NCL? What do you think?

[pugetmandm]

We've cruised with HAL, Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Some friends are taking a cruise in March on NCL's Dawn and have asked us to join them. Feel like I know nothing about NCL and would welcome any feedback, especially about the Dawn.

[CruisinMaterial]

The Norwegian Dawn summers in Boston and was actually the first ship I tried Norwegian before Atlantis had a fall out with NCL's former CEO Colin Veitch. Anyway... that aside, NCL has matured a lot in the last few years.

 

The Dawn is now one of their older ships but she's not been neglected. She received improvements to her in a dry dock a few years back and she's as good as new. There's new suites in what used to be her forward upper lounge. The positives are the views from those suites are downright amazing. The crew is super friendly, especially to the Boston run folks as we go year over year and they become family. A lot request to return to the ship so it's a seasoned group of people working on the ship as well.

 

The Spinnakers Lounge is not my favorite part of the ship and do not stay anywhere above the lounge as there is always noise complaints coming from there. What used to be the gift shops on the ship were taken out and replaced with the lounge which was moved to make the new suites on the upper forward decks. As a result the lounge is dark and cavernous, even during the day. People don't like the venue because it lacks windows. I dislike the venue because the music at night is castrated by noise complaints from the cabins above. Nightlife on the ship used to be amazing pre-dry dock. They still have good nightlife but the music is subdued.

 

A positive is NCL throws the best parties at sea. Their staff do a good job of getting everyone involved and active if you want to be and leave you alone if you don't. NCL was also the first cruise line to institute a daily non-hosted GLBT gathering and the first cruise line to actually dump the Friends of Dorothy gathering moniker completely. While other lines have started to cater to the gay dollar more recently, NCL has been the most gay friendly line since I started cruising in 2001. Hence I have my avatar as their older logo. :)

 

Hope the information was helpful!

[TxnAquarian]

Given your cruising history, NCL is going to be a step down, so go with an open mind. The food is banquet-style, the service is basic, the crowd is a little rough for our taste. BUT, having been on the Sun, Jade and Star, we can say that we had fun on each of those cruises. If you can, splurge for a suite, because it will give you a slightly different experience and one that will be a little closer to your other cruises. No one does suites like NCL. Also, if it matters, there is always a sizable gay crowd on board. Seeing that you are looking to go in March, just remember that is Spring Break time and kids will be everywhere....we personally avoid kids like the plague, but it might not matter to you. We wouldn't go back to NCL again, but we had a great time when we did it. We are in our 30s and like to have a great time (which they provide), but we travel for a little more service and pampering than NCL provides. Whatever you do, have a great time!

 

 

Michael

[Clay Clayton]

I am sure you knew that you were going to get a variety of opinions, so here goes. :rolleyes:

 

I completely agree with the CruszinMaterial regarding Spring Break. Depending on the length and time in the Spring, you could have a ship full of kiddlets.

 

Regarding TxnAquarian's statements about a step down and banquet style food, I have to disagree given the lines you have sailed. (I'd say he is right if you had listed Regent, Seaborn, etc.) I can only speak about Norwegian, Princess and Celebrity (which was a while ago so I don't since all lines have changed) but we sailed Princess and Norwegian within 15 months or so of each other and I noticed very little difference in food or service. Both had their high and low points. We always budget to include some of the specialty restaurants as some of them tend to provide better food and all provide better service. However, depending on your tastes, I have no issues with the MDRs on Norwegian. I did notice some kind of difference that made me prefer Norwegian but that may have been because I was more familiar with Norwegian. The crowd seemed older which may have been part of it. The other was perhaps the need to dress up every night if we wanted to eat in the MDR. I wear dress clothes everyday to work so while I enjoy putting on a tux and dressing to the nines, frankly I prefer to do it at home and not have to do it on vacation. In any case, our Princess cruise was a couple hundred dollars more expensive than what it would have cost on Norwegian and after having experienced it, I don't know why.

 

I haven't sailed Dawn but that is mostly due to the fact that it doesn't have a feature that other Norwegian ships do - The Great Outdoors. This is an open deck on the stern adjacent to the buffet perfect for breakfast and lunch. When we don't have the luxury of being in a balcony, we spend most of our time here as we aren't big pool people. Speaking of which, if you are, Norwegian doesn't get high marks on that front. They tend to be smaller than what I understand is offered on other ships. Certainly, there is nothing like the Sanctuary (?- did I get the name right?) offered on Princess.

