I was disappointed with my first NCL cruise

[m-dfromjersey]

I'm really surprised! Usually people with food allergies report back here with nothing but positive things to say. When we made our reservations, we had it noted (2 cruises), and there was a message on my cabin phone to contact the person, and arrange a meeting. We met with him to arrange meals. When we were seated, we just told the server that we had made arrangements.

 

They would make her any meal she wanted, and they had tons of gluten free products, too, like bread, pizza, pasta, rolls, muffins... Better than home!

Yeah, we didn't get anything close to that kind of reception. Even after registering all of our food allergies with the disability desk, we were told to just mention the allergies to our server and we'd be able to speak with the restaurant manager or the chef. That didn't happen once in 7 days.

 

On one occasion - our first night, in Savor, which took over 2 hours - Jen ordered the French Onion soup and was only told of the presence of rosemary when all of the other soups were delivered, and the server basically said "you can't have it". She was never given the opportunity to order an alternative, or to speak with someone who knew the menu well enough to tell her what she COULD eat.

[MACE]

We were on the BA the week before - the 12/21/14 Christmas Sailing.

 

This was our 2nd NCL cruise, last being 2002 on the Sun.

 

Our last cruises were RCI Oasis, Voyager, and Freedom, not to mention a lot of 'mega' CCL ships prior to those.

 

Agree with a lot of what the OP stated about the BA and also agree with the replies about opinions being each their own and sailing on a new line to find out if you want to cruise it again -vs- a line you liked a lot.

 

We ended up on the BA -vs- the Quantum due to price, with the QOS being some $2500 more for the same Cabin Category and similar Itinerary, leaving from NJ on 12/20/14 -vs- the BA leaving from NYC on 12/21/14 (a 45 minute commute from home to the pier 88 for us)

 

We actually shared Great Stirrup Cay on Christmas Eve Day with the Quantum (albeit they mooring on the far side of GSC). It was an impressive looking ship...I thought GSC was a island that NCL owned to themselves?

 

We liked cruising on the BA and we rate is slightly below what the CC member reviews are of around 62%...next cruise will be on the Allure or next new ship in that RCI class.

 

Sometimes for us, the cruise ship is the destination and the BA just didn't give is that WOW factor that the previous RCI ships we sailed on did!

 

No regrets sailing on the BA, they did a great job on dressing up the ship for Christmas with a great Christmas show 12/25, we will always remember our cruise experience aboard the BA, not to mention, our Cabin Steward Resnon who was the best Cabin Steward we've had on our 20+ cruises!

Edited January 9, 2015 by MACE

[mjkacmom]

Yeah, we didn't get anything close to that kind of reception. Even after registering all of our food allergies with the disability desk, we were told to just mention the allergies to our server and we'd be able to speak with the restaurant manager or the chef. That didn't happen once in 7 days.

 

On one occasion - our first night, in Savor, which took over 2 hours - Jen ordered the French Onion soup and was only told of the presence of rosemary when all of the other soups were delivered, and the server basically said "you can't have it". She was never given the opportunity to order an alternative, or to speak with someone who knew the menu well enough to tell her what she COULD eat.

 

That really stinks. I'm not a complainer, but I think you should write NCL regarding the poor job of dealing with the food allergies.

[Partyatsea]

We actually shared Great Stirrup Cay on Christmas Eve Day with the Quantum (albeit they mooring on the far side of GSC). It was an impressive looking ship...I thought GSC was a island that NCL owned to themselves?

 

 

Are you saying you were on GSC along with people from Quantum or was Quantum at Coco Cay??

[MACE]

Are you saying you were on GSC along with people from Quantum or was Quantum at Coco Cay??

 

(Edit) Just did a google earth search: Coca Cay is close and off to the left of GSC, they are not the same island or land mass...should have taken our binoculars off of our balcony chair...lol

 

To clarify: No, we did not share the NCL GSC "island" or property with the Quantum paxs.

Edited January 10, 2015 by MACE

[RSLeesburg]

We actually shared Great Stirrup Cay on Christmas Eve Day with the Quantum (albeit they mooring on the far side of GSC). It was an impressive looking ship...I thought GSC was a island that NCL owned!

 

 

Quantum was visiting Coco Cay, which is right next door to GSC. When we went to Coco Cay on our Thanksgiving cruise (on Grandeur), I noticed a NCL ship off in the distance visiting GSC. Not sure which ship, as when I checked the ship tracking sites, none of them listed a ship at GSC that day.

 

 

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[lambchoplady]

If you have food allergies, it's best to notify Guest services at the beginning of your cruise. They will be very attentive to your needs.

[Love my butler]

If you have food allergies, it's best to notify Guest services at the beginning of your cruise. They will be very attentive to your needs.

 

The usual response is please contact a restaurant manager and they will take care of you. Very attentive? not.

