Cruise Talk: Norwegian Cruise Lines

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Topic: Norwegian Cruise Lines

8xcruiser
Just Boarded
Member # 5019

posted 09-07-2004 12:01 PM

Hi,
I have cruised on Carnival and RCCL for a total of 9 times. We (our family and relatives) decided to try something different and booked a nine day exotic trip on the Spirit (new ship). I'm getting nervous though because alot of reviews slam Norwegian Cruise Lines. I need any information you have if you've cruised on NCL.

Thanks

Posts: 9 | From: Florida | Registered: Sep 2004 | IP: Logged

JLW
First Class Passenger
Member # 4715

posted 09-07-2004 12:22 PM

The last time I went on NCL was on the Norwegian Wind in 1998 in Alaska, so a lot has probably changed since I went with them. Everything is Freestyle now.

Anyway, the cruise was not bad. The food was ok as was the service.

Posts: 32 | From: London, England | Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 09-07-2004 12:40 PM

The problem with doing multiple cruises with one cruise line is that any other line will now not feel 'the same'.

However I’m sure NCL are better at some aspects and worse at others, than RCCL. Hopefully it will be a refreshing change?

I’m pretty sure NCL do not do the onboard ‘hard selling’ of bingo and drinks etc. that RCCL are expert at. NCL are slightly more refined (I said slightly) where as RCCL lean towards the ‘Fun Ship’ concept. Freestyle dining seems pretty popular with those that have actually tried it.

Please return here and let us know the differences first hand. Bon Voyage - have a great cruise.

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 09-07-2004 02:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

I’m pretty sure NCL do not do the onboard ‘hard selling’ of bingo and drinks etc. that RCCL are expert at. NCL are slightly more refined (I said slightly) where as RCCL lean towards the ‘Fun Ship’ concept. Freestyle dining seems pretty popular with those that have actually tried it.

I'm not sure where you got that idea from Malcolm? NCL is every bit as "hard sell" as Carnival and Royal Caribbean. They hock the bingo and foo foo drinks during embarkation just like the rest of them. They also have the daily revenue producing announcements, and many outlets for you to spend your money. Frankly I find them a little less "refined", and more rough around the edges than Royal Caribbean and even Carnival (which has really improved over the years).

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 09-07-2004 05:01 PM

quote:
Originally posted by eroller:
I'm not sure where you got that idea from Malcolm?

I stand corrected. I have experenced both lines but not as extensively as you. Does it depend on which NCL or RCI ship?

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Globaliser
First Class Passenger
Member # 4153

posted 09-08-2004 05:38 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 8xcruiser:
I'm getting nervous though because alot of reviews slam Norwegian Cruise Lines.

The problems seem to be all with one ship (at the moment) - the Pride of Aloha. This is in the US-flagged operation, which is structured and operated differently from the rest of the fleet because of the legal requirements for US-flagged ships.

I do a week a year on NCL mainline - for the last two years on the Norwegian Sun. There haven't been any noticeable reductions or shortfalls in service on these conventionally-crewed ships.

So, as you're on the Spirit, frankly I wouldn't worry about it. If the poor reviews that you're reading are all about the PoA, the reality is that they're pretty much irrelevant to your cruise.

Posts: 1869 | From: UK | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 09-08-2004 03:44 PM

8xcruiser, I don't think one can blanket cover a cruise experience on NCL, as they have such a wide variety of ships. Spirit will be entirely different to POA & it's current problems. I have sailed Norwegian Sun, Dawn & Dream.... each offering a very different experience, and I enjoyed them all for different reasons.

Go and have a great time.

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 09-08-2004 04:25 PM

My adult cruises are on

Premier -best value for money and classic ships

NCL -best entertainment, uneven food, harried
crew

Princess -best overall and consistent quality

Cunard -worst dining and headquarter service
imaginable, but BEST cruise format and
passengers

Premier is out of business. You will not go wrong with NCL. I have less confidence in Cunard.

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 09-08-2004 04:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
I stand corrected. I have experenced both lines but not as extensively as you. Does it depend on which NCL or RCI ship?

Hi Malcolm,
Possible it does, and it wouldn't surprise me as NCL is probably the least consistent of any line I have sailed. They have a very mix-matched fleet and quality/service seems to vary greatly from ship to ship. I can only comment from my own personal experience, and I have sailed NCL something like 12 or 14 times. I just don't find NCL "refined" at all, at least not when compared to the other mass-market lines. I'm not saying they are bad, I just don't find them that good either. Everything is just ok, but nothing stands out as being exceptional. I was also not a big fan of Freestyle dining. To each his own, which is why we have such a variety of cruise lines to choose from. I actually like Carnival and Royal Caribbean, and there are many that hate them, so go figure. As Pam said, just go and enjoy yourself.... none of the lines are really bad IMO, just different.

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

chrisrotlmacin
First Class Passenger
Member # 4531

posted 09-11-2004 03:12 AM

Well i can say unofficaily that the best ship on the Fleet is Norwegian Dawn regarding passengers comments and crew facilities. And this year we going deep southern carribean from NY earlier .
Is any one alse sailing next winter out of NY ? Last year we made snow mans on deck .... i am ready for this year .

