Anybody switch to Norwegian (or sail Norwegian now more frequently)?

[serendipity1499]

Nothing to argue about? Wow, that's kind of an odd thing to say, don't you think? Actually, extremely odd as everyone has their own likes and dislikes especially when it comes to food, Service, quality and even size of Ships! Are you the Owner of NCL to take someone's opinion that is different from yours so personal? :rolleyes:

 

To answer your question I was on her about 4 years ago!

 

It's not odd at all, as I was going to ask the same question of you..That is what CC is all about.. It's for us to learn all the good things & hear about the problem areas of cruising..

 

However, since you seemed to get upset about the question I went ahead & researched your posts..According to your posts you were on the "Sun" before 2005 which is almost 10 years ago..

 

Things have changed in the Cruise Industry just in the past few years & the poster who asked you this question & others I'm sure would really like to know your reasons why you did not like NCL & when you last cruised on the Sun..

 

The poster who asked you the question is well respected on this board & would never deliberately try to antagonize anyone..

 

BTW our first cruise was on NCL which was then known as "Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Line" & it has drastically changed since we first cruised on the line over 30 years ago..

Edited August 29, 2014 by serendipity1499

[iancal]

We have only ever had one issue on all of the cruises/cruise lines that we have been on. So we really cannot compare on a personal level with other cruise lines problem resolution. It was on the NCL Sun 2 years ago on a Christmastime cruise.

 

I have to say that NCL's response to the issue was absolutely incredible. The best customer service resolution that we have experienced in the hospitality industry. It was as others have said. The issue was remedied quickly and we had phone calls and senior housekeeping officers knocking on our door every day for three days after.

 

And no...we did not want an OBC, a future cruise credit, a bottle of cheap wine, or any other freebee. We simply wanted our issue addressed....and it was in the best possible manner. But that great experience would never limit us to only cruising on NCL because there are so many other great ships and cruise lines out there to try.

Edited August 29, 2014 by iancal

[Globaliser]

I too am puzzled why some are so defensive of Holland America, which has been in steady decline. I don't feel this is a recruiting thread.

Why is it either or?

 

We enjoy both cruise lines, plus a few others.

 

We would never think of limiting ourselves to one cruise line. Very boring.

I'm also puzzled by the reaction to this thread and similar threads. All this talk of "loyalists" and "recruitment" is strange. Being a particular cruise line's customer isn't a tribal warfare thing.

 

NCL has good points and bad points when compared to HAL. Like others, I've become less enchanted by HAL over the last few years - it's been a disappointment after having come back to HAL following a long break when there was no opportunity to choose it.

[USN59-79]

This has been an interesting thread. We last cruised on NCL in 2007 and enjoyed the cruise (27 days TA to the Med), but thought HAL and Princess were somewhat better. As a result, when searching for cruises we never look at NCL, Carnival or Costa. While we notice that HAL is not quite the same experience it was ten years ago, we still enjoy our cruises on her. Our last few HAL cruises have been either Grand Voyages on the Amsterdam or ordinary cruises on the Prinsendam. So I wonder if these ships are not a good comparison to either the other HAL ships or to NCL?

[PathfinderEss]

I live right in the heart of San Diego at the beach in Encinitas, Calif. Surprise to us that HAL is deserting us. They have limited Mexican cruises and we have done way too many, on several of HAL'S ships but Panama, Hawaii, Tahiti, Alaska, Australia, I can go on! HAL is here to stay!

 

3STAR MARINER becoming 4STAR on next cruise

Sailing Nieuw Amsterdam B2B western/eastern Caribbean Cruise 3/15/2015

Look at 2016, there will be no Hal ship home ported in SD and there will be less ships stopping in SD for repositioning. There will only be a couple of Hawaii/Tahit cruises, one in the spring . No Hawaii except one from Vancouver. Certainly Alaska and Panama will still be, but not so much with the others.

[Murray's Pop]

You can't see the 'graffiti paint job' from on board the ship so what's the problem?:confused:

 

Do you not fly on a particular airline because of the colour of their aeroplanes?

 

 

Try looking at the "promenade" deck.....