[mizLORInj]

RE: the private islands

 

NCL owns Great Stirrup Cay

 

RCI owns Little Stirrup Cay

 

When I was at GSC on Gem, a smaller RC ship was anchored at LSC.

Edited January 10, 2015 by mizlorinj

[marazad16]

Thank you for an unbiased review. It truly helps me when making future cruise decisions.

[EBONI325]

it was more the shows that i felt was the lack of freestyle. You need reservations for everything (with the exception of the main dining rooms). I completely understand the concept of freestyle, but when you have to make reservations for everything, there is nothing free about your schedule.

 

if you go on rcc's quantum you have to make reservations for everything also.

[EBONI325]

OK, so I guess this means tonight I should go over everything with DH and start making those reservations. Do you know if we will be able to get specialty dining reservations on board? Was hoping to use onboard credit for them.

 

Joni

 

I was on Breakaway twice and made my reservations on board, and never had a problem. Sometimes for the same day. Once I went to Cagney's and was able to get in within 15 minutes without a reservation and sat outside also.

[24kirouac]

Did you contact NCL or your TA to make any quest on food? 30 days prior as they ask?

 

(Yeah, we didn't get anything close to that kind of reception. Even after registering all of our food allergies with the disability desk, we were told to just mention the allergies to our server and we'd be able to speak with the restaurant manager or the chef. That didn't happen once in 7 days.)

 

What about special dietary needs?

If you have any food allergy or a dietary requirement that requires Kosher meals or gluten-free food product, please advise a Norwegian Reservations Agent, or your Travel Agent at the time of booking. Obtaining the product for many of these requests requires 30-days notice prior to sailing, and we want to ensure that we are able to fulfill your request. We cannot guarantee Kosher Meal requests made within 30 days of sail date. For the protection of all of our guests, it is not permissible to bring aboard any food items that would require preparation by the ship’s staff, or food items that would require cold storage in our kitchen facilities.

[Coastalbreezes]

I was on this same cruise (sixth time on Breakaway). My biggest disappointments were 1) the very high salt content and salty taste of the food in near every single venue. I dined in a different specialty restaurant every evening and despite telling the servers that I was on a low-sodium diet, everything came out so heavily salted nearly to the point of inedible. I drank a lot of water this cruise!

 

2) Sporadic internet service. On my previous BA cruises, internet, although slow, was always available. This week there were outages nearly every day for hours at a time. I was told by the internet manager that they'd been having difficulties on this particular itinerary for weeks.

 

I agree with many people who have commented about the overcrowded events in the Atrium. It's too bad because so many great music shows and other demos, game shows etc take place there and it is difficult to get a seat unless you arrive at least half hour prior.

 

Tracy

[lwrandall]

I know reservations for shows isn't very freestyle. But, you have a ship holding 4000+ people and a theater holding half that amount. What are you going to do? Have a mad stampede at the beginning of each show. Better this way than turning away hundreds of angry passengers who will then say NCL needs a reservation system. They have to exercise some type of crowd control. The same for the comedy shows. 4,000 people in a comedy venue that holds 200-300 people you again have to make it fair. With that many people vying for that few seats you have to go to reservations

 

 

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[Cruzinnana47]

We sailed on the Breakaway just a year ago on the 1st So. Caribbean cruise out of NYC. Overall, we had a good time, but personally wouldn't sail on this ship again. We always experienced overcrowding, and instead of relaxing on our vacation, we felt like we were constantly having to scramble for reservations for everything or rush to get in the standby line. The ship was just too big for us.

 

That being said, Jenfromjersey--although I agree with many of your observations of the BA--the crowding, venues with not enough seating, etc., please don't rule out NCL yet. Perhaps a smaller or older ship (like the GEM) may be more to your liking. We still find NCL a good cruiseline with some great itineraries. Of course, if you feel Royal is more to your liking, then at least you can say you gave NCL a try.

[C Cruise Dude]

I recently sailed the Breakaway (12/28 sailing) with my family. Mom decided in July that she wanted to take the whole family on a cruise, but she didn't want to fly, so our only options were the Breakaway or Quantum of the Seas. Quantum had been her first choice but since it is so new and in demand, the cost would have been almost double and the cabin selections lackluster, so off we were to try NCL for the first time.

 

The ship constantly felt crowded, especially at events in the Atrium. That space is entirely too small for the number of passengers on board. This was the first time I had been on a ship where the "game shows" were held in a small space and not in a theater.

 

We went to the Welcome Aboard show and I immediately understood what people meant about the seats in there. Terribly uncomfortable, and the show itself was boring. We actually left before it was done.

 

I have also never seen such narrow corridors on the cabin decks. My father ended up needing surgery a month before our cruise and got a walking boot just days before we left, so we were unexpectedly traveling with a wheelchair. It was impossible to get by most of the time when the housekeeping carts were out (which is almost always). Even without the wheelchair, you often had to turn sideways to get by them.

