After 12 cruises, 5 on Princess we tried NCL for the 1st time. Review below

[jacketwatch]

This was our first NCL cruise and lets get to the plusses and minuses.

Embarkation; Overall we were on the ship in just less than thirty minutes so thats OK but before embarking they wanted to inspect my wifes carry on and found some food we had which they said was not allowed. It was some cooked Indian snacks in a plastic bag and he said it had to be in a sealed bag. This was the first time this has ever happened to us and I must say this was not the way to start our cruise. It wasn't fruit or meat, it was akin to chips so that to us was ridiculous. :mad:

 

After got to our room I saw a large bin with luggage and went to see if ours was in it. It was right across from our cabin. Well the steward was pretty pissy about me being in a crew only area. The door was open and I did not see the sign but he wasn't too nice about it to me. Hmmm. Later an officer came by who said he was their supervisor so I told him what happened and he apologized and got our luggage in a timely manner and the next day we got some choco covered strawberries and a bottle of merlot. He cleaned up the mess very well which also included four calls over 6 hrs. for robes which we never got. Finally this same super solved that problem as well.

 

The life boat drill was next and this was frankly not well done. We went to our stations where some gal told us, about say 100 adults to be silent. Then did nothing for five minutes so by then people were talking so she repeated her announcement and again nothing happened for 5 mins. so of course people began to talk again. So now some officer said she wanted 'absolute silence! and she was very stern. Hey earth to you two. JUST START THE DRILL. By the time they did we all listened. Just make one announcement that silence is necessary when the drill starts, then start it. Period. So far it seems the crew we have encountered is not well trained in CS and needs some education. But things improved after that. A Lot!

 

Food: Overall I thought it was on a par with X and Princess. NCL does not have a lobster night but at O'Sheehans pub which is one of the 28 dining venues the Getaway has they at least twice had prime rib and we had it in the MDR so maybe nix it form a pub and use that $$ you save for one night of a lobster dinner. Just a thought. My wife always orders Indian food and here NCL was disappointing. They served it but it was basically what they had from lunch in the cafeteria whereas on our other 12 cruises which include X, Princess, RCL and CCL they mostly made something fresh every night and often took requests so this part was not on a par with what we have become used to. However we spoke to the Maitre'd who prepared a feast for us on the last night so that was very nice. The great thing here is that there are so many choices including a Japanese style noodle bar as well as 4 or 5 extra fee places which we did not try. Again overall the food was up to the standards I have noted on other lines.

 

The balconies are very small. Well at least we had one. The table on the balcony is basically big enough for one plate of food and cup of coffee. Two people on the balcony was ok, albeit a bit snug.

 

The public areas were all very clean and there is plenty to do especially on sea days. However outside of the much more expensive Haven there is but on adult pool which is a joke to accommodate 4K passengers. On top of that there is a smoking section on the pool deck and that is not enclosed. I was especially bothered by that. NCL close that off. No non-smoker and most passengers are in this category want to be exposed to cig smoke, especially by the pool where you hang out for hours. They also had no indoor pool area as well. We missed that. Oh well.

 

As time went by it became clear that the services glitches we first encountered are not the norm. Most of the crew work very hard to please you and it shows. Our cabin attendant was a bit lax and you realize just how important they are as ambassadors to the passengers as you see them most often usually and a friendly rapport goes a long way to make one feel welcome. We missed that with him. His cleaning of our room was ok but spotty. He would leave dirty dishes, forgot to replenish the coffee, and missed a few things like this consistently. It is very nice that NCL has tea and coffee makers in the room however. I have not encountered this before so that was a nice surprise.

 

Entertainment: Well this is where NCL shines. The comedy club featured one of the actors from the movie "barbershop", Frank Townsend. He was a riot. The grammy show features someone who at the least has been nominated for a grammy and we had the pleasure of seeing Shannon McNally who was nominated in a country music category. Well she was a pro and you could see why she got a nod for this award. She put on the best cruise ship show we have seen and its in a club with about 15-20 tables and a small stage so you were up close to her performance.

 

NCL has an atrium with a huge screen and a stage for audience participation shows and the CD, Joel Sanchez MC'd most of them and wow he is fun and the shows were great. . We loved just hanging out here watching the shows or listening to the reggae band, Groove International but the shows featuring the passengers were a riot. They had one similar to DWTS where you paired up a crew member with a passenger and man you should have seen them cut loose. The eventual winners who were both a bit large and did a take off from that scene in Dirty Dancing where Baby runs and jumps into Johnnies arms and he lifts her. Well as they got ready to do this I though OMG! someone is gonna get hurt but they pulled it off and that was it! :D Winners!!

