Pleasant surprise with NCL

[Tark]

I have enjoyed reading your comments. Good to hear about different cruise line experiences.

[RMS Olympic]

I have been fortunate to have sailed almost every kind of passenger ship and have only had a few really bad experiences. The Industry has changed so much and will continue to do so. I prefer smaller ships, but they are slowly disappearing:(. But trying different lines and ships is becoming more interesting to see what lines are copying their competitors; look ate the Carnival Vista that has a promenade with dinning venues oh so similar to NCL's new builds. I may even try the Vista just to experience their offering. So I now find myself not saying never.....just to be in the position to cruise is a luxury not to be taken for granted.

Tom

[Tark]

I think it is great that you managed to experience all sorts of cruises. At the end of the day, different things appeal to different people.

 

I am just starting off in the cruise world which will be exciting. Yet after reading the boards so much has been changing. Poor service less facilities, less quality food. A lot of unhappy people.

 

That said I am looking forward to just trying it.

Next year I will go on Atlantis which will be a lot of fun. After that I will probably try a normal cruise.

 

Hope you enjoy your small river boat cruise when you go on it Tom.

[jmele999]

We love NCL and enjoy that they make an effort by having Friends of Dorothy meetings everyday. However, we don't like the crowds and so we typically book suites. Still cheaper than other luxury cruise lines.

[shepp]

We love NCL and enjoy that they make an effort by having Friends of Dorothy meetings everyday. However, we don't like the crowds and so we typically book suites. Still cheaper than other luxury cruise lines.

 

Norwegian's a luxury cruise line, like Seabourn? What's left as non-luxe, Carnival? The Long Island Ferry?

Edited February 13, 2015 by shepp

[jmele999]

Norwegian's a luxury cruise line, like Seabourn? What's left as non-luxe, Carnival? The Long Island Ferry?

 

And what was the purpose of your post? Never said that NCL was a luxury line. Please re-read my post before replying to my post.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Learning not to say never.....something I said in regards to NCL years ago. After a 10 year gap I sailed the Epic is 2010 and was displeased and felt NCL was just not my cup of tea. Well I sailed the getaway Nov 29th and boarded with little or no expectations.

Well I have to admit is was a completely wonderful experience. Although she is a really big mass market ship I have to say I had a great time. Service was excellent to outstanding......what a change in this company. Food was wonderful, not gormet but better than I have had on Princess the lat couple of cruises. I had the specialty dinning package.......and it was well worth it......especially Cagney's.

Entertainment was fun......burn the Floor dance......hot!

There were little things I noticed that were not seen on other lines like having senior staff in the lobby each day to handle issues, concerns or complaints. Bar service was extremely good.......better than other mass market lines as of late.

Adult areas......not kids, no exceptions like other lines.

All in all, I had a fun experience and really noticed how happy the crew was.

Now booked on the next build.....Escape in November and find myself excited about sailing another NCL ship.......who would have thought:rolleyes:.

The big test will be the onboard experience on the old Star next February. A older ship, a smaller ship without the new amenities......but if the service and food are of equal levels with the new ships.....I could become a regular NCL cruiser once again.

I am still shocked at how good the onboard experience was.....good service, good drinks, good food and nice entertainment. Seabourn it is not....but for mass market, I think the Getaway is a great ship and will challenge her competition.

By the way...lots of family were on board, very visible....no problems. Met many crew members....both family and straight....all so friendly. Only negative were the beyotches running the art auction business. I don't think they are NCL emplyees per se ......oh so much attitude.

Anyone thinking about getaway and have questions....let me know. In the meantime I am hoping I can wait till Nov for the Escape....without getting on the Getaway in August for a second dose.

Tom aka Bertha

 

Thanks for your post, Tom. I'm glad you had a surprisingly nice time on Getaway. Since you mostly sail Princess, I will mention that I just sailed Princess for the first time, and I was surprised that they didn't offer a lot of the little touches that I have come to expect from Norwegian. I have mentioned this a couple times on the Princess boards and have been promptly smacked down as a Norwegian loyalist. To be clear, I had a nice time on Princess (and I've booked another cruise with them), but it didn't feel "special."

