convince me to try NCL again!

[kdzkatz]

OT - I just noticed your signature line. Congrats on your marriage, and I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon!!

 

Thank you very much. We got married on May 17th so almost to our 1 week anniversary :D:D So far so good. We are going to have a great time on our cruise! :D:D

[weltek]

As a few others have mentioned, here are points I'd concur with:

 

-New menus are rolling out fleetwide. Feedback has been positive on ships like the Getaway where they were implemented.

-There is also an "Ultimate Dining Package" that gives you the opportunity to dine in any specialty restaurant every night for a reduced cost.

-Christmas week will usually be a terrible week for waits on Norwegian. If RCI does it well, then I'd stick with them during the holidays. I avoid the holidays because of this, and I'm happy to have that luxury. I know not everyone does.

-If you can afford a suite for that price difference, I hope you'll consider one on Norwegian. The concierge can help you avoid waits everywhere!

Edited May 22, 2014 by weltek

[BuffetPantsPls]

I find it funny that people are arguing about something that is very subjective, like taste in food. Just because I found NCL food to my liking (and you didn't) doesn't make me a cheerleader. :rolleyes:

 

my snarky post of the day

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_%28Roman%29

 

:)

[mablinki]

Was on the breakaway. Sailing the gem in October. Having just sailed the breakAway, I noticed there a better variety of food at buffer for dinner. Was pleasantly surprised. No real lines for dining rooms either.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dolita22]

Thanks for your opinion.

 

IMO - I could say the same thing about the food on RCCL that you said about NCL and I have cruised more on RCCL. On our last RCCL cruise in Feb 2014, our reservations were screwed up, the table we ended up with was terrible (we were squished between two other tables and right next to the wait stand; I could have helped myself to anything on the wait stand while I was sitting), the service was slow and the food was mediocre at best. I liked our RCCL cruise but the food, again IMHO, did not stand out compared to other cruise lines.

 

The only reason I am sharing this is because all of the mass-market cruise lines are pretty much the same; all you need to do is try them all or several and you will find this out. IMHO :)

 

OP, all you really have to do is decide for yourself and use everyone else's opinion to help you decide.

Happy and safe cruising!! :D

 

I agree with you about the RCCL dining experience, as we had a very similar experience on our February 2014 cruise on the Indy. My husband won't sail RCCL again until they revamp menus and improve their dining service for the MyTime diners. We didn't realize how important food was to us (and we're not foodies) until on that cruise...where, for the first time, neither of us came home with "cruise weight." ;-)

 

OP, food is obviously quite subjective. If that's truly important to you, spend the extra money on Royal. Having cruised with them before and enjoying it, go with what you know. :-) However, as another poster said, just because you had a not-so-great experience once, does not mean it is reflective of the entire fleet.

 

Enjoy whichever cruise you choose!

[jack300s]

I went on the GEM for a 7 day cruise out of NY a few years ago. We did not care for the food and found that the freestyle dining resulted in longer wait times than a set schedule. Even though we paid extra $, we didn't think the specialty restaurants were that much better as far as quality.

 

Now I want to get away for Christmas week and the Breakaway would save me about 2 thousand over the Royal Caribbean (we have sailed RC and Disney in the past). I am willing to pay a little more for the specialty restaurants, but I want to see if the quality has improved with NCL or the Breakaway specifically.

 

If you didn't like your experiences before why try again. Just write NCL off and go with the cruise lines you enjoyed. So you save $2000 and then you're unhappy again?

[Love my butler]

I went on the GEM for a 7 day cruise out of NY a few years ago. We did not care for the food and found that the freestyle dining resulted in longer wait times than a set schedule. Even though we paid extra $, we didn't think the specialty restaurants were that much better as far as quality.

 

Now I want to get away for Christmas week and the Breakaway would save me about 2 thousand over the Royal Caribbean (we have sailed RC and Disney in the past). I am willing to pay a little more for the specialty restaurants, but I want to see if the quality has improved with NCL or the Breakaway specifically.

 

In the few years since your last NCL cruise, the food budget has been cut so the quality has suffered. Still have to wait to get into the MDR unless you eat at 9pm. Price of specialty restaurants has increased, food quality has certainly not gone up. Staff has been reduced, so it takes longer and longer to receive service.

 

To sum up, things have gotten worse not better at NCL in the past few years. If you know and accept that, lower your expectations significantly, you can still have a good time. Also keep in mind NCL is trying very hard to nickel and dime passengers to death. The bean counters have taken over.

