Enjoyment of a cruise for regular pax vs suite pax

[rsohn65820]

Okay everyone. I'm new to cruising and I am going to be taking my very first cruise on NCL Star to Mexico in October. I chose NCL because of Freestyle, every since they started freestyle cruising I knew they were the cruiseline for me. It has taken several years for me to be able to afford to go on a cruise. I was able to book my cruise back in January found this board shortly after and have been reading and studying this board daily since January.

 

I am hoping that I am not coming to a wrong conclusion but what I seem to be noticing as an outsider looking in, is that if you can afford a suite you have a wonderful time the food at Cagney's for breakfast and lunch is to die for. The cabin stewards are great and attentive and the whole cruise is just fantasic.

 

Then I read questions, statements and reviews that say they were on a ship and had a good time and the food was okay but not great and the main dining rooms were crowded they had to wait in a long line. Then some have said that the cabin stewards never came by to fill the ice bucket or they asked for something from the cabin steward and the cabin steward disappeared never to be seen again.

 

I understand that suite passengers paid more and should get special service. And I am sure I am going to get flamed for this but I just want to know if there are any of the people out there who always cruise in the balconies, the oceanviews and the inside cabins who feel they have wonderful cruises with great food and good service.

 

There has to be a lot of you out there because the largest amount of cabins on the ship are balconies, oceanviews and insides. I want to hear from you about your cruises. What you thought about the service the food? What did you think about the buffet?

 

I can't afford a suite never will be able to afford a suite, and I just want to know that I am going to have great food, good service and be treated with respect.

[suzyed]

Okay everyone. I'm new to cruising and I am going to be taking my very first cruise on NCL Star to Mexico in October. I chose NCL because of Freestyle, every since they started freestyle cruising I knew they were the cruiseline for me. It has taken several years for me to be able to afford to go on a cruise. I was able to book my cruise back in January found this board shortly after and have been reading and studying this board daily since January.

 

I am hoping that I am not coming to a wrong conclusion but what I seem to be noticing as an outsider looking in, is that if you can afford a suite you have a wonderful time the food at Cagney's for breakfast and lunch is to die for. The cabin stewards are great and attentive and the whole cruise is just fantasic.

 

Then I read questions, statements and reviews that say they were on a ship and had a good time and the food was okay but not great and the main dining rooms were crowded they had to wait in a long line. Then some have said that the cabin stewards never came by to fill the ice bucket or they asked for something from the cabin steward and the cabin steward disappeared never to be seen again.

 

I understand that suite passengers paid more and should get special service. And I am sure I am going to get flamed for this but I just want to know if there are any of the people out there who always cruise in the balconies, the oceanviews and the inside cabins who feel they have wonderful cruises with great food and good service.

 

There has to be a lot of you out there because the largest amount of cabins on the ship are balconies, oceanviews and insides. I want to hear from you about your cruises. What you thought about the service the food? What did you think about the buffet?

 

I can't afford a suite never will be able to afford a suite, and I just want to know that I am going to have great food, good service and be treated with respect.

OK, so we first sailed on NCL last year in a suite and yes, it was wonderful! The suite perks, are indeed, very nice.

 

With that said....the cabin stewards for the suites (at least the Penthouse suite we were in) are the same ones that service the balcony cabins and the other cabins in our area of the ship. They did a fine job with our cabin, as I am sure they did with all the other cabins they were in charge of.

 

Everyone can eat breakfast and lunch in the MDR, as well as the buffets, etc. and Everyone pays a fee to eat in Cagney's for dinner.

 

So with the suite perks aside, I am sure most folks feel like they have had a wonderfully enjoyable cruise!

[ieatchickens]

Nice topic created by the OP.

 

From what I read on these boards are the more affluent the passenger the higher the expectation of the cruising experience. Most suite passengers are regular cruisers to probably rate every cruise to a standard set by the best on ship experience. I heard one person (Suite Passenger by the way) rate the food as fair and a little disappointing on NCL. They went on to add that if you think Applebees is good food, then you will find NCL food fabulous.

 

Well that statement to me spoke volumes of the attitude and tastes of the reviewer and the quality of food found on NCL. While they looked down their noses at franchise dining, I happen to think Applebees has pretty good food. So if the cruise offers something better on my vacation I will extremely satisfied. But then again, I am an inside cabin or balcony at best kind of guy.

 

As landlocked as you can get in North America, I am happy to be able to bring my family to the sea every few years so I can guarantee my expereince will be a positive one. If my cabin stewerd doesn't clean something up properly, I would just do it myself and forget about the incident. Some people however, let it bother them and you can read some this silliness in the cruise reviews.

