Hello All !!! Help !!!!! Tell me it isn't true !!

[octagonmike]

We are booked on our first NCL Cruise on Epic for September on a 14 night back to back.

 

We've booked it because we like the idea of "Freestyle" dining and the fact that there are so many dining options onboard.

 

I know Epic hasn't sailed yet but I have just read a few reviews of other NCL Cruises and I am shocked at how some of them are.

 

Talks of filthy dirty ships, Norovirus, Restrictive dining ?????, No food available at certain times of the day, no food available after 9:30PM, impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

 

Isn't it ??

[TrikeRider]

I experienced none of that on my cruise last year on the Gem.

[Micchi]

I think you already know it's not true. If you read "a few" bad reviews, surely you must have read "a lot" of good ones.

[CruisinMaterial]

I have experienced larger outbreaks of Norovirus on Carnival and on Princess and actually caught it on Carnival. I have yet to be on a Norwegian ship with a reportable outbreak and I give NCL props for being insistent on sanitizing regularly. Happy Happy Washy Washy is the new catch phrase for it!

 

NCL ships are pristine and every ship's public areas I have been on have never been found dirty. NCL keeps their ship's public areas very very clean.

 

The wait times are exaggerated. NCL uses boards to help guests direct their flow to dining rooms which are less full. If you want to wait to dine in one of them you can do so, however, the wait is usually never hours on end. I have yet to wait to dine on any NCL ship and I've taken 9 NCL cruises.

 

Don't let the few negative reviewers out there sway your opinion of the Epic experience. Read the reviews once the ship is out and make your judgement on that. The Epic is unchartered territory for everyone so anything said about what you may encounter onboard that vessel is mere speculation. :)

 

Bon voyage and happy sailing!

[ColinIllinois]

It's all true and not only that but I hear that 10 percent of the French shipyard workers have been diagnosed with Leprosy.

[neverthought]

We are booked on our first NCL Cruise on Epic for September on a 14 night back to back.

 

We've booked it because we like the idea of "Freestyle" dining and the fact that there are so many dining options onboard.

 

I know Epic hasn't sailed yet but I have just read a few reviews of other NCL Cruises and I am shocked at how some of them are.

 

Talks of filthy dirty ships, Norovirus, Restrictive dining ?????, No food available at certain times of the day, no food available after 9:30PM, impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

 

Isn't it ??

 

We cruise ONLY with NCL, and have never experienced any of the concerns you mentioned. Enjoy your B2B, and keep the ship ready for us, as we get on for our B2B when you get off!! Happy Cruising:)

Neverthought

[octagonmike]

It's all true and not only that but I hear that 10 percent of the French shipyard workers have been diagnosed with Leprosy.

 

 

Yeah but they asked for it

[JohnIreland]

Talks of filthy dirty ships,

NCL always rates high on independent hygiene inspections.

 

Norovirus,

Can happen on any ship from any line.

 

Restrictive dining ?????,

lol , NCL has the least restrictive of any line.

 

No food available at certain times of the day,

Well blue lagoon does close for 30 minutes for cleaning around 5am. But you can get food the other 23:30 hours of the day.

no food available after 9:30PM,

See last comment.

 

impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

Haven't waited more than 10 minutes in 3 cruises. Usually get a table immediately.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

It is. I wouldn't be going for a second trip on the Gem this month if it was true.

[garycarla]

Like one poster said earlier, in order to read some of the negative postings, the OP must have come across all the positive ones. And, I can only assume they ignored all the positive stuff.

 

I don't think it is worth the time to try and convince someone that is determined to only notice the negative.

[mrsbooger]

Here's a link to Events At Sea. These are actual incidents that have been reported. Scroll through and make your own determination.

 

For the record, NCL is my favorite cruisline. I LOVE Freestyle Cruising!

 

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/events.html

[david_sobe]

This thread is a little odd

There are bad reviews of every cruise line and every ship but I think they are the minority except for one line (I wont mention). But NCL has high standards. I dont know what the OP means by so many negative reviews of NCL. There are the same amount for Carnival and Royal

[octagonmike]

Like one poster said earlier, in order to read some of the negative postings, the OP must have come across all the positive ones. And, I can only assume they ignored all the positive stuff.

 

I don't think it is worth the time to try and convince someone that is determined to only notice the negative.