[graphicguy]

I think much of this, regardless of what cruise line, or actual ship you sail, is highly dependent on when you sail.

 

Like everyone else, I have my opinions (FWIW). I've sailed the major lines. I'm not loyal to any. One doesn't stand out from another.

 

But, I will say I like the buffet and Specialty Restaurants better on NCL than either CCL (Conquest-Breeze) or RCCL (Liberty and Alliure of the Seas). MDRs are all about the same.

 

For reasons I can't explain, I find the produce to be fresher on NCL's ships than the others, too.

 

That said, go on the ship/cruise line you think you'll like. No one here is going to be able to tell you which one works best for you, your situation, for your wants and needs.

[FireEater]

I was just on the Sky 2 weeks ago. Food was good...we ate in the main dining rooms all nights. There was never a wait..we were immediately seated with plenty of other empty tables waiting to be filled...

 

Service ship wide, in all the venues was Outstanding.

 

Ship was clean.

 

I am not going to convince you of anything. I am trying to convince me of going to another cruise line....:)

Edited May 22, 2014 by FireEater

[johnsak123]

If you are basing this solely on the food I wouldn't give it another try

Food is a matter of taste so to speak so if that is why you didn't like NCL why take a chance and be miserable

I personally like the food and found that cagney's improved immensely because before the last two great meals

the two previous to that were mediocre but I gave them another try

[Tiggertastic]

Buy the ultimate dining package and eat in specialty ever night

[Okmyx]

Buy the ultimate dining package and eat in specialty ever night

 

 

I did that earlier this month and we were underwhelmed. Everything other than the food was very good, so I would be willing to try NCL again but would likely not expect fantastic food. FWIW, I thought breakfast in the MDR was quite nice, lunch less so. We only tried the buffet a few times but it was fine for what I expected. However, I really expected "specialty" restaurants to be really great, and they weren't.

 

 

Sent from my iPad

[Love my butler]

However, I really expected "specialty" restaurants to be really great, and they weren't.

 

Exactly. They get worse every year and yet still keep increasing the price.

[Erik101]

I'm not going to try to convince you. You should pay the extra $2000. If you didn't like the food and it was important enough to you that you are asking this question, I suspect you will be disappointed again. The food hasn't changed significantly in the free dining areas. You're still eating food prepared for 3,000. For that $2000 savings, however, you can eat in some excellent specialty restaurants.

 

For many, including me, the food on NCL is perfectly fine. However, it sounds like this might be an issue for you

 

Or you can give it a try :)

 

I agree with the bolded part. It sounds like the OP's primary intention is to save a couple of grand. And yet, she asked questions about food in which any answers given are entirely subjective with no concrete base. So if I were her, I'd fork over the money and know that the brand I'm paying for is unlikely to disappoint.

[ilovewdw]

I was just on the Breakaway in February. We ate in the main dining rooms each night - no specialties. We were a party of 8 and usually went to eat at about 7ish. We never encountered a wait! The staff was great! When we needed to be finished with our meal in less than an hour to make our show, the server made that happen. I honestly had NO complaints last trip...but I'm not too picky. I have to say, the Breakaway was our favorite NCL ship so far, followed by the Gem.

[grovesteve]

I went on the GEM for a 7 day cruise out of NY a few years ago. We did not care for the food and found that the freestyle dining resulted in longer wait times than a set schedule. Even though we paid extra $, we didn't think the specialty restaurants were that much better as far as quality.

 

Now I want to get away for Christmas week and the Breakaway would save me about 2 thousand over the Royal Caribbean (we have sailed RC and Disney in the past). I am willing to pay a little more for the specialty restaurants, but I want to see if the quality has improved with NCL or the Breakaway specifically.

My wife and I were just like you until March of last year when we were on Epic with my sister and brotherinlaw for their 40th wedding anniversery. We loved it. In fact since then we have been on two more NCL cruises including the Breakaway. We loved them all. The entertainment was great, the food in the regular restaraunts was good, and Cagneys for steaks was the best. We now love NCL. In the last 14 months we have spent 28 days cruising on NCL ships and want to do more.

Steve R from Il

[graphicguy]

My wife and I were just like you until March of last year when we were on Epic with my sister and brotherinlaw for their 40th wedding anniversery. We loved it. In fact since then we have been on two more NCL cruises including the Breakaway. We loved them all. The entertainment was great, the food in the regular restaraunts was good, and Cagneys for steaks was the best. We now love NCL. In the last 14 months we have spent 28 days cruising on NCL ships and want to do more.