 

If you see a overly critical review, it is often by a suite passenger who has a dozen or more cruises in their signature at the bottom. There is nothing wrong with their critique of the cruise per se but, you must understand that you are reading a review from someone who has a total different perspective on cruising and life in general. (Disclaimer: not all suite passengers are overly critical and a vast majority offer great suggestions)

 

When reading some of the posts in this forum, always ask yourself what type of expectations does this individual have and are they aligned to my attitude.

 

Always remember: The most important part of the cruise is the attitude you bring on board the ship. :D

[bakerintn]

I have recently cruised twice in NCL in inside cabins and on newer ships (Dawn and Pearl). I have no complaints about the service or the food, but my expectations were set by reading CC posts and reviews. Our cabin stewards delivered the service that we told them that we wanted...we went out of our way a bit to get to know their names and to say hi everytime we saw them. If they were not immediately reachable, we just left them a post-it note and it was handled. If our ice had melted at night, we just called room service.

 

The cruise experience of pre WW2, in first class, does not exist on mainline cruise ships of today, so forget about it.

 

My opinion in reading posts on CC is that those who live near major metro areas are more likely to be disappointed than those of us from middle america in cities with only one half way decent restaurant and no real hotel. The food in the main dinning rooms is what I would call very good banquet food. It is mass produced, probably not hot enough and flavored for the mid-range taste...very edible in the main and a very good selection. If someone eats a bad dish on the ship, it is their fault for eating it rather than asking for it to be fixed or odering another dish.

 

If someone chooses not to try a specialty restaurant, that is their decision. I know when I do a 7 day land vacation, I don't normally eat at the best places in town every night....I go for the special meal to make it a special event. NCL provides the means to do that, or not.

 

Just think about this....our last cruise for 7 days was only $249 plus service charge. I have had a single meal for two that cost more than that!!

 

My only consistent complaint is with the photographers and some other passengers.

[dtracker]

Okay everyone. I'm new to cruising and I am going to be taking my very first cruise on NCL Star to Mexico in October. I chose NCL because of Freestyle, every since they started freestyle cruising I knew they were the cruiseline for me. It has taken several years for me to be able to afford to go on a cruise. I was able to book my cruise back in January found this board shortly after and have been reading and studying this board daily since January.

 

I am hoping that I am not coming to a wrong conclusion but what I seem to be noticing as an outsider looking in, is that if you can afford a suite you have a wonderful time the food at Cagney's for breakfast and lunch is to die for. The cabin stewards are great and attentive and the whole cruise is just fantasic.

 

Then I read questions, statements and reviews that say they were on a ship and had a good time and the food was okay but not great and the main dining rooms were crowded they had to wait in a long line. Then some have said that the cabin stewards never came by to fill the ice bucket or they asked for something from the cabin steward and the cabin steward disappeared never to be seen again.

 

I understand that suite passengers paid more and should get special service. And I am sure I am going to get flamed for this but I just want to know if there are any of the people out there who always cruise in the balconies, the oceanviews and the inside cabins who feel they have wonderful cruises with great food and good service.

 

There has to be a lot of you out there because the largest amount of cabins on the ship are balconies, oceanviews and insides. I want to hear from you about your cruises. What you thought about the service the food? What did you think about the buffet?

 

I can't afford a suite never will be able to afford a suite, and I just want to know that I am going to have great food, good service and be treated with respect.

 

I'm sure you are going to have a wonderful time. I've never been in anything more than an ocean view cabin, and have always had great service, good food, and a wonderful time. Have a great vacation.

Happy Sailing,

 

DT

[rsohn65820]

Thank you all very much for your comments. I was beginning to think that there was not anyone other than people in suites who are on this board. It is nice to read what others think about NCL and hear about their experiences.

 

By the way Applebee's food is pretty good and I love the buffets in Las Vegas.

[ieatchickens]

X2 on those Vegas buffets.

 

Call me nuts but on my next cruise I am jamming 4 into an inside cabin. This cruise should be a ball.

[bakerintn]

X2 on those Vegas buffets.

 

Call me nuts but on my next cruise I am jamming 4 into an inside cabin. This cruise should be a ball.

 

OK....You are nuts!!

[deepnite10]

as long as i we have a balcony were happy..we re not high maintenance

and every cruise is a luxury..