 

TxnAquarian is correct about suites. If you can swing them, it really increases the experience. In addition to the suite which are larger, better appointed, you will be offered breakfast and lunch in a specialty restaurant. I lived for my personal pot of French pressed coffee each morning and the made to order risotto for lunch...and the swordfish sandwich....and the macerated fruit dessert with macadamia nut ice cream.....yum.

 

We made Norwegian our line of choice mostly due to the FreeStyle aspect...not having to dress for dinner beyond long pants (and one doesn't have to do that) and not having a set time. We have often found ourselves meeting new friends at the FOD/LGBT (I disagree with with CruizinMaterial - sometimes they still include FOD) gathering and deciding to join them for dinner which wouldn't have been possible with traditional dining. Of course all lines now have some form of this but our experience on Princess was that while it was there, Anytime/My Time Diners were treated differently.

 

I always believe the group you go with make all the difference...that is why we had fun on Princess even though the cruise was shortened by a day due to noro aboard and my vacation was less than perfect due to an accident involving a cliff in Cozumel....so go and try out a new line. You may find you like it...you may not but I am sure you will have fun if you want to.

 

have fun!

[zoncom]

I do same lines, usually X. Two Summers ago wanted to do Alaska -Hawaii on Celebrity. Due to Passengers Sevice whatever act could not . So only ship fitting time frame was NCL Sun,sister ship of Dawn. Totally mediocre, poor food, few ammenities. You will not be happy. Look elsewhere.

[donnatello]

I see you've done most of your cruises on HAL and "X". So have we, along with Princess. We do a large group cruise every winter to the Caribbean, friends family, extended family, usually 2 or 3 gay couples and 15-20 "others". 3 years ago we went on NCL. Just about everyone said, "if you choose NCL again, we will NOT come". Food was a major disappointment, service was severely lacking (not their fault...the ship was WAY understaffed). ANytime dining meant getting a beeper and waiting between 20 and 45 minutes to be seated, unless you wanted to dine at 5PM or 9PM. The over all fit and finish of the ship's appointments was not anywhere near the level of HAL or "X". If you're doing an Atlantis or RSVP charter, I'm sure the Charter amenities will add to your enjoyment. If not.... and you are looking for something comparable to HAL or "X", I would not go on NCL. I know we won't.

[keithm]

We've cruised with HAL, Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Some friends are taking a cruise in March on NCL's Dawn and have asked us to join them. Feel like I know nothing about NCL and would welcome any feedback, especially about the Dawn.

Had some friends who went to a NCL cruise the day they departed a 14 day trip on Celebrity Eclipse. They absolutely hated it. The food in the MDR was like a cheap Applebees style rest. Food in the alternative(extra cost)rest. was pretty good. Dresscodes were lax to the point of slovenly & the crowd was rough as glass around the edges so to speak. This was a 7 day trip with a lot of students on board with parents who had no idea what constitutes good child behavior. I'd do something along the line of the Breakaway if you're that interested in NCL. As for us not too interested in either NCL or Carnival.

[pugetmandm]

Lots to think about....

 

m & m

[tysona]

We have not sailed with NCL but are going next year.

I think a cruise can be what you make it. We are not cruise snobs so are looking forward to the more relaxed atmosphere that I understand NCL offers.

We too don't want all the fuss of travelling with a Tux all the time so it will be a nice change

We have travelled with Celebrity and had both great and awful service and food. We enjoyed RCCL which was good overall.

If you get a good price then why not risk it. You will be with friends so I'm sure you will have a great time.

Happy sails !!

[hawkeyetlse]

The Dawn is now one of their older ships but she's not been neglected. She received improvements to her in a dry dock a few years back and she's as good as new.

The next 5-year dry dock is scheduled for May 2016, so if the OP goes in March, they will be seeing this ship in its "worst" condition. (Personally, that would not make me hesitate to take a cruise, but it could be a consideration or even a deal-breaker for others.)

[pugetmandm]

This was very helpful advice--will not be going in March because of Spring Break!

 

Now looking at earlier sailings, same ship and wondering about upping to a mini-suite--are there better perks than with a balcony?