 

My first cruise on Norwegian was the aforementioned RSVP Hawaii cruise in 2010. (How did we not meet?) Since 2010, I think Norwegian has done a particularly good job of extending the Freestyle brand by becoming a cruise line that is all things to all people. Here's what I mean:

 

I sailed Epic last December as a solo in a studio with a base fare of $409 for seven nights. I'm Latitudes Platinum, so I paid $99 for the Ultimate Dining Package. So I'm in Spice H2O all day, I'm "dressed to impress" (thanks, Princess;)) in the evening seeing great shows, eating excellent meals in specialty restaurants every night and drinking three bottles of champagne given to me by officers, and hanging at Shakers Martini Bar with all my LGBT friends I've met on board and listening to live entertainment. I boycotted Jamaica and instead got a day pass to the largest thermal suite at sea (until Escape), which was beyond excellent. And yes I went on the Epic Plunge four times and had a blast! :D My point: my cruise was like a trip to Palm Springs at sea. And yet there were plenty of families, plenty of kids, and I'm sure their cruise was vastly different from mine. Hopefully we all had a great time sailing the exact same ship.

 

IMO, anyone who hasn't sailed on Norwegian recently cannot understand or judge Norwegian's current product. I'm booked on Escape for a 14-night combined Eastern/Western Caribbean cruise, and I fully expect that that will be the best cruise I've ever taken. A word of advice re Norwegian Star: get the spa pass. I was on Norwegian Dawn for 16-nights during Hurricane Sandy, and the spa saved my vacation.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Cruiser Bruiser

[RMS Olympic]

Maybe we met on the Hawaii trip, but alas you were in such demand:cool:the pretty ones are always the VIP's:D

I agree with your Princess comment; I believe the number crunchers directed by Carnival Corp are cutting costs which will impact their reputation in the long run. My feeling is that NCL has created floating cash registers....charging for as much as they can. BUT.....I think they are in turn upgrading their product which in the long run will help them. Reinvesting especially in food offerings is just good business. NCL just raised the daily service charge, I think by .95 per day. With the way the crew treated me on the Getaway......they deserve a raise. I still am stumped at my impression of NCL.....it was high energy without being trashy. I like fun but not barroom beer and potato chip crowds. No offense to beer drinkers.

Lots of kids on my sailing but between the splash academy, the water park for kids and indoor activities for the kids.....I saw no problem. I was impressed that kids were not in the adult pool......with parents disregarding the rules with a no one tells me what I can or cannot do on my vacation.

My big issue is whether my experience is rooted in the newest and latest ship of the fleet. I hope Escape carries on the experience.....I am booked on two sailings now,,,,,,Nov 2015 and the following May 2016 just to see how she develops over time and also experience what I missed the first time around.

Maybe we will cross paths in the future.

As for RSVP......if they charter the HAL Koningsdam in Feb 2017, I may book it. I really like RSVP, but I think big ships detract from the social aspect of a charter cruise. I miss when they sailed small ships and it was like going to camp.....everyone gathered in the same place for festivities.

[shepp]

And what was the purpose of your post? Never said that NCL was a luxury line. Please re-read my post before replying to my post.

 

KInd of a snarky joke, I guess. But as a writer and sometimes professional proofreader, the "other" in "Still cheaper than other luxury cruise lines" clearly indicates that NCL is one of the luxury lines. It's like saying the top-of-the-line filet at the Outback Steakhouse is still cheaper than Ruth's Chris. Well, yes, agreed. But sorry if you took offense.

Edited February 15, 2015 by shepp

[shepp]

Since you mostly sail Princess, I will mention that I just sailed Princess for the first time, and I was surprised that they didn't offer a lot of the little touches that I have come to expect from Norwegian. I have mentioned this a couple times on the Princess boards and have been promptly smacked down as a Norwegian loyalist. To be clear, I had a nice time on Princess (and I've booked another cruise with them), but it didn't feel "special.".

 

I'm curious to know specifically which touches you refer to.

 

I certainly think that Princess has its failings: most of the entertainment is nobody's idea of excellent, and I find the buffet on most ships to be pretty much of a letdown. And the decor can seem either quietly elegant or bland, depending on my mood.