 

We saw a great song and dance show called Burn the Floor and it was very high energy and very well done. We also saw the magic show at the Illusionarium and this too was good though the seating was not tiered so if you were in the back your view was somewhat blocked. However overall we saw well enough. it was a dinner show and the fee was about $25.00 pp and it was worth it IMHO. They served filet and prawns and it was pretty good.

 

There was a crew talent show which featured some surprisingly good singers and dancers and it too was very entertaining.

 

On the last night the crew performed a rousing final show which sent us off very happy to be so well entertained. Folks most of the crew are very hard workers but there are some who need more training and for this I think service its a notch below the service we have received on X and Princess, bear in mind it was not bad, just not quite as good. The guy running the internet cafe was frankly lazy. I did not purchase an internet package because he could not even look up from his pc to help me. He handed me a pamphlet and told me to follow the instructions and they buried himself in his phone. As this cafe is next to the atrium where we saw a lot of shows we saw him often and he was either on his pc or his phone. Once some people took chairs meant for the PC's and used them to watch the shows and people who came to use the pc's had no where to sit. However I doubt he noticed this or of he did didn't care enough to intervene. That being said would we cruise NCL again. Absolutely. They do put out a wonderful product and there are enough positives to win out the day. However we did miss one thing. Breakfast in the MDR on other lines would include a large table being filled so you had a chance to meet people. We requested shared tables on the Getaway but never got them for breakfast or dinner and we missed the opportunity to meet people this way and I think most folks like to meet new people too so I hope NCL could consider something to promote shared tables unless you prefer privacy which you can always ask for.

 

Unfortunately they had a fireworks which we missed but I hear it was awesome and we will be sure to see it again if available.

 

Disembarkation was a breeze and I like the fact that you can stay in your cabin until you have to leave to get your luggage. Their transfer to MIA was only $16.00 per person, very reasonable.

 

We had a fun time and someday will cruise NCL again given the right ship and itinerary. As I have always wanted to see the USS Missouri in pearl Harbor perhaps the POA cruise will be in our future. A friend of mine did this cruise and was very pleased and he too requested Indian food and had no problems. We have done land vacations on the major islands so hopefully a cruise will be in our future.

 

Again well done NCL. We are happy to have another cruise line to consider when we cruise again. My wife thinks and I agree that this ship would be great for a new years cruise.

 

We are looking f/w to our next cruise, the Sapphire out of Singapore next Feb. and again I think overall Princess has a better standard when it comes to CS. NCL had some shining moments and they are way better than they were say 9 yrs. ago when their CC reviews were getting scores in the 2-3 range so they have come a long way I think.

__________________

2002 RCL Splendour of the Seas, western Med.

2003 CCL Destiny, so. Caribbean

2005 Sapphire Princess, Alaska

2006 Tahitian Princess, French Polynesia

2007 Star Princess, the Baltic

2008 RCL Adventure of the Seas, so. Caribbean

2009 Island Princess, Panama canal full transit

2009 CCL Triumph, NE/Canada.

2011 Celebrity Constellation, Holy land

2012 Celebrity Equinox eastern Med.

2014 CCL Legend, western Caribbean.

2014 Diamond Princess, Japan

[jasbo49]

Thanks for the review. We've cruised NCL twice, and I think their entertainment just puts everybody else to shame. Great acts all over the ship.

 

Unfortunately, the brass was rather unsympathetic to our plight as we suffered through the week with a toilet that often wouldn't flush. So we're done with NCL.

 

Jim

Edited May 11, 2015 by jasbo49

[geoherb]

Thanks for posting your review. We haven't sailed on NCL in many years. I've learned never to say never, although I don't usually look at what NCL is offering before booking a cruise.

[yoyosma]

Good review, thank you.

[2pbears]

Thanks for posting such positive comments about NCL. We have been wanting to do the Hawaiian cruise but were a bit hesitant about sailing on NCL. I feel better about that now.

[jacketwatch]

Thanks for posting such positive comments about NCL. We have been wanting to do the Hawaiian cruise but were a bit hesitant about sailing on NCL. I feel better about that now.