Steve R from Il

 

Cool!

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

I just got back from the May 10 sailing of Getaway & was impressed by the food! My filet at Cagney's was so tender i did cut it with a fork. The steak the 1st night in the MDR was so juicy & flavourful. There was a really nice salad at the Winelovers lunch. I really enjoyed the Cuban food too. I did miss the summer rolls.:( Unlike Dawn there was no waiting at the MDR so that was nice.

 

I have been on Epic 3 times & Breakaway once, not a fan of Breakaway but Getaway is lovely, Epic my fav.which I hope to do again when she goes to the Med for Canary Island/Morocco itinerary.

 

OP give them another try on Epic or Getaway you might just love it!

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[Barb Nahoumi]

I went on the GEM for a 7 day cruise out of NY a few years ago. We did not care for the food and found that the freestyle dining resulted in longer wait times than a set schedule. Even though we paid extra $, we didn't think the specialty restaurants were that much better as far as quality.

 

Now I want to get away for Christmas week and the Breakaway would save me about 2 thousand over the Royal Caribbean (we have sailed RC and Disney in the past). I am willing to pay a little more for the specialty restaurants, but I want to see if the quality has improved with NCL or the Breakaway specifically.

 

We shouldn't have to "twist your arm." Just do it. The savings alone would be worth a try.

[Winnigirl]

I've always enjoyed NCL - from our first cruise on the Norway - never have seemed to have problems others have had. For the millionth time - food is so subjective. The best food I had on any cruise, bar none, was on a Med. cruise on the Jade. We were on the Oasis of the Seas last year and we loved everything about that ship - except that the food was very mediocre. It certainly didn't ruin our cruise. We're on the Epic this year and I look forward to trying some of it's specialty restaurants. So, in response to the OT, unless the food was so terrible that it ruined your cruise, I would say -- give NCL another chance. $2,000. is a lot of money.

[London-Calling]

Epic, Breakaway and Getaway are simply in a different league than Gem and the other Jewel class ships.

 

Not all the food and service on-board NCL's mega ships is excellent, but as there are something like 20 options you will find something to you liking. The entertainment on offer is a step-up - in fact a number of steps-up.

 

There are the only ships which really compete with RCL's big ships.

 

GO FOR IT!

 

(And you save money - win, win!)

Edited May 25, 2014 by London-Calling

[sparks1093]

We just got off the Gem and DW and I both felt that the food overall had improved since the last time we sailed with NCL (four years ago) and we didn't have an issue with quality back then. We ate at La Cucina, a first in a specialty restaurant and agreed that the same meal ashore would have cost in the $50-60 range, so we felt that $15 was worth it.

[Love my butler]

We ate at La Cucina, a first in a specialty restaurant and agreed that the same meal ashore would have cost in the $50-60 range, so we felt that $15 was worth it.

 

What would a meal you enjoyed in the MDR have cost ashore? Remember you already paid for all meals and snacks when you purchased your cruise.

[sparks1093]

What would a meal you enjoyed in the MDR have cost ashore? Remember you already paid for all meals and snacks when you purchased your cruise.

 

True. We ate in a specialty restaurant this time out just to be able to say that we've eaten in one, not because we felt that what was available in the MDR was inferior. Still felt that $15 was worth it.

[pbnjrockette]

In the few years since your last NCL cruise, the food budget has been cut so the quality has suffered. Still have to wait to get into the MDR unless you eat at 9pm. Price of specialty restaurants has increased, food quality has certainly not gone up. Staff has been reduced, so it takes longer and longer to receive service.

 

To sum up, things have gotten worse not better at NCL in the past few years. If you know and accept that, lower your expectations significantly, you can still have a good time. Also keep in mind NCL is trying very hard to nickel and dime passengers to death. The bean counters have taken over.

 

After our first cruise on NCL in 15 years I have to say that the above seems to sum up our experience. At best our meals were "mediocre". While food is definitely 'subjective' -- one would expect more than 1 night out of 7 to have a really enjoyable meal. The first night of "surf and turf" was delicious but other than that the rest of the MDR meals could only be described as 'family-restaurant' quality. In attentive servers did not add to the experience.

 

Dining on the "GEM" was not what we hoped for our return to NCL.