 

though we have often coveted those suites and villa s..i don t think that

staying in one of them..even with all the perks would diminsh our

cruising experience..the only perk i would like though would be the

priority embarkation and debarkation ..

[nancyfancy40]

We have cruised window room, balcony, mini suite and every cruise has been just as enjoyable. We have never paid for a specialty resturant and yet never had a bad meal. We have always had great room stewarts. Some were more chatty and smiley, some were shy and quiet, but all did a wonderful job. We will experience our first suite this coming two cruises. I do not plan to do anything different than the last cruises. It has always been my theory that, you get out of a cruise what you put into it.

 

The only bad experience we have ever had is in dealing with angry, sad or otherwise grumpy people, who do not know how to enjoy their cruise.

 

Nancy

[luv that cruise]

we are first time ncl cruisers this june and looking forward to the freestyle. but have sailed disney 20 times (suite and non suite)... reading the boards, theme is the same... food is available around the clock and it is a personal perference if you want the 2 hour dining experience or not. disney has a way of making you think the dining experience is part of the routine, but it does NOT have to be. suite perks (from what i have read) make dining a little more convenient, but the food is still acessable without the perks. room service, 24 hours, you don't have to plan your day around meals. enjoy the cruise folks. i know we will - no one telling me when i have to eat. i can certainly figure that one out on my own!! Have fun, enjoy the ship and if you happen to get hungry find a 24 hour place or pick up the phone. Good luck, enjoy and have a fabulous time on your cruise!

[marelind]

We cruised the first time in a mini-suite, which is really a deluxe balcony that does not have the suite perks, and we've cruised in an Owner's Suite. I have to say it is more fun to have the suite perks, but by no means do you get service that is that much better.

 

As non-suite passengers the stewards we had on the Star were fantastic. They were attentive and accommodating to my DH's irregular schedule. We never waited more than a few minutes for a table in the main dining room. Service in the dining room was a little slow when they were very busy, and we had mostly great waiters and a surly one here or there.

 

I think the comment about people who live close to major metro areas may be a fair assessment, and about the food being like good banquet food is probably fair as well.

 

Go, enjoy what you like and don't stress out about the rest.

[insidecabin]

We have done the insides up to the courtyard(last one) and back to insides(next one).

 

Apart for b,fast/lunch and the suite perks, the rest is the same.

 

You get to eat in the same places, see the same entertainment, drink in the same bars.

 

Had great(most of the time) and indifferent(very occationaly) cabin service at all levels.

 

A lot can be down to yourself, nice begets nice.

 

It is easy to avoid the lines for the dinning rooms, if they occur usualy it is just at peak times, eat at a slightly different time.

 

We put some in the budget for the specilities but usualy check the menu of the day and then choose, on our last trip we found ourselves eating in the main dining more that we though we were going to.

 

As for the costs of the extras, sometime there are deals that make the stretch to a suite worth while, if not stick with the cheaper options and go more times.

[Ms belp]

Thank you all very much for your comments. I was beginning to think that there was not anyone other than people in suites who are on this board. It is nice to read what others think about NCL and hear about their experiences.

 

By the way Applebee's food is pretty good and I love the buffets in Las Vegas.

 

We have been on 6 NCL cruises so far and have 3 more booked. NCL is the only cruise line for us. We always have a balcony and have had great service, good food, and enjoy meeting new people and doing excursions and seeing new places. You should have a great cruise. We had VIP service on our last cruise (not sure why) and although it was nice, it wasn't "all that", at least to us. We are not high maintenance people.

 

We learn something new each time we cruise and have learned to cut the costs down considerably. Enjoy your first cruise and hopefully you too will be a repeat customer.:)

[2Cruise4Ever]

Between the two of us, DH and I have been on 20+ cruises. We've stayed in inside, oceanview, balcony, and suite. We've never received anything but excellent service with a smile, incredible food, and have had a fabulous time. We believe that a cruise is the best vacation possible. No cooking, no dishes, no cleaning, no laundry, and especially NO WORK!!! And, in some cases, we wake up in a new country every day. We have sailed on all 4 mass market lines but feel NCL is the best. In our experiences, we feel the level of service and attention to detail to be far superior with NCL than the other lines. Not that we won't sail others, but NCL is always our first pick.

 

You will LOVE your cruise!!!!