 

Curious minds want to know.

 

Given your cruising history, NCL is going to be a step down, so go with an open mind. The food is banquet-style, the service is basic, the crowd is a little rough for our taste. BUT, having been on the Sun, Jade and Star, we can say that we had fun on each of those cruises. If you can, splurge for a suite, because it will give you a slightly different experience and one that will be a little closer to your other cruises. No one does suites like NCL. Also, if it matters, there is always a sizable gay crowd on board. Seeing that you are looking to go in March, just remember that is Spring Break time and kids will be everywhere....we personally avoid kids like the plague, but it might not matter to you. We wouldn't go back to NCL again, but we had a great time when we did it. We are in our 30s and like to have a great time (which they provide), but we travel for a little more service and pampering than NCL provides. Whatever you do, have a great time!

 

 

Michael

[hawkeyetlse]

Now looking at earlier sailings, same ship and wondering about upping to a mini-suite--are there better perks than with a balcony?

Exactly the same perks for balconies and mini-suites.

[TxnAquarian]

Exactly the same perks for balconies and mini-suites.

 

Yes, exactly. You will need to book a real suite, which I think is Penthouse or higher. But it's money well-spent. The only reason we enjoyed NCL was because we were in a suite each time. The option to dine in Cagney's for each meal completely elevates the experience, and the whole suite experience brings it up several notches. Especially seeing that you have sailed HAL and Celebrity Solstice Class, I really don't know how happy you'll be in a lower category room on NCL. And the MDR and buffet are pretty unpleasant on these ships. I really think you'll have fun, but try and splurge for the best experience you can.

 

Michael

[Volunton]

Take ALL (including my) replies with a grain of salt.

 

Each cruise line/ship brings it's own positives and negatives. You have to balance everything based on the amenities you want (need) vs. the ports o' call vs. the typical (and I say "TYPICAL") demographics you seek on a ship. Having said that, each cruise varies by week as different people embark and disembark so you may have a great experience one week or negative experience one week and someone else will have just the opposite one.

 

As for NCL vs. Celebrity vs. Princess vs. ..., it all depends on what you want.

 

NCL does tend to be more of a loosey goosey type atmosphere as it comes to dinner. Unless things changed since my last cruise on the NCL Sun, there is just one server in the MDR so service is a bit slower than other cruise lines. The food - across the board generally speaking - is relatively similar. Of course, you may pay more on a cruise ship/line and get a higher standard of food but for my own personal taste, I don't tend to give myself a choice of seven entrees, 10 appetizers, soups and salads and a selection of desserts when I eat at home.

 

If you are that type of person who wants the higher echelon type of cruise then you will have to be prepared and willing to pay for it.

 

I personally would love to do a suite but for my own personal purposes, I don't require it. I don't need a concierge or butler or room service. I don't need a 500 sq. ft. cabin as I prefer to spend the day with the peons, I mean public, I mean rest of the cruise ship pax.

 

But, if that's your taste, then I say, "Go for it!" The Dawn is an older ship. A lot of long-time cruisers prefer the ships they sailed on for many years because of the memories they evoke as well as the fact they don't require all the bells and whistles of the new ships which, for their own intent and purposes are classified as "destination ships". That is, the people on them don't care where the ships go. And the cruise lines tend to do the same old ports as they know passengers just want the "experience" of being on the newest and biggest vessel on the seas - until the next newest and biggest vessel on the seas comes along.

 

As for the crew and how they treat passengers. It's a two-way street. If a passenger goes out of their way to make 'demands' and does not smile or treat a crew member with respect then it would only be human to not get the level of service you might have expected.

 

Generally speaking, crew members are very pleasant as are the other passengers. There are always exceptions and it doesn't matter if you are sailing on NCL, Carnival, RCCL, Princess, Celebrity, etc.

 

Yes, I posted a long-winded response which may not even have fully answered your question but it made me feel good! :)

[pugetmandm]

thanks...that was a great response. appreciate your time and input.

 

we decided to go for the Dawn since it leaves from New Orleans (which has been on our list of places to see) and we were lucky to use our points to score five nights in a nice hotel before the cruise.

 

we also like the itinerary and the chance to see Belize and Honduras...and blessings to the person above who cautioned us about Spring Break. did you know there are sights that list all of the dates for college spring breaks?

