NCL was the first cruise line to.....

[nursallie]

Hi all,

 

Just found this info on unionplus.org website. NCL is union backed. It looks like other cruise lines aren't, because they are the only cruise line listed as joining forces for discounts with afl-cio.

 

Anyway to the point, the website had these cool facts:

 

NCL'S INNOVATIONS

• • First Caribbean cruise line
  • First mega ship
    
  • First modern day cruise line to offer year-round service out of New York
    
  • First Internet Cafe at sea
    
  • First bowling alley at sea
    
  • First to offer WiFi and cell phone service
    
  • First cruise line to have a Web site (NCL.com)
    
  • First private island, Great Stirrup Cay
    
  • First to have painted hull artwork

[newmexicoNita]

Hi all,

 

Just found this info on unionplus.org website. NCL is union backed. It looks like other cruise lines aren't, because they are the only cruise line listed as joining forces for discounts with afl-cio.

 

Anyway to the point, the website had these cool facts:

 

NCL'S INNOVATIONS

• • First Caribbean cruise line
  • First mega ship
    
  • First modern day cruise line to offer year-round service out of New York
    
  • First Internet Cafe at sea
    
  • First bowling alley at sea
    
  • First to offer WiFi and cell phone service
    
  • First cruise line to have a Web site (NCL.com)
    
  • First private island, Great Stirrup Cay
    
  • First to have painted hull artwork

 

 

add: first to do freestyle (flex dining) and I believe first to offer alternative dining rooms with the onset of Le Bistro about 10 years or so ago.

[Philly Steve]

Knew about the private island designation, but not about the others. Thanks for posting! :)

[G'ma]

Hi all,

 

Just found this info on unionplus.org website. NCL is union backed. It looks like other cruise lines aren't, because they are the only cruise line listed as joining forces for discounts with afl-cio.

 

Anyway to the point, the website had these cool facts:

 

NCL'S INNOVATIONS

• • First Caribbean cruise line
  • First mega ship
    
  • First modern day cruise line to offer year-round service out of New York
    
  • First Internet Cafe at sea
    
  • First bowling alley at sea
    
  • First to offer WiFi and cell phone service
    
  • First cruise line to have a Web site (NCL.com)
    
  • First private island, Great Stirrup Cay
    
  • First to have painted hull artwork

 

I believe is you look a little further, you'd find the Union only effects NCL's Hawaii operation which hires only U.S. Citizens. Some of the personnel employeed by NCL who are permanently stationed at ports and docks are unionized but not necessarily by NCL.

[gardener718]

Unless they have changed their policy, I received the union discount on a cruise other then to Hawaii. I think it was Canada/New England, but not sure. I think it was 5%, again not sure.

I always ask to check on any discounts. Listing them all. Senior, Resident, Union, and anything else I can think of. LOL

I had sailed before on NCL and never asked about the discount until I read about it on CC.

Good luck and happy sailing.

[newmexicoNita]

Unless they have changed their policy, I received the union discount on a cruise other then to Hawaii. I think it was Canada/New England, but not sure. I think it was 5%, again not sure.

I always ask to check on any discounts. Listing them all. Senior, Resident, Union, and anything else I can think of. LOL

I had sailed before on NCL and never asked about the discount until I read about it on CC.

Good luck and happy sailing.

you are right, I think the other poster had the Union salary and benefits that the NCLA crew gets confused with the Union discount...

 

Nita

[silkhair1]

very interesting!!!!!

[Jana]

Believe it or not, NCL was also the cruise line that opened Cozumel and Grand Cayman, then later, Roatan and Belize.

 

It's always been an innovator. Other lines and their passengers mock NCL, until they also adopt NCL's innovations and take advantage of the lead that NCL has always provided.

