Voyager in the past and we are both in our late 20's.....so I guess you have to be carefull when you read reviews...as not everyone have the same tastes and not everyone puts the same amount of importance on the same issues....i.e. our deck, we never heard anyone vacuming....I loved the food...we thought the chocolate buffet was a highlight....we didnt try to play hockey, so didnt have that issue.....so again, the same cruise can be a 10/10 for one person and a 1/10 for the person next to him...it all depends....

[virgenia]

We were also on the same cruise as the OP. We have about 12 cruises--mostly on Princess with the rest scattered among the different mass market lines. Following a disastrous cruise on the Pride of Aloha when it started its Hawaiian itinerary, I swore we would never cruise NCL again. Then after I read such a glowing professional review of the Pearl, I thought we would try NCL again. I am glad we did. We booked the cruise mostly to get outta here in February to somewhere warm, but I was definitely looking forward to trying freestyle dining. I am not picky about food, husband is pickier. I thought the food was fine but he thought the main dining room was a disappointment. We both thought the Garden Cafe buffet was the best one we had ever seen, so we ate most of our meals there after eating in the Summer Palace for three dinners. We also ate twice at Mambos and once at LaCucina and were pleased with all of them. Never had a problem making reservations and never had to wait at any eating place, although we tend to eat early. I agree with the OP that the desserts are disappointing, but with fresh made crepes and free ice cream, who needs anything else?

 

I do agree that there was a noticeable lack of activities during the day. I am usually fine with a book and a balcony, but since we did only one shore ex this time and found the port towns to be the same old, same old, I found the book and balcony got old. We had booked two excursions online before we left, but had to cancel a zipline due to injury and NCL canceled a kayaking one because not enough people had booked it. The shore ex person said that was due to the demographics of the crowd. Now we are in our early 60's so I figured I was part of that demographic!! I was actually surprised at the number of kids that were on this cruise. They were not a problem--just thought they should be in school instead.

 

We thought the entertainment was mixed. We liked the magician and the comedian. We both loved Jeff Trachta and saw both of his shows as well as his chatty presentation a couple of days later. Thought Second City was VERY disappointing. We did not feel they were funny at all in most of their bits although some of that depends on audience participation. Felt the Jean Ryan dancers were probably the worst we have seen on any cruise ship. Most of the "dancers" did little but walk around on a surprisingly small stage. The two feature dancers were very good tho. On the plus side, the Stardust Theatre is gorgeous and was never full.

 

Our room was a balcony midships on deck 10. Best shower we have ever had unless we have had a minisuite with a bathtub. The toilet was a little tight, but I am a 6'1" woman with VERY long legs and I never had an issue. Cannot stress enough how great the shower is.

 

We did buy the couples pass to the spa area and thought it was great. Very relaxing and usually empty so we felt as if we had our own personal spa. The thallasotherapy pool is wonderful and I definitely have put a heated tile lounger on my birthday list.

 

Oh, service and servers were universally wonderful. Always had a smile and hello. I spoke with our cabin attendant everyday and asked how many cabins he and his assistant had to do. 35! That is an amazing number of cabins to be responsible for, but our cabin was never neglected. I think the duvet is a big help in getting the rooms made up quickly.

 

That's my take on the 2/8 cruise.

[NayRN]

I enjoyed the review but wonder why (maybe I missed it) the poster removed the service charge/tips?

 

I wondered the same thing too so I looked back at prior posts from the OP and noticed that he/she had asked before the cruise how to take the service charge/tips off the bill. Makes me wonder if the OP tips anyone at all? I for one prefer to have the automatic service charge--that way, if the service isn't all that spectacular, oh well. If the service is good, they get an additional tip. If the service is great, then they really get an additional tip. People who work in the service industry depend on those service charges/tips to survive. They aren't paid what they're worth and most send money home to help support families. It would take something huge for me to ask for the service charge/tip to be removed from my bill. And please, don't flame me-I'm just giving my honest opinion.

