cruiseseal

1 minute ago, pete_coach said:

I have only been on one NCL cruise and am going on my second soon. My biggest complaint is the smoking areas. They are very intrusive.

It seems you cannot go form one end of the ship to another without having to go through a smoking area. Of the cruise lines I have been on, NCL seems the most generous to smokers. It certainly takes away from a pleasant experience.

Full disclosure, I am a former smoker but in no way an evangelistic non smoker. I am not disgusted by the smoke but do feel sympathy for those that are and am quite surprised by a cruise line that has all this exercise equipment and spa areas and yet, the largest areas set aside for specialties is the smoking areas.

I am also a bit disappointing in their non enforcement of smoking on balconies. I did report and yet, nothing was done. Several reports later, with similar results.

Yeah, there are definitely better ways design smoking areas, so you don't have to walk through them, or so that smoke doesn't spread into common/crowded areas. Also agree with regards to enforcement of non-smoking balconies, unless you can point to the exact cabin #, and can ensure them you actually saw the smoker, they basically ignore the complaint.

1 minute ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

"beyond their control"? You'll have to explain that one.

 

As for the ships, the problem of smoke leaving the smoking areas and drifting to the non-smoking areas is being worked on. Bliss (NCL's newest ship) has an improved casino design to deal with smoke.

 

People smoking where it isn't allowed can still be a problem. You did the right thing by calling and reporting it.

Well, by "beyond their control" I mean that a lot of kids grow up around smoking parents/relatives/friends/etc., some people get hooked in times of great stress in their lives, and so on. It's not much different than getting hooked on other bad habits, like eating junk food, drinking, etc. It doesn't mean they can't change, but I am sympathetic to those who've had trouble dealing with those kinds of issues. In any case, I agree, it's not an excuse for breaking the smoking rules on the ship.

9 minutes ago, Newleno said:

i just got off the breakaway all the good areas are reserved for smokers, and the smoke permeates everywhere.  H2O area bar alllows smokers so basically the whole area is polluted, one area on river walk is dominated by smokers and the smoke comes in the ship, deck 17 mid forward area a bar with smoking that permeates the whole area, the pool area there is a designated spot for smokers that is the best area on the whole ship and smokers ruin the whole pool area, then of course some smokers think they can smoke wherever they want like a balcony,  casino area ah forget it smokers heaven

Escape is a bit better in this regard, especially near the kids pool/play area and slides/rope-course/sports complex. The problem is mostly the areas around the casino, and balconies, although it wasn't a problem after we spoke with security, but that was luck, because we wouldn't know where smoke was coming from if it wasn't our neighbors.

Take free rental car shuttle from cruise port, Uber/Lyft will be cheaper (and faster) from there, because you don't have to compete with all the other passengers. Renting a car is a bit of hassle, since you have limited time anyway, and it's not worth wasting it on car rental/return and parking.

I was just on my third cruise on NCL Escape. First was on NCL Gem and second on RC Anthem. Balcony all 3 times, and each time someone was smoking on a balcony nearby.  This time "fortunately" it was our neighbor, and I actually saw them do it, even had cigarette ash blown over to our balcony, so I had enough evidence to have security have a chat with them to make them stop. It would be so simple to install temper-proof smoke detectors on balconies, but I guess cruise lines do not care enough to spend the extra money on it.

In addition, the casino is located in the middle of the ship, near all the restaurants/bars/etc., so it's impossible to avoid the stinky smell, which permeates throughout a large portion of the ship (the casino is especially disgusting). I think cruises are great otherwise, and I hope someday we'll be able to experience them with just the fresh air from the ocean. There is some improvement, for example, on Escape, only half of the casino allows smoking, but more change is needed.

I don't really have a problem with smokers in general, I know many get hooked on this nasty habit due to circumstance beyond their control, often early in their life, I am just a fan of clean fresh air, especially on vacation.