[saleandsail]

You can get at least 5% on all NCL cruises. There are certain designated cruises that go as high as 30%. You can see a list of some of them here:

http://164.109.173.40/unionplus/index.html

For more complete information:

http://www.unionplus.org/norwegian-cruise-lines.cfm

[Cuizer2]

It is my understanding that the first ship to be called a mega ship was the Royal Caribbean Sovereign of the Seas. The other firsts look to be correct however.

[Planer's Edge]

It is my understanding that the first ship to be called a mega ship was the Royal Caribbean Sovereign of the Seas. The other firsts look to be correct however.

 

I think the Sovereign was the first mega ship newbuild but the Norway was the first "mega" cruiseship.

[Cuizer2]

I think the Sovereign was the first mega ship newbuild but the Norway was the first "mega" cruiseship.

That is stretching things a bit. First of all, the Norway was an ocean liner. Second of all, it was not referred to as a mega-ship until the Sovereign gained that nickname. Third, if we are going by size at the time of launch, then the Titantic was the mega ship of its day, and it came and went long before the France/Norway did.

[Planer's Edge]

That is stretching things a bit. First of all, the Norway was an ocean liner. Second of all, it was not referred to as a mega-ship until the Sovereign gained that nickname. Third, if we are going by size at the time of launch, then the Titantic was the mega ship of its day, and it came and went long before the France/Norway did.

 

Yes, but the Titanic was not a cruise ship and the Norway was a cruise ship whereas the France was an oceanliner.

 

PE

[Cuizer2]

Yes' date=' but the Titanic was not a cruise ship and the Norway was a cruise ship whereas the France was an oceanliner.

 

PE[/quote']The Norway and the France are the same ship.

[Planer's Edge]

The Norway and the France are the same ship.

 

Yes, but as the France she lived her life as an oceanliner and as the Norway she lived her life as a cruise ship. And for a while she was the largest cruise ship in the world.

 

PE

[davejohn]

add: first to do freestyle (flex dining) and I believe first to offer alternative dining rooms with the onset of Le Bistro about 10 years or so ago.

 

Windstar had freestyle (flex) dining long before NCL did. I'm sure if NCL was first they would include it in their list of "firsts".

[ChampionCruiser]

Sorry to state some more doubt, but I'm pretty sure NCL wasn't the first with painted hull art. Aida, for instance, launched their first ship in 1996 (all of their ships have painted hull arts).

[ChampionCruiser]

:) After some quick searching, I found this picture of the Independence in 1968

So yea, I don't think NCL was the first:)

[spongerob]

add: first to do freestyle (flex dining) and I believe first to offer alternative dining rooms with the onset of Le Bistro about 10 years or so ago.

Alternative restaurants have been around for more than a century. Even Titanic had one. They were introduced by HAPAG. Amerika (1905) had one managed by Ritz.

[nursallie]

That is the ugliest cruise ship I have ever seen.

[nursallie]

Anyway, so let's see...

 

NCL is the first to have a bowling alley.

RCCL first to have ice skating and rock climbing.

NCL popularizes eat anytime dining and now HAL and Princess have it too. Whoever invented the "freestyle" campaign needs to get a huge raise and promotion (probably has already). He or she is a genius! And those commercials are fantastic and SO TRUE! Before the freestyle cruising campaign, my family and I did not even consider NCL a good cruise line and had always heard the food was lousy. Anyway, long story short I am used to Carnival and Royal Caribbean and am excited to try NCL now.

 

My dad and I had a conversation recently about all of the cruise lines trying to outdo eachother with new offerings like rock climbing, etc. We started listing things we thought would be cool on a ship (we would never do the rock climbing for example). So I thought of a planetarium, with different shows every night, different music genres, etc. Lessons during the day... like how to spot the big dipper, etc. And then shows at night. Well, would you believe there is a cruise ship with a planetarium! I Just found out about it. I can't remember what ship it is though...

 

Anyone else have cool ideas for new ships? Didn't the Costa cruises used to have toga parties? That would be fun, but only if everyone participated..

And I also have heard that the Noordam (Holland America Line) has a cooking class area similar to an episode of Emeril Live. That sounds fun!

Hmm, I am going to keep thinking of ideas.

[ChampionCruiser]

Yes, that would be the Queen Mary 2 with the first planetarium at sea.

 

I can only imagine what will come next.....after the Oasis of course (which with ziplines, a caraousel, park etc. is pretty mind boggling as it is)

 

I wouldn't mind to see an increase in smaller ships with more intimate feelings without any "crazy" innovations.....call me crazy

[Gypsea]

There are only so many things I need on a ship. A gym, theater, casino, hot tub, pool, library. internet cafe and dining room are enough for me. Bowling, rock climbing, ice skating, flow riding, virtual golf all sounds like fun but I've never actually done any of these things on board. I do enjoy the karoke, piano bars, comedians and such in the lounges and some lectures and activites etc. I really don't NEED the fluff stuff. Sun and sea are enough for me..and the band on deck for sure!!

 

I also think a few lines should concentrate on a more intimate line of ships with the cruise basics instead of 965 feet or more of all the "extras". Not that I didn't LOVE the QM2 but she is a fifth of a mile long, geesh! Oh and by the way I never did get to see the show in the planetarium but she is a beautiful ship. The nicest inside stateroom I ever had!!!!

[newmexicoNita]

Anyway, so let's see...

 

NCL is the first to have a bowling alley.

RCCL first to have ice skating and rock climbing.

NCL popularizes eat anytime dining and now HAL and Princess have it too. Whoever invented the "freestyle" campaign needs to get a huge raise and promotion (probably has already). He or she is a genius! And those commercials are fantastic and SO TRUE! Before the freestyle cruising campaign, my family and I did not even consider NCL a good cruise line and had always heard the food was lousy. Anyway, long story short I am used to Carnival and Royal Caribbean and am excited to try NCL now.

 

My dad and I had a conversation recently about all of the cruise lines trying to outdo eachother with new offerings like rock climbing, etc. We started listing things we thought would be cool on a ship (we would never do the rock climbing for example). So I thought of a planetarium, with different shows every night, different music genres, etc. Lessons during the day... like how to spot the big dipper, etc. And then shows at night. Well, would you believe there is a cruise ship with a planetarium! I Just found out about it. I can't remember what ship it is though...

 

Anyone else have cool ideas for new ships? Didn't the Costa cruises used to have toga parties? That would be fun, but only if everyone participated..

And I also have heard that the Noordam (Holland America Line) has a cooking class area similar to an episode of Emeril Live. That sounds fun!

Hmm, I am going to keep thinking of ideas.

Toga parties were the best and worked out so well cause they were the last night. We could pack everything except what we were wearing off the ship the next day; well we wore something under our togas too, I think but drank so much on that cruise I can't remember. Those were in the days when you could drink the booze your brought in port and I cruised with a friend who liked to drink more than me. Oh for those days.LOL

 

If was one of the few things I liked about Costa...

 

Something else I miss are the horse races!!!!

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

There are only so many things I need on a ship. A gym, theater, casino, hot tub, pool, library. internet cafe and dining room are enough for me. Bowling, rock climbing, ice skating, flow riding, virtual golf all sounds like fun but I've never actually done any of these things on board. I do enjoy the karoke, piano bars, comedians and such in the lounges and some lectures and activites etc. I really don't NEED the fluff stuff. Sun and sea are enough for me..and the band on deck for sure!!

 

I also think a few lines should concentrate on a more intimate line of ships with the cruise basics instead of 965 feet or more of all the "extras". Not that I didn't LOVE the QM2 but she is a fifth of a mile long, geesh! Oh and by the way I never did get to see the show in the planetarium but she is a beautiful ship. The nicest inside stateroom I ever had!!!!

I agree with what I need and don't need to make a good cruise. I will add, I like lectures or games on sea days, but the rest of the stuff has nothing to do with my having a good cruise. I think the cruiselines are doing what they can to attract families which is OK but bigger isn't always better.

 

Nita