 

The food was okay, the selection on New Years Eve was pretty lackluster. I did enjoy the fireworks from my balcony (thankfully we were on the correct side as I was feeling ill that night)..

 

Our excursion ended up being terrible, but that was not the fault of NCL. I will say that Great Stirrup Cay was beautiful and we had a lovely time there. Thankfully Dad was able to snag a cabana that someone had cancelled shortly before we left, so he had a place off of the sand to spend his day. It was a nightmare dealing with them not charging the drinks the correct way, and it took several trips to the On Board Credit desk to get that sorted out.

 

Overall, it was just an okay trip, but will be our last with NCL. I think we will stick with Royal from now on.[/quote

Sorry your family cruise was just ok! I wanted to try the breakaway and oasis by rc, but the mega ships are always crowded which means longer lines and waits! But dont let just 1 ship discourage you from a cruise line you tried just once!

 

I have read reviews of Oasis class ships and it seems more often than not, there are no complaints of crowds (to my surprise) on those ships, maybe you have a different experience.

 

I did feel that it was a little more crowded at times on Epic other than when shows occurred (this is expected on all cruise lines). NCL is not for everyone. I would suggest trying Jewel or Pearl and you might enjoy the experience much better.

 

 

Royal Caribbean build their ships very large so it is hard to compare to the other lines. Having carts in the hall (from my experience) on most ships tend to make navigating the halls more challenging. Happy Sailing to all.

[pgharea]

I agree with the OP's review. We were on BA in October 2014. Crowds were bad and the halls to narrow. We left the ship with a lackluster memory. Nothing was horrible nothing was great. We do last minute bookings and at the right price I'd sail her again but would not go out of my way for it.

 

 

• Sent from my screen to yours.

[kollegekreed]

I think most of your issues had to do with sailing a holiday cruise. I bet if you tried the same ship again in mid November you'd love it.

[vulcan1971]

I recently sailed the Breakaway (12/28 sailing) with my family. Mom decided in July that she wanted to take the whole family on a cruise, but she didn't want to fly, so our only options were the Breakaway or Quantum of the Seas. Quantum had been her first choice but since it is so new and in demand, the cost would have been almost double and the cabin selections lackluster, so off we were to try NCL for the first time.

 

The ship constantly felt crowded, especially at events in the Atrium. That space is entirely too small for the number of passengers on board. This was the first time I had been on a ship where the "game shows" were held in a small space and not in a theater.

 

We went to the Welcome Aboard show and I immediately understood what people meant about the seats in there. Terribly uncomfortable, and the show itself was boring. We actually left before it was done.

 

I have also never seen such narrow corridors on the cabin decks. My father ended up needing surgery a month before our cruise and got a walking boot just days before we left, so we were unexpectedly traveling with a wheelchair. It was impossible to get by most of the time when the housekeeping carts were out (which is almost always). Even without the wheelchair, you often had to turn sideways to get by them.

 

The food was okay, the selection on New Years Eve was pretty lackluster. I did enjoy the fireworks from my balcony (thankfully we were on the correct side as I was feeling ill that night).

 

Our excursion ended up being terrible, but that was not the fault of NCL. I will say that Great Stirrup Cay was beautiful and we had a lovely time there. Thankfully Dad was able to snag a cabana that someone had cancelled shortly before we left, so he had a place off of the sand to spend his day. It was a nightmare dealing with them not charging the drinks the correct way, and it took several trips to the On Board Credit desk to get that sorted out.

 

Overall, it was just an okay trip, but will be our last with NCL. I think we will stick with Royal from now on.

 

 

Pretty much everything you had negative feelings about are things I've heard said about cruise ships on other cruise line fleets that I've already sailed on. Luckily I didn't find that to be the case when I sailed. As other posters have come to the same consensus, to each their own. If we all like the same thing then we wouldn't need to have more than one cruise line.

 

 

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[cruzsnooze]

I agree with the OP's assessment of the threatre seats. They are very uncomfortable. To small and slanted downward seats made me feel like i could slid out of my chair. There was no leg room because of these seatback air vents.

[cage keeper]

I was on Breakaway twice and made my reservations on board, and never had a problem. Sometimes for the same day. Once I went to Cagney's and was able to get in within 15 minutes without a reservation and sat outside also.

 

Thank you. DH's birthday is on the private island day and want to do Cagney's.

 

Joni

[cage keeper]

I agree with the OP's assessment of the threatre seats. They are very uncomfortable. To small and slanted downward seats made me feel like i could slid out of my chair. There was no leg room because of these seatback air vents.

 

Note to self. No heavy drinking before shows. Will end up on floor. LOL.

[4774Papa]

Try the smaller ships, with less people, not as crowded.

[CPT Trips]

Try the smaller ships, with less people, not as crowded.

 

Those smaller ships used to be the "Big Boats." I prefer the term "less large." Of course I can't see LeBron James as a small forward.