Absolutely! We usually choose 5:45 MTD. The Adventure Ocean staff will pick up the children from a designated spot in front of one of the entrances of the MDRs around 6:40. The AO compasses will tell you the exact deck/spot and it will be the same place every night. You simply sign your child in with the staff and rejoin your party in the MDR for dessert. The staff takes the kids to AO where you can pick them up later. This pickup spot starts on night 2 of the cruise and runs Every night until the end of the cruise. Do your self a favor...verify the deck and time with an actual AO crew member ahead of time. We have experienced some confusion about this process with the staff on Anthem...but that was Anthem. :rolleyes: Liberty has it down pat. :)

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Awesome, thanks for the clarification, and the tip for Anthem, since we'll be on that ship.

Has anyone been able to take advantage of My Family Time Dining, along with My Time Dining? As far as I can tell, My Family Time Dining is limited to those who signed up for Traditional Dining, but that wasn't available when we booked our cruise. For most days, we reserved 5:30pm for MTD, so it should be possible, but we won't be in the same dining room as Traditional, so I don't know how that might work in practice.

Simple solution would be to add numbers to chairs, and require people to reserve chairs with their room key. Reservation time would be limited to 2hrs or similar. If demand is low, and not one is on the wait list, you could extend your time. This way everyone gets to enjoy some time in the sun. It would improve pool experience for majority of guests.

From NCL website:

Why is there a service charge?

The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports.

It's basically part of staff salary. Obviously it's done this way for financial reasons, tax implications, etc. Most people don't adjust the charges, which is expected. If the service was bad, complain about specific staff members, don't punish the cook who you made your nice meal, unless of course, the meal was the problem.

Wow, didn't know I'd have to battle passed out seniors for deck chairs. I think the solution is clear.

Wow. Well, I'm the original poster, and I had no intention of starting a debate like this. However, I would like to add a few quick things:

 

1) To those of you, who answered my actual question or provided actual useful feedback on the question, THANK YOU!!

 

2) To those of you (who have never met me OR my child) who offered all that wonderful parenting advice, I appreciate it, but plan to disregard it. I took my child to an NHL hockey game (2nd row ice!) last weekend, and she was quiet and happy the entire time. She pointed at the lights and smiled when she saw something exciting. She did not cry, fuss, squirm, scream, or whine. If she can keep her cool during a Bruins game, I think she can handle Cirque Dreams without ruining anyone's dinner.

 

I'm not saying that EVERY child of EVERY age should be brought to a restaurant. I'm just saying that my daughter would be less likely to make a scene at a restaurant than several of the people I see posting on these message boards. No offense meant to any of you :)

I mostly agree with you, however, you can't compare a sports event, where no one cares if child cries or throws a fit, because adults are just as obnoxious, and a theater or restaurant, where people generally don't like frequent distractions. Personally, I don't like taking my kids to hockey or basketball, because sports fans generally don't censor their language or behavior in any way. That's a personal choice, though, I am not judging anyone who does.

8pm is too early, I'd say 9 is the earliest that makes sense, and obviously not all venues, because that would make it unbearable for parents who choose to put their kids to sleep later, and you'd also have to provide priority access to adults with kids prior to that deadline.

As for adults going into the kids splash pool to party, that's against written rules, if it wasn't, parents wouldn't be able to stop that behavior. It's a wrong analogy though, because kids are more attracted to the adult venues and activities than the other way around, and parents have to watch their kids, not the other way around. Sometimes parents have to choose between going with kids and not going at all, if the latter was more likely, these parents wouldn't cruise at all, and that's why cruise lines won't create such restrictions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_analogy#False_analogy

Big question is, why don't family cruises offer more adult-only entertainment? The answer is simple, profit. It's not to the benefit of cruise lines to either lower prices for kids or to limit access to parents with kids. It's a calculated business decision.

It's good for consumers too, since more customers means cheaper prices. If you have a problem with kids, you should realize that you might not be able to afford the same level of comfort and entertainment if it wasn't for those pesky kids.

The economics are simple, cruise lines need to attract more families with kids to compete and thrive. If you're looking for a kid free experience, you're probably on the wrong ship or the wrong cruise line.