A friend of mine took that cruise a few mos. ago amd was quite pleased. We may do it too one day as I would like to see the USS Missouri at Pearl.

[Pia1913]

 

Unfortunately, the brass was rather unsympathetic to our plight as we suffered through the week with a toilet that often wouldn't flush. So we're done with NCL.

 

Jim

 

LOL. Pretty funny, Jim. Wait until you have a Princess toilet that doesn't flush. Happens a lot there too.

[Colo Cruiser]

Not sure what ship you were on or where you cruised from but thanks for the review.

[jasbo49]

LOL. Pretty funny, Jim. Wait until you have a Princess toilet that doesn't flush. Happens a lot there too.

 

I don't recall my wife finding much humor in it. But it wasn't just the toilet; it was the callous "s**t happens" attitude of the hotel director.

 

Jim

[Miss Pat]

The last NCL cruise we took was pretty good. No major complaints to speak of but since announcement of a $8 charge for room service & no food being allowed to be brought back to the room I doubt if we'll return for another cruise.

Where was the fireworks show held? Sounds interesting.

[jacketwatch]

Not sure what ship you were on or where you cruised from but thanks for the review.

Sorry. When I c/p it must have missed that. It was the Getaway for 7 days out of Miami to Tortola, St. Thomas and Nassau. :)

[cr8tiv1]

A friend of mine took that cruise a few mos. ago amd was quite pleased. We may do it too one day as I would like to see the USS Missouri at Pearl.

 

Thank you for your review of NCL.

 

I have done both Princess and NCL cruise to/around Hawaii. The only really good thing about Pride of Aloha/America is that it has the best itinerary (I was not happy with the ship/crew).

 

Keep in mind these factors when you start your planning:

 

Airfare

At least a one night stay at a hotel

Meals pre/post cruise.

Make a reservation online with Arizona Memorial for your tickets way in advance (Free ticket/small service fee)

 

I've done three voyages to Hawaii on Princess and love the sea days. They have a wonderful Hawaiian Cultural Program and superb if you happen to hit the ship ELUA is on.

 

For my money 15 days with Princess out ranks 7 days on NCL.

[Pia1913]

I don't recall my wife finding much humor in it. But it wasn't just the toilet; it was the callous "s**t happens" attitude of the hotel director.

 

Jim

 

I'm sorry if you think I insulted you, but I still think you need to laugh it off. I've been "married" to Princess for almost 1000 days, and I hate to tell you how many plumbing malfunctions we have experienced. S*** happens. Literally.

 

I'm certainly not defending the NCL HD if in fact he was less than courteous. There's no excuse for that.

[skynight]

A friend of mine took that cruise a few mos. ago amd was quite pleased. We may do it too one day as I would like to see the USS Missouri at Pearl.

In case you don't already know if you take a cruise that departs from San Pedro the USS Iowa is docked right there next to the Princess pier. The Iowa is a sister ship of the Missouri. The ship is easy to get on, not very many crowds, it's a self guided tour, and interesting. You need to be able to climb up and down very steep navy stairs.

[sassyredhat]

:We are Platinum with PCL, and they are our line of choice, but~~~~

I swore I would never take NCL, but they gave us a deal we couldn't pass up. Twice. :eek:

Both times we sailed on the Star, in suites. NCL has the greatest suite amenities.

Will we do it again ? Absolutely, if the price for a suite is as good as the first two.

But, we do find PCL suits us overall.

 

Patti

[jacketwatch]

In case you don't already know if you take a cruise that departs from San Pedro the USS Iowa is docked right there next to the Princess pier. The Iowa is a sister ship of the Missouri. The ship is easy to get on, not very many crowds, it's a self guided tour, and interesting. You need to be able to climb up and down very steep navy stairs.

Cool!! Thank you. :) I have a thing about WW II battleships.

[jacketwatch]

Thank you for your review of NCL.

 

I have done both Princess and NCL cruise to/around Hawaii. The only really good thing about Pride of Aloha/America is that it has the best itinerary (I was not happy with the ship/crew).

 

Keep in mind these factors when you start your planning:

 

Airfare

At least a one night stay at a hotel

Meals pre/post cruise.

Make a reservation online with Arizona Memorial for your tickets way in advance (Free ticket/small service fee)

 

I've done three voyages to Hawaii on Princess and love the sea days. They have a wonderful Hawaiian Cultural Program and superb if you happen to hit the ship ELUA is on.