 

In a way, I feel like I've fallen into a pleasant trap with Princess. It's the only line that regularly sails out of a pier that's 20 minutes from my house, and I in fact am getting habituated to the perks Elite status has gotten me.

 

But I would also say that there are some really special touches I've experienced on Princess. Just as the officers gave you three (!) bottles of champagne, our favorite headwaiter surprised us with a bottle of nice wine for our anniversary dinner. And for what you paid to eat other than in the main dining room on NCL ($95), we dined at the Chef's Table, a pretty wonderful experience that started with us being served appetizers in the galley by the chef de cuisine of the entire fleet, followed by an elaborate, marvelous dinner for 12 with tableside preparation, unlimited quantities of champagne and paired wines, and the gift of a deluxe cookbook and souvenir photo.

 

So yeah, special touches. And I guess some of what I've heard about the Epic (inadequate pools, plentiful upcharges, having to book shows in advance, crowds, hefty fee for the Cirque show, the Nickolodeon schtick) just makes it sound much less attractive to me than Celebrity's newest ships. Now those I'd like to try. But, you know, different strokes. I do love watersides, though.

Edited February 15, 2015 by shepp

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Maybe we met on the Hawaii trip, but alas you were in such demand:cool:the pretty ones are always the VIP's:D

I agree with your Princess comment; I believe the number crunchers directed by Carnival Corp are cutting costs which will impact their reputation in the long run. My feeling is that NCL has created floating cash registers....charging for as much as they can. BUT.....I think they are in turn upgrading their product which in the long run will help them. Reinvesting especially in food offerings is just good business. NCL just raised the daily service charge, I think by .95 per day. With the way the crew treated me on the Getaway......they deserve a raise. I still am stumped at my impression of NCL.....it was high energy without being trashy. I like fun but not barroom beer and potato chip crowds. No offense to beer drinkers.

Lots of kids on my sailing but between the splash academy, the water park for kids and indoor activities for the kids.....I saw no problem. I was impressed that kids were not in the adult pool......with parents disregarding the rules with a no one tells me what I can or cannot do on my vacation.

My big issue is whether my experience is rooted in the newest and latest ship of the fleet. I hope Escape carries on the experience.....I am booked on two sailings now,,,,,,Nov 2015 and the following May 2016 just to see how she develops over time and also experience what I missed the first time around.

Maybe we will cross paths in the future.

As for RSVP......if they charter the HAL Koningsdam in Feb 2017, I may book it. I really like RSVP, but I think big ships detract from the social aspect of a charter cruise. I miss when they sailed small ships and it was like going to camp.....everyone gathered in the same place for festivities.

 

I hope you have a nice time on Norwegian Star. My sailing on her sister, Dawn, was a long repositioning cruise, so the entertainment was in transition. And our cruise director wasn't the greatest. That said, I think the fun-yet-classy vibe you describe is consistent across Norwegian's fleet. And because of your extenisive experience with Princess, you may become one of the many folks who like the more traditional (e.g. dinner then theater) flow of Norwegian's smaller ships. Star has nice MDRs, and bar city is a fun place to hang out. You will also enjoy the Topsider's grill adjacent to the pool.

 

I'm going on my first-ever non-RSVP Holland America cruise in June, and I'm hoping to have a really nice time. (The ship choice was determined by the calendar and itinerary.) Koningsdam looks like an impressive ship, and I love that it has a dozen solo cabins. If I have a nice time on Maasdam, I will definitely find a reason to sail Koningsdam. She's be a good ship for RSVP, I think. If they choose her for 2017, you will definitely see me!

Edited February 15, 2015 by Cruiser Bruiser

[Cruiser Bruiser]

I'm curious to know specifically which touches you refer to.

 

I certainly think that Princess has its failings: most of the entertainment is nobody's idea of excellent, and I find the buffet on most ships to be pretty much of a letdown. And the decor can seem either quietly elegant or bland, depending on my mood.

 

In a way, I feel like I've fallen into a pleasant trap with Princess. It's the only line that regularly sails out of a pier that's 20 minutes from my house, and I in fact am getting habituated to the perks Elite status has gotten me.