So unless you're explicitly told before a movie or show that you shouldn't talk, you're yammering on the whole time? You must be a delight to be around.

So, if someone argues that you should be allowed to insult Jesus, as part of free speech, they are automatically Jesus haters?

Certain things are just common sense. I never would have taken a toddler to a venue where 1 - people are paying to see a show; 2 - you have to sit with others at the table; and 3 - it is just not age appropriate. I get people think they are entitled to do whatever they want. It's a common theme. As a parent, you should know better. :rolleyes:

I think your definition of "age appropriate" is highly subjective.

I don't see how restaurants on a ship are any different than restaurants on land. If you're paying for an expensive meal or show, you should be able to enjoy it without interruptions from children or adults. Loudly talking or complaining, by children or adults, can ruin a show. I also wouldn't advise taking a toddler to see Legally Blonde on the the ship, for the same reason I wouldn't recommend taking them to a land-based Broadway show, as the interruptions would be annoying there as well. The last symphony I was at had a grandmother take her granddaughter out about halfway through the show. Since they were sitting right behind me, they managed to ruin quite a bit of the show.

 

A single parent can use the child care services on-board if they want to participate in an adult event.

 

All that said, I think older kids would probably enjoy the show, though the show on the Epic had some PG-13 aspects.

I don't agree that paying for an expensive meal (although cover fees in specialty restaurants are hardly expensive), somehow entitles you to a specific experience that you have in mind. Maybe my idea of a restaurant experience is getting drunk and laughing like a donkey, and your stern demeanor messes with my good time. BTW, I've been to many very expensive restaurants where adults did just that.

Same goes for the show. If the show has an official rule that everyone is quiet, then yes, it makes sense that a child who is making noise should be removed, the same standards apply to both children and adults. There are not such thing as unwritten rules, people make up all kinds of unwritten rules, but they never agree on any of them. These rules and norms change all the time and are generally discriminatory toward some minority. If majority of restaurant customers brought kids, then people might start complaining about various adult behavior that kids shouldn't see.

Going back to shows or similar, until you take a child to shows, you won't know how they will behave, a child may behave well on 90% of shows, and behave poorly on the rest. Same goes for adults, they're just less likely to misbehave, because they are adults and have better self control. Depriving a child of culture and entertainment until they behave completely like adults is completely unreasonable. Children need to learn through experience, be in situations where they have to behave, to act in a certain way. That's how they learn. Granted, parents should be sympathetic to others, and solve the problem once it starts, but they can't avoid adult environments altogether, if they are to raise well adjusted, cultured and educated children. You live in a world with kids, and you have to interact with them, and if you want to avoid them and their occasional non-adult behavior, then you have to go somewhere where kids aren't allowed.

As another example, I can also argue that I don't like people smoking in a casino, and because I pay a lot of money to a casino, I should be entitled to a smoke free experience. However, that's not in the rules, neither is how a person should smoke. Some people do it nicely and turn away, others blow smoke in your face. I can argue til I am blue in a face that there is an unwritten rule that you shouldn't smoke if majority at the poker table are non-smokers, but if it's not a written rule, casino won't do anything about it, except maybe politely repeat my request.

I don't see how restaurants on a ship are any different than restaurants on land. If you're not on adult-only cruise, you should expect kids everywhere that they're allowed to be, including specialty restaurants. If you don't like that, choose an adult-only cruise, simple as that.

I would agree that if kid is throwing a tantrum, they should be taken out, but some minor issues, like talking loudly on occasions, or complaining, or laughing, and so on, is pretty much expected. That said, what about a single mom, or father, who go on a cruise with their kids, should they be deprived of the full experience they paid for? It's not my case, but I would give parents some slack, they already have a tougher time than anyone else without kids.

Remember, the reason you are paying lower price on your cruise and have more cruise options, is because families with kids can also participate. That's why adult-only options are less common and more expensive on average.

Personally, if I am going on a cruise with kids, I will definitely take them everywhere they are allowed to go, rather than sticking them in some room for the whole day, I want them to experience everything.