 

Just don't appreciate the graphics. And no, I don't appreciate airplanes that are painted as whales or cows either.

[Cruise_More_Often]

Try looking at the "promenade" deck.....

 

Just don't appreciate the graphics. And no' date=' I don't appreciate airplanes that are painted as whales or cows either.[/quote']Isn't it great that there's something for everyone when it comes to cruising. I love the graphics on NCL ships. It's part of what sets them apart from the other lines. When I look at RCI and Princess ships, I think they need a bit more color to liven them up. :D

[serendipity1499]

Why is it either or?

 

We enjoy both cruise lines, plus a few others.

 

We would never think of limiting ourselves to one cruise line. Very boring.

 

Completely agree...I was in the European travel field for 32 years & have my

favorite airlines & some not so favorite.. Have had some almost disastrous problems as a Non-Rev & Paying Psgr., but learned early on that it's important to make lemonade out of lemons..

 

We would be bored cruising on the same cruise line too! We've had 5 NCL cruises, 2 on Oceania, 1 on Hellenic (only me) & have almost 300 days on HAL cruises, but I would never limit us to one line either..

 

BTW I've never ever had a bad cruise, but many times was ready to jump ship when DH & I sailed our own sailboat for months at a time !:D :eek::((Just ask my Friend PrimeTime, she'll back this statement up)

 

Just being on a cruise ship, not cleaning, not cooking, being served, having our bed made, & laundry done is Heaven for me!

 

So if anyone wins a cruise on a line you don't like I'll take it..LOL

 

P.S. It's 7:30 time to get dressed for dinner, Oh Nuts I have to don my apron instead!:(

.

[cruisemom42]

I'm not a loyalist of any line (though I do have very fond feelings for the long defunct Sitmar). I'd sail on any line....except NCL. Many years ago they truly did provide us with a horrible cruise, and never any apology or gesture to make it right. I vowed never to give them another dime, and I won't.

 

But even putting that aside, NCL just doesn't mesh with my needs. I don't sail in a suite. I don't like to pay for specialty restaurants or shows onboard ship (not out of cheapness but because for me, that's not the way cruising should be). And I sail mainly on smaller ships and mainly for itinerary.

 

By those lights, and given the many reviews I read, the very positive reviews seem to skew highly toward those who sail in NCL suites and eat in their for-pay restaurants. So far, I have not run across an NCL itinerary I was interested in that I couldn't duplicate elsewhere.

[iancal]

We each get a call on our cell phones, about once every other week ,congratulating us for winning a free cruise.

 

Would you like us to pass on your phone number? You would be most welcome to our 'free cruise'.

 

Just have you credit card ready!

Edited August 29, 2014 by iancal

[UPNYGuy]

I'm not a loyalist of any line (though I do have very fond feelings for the long defunct Sitmar). I'd sail on any line....except NCL. Many years ago they truly did provide us with a horrible cruise, and never any apology or gesture to make it right. I vowed never to give them another dime, and I won't.

 

 

 

But even putting that aside, NCL just doesn't mesh with my needs. I don't sail in a suite. I don't like to pay for specialty restaurants or shows onboard ship (not out of cheapness but because for me, that's not the way cruising should be). And I sail mainly on smaller ships and mainly for itinerary.

 

 

 

By those lights, and given the many reviews I read, the very positive reviews seem to skew highly toward those who sail in NCL suites and eat in their for-pay restaurants. So far, I have not run across an NCL itinerary I was interested in that I couldn't duplicate elsewhere.

 

 

That is basically how I feel about Holland America at this point, which is sad.

 

 

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[Theodorable]

NCL to Mexico over New Year. Absolutely looking forward to it. A cruise is fun no matter what. Food is important...but NOT that important that I would miss out on a great, easy to get to destination. Have an open mind and have fun. As I have mentioned before, love Holland America, and lots of other lines...but you are totally missing out on going to interesting places, meeting interesting people if you don't have an open mind and restrict yourself to one cruise line!