 

 

 

Hang on a minute it was a genuine question so don't get all chippy !

 

Jeez one of the reasons I am changing lines is to avoid cocky people like you.

[Terrafreaky]

It's all a load of nonsense.

 

Have a fantastic cruise! :)

[wrestlemom]

octagonmike sunday we will be leaving on out 4th NCL cruise (3 dawn & 1 Gem) we have never had a problem on either ship. The staff on the NCL ships are always there with sanitizer when you go on and off the ship and there are sanitizer machines all throughout the ship. As for food never had a problem getting something to eat as the op stated food is available 23-1/2 hrs per day. The ship was always clean and no other issues. Just keep reading and I am sure once the Epic sails you will hear alot of pros and cons but just remember they are only opinions and as you know everyones opinion is different. Enjoy your cruise and don't worry.

[newmexicoNita]

We are booked on our first NCL Cruise on Epic for September on a 14 night back to back.

 

We've booked it because we like the idea of "Freestyle" dining and the fact that there are so many dining options onboard.

 

I know Epic hasn't sailed yet but I have just read a few reviews of other NCL Cruises and I am shocked at how some of them are.

 

Talks of filthy dirty ships, Norovirus, Restrictive dining ?????, No food available at certain times of the day, no food available after 9:30PM, impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

 

Isn't it ??

 

and for every one of those horror stories, you can read 10 positive ones. If you are going to let exagerations influence you, maybe you should just forget about sailing period. Now to answer some of your questions:

 

Cleanliness of ships: refer to CDC and see where the NCL ships are rated. Most have outstanding ratings for cleanliness, maybe overall the best. Yes, there may be a time when a ship has a problem but I just wish most of our houses were as clean as NCL ships.

 

Impossible to get a table: never had a problem, on our last Pearl cruise (sold out I will mention) we did wait about 20 or 25 minutes one night in the MDR. We just went to a bar, had a glass of wine and were called almost as soon as we sat down. I will add, we have cruised freestyle about 8 or 9 times now.

 

NORO restricted dining, Of course this happens on all cruise lines from time to time, but it is rare. I would rather have some resprictions than see an entire ship come down with the virus. Again, NCL is no worse than most lines and better than a few. yes, in Feb one with, the Jade had a problem that lasted through 2 or 3 sailings.

 

Nothing to eat after 9:30? Bull S##$, the MDRs serve until about 10pm, Blue Lagoon serves all night and the casino has a light buffet starting about 11pm. The only difference between NCL and some lines, (not all) the buffet isn't open 24 hours a day

 

Remember any review that is totally negative or totally poistive isn't to be trusted. And go read reviews on other lines, all get some good, some bad. Now forget about the over exagerated ones and start getting excited about your cruise. I sure would be if I were going on a brand new and sparkly clean ship.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Hang on a minute it was a genuine question so don't get all chippy !

 

Jeez one of the reasons I am changing lines is to avoid cocky people like you.

 

I hate to start a war over this, but I beleive your even asking, when you must have read more positives than negatives is why the snippy answers. Beleive me, people who cruise NCL are some of the nicest cruisers and least affected cruisers at sea. That is one of the reasons we keep coming back, The bitchy ones are the ones who you are reading the negative reviews from.

 

Nita

[mom2tcdx2]

Just got off the NCL Star, thought the ship was maintained extremely well for the age of the ship.

 

Had a group of 7, never waited for dining in any of the main dining rooms. We went between 7:30 and 8:00 and were always seated immediately. Never realized the Blue Lagoon did breakfast, wish we had. Boyfriend went up to the Market Cafe just to get cereal around 6 am but couldn't get anything. Guy gave him a box of cereal, but no bowl or milk. Carnival at least had small breakfast items set out early even though the buffet wasn't technically open yet. I had only seen the one menu for the Blue Lagoon and thought that was what they had all the time.

 

Never gotten Norovirus, or been aware of it on any cruise, I think people claim that is a problem when it isn't.

 

However with only having sailed 7 cruises the guest services staff were the rudest of any I have ever met. They were very argumentative - for instance we didn't get our tags for the Bags program so my mother inquired, girl told my mother we didn't sign up for it, my mother told her yes we did, girl answered no you did not. She could have said I don't show you signed up but let me go check on that for you. The girl was extremely unhelpful. Also last day of sailing all guest service personnel should be able to handle final billing questions, two girls just stood at the desk doing nothing while the line was horribly long. They stated they didn't handle credit questions - what else is anyone going to ask about on the last day of the cruise.