 

But I would also say that there are some really special touches I've experienced on Princess. Just as the officers gave you three (!) bottles of champagne, our favorite headwaiter surprised us with a bottle of nice wine for our anniversary dinner. And for what you paid to eat other than in the main dining room on NCL ($95), we dined at the Chef's Table, a pretty wonderful experience that started with us being served appetizers in the galley by the chef de cuisine of the entire fleet, followed by an elaborate, marvelous dinner for 12 with tableside preparation, unlimited quantities of champagne and paired wines, and the gift of a deluxe cookbook and souvenir photo.

 

So yeah, special touches. And I guess some of what I've heard about the Epic (inadequate pools, plentiful upcharges, having to book shows in advance, crowds, hefty fee for the Cirque show, the Nickolodeon schtick) just makes it sound much less attractive to me than Celebrity's newest ships. Now those I'd like to try. But, you know, different strokes. I do love watersides, though.

 

I will try and be as specific as I can about the "special touches." Here's a few I can think of off the top of my head:

 

At embarkation on Norwegian, you literally walk across a red carpet. There's party music playing, and there is a group of crew members greeting passengers and welcoming them aboard. I've developed a little ritual of hopping from the ramp onto the ship. When I did this on Epic, a crewmember saw what I did, smiled, and shouted "You're on a cruise!" When I did it on Crown Princess a couple weeks ago, I was the only person who noticed because there was no welcoming committee. Norwegian is also famous of welcoming folks back from port visits with dancing, drinks and cold towels.

 

On Norwegian, if you have to wait to eat a meal in the MDR, you are handed a pager. (Just like Princess.) But on Norwegian, often you are also handed a glass of champagne and canapés to make up for your having to wait.

 

On my Epic cruise, I ate in Cagney's (steak house) three times. (This was partly because I didn't book my repeat meal in Le Bistro early enough and I couldn't get a second reservation. :() On my second visit to Cagney's, the maître'd visited my table and welcomed me back. On my third visit, he did the same thing. But also my server from my first meal in Cagney's came to the table to welcome me back.

 

Norwegian has great pool-side grills on all of their ships. On Epic, for example, the grill at Spice H2O (adults-only Ibiza-inspired beach club), always has some sort of Asian or Indian dish, besides the grilled burgers and chicken. And they have excellent salads to go with the meat. Additionally, Norwegian always does an outstanding pool-side barbeque during the cruise, typically more than once. The do a particularly outstanding paella with chicken, shrimp, and squid that is cooked in a giant feet-wide pan.

 

On Norwegian, there is always live pool-side entertainment of some kind. On Princess I couldn't even hear the Muzak because the volume was so low.

 

Officers on Norwegian are everywhere and engaged. That third bottle of champagne came from the assistant hotel director aboard Epic. He sent it to me just because I shared something I had overheard where a passenger was complaining that the crew were "too happy!" I told him I felt bad because it seemed the crew couldn't win for losing.

 

Norwegian's crews just seem happier, and maybe it seems like there are more folks working at any given time. We had to shout out for bar servers to help us in the hot tub on Princess. On Norwegian, that's never a problem. On Epic, I ordered my first drink of the cruise in Spice H2O from a particularly friendly and flirty male bar server. My travel buddy met me a few minutes later and ordered a drink too. But the server asked him: "What do you want? You want Sex on the Beach? You want a b1#wj#b?" I looked at the server and said to him, "you didn't tell me b1#wj#bs were on the menu." And he looks me right in the eye, smiles and says: "So now you know." He called me by my name the entire cruise and I never had to ask for a drink or tell him what I drank.

 

And now that I think about it, I realize that some of the magic that was missing was because I was a "blue card" on my Princess cruise, so I didn't get invited to the equivalent of the Latitudes Party and the officers' cocktail party. :mad: But clearly that is no fault of Princess.