 

NayRN

[canadarose]

I just read the review, and must say i agree with many of the OP's points. But I still like NCL, as karaoke is not a priority, and I don't care for too many of the daytime pool activities. I do agree that the stewards may be overworked, we had poor service, and I could care less if I ever met our steward, as long as my room is well cared for (our's wasn't on NCL.) Absolutely spot on with the food comments, food mediocre, and desserts were slightly worse than mediocre. However, I loved the cappucino, the Freestyle (we had almost no waits, and usually good service in dining rooms) About the price and demographic, we took X out on NYC Mar/06, 12 days, and were so disappointed by advanced age of most passengers that we almost wouldn't cruise from NYC or at that time of year again. Soooo glad we decided to give NCL a chance- sameweek 9 days last year. Service is definitely a step down from X, as is food. However, the casual nature, and family feel with such a wide variety of fellow passengers made up for it. Price for similar cabin was within $6 per day (NCL was more) so that argument doesn't hold water (IMO)

Good things about both lines in different ways, and Iliked them both better than CCL. Am cruising again on NCL next month. Can't Wait!

[mmitch999]

I think that you will find the food fine. . . but NCL is not the place to go if you prefer the white-gloved service of Celebrity. It is not the place to go if you want to sit down with three entrees and two desserts at once. But, if you don't care for the dish, the waiter will be more than happy to bring you a different entree immediately, no questions asked. Remember, the suites eat the same food as the passengers in the least expensive inside cabin.:) Here is a hint, if you are going to try Le Bistro for sure and will order a bottle of wine. . .order the anniversary package. . .then you get strawberries, canapes, cake, and a bottle of sparkling wine, and an 8x10 photo for an additional $19

 

I have cruised with both white - glove lines and other lines and always enjoy the experiance ... food is not the deal breaker for me but it can make a big difference if food and service are good .... already got the anniversary package ( free at time of booking with NCL UK )..interested to know how you knew it was my anniversary.............or can anyone book it???????

[usmprez]

Always disappointing to read negative reviews - especially a month before travelling on the same boat myself! However' date=' I am comforted by the fact that there were many good points and the bad points focussed on a lot of areas that are unimportant to us. Also, this review shows how 2 people's experiences can be completely different from each other even tho' they were on the same boat at the same time. ClairDavid's review http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=38268 of the same trip was glowing in it's tributes and many of the negative points raised by the OP were completely refuted! :confused: I quote:

 

[i']"This is one of the best ships we have sailed on, the most state of the art, smoothest, with the friendliest staff we have ever encountered. We are completely spoiled now by freestyle dining - don't know how we'll ever return to the traditional set times. And thanks to this board, we met some really terrific people".[/i]

 

I guess I'll just have to make my own mind up.

 

Cruisin'cockney , I think you are totally correct and everyone has different expectations for their cruise. We're on the same itinerary as you a week later on the Jewel and we know it's going to be another fantastic trip for us and that our expectations will be met. Might there be the odd hiccup? of course but it won't spoil our enjoyment.

 

Where are you from in London? Although I have lived in the US for many years I was born and raised in Bethnal Green so I am also a "true" cockney - and I still have the accent!!! My middle child (a girl) went to Bournemouth University and now lives in Surrey. We are taking the Jade from Southampton in June and will be spending a few days in the area post cruise. My only regret is that the football season will be finished and I won't be able to go to Upton Park to see my beloved West Ham!

[Got2Cruise]

I have cruised with both white - glove lines and other lines and always enjoy the experiance ... food is not the deal breaker for me but it can make a big difference if food and service are good .... already got the anniversary package ( free at time of booking with NCL UK )..interested to know how you knew it was my anniversary.............or can anyone book it???????

 

LOL I had no idea it was your anniversary,congratulations and many more!

Anyone can book the anniversary package. . .We decided to book it last year, after seeing what a good value it was. ( We cruise in July, or anniversary is in Oct. :D ) I read here on cruisecritic that if you don't care for canapes, you can request cheese and crackers. We enjoyed the canapes. . .Make sure you don't lose the letter about the anniversary package, and bring it with you to Le Bistro. On the Crown, they made a copy of it for their files. Also, you know you still need to make a reservation for Le Bistro for the night of your choosing when you come on board. . .it is not automatic.

[johnritt]

I wondered the same thing too so I looked back at prior posts from the OP and noticed that he/she had asked before the cruise how to take the service charge/tips off the bill. Makes me wonder if the OP tips anyone at all? I for one prefer to have the automatic service charge--that way, if the service isn't all that spectacular, oh well. If the service is good, they get an additional tip. If the service is great, then they really get an additional tip. People who work in the service industry depend on those service charges/tips to survive. They aren't paid what they're worth and most send money home to help support families. It would take something huge for me to ask for the service charge/tip to be removed from my bill. And please, don't flame me-I'm just giving my honest opinion.