Posts: 233 | From: Romania ,the home country of Dracula and with the best cruise crew in the world | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 09-11-2004 09:18 AM

quote:
Originally posted by chrisrotlmacin:
Well i can say unofficaily that the best ship on the Fleet is Norwegian Dawn regarding passengers comments and crew facilities. And this year we going deep southern carribean from NY earlier .
Is any one alse sailing next winter out of NY ? Last year we made snow mans on deck .... i am ready for this year .

From everything I have heard, I would agree 100% with you! DAWN seems to get great reviews week after week and from what I have seen she is a lovely ship (I have sailed on sister NORWEGIAN STAR). She is the direction NCL is headed in, and by 2010 they will have a completely new and updated fleet. I would imagine by then my comment about NCL being inconsistent will no longer be correct.

Good luck with working onboard!

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

8xcruiser
Just Boarded
Member # 5019

posted 09-11-2004 12:05 PM

Thank you for all the information. I feel better about NCL. I understand the line is improving and while the itnerary is exciting, and the ship is beautiful I believe I should expect average food and spotty service on the new Spirit.

If anyone has anymore info. Please share

Thanks again

Posts: 9 | From: Florida | Registered: Sep 2004 | IP: Logged

moodus2
First Class Passenger
Member # 2414

posted 09-12-2004 07:38 PM

hello all, just got back from
bermuda onboard the norwegian
majesty and had a great time !
the captain had the ship going
full tilt due to a medical emergency. arrived 4 hours early
to disembark the patient.
about the food. the restraunts
are good but the buffet could
use some help. the inside cabin
on deck 4 was kept well clean as
is the rest of the ship.
as for the other ncl ships, i have been on the norway and the
sea and had a great time on both
of them.

Posts: 473 | From: moodus,ct. | Registered: Sep 2001 | IP: Logged

Dolphins
First Class Passenger
Member # 2043

posted 09-16-2004 09:42 AM

Ditto Chrisrotimacin-
After sailing many cruise lines, we tried NCL and loved Norwegian Dawn. We booked her again in November and February. Enjoyed free-style dining and the variety of 10 restaurants.
By the way, our favorite waitress Dorina in the Aqua dining room was from Romania. Hope to see her again this winter.

Posts: 324 | From: Commack, New York | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

gardencat
Just Boarded
Member # 4988

posted 09-17-2004 08:20 AM

We cruised on the Dawn last year and also found Dorina ( Aqua) to be our favourite waitress. As well as good service she had a sense of humour and a really outgoing personality.

As to the original topic of the thread. We had a great time on the Dawn. So good that within a couple of weeks of disembarking we booked our next cruise with NCL. Unfortunately this time we ran into problems and had a bad experience with NCL customer relations. The original problem was unfortunate, NCL's refusal to try to do anything to solve the problem was the real killer for me.

I think you can have a lovely cruise witH NCL I just hope you don't run into anything which requires the intervention of head office or customer relations.
I have seen that most cruise lines have some complaints about their customer service but NCL seems to have a lot.

Also, as someone else said, the Pride of Aloha (NCLA) is a different kettle of fish from the rest of the NCL fleet. I would advise everyone to avoid it and any of the new American flagged NCL ships, for a good while, at least until you are seeing a lot of positive reviews coming out. This is a whole new venture for NCL and they seem to have major problems to work out before they can provide the expected cruise experience.

Posts: 4 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Aug 2004 | IP: Logged

chrisrotlmacin
First Class Passenger
Member # 4531

posted 09-19-2004 03:10 AM

I will check about Dorina tomorow, but i belive that is in vacation or transferred.Sorry even if she is Romanian and i know almost evry one,are over 1100 crew members on board and she is not the same department with me.

I will be here till next year i hope . Last contract i been moved arroud the fleet 6 times.

Posts: 233 | From: Romania ,the home country of Dracula and with the best cruise crew in the world | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

Beezo
First Class Passenger
Member # 1505

posted 09-19-2004 11:29 AM

quote:
Originally posted by chrisrotlmacin:
I will be here till next year i hope . Last contract i been moved arroud the fleet 6 times.

If you dont mind me asking, do you like working for NCL? Would you say they are a "good" company to work for?

~Brian

Posts: 865 | From: Massachusetts, USA | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

chrisrotlmacin
First Class Passenger
Member # 4531

posted 09-20-2004 02:19 AM

If you dont mind me asking, do you like working for NCL? Would you say they are a "good" company to work for?
Well first i been working on the ships for almost 10 years.This is my second cruise line i work for , before i was on Regal cruises till they bancroupt. Mostly i been in past over 7 years in fast sea cats in Mediteranean and casino daily ships in Israel . NCL for my self is a good company , till new i don't have complains . As NCL is the first large cruise line that i work for i cannot compare with any other in order to give a opinion about NCL.

Posts: 233 | From: Romania ,the home country of Dracula and with the best cruise crew in the world | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

cruzinfo
Just Boarded
Member # 5154

posted 10-31-2004 07:38 PM

We have cruised numerous amounts of times on NCL, and have found them to be quite satisfying. We have found very few unhappy moments. Relax and enjoy your new cruise on the new ship!

Maria

[ 11-01-2004: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

Posts: 3 | From: PA | Registered: Oct 2004 | IP: Logged

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