 

I had a very nice time on Princess. Our free bottle of champagne and dinner in Crown Grill (promotion) were excellent. We had excellent food in the MDR the other three nights. I loved the DISCO: Blame it on the Boogie stage show and an Elton John tribute in Explorer's Lounge. I loved the pub lunch in the Wheelhouse. I met a great group of guys at the LGBT gathering, and I'm glad Princess promotes one in the Patter. I liked the offerings at International Café, we enjoyed a nice wine tasting, and I was impressed that Princess has made happy hour into a sport by giving folks raffle tickets every time they purchase two drinks for the price of one. Because I live on the West Coast, I will likely sail Princess a lot more, too. But now I know to adjust my expectations.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Cruiser Bruiser

[RMS Olympic]

My original posting was to note that I was pleased with my NCL experience. It was meant to discuss NCL and the Getaway, not compare the cruise line to another which can result in endless disagreements.

Yet this thread has evolved...even into a criticism of someone's grammatical/ sentence structure. I'm no "writer" proof reader, but I understood the other posters comment that did not imply NCL as being a luxury line. Wow, a positive nod from me to a nice experience generates criticism.......

But I guess when you put yourself out there and express your opinions you have to be prepared to negativity........

A writer I am not. Just a person that likes to sail on ships. The one thing I wont do is put down something I have not actually tried. Its like people who put down the military and when I ask them how long they served and when they say they never served......I just walk away.

In the end, I was pleasantly pleased and that's my story...and sticking to it.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Sorry for steering things slightly off course. It's been a fun thread, and I appreciate you posting your experience.

[RMS Olympic]

I appreciated your responses.

I guess I am out of line but I don't understand posters that want to rain on others parades. IF....someone was to disagree about the Getaway, fine. If they even sailed the same class of ship within the last year fine. But to challenge anothe'rs opinions or observations without experiencing the subject ship seems inappropriate to me. To just do a general put down against a cruise line, then they should start their own thread and say...I don't like such and such because I like another line.

I'll get some heat about this post, but I guess that's the way of the world these days.

In the meantime I hope I get to meet you on a ship some day...we can do Cagney's...I'll get the wine!

Nuff said.

[shepp]

I appreciated your responses.

I guess I am out of line but I don't understand posters that want to rain on others parades. IF....someone was to disagree about the Getaway, fine. If they even sailed the same class of ship within the last year fine. But to challenge anothe'rs opinions or observations without experiencing the subject ship seems inappropriate to me. To just do a general put down against a cruise line, then they should start their own thread and say...I don't like such and such because I like another line.

I'll get some heat about this post, but I guess that's the way of the world these days.

In the meantime I hope I get to meet you on a ship some day...we can do Cagney's...I'll get the wine!

Nuff said.

 

I really, assuming that was meant for me, wasn't criticizing NCL at all. I'm curious about other lines, and if you had a great time, great. I do agree that some of the NCL touches sound cool. In fact, I was so curious that I checked out a blogger's detailed report on the Breakaway. Some it sounded good, other stuff not so. I did repeat some of the negative stuff I'd heard about NCL, and found out that there are things people really like about it. I didn't argue or try to convince anyone otherwise. And I made a snarky joke that should have had a winkie attached.

 

That's all.

[Jagged333]

I was just on the Getaway a week ago or so, very impressed and happy. I have sailed on the Breakaway as well and was happy. I've pretty only much have sailed NCL (newer and older ships), I've been more than happy with the quality, service and vibe onboard. We've booked the Jewel for Eom April sailing out of Venice.

[RMS Olympic]

I noted you sailed to the Canary Islands; how was it? I have that area on my to do list and am curious as to what an NCL cruise is like in that area of the world. Was it mostly European passengers? Was the onboard experience any different? How were the ports of call? So many questions:D:D:D

[Jagged333]

Sorry its taken so long to respond. We went in March to the Canary Islands, the crowd on the ship was certainly an older (I'm 47) crowd. It was mostly europeans but there were assorted folks from the US and Canada. The ports were awesome and and the Ship was great. It was warm on sunny in ports but tended to be a little to sit poolside on the ship (even though I am a New Englander).

[RMS Olympic]

Well the Canary Islands are definitely on my 2017 bucket list. It looks like only the Epic is slated for the Med so far...not a fav ship of mine. I am hoping a Jewel class ship will find its way over there, or maybe the Bliss when she goes into service. NCL sails there in early springs and again late fall......if I go in late fall, I hope the weather is nice......Tommy doesn't do cold.:cool: