RCI Cruisers Impressed With NCL!

[Laoghaire]

Hello..DH and I sailed the NCL SUN Panama Canal April 20-May 9, and found our cruise quite extraordinary. We are very impressed with NCL. I must preface this short review with the fact we were in an AD suite #9202, which no doubt, accounted for such special service. We usually are not "suite" people, although we have sailed in a Junior Suite (small!) on the RCI Empress of the Seas. We have cruised RCI quite extensively.

 

I shall hit the "high" points of the trip.

1) Embarkation--Escorted almost immediately by the butler, Roland to our forward stateroom, with a glass of welcoming champagne in our hands (I should say in my hand, for DH doesn't imbibe!, which means I had 2!).

 

2) Concierage--Erika was fantastic! She was at our beck and call 24/7! She called almost twice a day to see how we were doing and to see if there was anything she could do for us. Our wish was her command, so to speak. I do feel sorry for those coming after us, for she is leaving the ship soon.

 

3) Butler--Roland, who delivered snacks every afternoon around 5pm., was available most of the time for anything Erika wasn't responsible for. We had in-room breakfast service twice, which we enjoyed, usually on port days.

 

4) El Adagio Resturant --was open for suite guests for breakfast and lunch. This was wonderful, we were there almost every day, for both seatings! Nice to have a quiet eating area.

 

5) Cocktail Party with the Captain and other Officers. This was quite special, as DH and I also had dinner with Captain Von Knorring on my birthday.

 

6) Stateroom--It was a nice size, with a very large balcony, where we spent most of our time while in the Panama Canal. Fellow Meet and Greeters Ron and Diane, David and Cheryl, Marian and Muriel were with us for some of the transit. What fun, hanging over the rail with our mimosas! The bathroom was wonderful, very big with a jet tub and shower, separate shower and separate WC, double sinks. The king size bed could have been more comfortable. I am sure the new ones will be welcome.

 

We started out cruising in an inside cabin, then moved up to oceanviews, then became "balcony snobs", and now, alas! we have become "suite snobs". All this means is, once you move up a category, it is really difficult to return to what you had before! Beware all!

 

We felt the food in all the resturaunts was excellent-- Speciality and the Dining Rooms. I think El Bistro was a definite favorite, but we never had a mediocre meal. We had dinner in the Garden Cafe quite a few times, when DH didn't want to change out of his shorts! The escargot was far better than RCI's.

 

We only had one bad moment on the ship, and that was a shore excursion in Manzanillo. We scheduled a Resort Getaway, and when we got there at 12 noon, there were no chairs or lounges to be had! Zillions of local residents, pool was filled. It was a mess. We found out it was a national holiday. 20 of us rebeled and had a bus from the ship come to take us back. After a brief encounter with the Shore Ex fellow, Garrett, our money was refunded. A couple of gals from our CC Meet and Greet stood up to him, and demanded the refund. Good for them, think it was Kathy and Sue from NJ.

 

Disembarkation was a dream. Erika met us in a lounge and escorted us off at 8:15am. We picked up our luggage and were waiting for our bus at 8:30am.

 

All in all, this was a terrific cruise. We came home, spent a week in Hawaii, and booked a return Panama Canal cruise on the NCL Pearl in September of 2009. So, does that tell you how happy we were with NCL? We shall be comparing it with our RCI November cruise coming up. Somehow I think we might be disappointed.

 

Helen

[chrisbd1]

I'm glad you had a great time!

[cruizinwithkids]

Very nice. What category of room did you book on the Pearl?

[Mystic cruisers]

Hi Helen, nice review. I'm glad you like NCL now. Since we've never been on RCCL before, we'll go in your place so you don't have to be disappointed. OK?

[Laoghaire]

Very nice. What category of room did you book on the Pearl?

 

Hi...We booked an AC under the bridge. Wanted an AD, but they were all aft, and we love the forward. Are you thinking of cruising the Pearl?

 

Helen

[Laoghaire]

Hi Helen, nice review. I'm glad you like NCL now. Since we've never been on RCCL before, we'll go in your place so you don't have to be disappointed. OK?

 

Hey, Ron... The Explorer OTS should be interesting. I am sure we won't get the personal attention we received from Erika! Also, NO BUTLER!! How will we manage!

 

Helen

[WinnieinWA]

Thanks for your review! I appreciate it!

[ZoneHPH]

A couple of gals from our CC Meet and Greet stood up to him, and demanded the refund. Good for them, think it was Kathy and Sue from NJ.

 

NEVER mess with Jersey girls. oooofffff! *grabs crotch* fuggitabotit!

[NayRN]

Thanks for the great review! I'll be cruisin' in 9202 to Alaska in July. Any secrets to share?;) How did you get invited to eat at the Captains table? I think that would absolutely make my vacation to actually get an invitation!

 

NayRN

[CruisnGram]

Glad you had such a wonderful cruise. Thanks for taking the time to post your detailed review. Many appreciate it.