Edited August 30, 2014 by Theodorable

[bcnvcanada]

We know that this is a discussion of anyother cruise line Norwegian, but

we recently tried the MSC line Royal Y club Suties and loved it

as it reminded us of how cruise lines use to treat us. I am not

sure how the rest of the ship works, but the Royal Y club is wonderful and I believe it is like the Norwegian with a seperate area, pool, dinning,

and club lounge for its passangers. Prices were cheaper than other lines. The only problem we could see, is that everything is done is five languages, which gave us a chance to practice, again.

[Theodorable]

We know that this is a discussion of anyother cruise line Norwegian, but

we recently tried the MSC line Royal Y club Suties and loved it

as it reminded us of how cruise lines use to treat us. I am not

sure how the rest of the ship works, but the Royal Y club is wonderful and I believe it is like the Norwegian with a seperate area, pool, dinning,

and club lounge for its passangers. Prices were cheaper than other lines. The only problem we could see, is that everything is done is five languages, which gave us a chance to practice, again.

 

I agree. This is one cruise line that we haven't tried yet, but have an eye on. Glad to see you really enjoyed it.

[iancal]

Gee, are you certain that you are simply an MSC tout trying to move all those dedicated HAL cruisers over to MSC?

[MekesMom]

I got started cruising with Mom after Dad died so I've been going where she wants to go. I've just started venturing out on my own and booked the TA maiden voyage on the NCL Escape with no single supplement. A bit intimidated by the size of the ship but am looking forward to checking off some bucket list items.

[serendipity1499]

We each get a call on our cell phones, about once every other week ,congratulating us for winning a free cruise.

 

Would you like us to pass on your phone number? You would be most welcome to our 'free cruise'.

 

Just have you credit card ready!

 

LOL..Never mind..They already have our phone No....DH got that call today.. Can't believe he turned it down..:eek::eek:

[St. Louis Sal]

I recently took a cruise on the Breakaway from New York to Bermuda. For the first time I actually reviewed my cruise. Here is the link if anyone would like to read it:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=259877

 

I enjoyed the cruise very much but there were some things I didn't like. The entertainment and food were great. The noise level and crowding here and there not so great. And my cabin was a disappointment. We did not do a haven suite which seems to be the key to liking your cabin. I've gotten spoiled with the cabins on HAL and Celebrity. Even Carnival cabins seemed nicer.

 

I would go on NCL again especially if the itinerary was what I wanted. I feel lucky to have been on so many cruises and so many different ships and lines. My daughters are on the Carnival Splendor right now and I'm anxious to hear how they are liking it and how it compares to the other ships they've been on. We were talking one night at dinner on the Breakaway about how we would like to combine the best things we love on each ship into one perfect one!

 

Bon Voyage wherever you go and whatever ship you take,

St. Louis Sal

[UPNYGuy]

I recently took a cruise on the Breakaway from New York to Bermuda. For the first time I actually reviewed my cruise. Here is the link if anyone would like to read it:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=259877

 

 

 

I enjoyed the cruise very much but there were some things I didn't like. The entertainment and food were great. The noise level and crowding here and there not so great. And my cabin was a disappointment. We did not do a haven suite which seems to be the key to liking your cabin. I've gotten spoiled with the cabins on HAL and Celebrity. Even Carnival cabins seemed nicer.

 

 

 

I would go on NCL again especially if the itinerary was what I wanted. I feel lucky to have been on so many cruises and so many different ships and lines. My daughters are on the Carnival Splendor right now and I'm anxious to hear how they are liking it and how it compares to the other ships they've been on. We were talking one night at dinner on the Breakaway about how we would like to combine the best things we love on each ship into one perfect one!

 

 

 

Bon Voyage wherever you go and whatever ship you take,

 

St. Louis Sal

 

 

Breakaway is my favorite ship, Haven or no Haven. We have been in a Haven once, were in a minisuite the last time, and are going to be in an owners suite (Haven) on our next BA sailing this Feb. different strokes for different folks. I would say that the BA cabins are miles ahead of HAL for what the wife and I like.

 

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Edited August 30, 2014 by UPNYGuy

[lettienets]

Gee, are you certain that you are simply an MSC tout trying to move all those dedicated HAL cruisers over to MSC?

