Breaking Away from NCL after the Norwegian Breakaway

[PTC DAWG]

I’ll worry about the weather if/when they call me to the lifeguard station....until then, The Captain has better things to do.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I agree with your opinion, as long as most passengers are/seem happy there is no reason to adjust. Few ask questions or have an expectation of getting more detailed answers. NCL as in most businesses only makes changes when the negative responses overtake the positive ones. In my opinion, all cruise lines and businesses have a percentage who say they don't care about the product and will never pay for it again. I go with what will work for me may not work for you. Thanks for your insight.

[Keith1010]

Always good to try other ships and lines. Thank you for the review.

 

Keith

[newmexicoNita]

People sure are funny about $4.99 lobster tails.

 

Although I do agree, NCL is very much subpar compared to Carnival and Royal.

Oh my, I think if you were to check reviews you would see few would rate NCL below Carnival. RCI, that would be more a matter of opinion, it comes down to class of ship. Of course everyone has his/her ideas on what makes a better or worse cruise experience.

[newmexicoNita]

I, for one (and perhaps the only one judging by the previous comments), appreciate all reviews, not just the positive ones. The OP gives specific examples of what he didn't like and doesn't just speak in generalities. You can choose to discount or discredit certain points if your experience was different, but things like poor service, poorly conceived dishes, and creaking sounds in cabins are all things I want to hear about. And, if the OP says they were turned away from the theater at 7PM for a 7:30 show, that's useful info since it shouldn't be happening that early.

 

Thanks for your review, Chris.

Easy to agree about both types of reviews: we all feel that way, but when a review complains about the capt not knowing when it is safe to visit a port, that has to be a red flag. When someone posts nothing but negatives: that has to be a red flag and when a person posts about things like no Lobster which is true about most ships anymore, it is a red flag. I have to disagree with you on this: they OP is overly critical for whatever reason and can not be taken seriously. Had he been a little more objective his review might have been welcomed

[Shawnino]

I, for one (and perhaps the only one judging by the previous comments), appreciate all reviews, not just the positive ones. The OP gives specific examples of what he didn't like and doesn't just speak in generalities. You can choose to discount or discredit certain points if your experience was different, but things like poor service, poorly conceived dishes, and creaking sounds in cabins are all things I want to hear about. And, if the OP says they were turned away from the theater at 7PM for a 7:30 show, that's useful info since it shouldn't be happening that early.

 

Thanks for your review, Chris.

 

I'm with you.

Between the cruise line employees and the other people who feel a sense of loyalty to the cruise line, there is little chance for negative reviews to be properly assessed.

[Peachypooh]

I agree with your opinion, as long as most passengers are/seem happy there is no reason to adjust. Few ask questions or have an expectation of getting more detailed answers. NCL as in most businesses only makes changes when the negative responses overtake the positive ones. In my opinion, all cruise lines and businesses have a percentage who say they don't care about the product and will never pay for it again. I go with what will work for me may not work for you. Thanks for your insight.[/quot

 

I tend to agree with this. One of the things we do each night is step out on the balcony and look at the stars. We spend quite a bit of time stargazing and trying to identify the constellations. I would love to have a lecture on the night skies and where we are going on NCL but judging from what people are doing at night I don't think too many people would attend. Likewise we try to visit the local museums and have yet to see a port presentation highlighting the museums in the upcoming port. When we visit the museums not too many people are there either.And that is OK. I love NCL for what it does deliver and what they don't offer a good guidebook or star chart can make up the difference.

[GlamorousGirl]

My counter advice to new cruisers is to sail on NCL and NOT Carnival. Every Carnival ship we have sailed on has been outdated and run down, we have never been offered lobster (that you say you were offered), and the food has been much worse with the exception of Blueiguana and Guys which don’t even stay open for dinner. The entertainment has been far, far better on NCL. We have also never had a fridge in our Carnival cabin, and they have always been cramped and poorly decorated. We love the Cabins on NCL. We also can actually enjoy the drink package on NCL because of the promotions, while on Carnival it is too expensive. I will sail on Carnival if it’s that or nothing, but given a choice I will take NCL every time. Princess second.

[GlamorousGirl]

They don't overbook the shows but at about 15 minutes before they start they release the standby line, so if you have a reservation and you're not in a seat by then, you may lose out. You need to get there before the standbys are allowed in. Obviously letting them in the second the show started wouldn't work, so they do it a bit before.

 

I was not impressed by the OPs complaint about this either. When I want to see a show I arrive early. This is generally how things work cruise or not. Getting to a show 15 minutes early (or even 30) is something I expect to do in being polite to make sure I get a seat before having to squeeze by people and make them get up, or, worse, block peoples view because the show started and I didn’t find a seat yet. I wait hours at the port to embark (EVERY line), 15 minutes in the showroom won’t kill me.