 

NayRN

 

You will get no flames from me. I went back and read some of the OP's posts after reading yours and discovered that the OP is european and "europeans just don't tip".

 

Well, that makes me happy that she had herself a crappy cruise. I think that she had to self justify her screwing of the crew and thus had to spend an inordinate amount of time finding things wrong with the cruise that she was on.

 

It's karma. When you screw the crew you screw yourself, and get the cruise you deserve.

 

The OP got the cruise she deserved. She earned it.

[usmprez]

You will get no flames from me. I went back and read some of the OP's posts after reading yours and discovered that the OP is european and "europeans just don't tip".

 

Well, that makes me happy that she had herself a crappy cruise. I think that she had to self justify her screwing of the crew and thus had to spend an inordinate amount of time finding things wrong with the cruise that she was on.

 

It's karma. When you screw the crew you screw yourself, and get the cruise you deserve.

 

The OP got the cruise she deserved. She earned it.

 

NayRN and johnritt :

Don’t know which part of Europe the OP is from but I’m European and both in England (my home country) and every other European city I’ve been to the people tip. After reading your post I too read the OP’s previous posts and lo and behold after complaining in this thread that the guests on NCL in February were too old at an average of 70+ she complained in an earlier thread that on her on Princess cruise last February the guests were too old at an average of 75+. She should have been happy that the NCL cruisers ere such a comparatively young bunch!!

[newmexicoNita]

I guess I missed the part about tipping or not tipping. Most of us realize those from places like UK and the Assies are not into tipping, but most, I know accept our customs and do tip. You know I love it when we see this crap about service didnt' deserve a tip or whatever the reasoning. Yes, many countries do not encourage tipping but they do put a service charge on meals, hotel rooms etc, one country is England, so why do they feel tipping should not happen and what is the difference?

 

Nita

[NayRN]

I guess I missed the part about tipping or not tipping. Most of us realize those from places like UK and the Assies are not into tipping, but most, I know accept our customs and do tip. You know I love it when we see this crap about service didnt' deserve a tip or whatever the reasoning. Yes, many countries do not encourage tipping but they do put a service charge on meals, hotel rooms etc, one country is England, so why do they feel tipping should not happen and what is the difference?

 

Nita

 

When in Rome........

[CanadianTwosome]

I agree with many posters about the OP's review. I thought it was very balanced and well thought out - it was definitely not one sided (good or bad), and almost all of it was a simple statement of personal experience and opinion. I also agree that the title of the thread was a little extreme, and the closing sentiments stating (as fact) that experienced cruisers wouldn't enjoy NCL or that it was geared towards travellers wanting a lower price were presumptuous. I think the most important part, though, was definitely the detailed description of what they did and didn't like. As so many have said, having those details help us to know whether we might or might not agree with the poster's opinions.

 

Another point that was made by many (here and elsewhere) is that we're all different and have different points of view and different likes and dislikes, and I definitely saw that evidenced as I read what the OP did and didn't like. A few differences of perspective:

 

I love karaoke, and had a wonderful time on both of my NCL cruises singing in the lounge that hosted it. On the Dream, it was much more popular than on the Star, but the venue never phases me; I just want to sing, and while I enjoy having others to share the experience with, I love a dead karaoke room as well, because I get a lot more turns to sing! :)

 

I LOVED the new seafood dish. Given a choice, I will always choose something like the seafood extravaganza (I think that's what it was called) over a lobster tail. It's just my personal preference. I know it may sound crazy, also, but there are actually some people who don't eat lobster at all!! I'm always amused by the ongoing lobster focus; it's just not something that is important to me in the least. On another note concerning food, I saw a few comments about portions and desserts. Please have a look at my food pics:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/562285834btzutd

I don't understand the portion complaints. On the one hand, you can order as many as you want, but realistically, for a four course meal, the portions are quite generous in my opinion. The entrees are certainly no smaller than what I serve at home (at least the meat - I tend to serve more veggies, but I don't always have salad either). As for the desserts, I don't usually eat dessert - and many times had a 'dessert salad' on the Star, but on some occasions I simply had to have one - the creme brulees were incredible, as was the coconut souffle, and for my daughter and husband who are chocolate lovers, they found numerous ridiculously indulgent confections. I think anyone not enjoying their dessert should ask for another - just like with any other part of the meal. :)

 