You are funny! LOL

[kandagal1939]

Have only done one cruise with NCL but it will be our last. It is just not for us. Service was poor & we're also fans of set dining time.. On the NCL cruise we keep asking if we could share a table with others in MDR but in 2 weeks that only happened 3 times. partner & I can eat by ourselves any day of the week when home & we missed the joy of meeting & socialising at a meal.

[SeagoingMom]

I, for one, am glad to have stumbled upon this thread. Folks may call it a "recruiting" thread if they like -- it has had that effect for me. We loved our only HAL experience (10-night Southern Caribbean on Zuiderdam, March 2011). Over the three subsequent years, I have to say that HAL "loyalists" on various threads have done their own bang-up job of "recruiting" for almost any line besides HAL! I have read post after post after post on numerous threads complaining about how much decline there has been in HAL, yet how much these posters still intend to stick with it! Not really a stamp of endorsement!

 

We are cruisers who like to try different lines, and form our own opinions. And we have not yet sailed on any line twice (we don't sail often enough), so we have not ourselves observed decline in HAL, or any line. And yes, we also recognize that it is generally the cruisers who have cruised on the same line for many years who notice decline, because newbies have no reference frame. I can say that I do get a little tired of reading about the "good old days" on HAL -- the tenor of these posts seems to confirm the opinion of non-HAL cruisers that the line is a floating nursing home, where everyone lives in the past. This was not our experience at all, but reading the "let's keep things the way they've always been" posts on CC do seem to support this image.

 

I will say that HAL is our cruising standard at the moment, and I often refer folks to HAL, explaining why I liked it, and why they might, too. But this thread has encouraged me to add NCL to my list of lines to try -- something I had been waffling about. However, we do not sail in suites -- just balcony cabins. So I wonder if we will find NCL as delightful as those who live the "suite life?"

 

We select cruises by itinerary, cost, and ship size. If we cruised more often, we would definitely cruise HAL again, but our desire to shop around has, so far, resulted in our choosing a different line for every cruise. We are ranking cruise lines as we go. I just hope that it will not take us so many years to try different lines that by the time we get back to our preferred ones, they have changed for the worse!

 

A note to those who seem offended that someone might try to "recruit" away from HAL -- if HAL has a good product, cruisers will find it and value it. If the product is inferior, cruises will find that out as well. A cruise line should not need "cheerleaders" to promote it, and if a line begins to decline because of negative comments, management had better be pretty quick to evaluate whether negativism is hurting its bottom line, and if so, up its game. Loyalists cannot keep a cruise line afloat, no matter how hard they try. New blood seems to be the order of the day for cruise line survival.

 

Don't blame the messenger!

[iancal]

We always take a balcony. Never had a suite on NCL or any other line. We do have an upgrade to a mini suite on an upcoming Princess cruise. But this is a misnomer. It really is not a suite, just a slightly larger balcony cabin. Marketing bumph at it's best I guess. It was an upgrade. The word suite intones something different to us based upon our hotel and resort experiences. We do not like being misled as it were even though all the cruise lines seem to do it now.

 

So, we have enjoyed our NCL cruises. They have been on the Sun, an older ship. As ships go, we do prefer our experience, on all levels, on Celebrity Solstice ships. We want to try one of the newer NCL ships and I am certain that we will. Why not?

 

Having said that we are happy and feel fortunate to be able to go on any cruise ship. Our last NCL cruise was at Christmastime two years ago.. We snagged it just as we boarded a TA back to NA. It was only $800. for a 10 day balcony cruise. We enjoyed it immensely. The service-cabin and MDR- was as good as anything we have experienced on HAL, Celebrity, Princess etc. Having said that...if we had a similar or close offer from a Celebrity or Princess (missed that deal by two days) we might have selected either of those first.

 

Frankly, we see absolutely no difference between the quality and levels of service on the main line cruises-HAL included. If anything, HAL is cutting back so much on their MDR staff that I suspect it will soon be replaced with cafeteria style.

 

I think that there are people on certain cruise lines who like to brag and impress people that they are going on what they think is a high end cruise line. Not certain why this is. We just go and have a good time on any cruise line. They all have their strengths and weaknesses based upon our individual tastes. Nor do we buy this nonsense that café society travels on HAL, etc. and the masses on Carnival and NCL. This could not be further from the truth but there are some who like to perpetuate this myth based I suspect on a desire to feed their very fragile egos or aspirational goals.