[Laoghaire]

Thanks for the great review! I'll be cruisin' in 9202 to Alaska in July. Any secrets to share?;) How did you get invited to eat at the Captains table? I think that would absolutely make my vacation to actually get an invitation!

 

NayRN

 

Hi NayRN...You will really enjoy this suite! The balcony is huge, should be great viewing for Alaska. Lots of storage space, big closet. I loved the large bathroom. The Frances Denney toiletries were excellent, ask your room attendent for extras (We had George and Enrique').

 

You will be invited to the Captain's Cocktail Party--it was the 3rd night for our cruise. All suites guests are invited, plus some Gold and Platinum Latitudes members. I think the secret to our Captain's Table invite was because of my birthday that day. Of course, I'd rather believe it was because of our sparkling personalities! I would suggest you take Erika or the new concierage aside and tell him/her of your interest. And be interested in everything, which shouldn't be difficult! She will be in the El Adagio restaurant in the mornings and at lunch. Converse with her, be friendly.

 

Be sure to take advantage of the El Adagio for private breakfasts and lunches! It was wonderful to have quiet dining opportunities, while the buffet was terribly busy. Or have breakfast in your room, with the butler (we had Roland) serving it, AND cleaning up.

 

If you have any specific questions, I shall be happy to answer them.

 

Helen (an RN, also!)

[NayRN]

Hi NayRN...You will really enjoy this suite! The balcony is huge, should be great viewing for Alaska. Lots of storage space, big closet. I loved the large bathroom. The Frances Denney toiletries were excellent, ask your room attendent for extras (We had George and Enrique').

 

You will be invited to the Captain's Cocktail Party--it was the 3rd night for our cruise. All suites guests are invited, plus some Gold and Platinum Latitudes members. I think the secret to our Captain's Table invite was because of my birthday that day. Of course, I'd rather believe it was because of our sparkling personalities! I would suggest you take Erika or the new concierage aside and tell him/her of your interest. And be interested in everything, which shouldn't be difficult! She will be in the El Adagio restaurant in the mornings and at lunch. Converse with her, be friendly.

 

Be sure to take advantage of the El Adagio for private breakfasts and lunches! It was wonderful to have quiet dining opportunities, while the buffet was terribly busy. Or have breakfast in your room, with the butler (we had Roland) serving it, AND cleaning up.

 

If you have any specific questions, I shall be happy to answer them.

 

Helen (an RN, also!)

 

Thank you so much for your reply! We'll plan on taking advantage of Il Aldagio for breakfast and lunches! I'll be traveling with my sis and will be celebrating her b-day toward the end of the cruise, although she doesn't know it! :rolleyes:

 

How windy was it on the balcony? I'm sure it's more windy when cruising but will we be able to enjoy it while underway?

 

I've never been in a suite before, so....... how did you tip, meaning did you do 1/2 at beginning and 1/2 at end? all at the end? I just want to make sure I take care of the butler and conceriege correctly!:D

 

Thanks for all your help! I'm not surprised because, after all, you're an RN and that's what we do best.....help others!!

 

Renee'

[Laoghaire]

Renee',

 

Concerning the balcony...It seemed like the ship's location affected the wind effect. There were times north of San Francisco, it got a little too windy to be out, but there was nothing to see anyway! In the Caribbean and the Mexican Riviera, we had no problem. Just sitting or reading on the balcony was great, for the railing was fairly high. I did some sunbathing when the sun was overhead. That was wonderful, just enough wind to cool you a little. Actually, we booked the larger balcony again, just because we enjoyed it so much.

 

Regarding the tips, we tipped at the very end. I had read on CC that one butler (think it was ours), declined a tip when serving breakfast in the room, just told them to wait until the last day. We found that a lot easier than worrying about how much to tip every time he did something for us. We tipped him $5 a day, per person, as others had advised on CC. We tipped Erika, our concierage, a little more, for she was available to us 24/7. She called us at least once a day to see how we were doing. Our wish was her command, so to speak. I also think it was she that got us our invite to the Captain's Table, and other special tours.

 

As far as being an RN, do we ever leave it behind? I have been retired for years, now and am still "nursing". DH gets a little tired of me "stopping to help little old ladies across the street". LOL.

 

Helen

[NayRN]

Helen-

 

I'm told, once a nurse, always a nurse! Even when you retire, you just can't really retire! I have about 18 years left but I don't know exactly how long I'll be a floor nurse--the knees and back "just ain't what they used to be":eek: !

 

Thanks for the "tips" on the tips! I work hard for my money and I know that the crew does too so I want to be certain that I show them my appreciation for all their hard work! I'm also happy to know that I can tip at the end of the cruise--much easier! This issue was probably my biggest concern!

 

Thanks again--you've been a wealth of information!

 

Renee'

[Philly Steve]

NEVER mess with Jersey girls. oooofffff! *grabs crotch* fuggitabotit!

 

Brought a smile to my face! LOL :D