We were on the Star mid-January and there were definitely quite a few older people. There were also other families, and everything in between. I'm a bit of a night owl, so I spent many evenings in the Spinnaker and Carousel lounges. The group that I met and got to know was a fairly small percentage of the passengers, but I never felt like there weren't enough new friends to meet and have fun with. They ranged in age from 20s to 40s or so and we sang, danced, socialized and had a blast. I find that the 'average age' on any cruise is completely irrelevant to me, since I'm not going to meet most of them anyway. There are always 'enough' people who share common interests with me to have the kind of fun I enjoy, and that's really all that's important. :)

 

The room steward thing always surprises me as well. I think the only time I went back and forth to our cabin and DIDN'T see our corridor's room stewards was late at night. Any time during the day when I passed down the hall, they were there, so I'm always confused when people say they never met their room stewards. On our first day, I was walking out of our cabin and the first steward I met I asked if he serviced our cabin. We determined that he did and I introduced myself and my family. From that moment on he greeted us by name every time he saw us, and so did our other steward, whom he introduced us to the next day. :)

 

I say all of this not to suggest that the OP was 'wrong', just to illustrate how different two individuals' opinions of the exact same thing can be. We're planning a cruise on the Pearl for next January, and I really enjoyed reading this review because I was able to determine things like those I've listed here, and for me, I saw nothing in the review that would discourage me in the least from booking. :)

[hkrsk]

Thanks for the detailed, thoughtful review. I sailed the Pearl last month with my wife and 2 kids, and many of your criticisms and compliments rang very true with me. I especially agree about the lack of activities, and the seeming attempt to schedule the chocolate buffet when and where it would have the fewest takers.

Despite any negatives, still had a great cruise and would happily sail the Pearl again.

[nderoche]

As you can see we love NCL and we have cruised on other lines years ago but found NCL a good fit for us. We developed a loyalty to NCL and we find that loyalty in other people that we have met and cruised with as well. For us it is the NCL people that keep us coming back. I guess you would call us friendly folks we enjoy talking with the cabin stewards, waiters and others, we learn their names as they have always learned ours.

In our experience it is the way the "complainers" approach other people. If they are treated like slaves you get the service you deserve on NCL or any other cruise line.:cool:

[NoPradaPiratesPlease]

Then after I read such a glowing professional review of the Pearl, I thought we would try NCL again. .

 

It's good that you had a good time, but one shouldn't depend too heavily on the "professional" reviews - the "writer" is given a free cruise on which to review the ship and the cruiseline has "approval" on the final copy. The "writer" doesn't dare knock the ship more than on a tiny point here or there, or she will not be "invited" back for another free cruise! Sometimes the "writer" just gleans the article information from the brochure and just enjoys their trip!

 

 

You will get no flames from me.

 

Well, that makes me happy that she had herself a crappy cruise. I think that she had to self justify her screwing of the crew and thus had to spend an inordinate amount of time finding things wrong with the cruise that she was on.

 

It's karma. When you screw the crew you screw yourself, and get the cruise you deserve.

 

The OP got the cruise she deserved. She earned it.

 

That sure seemed to be a flame........hope your next cruise is as lovely as those sentiments.

[MacAndrews]

Special mention should go to the magician Richard Burr and wife Josette

 

YES! Richard and Josette are teriffic! They were on the Wind with us (embarkation exactly one year ago tomorrow)

[lil buddy]

OK, after 4 pages of replies, I have to throw in my 2 cents worth.

Most every objection that the OP had, has been addresssed BUT why would you be surprised that a 20 year old, traveling with mom and dad,

didn't have a good time. The teen club is for teens and at 20 most people don't need to "be entertained". This statement, along with the "pricepoint" issue really struk me as odd. More often, then not, NCL is priced higher than other lines....and they have the most lavish and expensive, extensive suites and villas on sea.

I unabashedly prefer NCL, but have done the "white glove" routine and just find it a tad too pretentious for my taste.

Going on the Pearl in Sept., can't wait, and nothing that has been said here has impacted me in a negative way.

Hope the OP has better luck in the future.

[mbisson]

one shouldn't depend too heavily on the "professional" reviews - the "writer" is given a free cruise on which to review the ship and the cruiseline has "approval" on the final copy. The "writer" doesn't dare knock the ship more than on a tiny point here or there, or she will not be "invited" back for another free cruise! Sometimes the "writer" just gleans the article information from the brochure and just enjoys their trip!

.

 

But those free cruises can be terribly expensive ;) LOL