[thatjoeguy]

We've cruised with HAL, Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean. Some friends are taking a cruise in March on NCL's Dawn and have asked us to join them. Feel like I know nothing about NCL and would welcome any feedback, especially about the Dawn.

 

I'm late to the party, but I'm going to say the opposite of most people on this list. I haven't done HAL or RC in years, but have done both Princess and X recently, as well as NCL, and we like NCL more than the other. For one, we like the fluidity of the Freestyle Dining on NCL so that we can dine with the new friends we meet and not have our schedule arranged around a meal. We did the Anytime dining last time we were on Princess (last summer with the in-laws, who favor Princess) and don't feel it's nearly as well implemented as it is on NCL. We've also had a lot more fun with the LGBT crowd on our NCL cruises, and find the entertainment MUCH better.

 

As always, your milage may vary. Also, we've mostly done the newer, big ships on NCL recently, but all the above holds true of our trip on the Sun a few years back. Less broadway style shows, but still much better entertainment than Princess and X. From what I hear, the newer Royal ships also have great entertainment, so if you like those shows, NCL should work well for you.

[Bostonjetset]

I'm late to the party, but I'm going to say the opposite of most people on this list. I haven't done HAL or RC in years, but have done both Princess and X recently, as well as NCL, and we like NCL more than the other. For one, we like the fluidity of the Freestyle Dining on NCL so that we can dine with the new friends we meet and not have our schedule arranged around a meal. We did the Anytime dining last time we were on Princess (last summer with the in-laws, who favor Princess) and don't feel it's nearly as well implemented as it is on NCL. We've also had a lot more fun with the LGBT crowd on our NCL cruises, and find the entertainment MUCH better.

 

As always, your milage may vary. Also, we've mostly done the newer, big ships on NCL recently, but all the above holds true of our trip on the Sun a few years back. Less broadway style shows, but still much better entertainment than Princess and X. From what I hear, the newer Royal ships also have great entertainment, so if you like those shows, NCL should work well for you.

 

I will second the above poster and say that our cruise on the Breakaway had the best FOD meetup of any ship we've sailed; we still keep in touch with some of the people we met. QM2 had a great group of guys as well. All the other trips were hit or miss as far as FODs were concerned.

 

NCL's included food [not the extra tariff restaurants] was at the bottom of our list though. We found even Carnival had better food in the MDR. Princess was at the top [maybe because it was the Regal's inaugural season?] whilst HAL and Cunard were close seconds. Of course food is quite subjective, however it is no secret that NCL has a reputation of mediocre food.

Edited October 18, 2015 by Bostonjetset

[CanadaTraveller]

I've sailed the Dawn twice, once out of Boston and spring out of NOLA. My experience is limited on different lines, probably because we have been so fortunate on NCL.

 

Just a few comments:

 

the Dawn is sister to the Star, not the Sun.

 

The renovation to the Dawn and Star destroyed the Spinnaker Lounge and did move it to a lower level. But I have had fun there.

 

GLBT meetings on NCL are very well attended. On the Dawn, the number took up most of the lounge on occasion. NCL has hosted periodically just to get things going. People meet up, have a drink, and will break off into smaller groups depending on what's on that night.

 

NCL introduced a new menu this year across the fleet, and I found it good to excellent. I will not step into an Applebee's, so I find that comparison quite unfair.

 

Suite life on NCL is fantastic. I did it on the cruise from NOLA. We had a two bedroom and used the second as a clothing room. Make use of the concierge. Even for dinner reservations in the dining room. You won't wait for a table ever.

 

I am not a buffet person, but the layout on the Dawn is not well done. It does not have the Great Outdoors to relax and have a snack.

 

The Spa is an under utilized space. We used it every day. If you are a spa person, get the pass right away. Lap pool, thalassotherapy pool, great view out the back...fantastic for a small ship.

 

Will you meet a range of people on board? Of course. But the same is true in any shared accommodation. The people you connect with will come from different socioeconomic groups. I found the same on Oceania. Money does not equal class or manners.

 

The shows on Norwegian are very good. We took friends on our last cruise, who were more Cunard, HAL and Princess cruisers. They loved the entertainment, even on a smaller ship, found the food good and loved the fact they left their tuxes at home.