 

Ultimately we had just a bunch of little small things I am not one to really complain. But I did decide to cancel my Epic cruise for now and maybe I will re think them in the future, but NCL is not going to be my first choice. The itinerary will need to be a bit more unique.

[mrsbooger]

I was just off the Pearl. My hands were completely dried out from sanitizing non-stop. I'm not complaining though. Even if you were just walking through the buffet there was someone standing there with a spray bottle of sanitizer and would not let you through without them spraying your hands. As they did this they said, "Washy Washy". It became the line of a lot of jokes while on board. The Pearl was in EXCELLENT shape since the last time I sailed on her two years ago. Very clean!

 

Please don't take offense to people defending the cruiseline. It's true that for EVERY cruise line you will find people that have nothing but negative to say and those comments are remembered and the good are forgotten.

 

My line is, I have yet to take a bad cruise. Some I like better than others but I've never come home upset that I was on a cruise.

 

Go with an open mind and enjoy The Epic. I'm jealous you will be sailing on her!

[gordandmichele]

You can check out all of the ships' inspections and reports here: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionSearch.aspx

 

You will see that NCL has among the cleanest, if not the cleanest, fleets afloat. They have the highest overall average of all of the major lines.

[MikeandAmy]

We are booked on our first NCL Cruise on Epic for September on a 14 night back to back.

 

We've booked it because we like the idea of "Freestyle" dining and the fact that there are so many dining options onboard.

 

I know Epic hasn't sailed yet but I have just read a few reviews of other NCL Cruises and I am shocked at how some of them are.

 

Talks of filthy dirty ships, Norovirus, Restrictive dining ?????, No food available at certain times of the day, no food available after 9:30PM, impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

 

Isn't it ??

 

Dont believe what your hearing... There is a 24 hour cafe, room service. I know I have only been on 3 cruises with NCL but I have not seen any of those problems you have listed.

 

Have a great time!

[Zeno]

Talks of filthy dirty ships, Norovirus, Restrictive dining ?????, No food available at certain times of the day, no food available after 9:30PM, impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

 

Isn't it ??

 

a load of utter nonsense.

 

I have been on 4 NCL cruises and I have NEVER experienced ANY of the above.

[mpk218]

Yes , its all nonsense ;)

[RNPJN]

We are booked on our first NCL Cruise on Epic for September on a 14 night back to back.

 

We've booked it because we like the idea of "Freestyle" dining and the fact that there are so many dining options onboard.

 

I know Epic hasn't sailed yet but I have just read a few reviews of other NCL Cruises and I am shocked at how some of them are.

 

Talks of filthy dirty ships, Norovirus, Restrictive dining ?????, No food available at certain times of the day, no food available after 9:30PM, impossible to get a table, having to wait up to an hour to get a table.

 

Please tell me this is all a load of nonsense.

 

Isn't it ??

 

We have experienced none of that on our 21 cruises with NCL

[mypleasure]

I have to say that my experience would be that it is utter nonsense. I have cruised 4 times and am about to go on my 5th cruise with NCL.

 

The ships always look very clean to me, NCL has the least restrictive dining of any line with all the choices offered. Even if some are at a price there is still choice among the free of charge options. I always found food to be available whenever I wanted it somewhere on the ship at no charge, I have never waited for a table and when booking a table the most flexibility I have ever been required to show has been 30 minutes.

 

I have never, so far, travelled on a ship with Norovirus but it is a virus that is neither exclusive to NCL nor exclusive to cruise ships. The one time I got it I caught it at work.

[STARFISH*4]

i would LIKE to know where the OP has read or heard ALL THE NEGATIVE reviews...we read some NEGATIVE things but this makes it sound like EVERYTHING she or he has read is NEGATIVE about NCL and like one said for every bad review there are 10 good ones...but what i have found especially with TRAVEL that people are QUICK to point out EVERY little NEGATIVE thing and make it seem like a MAJOR deal!!!

TRUE NCLers DEFEND the LINE they LOVE, but so DO ALL THE OTHER CRUISERs...go READ the OTHER boards!!!