[Cinema15]

Simply put...suites are nice but not necessary ;)

[sparks1093]

My family of 7 just went on NCL and had a great time. We had two interior cabins and the stewards took good care of us. We had to wait for dinner one night but they gave us a beeper so we could walk about while we waited (it was the last night so we went back up to the cabins to do some preliminary packing). My kids always found something to their liking on the menu and they do have a children's menu at dinner for kids that like more "typical" kid's fare. Yes, service bogged down when the MDR was busy but not horrifically so and consitent with land based service in a busy restaurant. Gave us extra time to relax and watch the ocean going by and just spend time together. I felt that we received excellent value for our money and the family had a vacation to talk about for years.

[GSLMOM]

Just think about this....our last cruise for 7 days was only $249 plus service charge. I have had a single meal for two that cost more than that!!

 

.

 

 

How did you get a price like that for a 7-day cruise???????:eek:

[insidecabin]

How did you get a price like that for a 7-day cruise???????:eek:

 

There are a few that are close. I see $199+tax offers on the websites.

 

Alaska at $299+tx.

 

timing is the key.

 

Mariner out of LA on the 7n is looking cheap at $300 inc tx before agent discounts.

[DMH15]

have sailed inside, outside, minisuite and penthouse... Next is courtyard. All of my cruises have been great. I went to culinary school and love to eat fine dining but also am fine with Chili's and Apebee's for "everyday" - it makes the specialty dining, well, more "special". Service has always been good. Onour last cruise butler was just so-so but everything else on 14 day cruise was outstanding.

 

For me, the main reason I enjoy suite perks is that I cruise with my 74 year old mom and it finally dawned on me that prior to suite cruising that I was our butler and concierge. Now we both have that perk!!!

 

From now on it's suites for me even if that means cruising less, but that doesn't mean all of my non-suite cruises weren't wonderful and hold precious memories for me. Traveling with my mom has been wonderful and I know one day she will be gone and I will remember ALL of our cruises fondly.

[bakerintn]

How did you get a price like that for a 7-day cruise???????:eek:

 

We booked 75 days out for a Jan Western Caribbean cruise through NCL. We booked a kk inside guarantee ... got a cat I on deck 10. That was the going price at the time...I also got a military discount, but it was not much so close to final payment time.

 

My point was that given the typical price, we all are getting a vacation bargain and that has to factor in to the "value" calculation when evaluating the cruise experience.

[Karysa]

Remember that cruisers are a diverse bunch. There are many, many choices available now. People choose suites for a variety of reasons. Not all suite passengers are wealthy and inside passengers more the "working class". Many reviews from suite passengers have come from people celebrating special occasions or from people who only get one vacation a year and do it up in style. Some insiders could sail twice a year or more in a suite but choose not to because of personal preference. We have only sailed NCL once and did not have a suite and out of 7 I think that this was the best cruise we have ever taken. To me, who you are with, is far more important then where you are. Karysa

[noreddye]

I have traveled in an inside, oceanview, balcony, and Owner's Suite. I have had exceptional service from every room steward and have enjoyed every cruise.

 

To this day I can remember the wonderful room steward we had in our balcony room. We asked him at the beginning of the cruise to keep our ice bucket full and he did. He brought ice twice a day and if we had beer in the cabin (the bucket specials), he would put ice in the sink and then place the warm beer in there as well. We would come back from our excursions to a nice cold beer.

 

The perks that we enjoyed in the Owner's Suite were the priority tendering, disembarkation and Cagney's dining. Yes, it was nice to have a butler and a concierge but we did not utilize their services too much.

 

I actually found that I had better service when I became a part of the Meet & Greet. It seemed like every officer knew our names and went more out of their way to make sure we had a fabulous cruise.

[Markanddonna]

Hi,

 

I'd rather go on a cruise OV or IS every year maybe with one specialty restaurant day. I would prefer spending my money on dining out at home rather than at sea. I agree with most of the thinking about this! I have loved each NCL cruise.

[hateswaterloves2cruise]

I have to agree with everyone who has posted here. We have cruised 12+ times, anywhere from an inside to an AB suite (thru an upsell). Our last cruise was a balcony and our next is an AE (25th anniversary). We have been involved in several M&G's but one was excellent-the officers knew who we were and greeted us every time they saw us as well as a tour of the Garden Villa on the Dawn. Most of the time, no one knows what cabin type you have and the service doesn't vary. When we were in the AB (Dawn) I don't believe there was the special lunch and breakfast in Cagney's but we had breakfast in our room almost every day (you can do this in any room). For me that was the best. I didn't have to "dress" and could sit on my balcony and just watch the ocean go by. If you smile a lot and are pleasant and accommodating, your cruise will be great. I know I can't wait for mine.:)