 

It is so good you are spending time in NOLA. Mardi Gras this year was my first visit and I was blown away by its tattered beauty. And what we found cool about sailing from NOLA was the catchment. Many people drove to the port, so we met many people from the southern states and mid America. As Canadians, we were enthralled by the southern accents. And we Facebook with several from that GLBT gathering on the Dawn.

 

Have fun!

Edited October 18, 2015 by CanadaTraveller
Flow

[Volunton]

My best experience was on the Caribbean Princess in February 2006. Hung out with the gay cruise staff and other passengers every day/night.

 

On my last three NCL cruises, I would go to/near the meeting place and nobody showed up - any night. On the NCL Sun in March 2013, I even looked around to see if anyone else was 'lurking' in the area to see who showed up. There was nobody, at least that I could tell.

 

I'm hoping that the Getaway Oct. 24-31 will be a quite different experience. Been going back and forth with posts with a guy or two but at this point, only 7 'confirmed' guys on that sailing. And they have taken away the pictures on the wall thing instead going for photo books so you can't look to see the guys together or with families, etc. :(

[hawkeyetlse]

GLBT meetings on NCL are very well attended. On the Dawn, the number took up most of the lounge on occasion. NCL has hosted periodically just to get things going.

On our recent Dawn cruise, the meeting was a total bust. We were there most nights, because the Star Bar is a nice place for a drink anyway (and like all nice things, scheduled to be replaced by something else next year :(), and while we didn't interrogate everyone as they came in, but no one looked remotely like they were trying to find the LGBT/FOD meeting.

 

It's a nice touch when there is a member of the cruise staff there the first night. I've only seen that once on NCL.

[CanadaTraveller]

That's too bad that numbers were low. We have lucked out, with many attendees though the Epic setup was difficult to connect because of the design of the bar chosen. I'll see how it goes on the Sun in December.

[keithm]

I will second the above poster and say that our cruise on the Breakaway had the best FOD meetup of any ship we've sailed; we still keep in touch with some of the people we met. QM2 had a great group of guys as well. All the other trips were hit or miss as far as FODs were concerned.

 

NCL's included food [not the extra tariff restaurants] was at the bottom of our list though. We found even Carnival had better food in the MDR. Princess was at the top [maybe because it was the Regal's inaugural season?] whilst HAL and Cunard were close seconds. Of course food is quite subjective, however it is no secret that NCL has a reputation of mediocre food.

Being in the food industry, what gets served can be a deal breaker for us. Cunard/Celebrity for the most part had great food. As I mentioned earlier we were friends with a couple who went from our joint Eclipse Trip(Jan.2015)right to an NCL trip. They absolutely hated it, in correspondence to us(while still on board)That's enough for us to never try the line. Admittedly the FOD events on the Eclipse were really lame. Far better was Cunard in that area. As we tend to like dressing up NCL/Carnival aren't on our "wish" list. We are doing the Regal Princess Feb.7-21. I hope the food is as good as you say. It was on the QM2 in '04,but that was their inaugural year. Only in the Grills was the food better than that year. Afterwards it was very good, but not spectacular. We found the Eclipse to have better food overall in the MDR.

[Bostonjetset]

Being in the food industry, what gets served can be a deal breaker for us. Cunard/Celebrity for the most part had great food. As I mentioned earlier we were friends with a couple who went from our joint Eclipse Trip(Jan.2015)right to an NCL trip. They absolutely hated it, in correspondence to us(while still on board)That's enough for us to never try the line. Admittedly the FOD events on the Eclipse were really lame. Far better was Cunard in that area. As we tend to like dressing up NCL/Carnival aren't on our "wish" list. We are doing the Regal Princess Feb.7-21. I hope the food is as good as you say. It was on the QM2 in '04,but that was their inaugural year. Only in the Grills was the food better than that year. Afterwards it was very good, but not spectacular. We found the Eclipse to have better food overall in the MDR.

 

Glad to hear you did end up booking Regal Princess! I think you will have a lovely time. She is quite a pretty ship on the inside [she's no QM2 but then again who is? lol] and the service was really top notch. We really enjoyed the food but [as you stated with QM2] maybe the inaugural season has something to do with it? I hope the food is as wonderful on your voyage as it was on ours.