 

The market is changing and so are the attributes of each cruise line and ship. Many people are noticing this and are looking to try something different as a comparator. Cannot say that I blame them. If we are not happy with a product or service we vote with our feet. Why stick with the same old same old if the product has changed or one's preferences have changed over time.

 

Who knows, perhaps a high end NCL suite, a real suite not just a slightly bigger room, will be in the cards for us in the near future.

Edited August 30, 2014 by iancal

[HokiePoq]

I am guessing this is on the HAL forum because you are comparing. I would think that if you are giving your praises about NCL, it should be on the NCL forums. The original post sounds to me like you are trying to sway people to NCL from HAL. I think the post is OK but it should be moved to the NCL forum in my opinion, which is not everyone's opinion.

 

Diane

 

Agreed. When one has positive things to say about a line, it should be on that board, negative as well.

I sail both lines and like both. I expect different things from each.

I've found service on both to be excellent.

HAL has better itineraries; NCL's entertainment, especially in the lounges, is better. Often we spend evenings in a lounge if we really like the performer. We're on Celebrity coming up due to itinerary and agency packages and HAL again for itinerary.

One can enjoy more than one line.

[idiebabe]

It's not odd at all, as I was going to ask the same question of you..That is what CC is all about.. It's for us to learn all the good things & hear about the problem areas of cruising..

 

However, since you seemed to get upset about the question I went ahead & researched your posts..According to your posts you were on the "Sun" before 2005 which is almost 10 years ago..

 

Things have changed in the Cruise Industry just in the past few years & the poster who asked you this question & others I'm sure would really like to know your reasons why you did not like NCL & when you last cruised on the Sun..

 

The poster who asked you the question is well respected on this board & would never deliberately try to antagonize anyone..

 

BTW our first cruise was on NCL which was then known as "Norwegian Caribbean Cruise Line" & it has drastically changed since we first cruised on the line over 30 years ago..

 

You're absolutely right that it's not odd to ask the question of when I was on the Ship (and never implied it was) especially when some on this thread think that "Hal Loyalists" are making comments and not from experience.

 

What I considered odd and very rude is to start out a post with "I'm not going to argue with you" when all I did was state my opinion and reasons for it! I replied back nothing to argue about because we are all entitled to our opinion (and we are)!

 

Thank you though for taking the time to research and validate that I was actually on the NCL Sun so not to be accused as one of the "HAL Loyalists" who are making comments not based on actual experience. :)

 

I have been on 4 cruises this year and have 4 booked before the end of the year. We do 6 - 8 cruises a year, however, due to our experience on the Sun we never booked NCL again. There's a reason for that! Some reasons I stated in my original post! We did not like NCL and did not have a good experience with them! If we did, we would have sailed them again after the Sun!

 

I'll reiterate some of the reasons: we thought the food in the MDR was awful almost to the point of inedible! The quality of the furniture in the room and on the Balcony was chintzy! The Bathroom was small and the Shower was very small and tube-like. I'm a size 8 and had trouble in the Shower. We met people on the Ship who had to go up to the Gym to Shower as they were "large" people. The Specialty Restaurants (Italian & French) the food was good but we thought the food was on par with MDR food on Carnival. We did not like the Anytime Dining and how they handled it. They would sit the four of us at an 8 or 10 top table when they had 4 tops available which made it hard to talk and was not comfortable. They were not very accommodating as the Maitre'd's on Carnival and HAL are! We also did not find the Staff to be friendly! We saw a Manager yelling at one of the workers on Lido. Very unprofessional to do that in front of passengers. The list is long!

 

We have friends who sail both Carnival and Royal and have found the same to be true and won't sail NCL again!

 

Do Cruise Lines change? Sure they can change but our experience was so bad that we are not willing to risk our dollars or vacation time to find out!

 

Again, we are all entitled to our opinion and should be able to post them without snarky comments and being attacked! :eek: I am not the one who responded to a post with the words "I'm not going to argue with you" when there was nothing to argue about! If someone wants more info, just ask for it in a Civil manner!