 

For my money 15 days with Princess out ranks 7 days on NCL.

 

Thats something to think about. We have done land vacations to Oahu (twice), Maui, hawaii and Kauai and I have been to the Arizona memorial. If we do decide to use NCL we plan to go several days early and be sure we can see the mighty Mo. I would appreciate some history and cultural experts. On the Island Princess we had a great historian on board for our FT PC cruise and it adds immeasurably to your experience.

 

Bad service is a no no for us so I would have to check their reviews first.

[seamwoman]

The new room service charge and not being allowed to take food back to the stateroom is a deal breaker for me! Karen

[Nancy in CA]

Thanks

[jasbo49]

I'm sorry if you think I insulted you, but I still think you need to laugh it off. I've been "married" to Princess for almost 1000 days, and I hate to tell you how many plumbing malfunctions we have experienced. S*** happens. Literally.

 

I'm certainly not defending the NCL HD if in fact he was less than courteous. There's no excuse for that.

 

No insult perceived, Pia. (I guess I need to learn to use those little smiley faced emoticons, or something.)

 

Again, the plumbing problems stunk, but the attitude of the hotel director was the big problem. We took a couple hours out of one of our final days to give her a heads-up and she just kind of tossed us aside with the other things that didn't really matter to her. So we no longer consider NCL a line to look at.

 

Jim

[cr8tiv1]

Thats something to think about. We have done land vacations to Oahu (twice), Maui, hawaii and Kauai and I have been to the Arizona memorial. If we do decide to use NCL we plan to go several days early and be sure we can see the mighty Mo. I would appreciate some history and cultural experts. On the Island Princess we had a great historian on board for our FT PC cruise and it adds immeasurably to your experience.

 

 

My first preference is to have CD Dave Cole (not scheduled for Hawaii yet and neither is ELUA for the new season).

 

I've had both good and bad guest lecturers on board my cruise to Hawaii. But you have to take my opinions with a grain of salt since I am a little jaded (I grew up in the islands).

 

If you love sea days, it is well worth the cruise over and back with lots of lectures and activities. NCL is just a floating hotel (in my opinion). No sea days, limited activities since everyone is off the ship on port days.

 

Oh...and let me add one more to do: be sure to book your car rentals early since the price will increase closer to your cruise date. You can only do the Road to Hana or sunrise at Haleakala with NCL's itinerary.

 

I sometimes think I should be a local (virtual) travel agent or travel guide.

 

Aloha and have fun planning.

Edited May 11, 2015 by cr8tiv1

[crawford]

Thank you for your review of NCL.

 

I have done both Princess and NCL cruise to/around Hawaii. The only really good thing about Pride of Aloha/America is that it has the best itinerary (I was not happy with the ship/crew).

 

Keep in mind these factors when you start your planning:

 

Airfare

At least a one night stay at a hotel

Meals pre/post cruise.

Make a reservation online with Arizona Memorial for your tickets way in advance (Free ticket/small service fee)

 

I've done three voyages to Hawaii on Princess and love the sea days. They have a wonderful Hawaiian Cultural Program and superb if you happen to hit the ship ELUA is on.

 

For my money 15 days with Princess out ranks 7 days on NCL.

 

Totally agree with you about the POA. Worst cruise we had ever taken, from missing embarkation because of flight delays (only time I ever booked through the cruise line...person holding the sign at the airport walked away from us and told us to call the 800 number), to the terrible service. Said I would never do NCL again and haven't so far.

[jacketwatch]

Totally agree with you about the POA. Worst cruise we had ever taken, from missing embarkation because of flight delays (only time I ever booked through the cruise line...person holding the sign at the airport walked away from us and told us to call the 800 number), to the terrible service. Said I would never do NCL again and haven't so far.

 

A bad experience can leave a taste in ones mouth that last a very long time. How long ago was you cruise on the POA? The current reviews are pretty good.

[19woody19]

We have taken 2 cruises on NCL and will not take another. Food was not great, service poor ( especially on a relocation from Hawaii with a predominately American crew....lazy lazy lazy). I know some love NCL and it just depends on your own experiences but, after cruising on several other lines we have chosen to stick with Princess.

[Pia1913]

Folks, you need to understand that a unionized crew behaves differently than those from other countries. You get far more respect from Philippine crew than Americans. POA is an anomaly, one I would never consider nor recommend. So many ships do Hawaii, so you don't need this one.