[Giantfan13]

I never understand the need to 'clobber' a poster if they post a negative review, even if others loved the BA. We are all entitled to an opinion, so if you disagree why not state why instead of killing the messenger.

We sailed the BA right after she came thru the cyclone storm and it was our first experience on what some call a 'mega' ship. I posted an honest review after our cruise in which I tend to agree with several points the OP made. Service was just terrible (it took 3 hours for a dinner in Taste one evening). In 20 odd cruises, on many different cruise lines, the service on BA was the worst we have ever experienced. Maybe it was a new crew, but they just seemed to have no organization and no team unity.. And our biggest complaint was that there is no adequate seating when everyone is indoors. It DID feel crowded.

There were many good points also and I stated them along with the bad. I thought the Captain was very efficient, told us days ahead of another impending storm and kept us informed all the way up to it and thru it.

Overall, we tend to prefer smaller ships, the BA was just not our style.

Cheers

Len

[ElaineKeagy]

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[newmexicoNita]

I never understand the need to 'clobber' a poster if they post a negative review, even if others loved the BA. We are all entitled to an opinion, so if you disagree why not state why instead of killing the messenger.

We sailed the BA right after she came thru the cyclone storm and it was our first experience on what some call a 'mega' ship. I posted an honest review after our cruise in which I tend to agree with several points the OP made. Service was just terrible (it took 3 hours for a dinner in Taste one evening). In 20 odd cruises, on many different cruise lines, the service on BA was the worst we have ever experienced. Maybe it was a new crew, but they just seemed to have no organization and no team unity.. And our biggest complaint was that there is no adequate seating when everyone is indoors. It DID feel crowded.

There were many good points also and I stated them along with the bad. I thought the Captain was very efficient, told us days ahead of another impending storm and kept us informed all the way up to it and thru it.

Overall, we tend to prefer smaller ships, the BA was just not our style.

Cheers

Len

clobbering comes when a poster is totally negative and not objective in any way, then they do not come back to defend their comments. I feel the same when people write how great the cruise was with absolutely no negatives. they are not being realistic and can not be taken too seriously. I believe they are called cheer leaders. Even objective cruisers but ones who favor a certain line are often referred to as cheer leaders. It works both ways.

[BNBR]

I never understand the need to 'clobber' a poster if they post a negative review, even if others loved the BA. We are all entitled to an opinion, so if you disagree why not state why instead of killing the messenger.

We sailed the BA right after she came thru the cyclone storm and it was our first experience on what some call a 'mega' ship. I posted an honest review after our cruise in which I tend to agree with several points the OP made. Service was just terrible (it took 3 hours for a dinner in Taste one evening). In 20 odd cruises, on many different cruise lines, the service on BA was the worst we have ever experienced. Maybe it was a new crew, but they just seemed to have no organization and no team unity.. And our biggest complaint was that there is no adequate seating when everyone is indoors. It DID feel crowded.

There were many good points also and I stated them along with the bad. I thought the Captain was very efficient, told us days ahead of another impending storm and kept us informed all the way up to it and thru it.

Overall, we tend to prefer smaller ships, the BA was just not our style.

Cheers

Len

 

The people on the NCL forum are largely in denial. So they get very aggressive with anything negative. The amount of negative posts concerning NCL ships is not normal. Coming from the Royal and Carnival forums, it's notably WAY more negative here with people simply unhappy with the ships. There is a reason for that. Is it possible that NCL is falling short in their ship design and execution? Nah, it's just people with complaints that we'll "dismiss" and clobber them accordingly.

[mjkacmom]

The people on the NCL forum are largely in denial. So they get very aggressive with anything negative. The amount of negative posts concerning NCL ships is not normal. Coming from the Royal and Carnival forums, it's notably WAY more negative here with people simply unhappy with the ships. There is a reason for that. Is it possible that NCL is falling short in their ship design and execution? Nah, it's just people with complaints that we'll "dismiss" and clobber them accordingly.

Another totally negative and not objective poster^^^^^

[AmboyValentino]

clobbering comes when a poster is totally negative and not objective in any way, then they do not come back to defend their comments. I feel the same when people write how great the cruise was with absolutely no negatives. they are not being realistic and can not be taken too seriously. I believe they are called cheer leaders. Even objective cruisers but ones who favor a certain line are often referred to as cheer leaders. It works both ways.

 

This. Very well said.

 

Another totally negative and not objective poster^^^^^

 

 

For somebody who claims to be underwhelmed by NCL, he sure posts in the NCL section a lot. :)

[rmurray847]

I agree that you see reviews that are so vitriolic in their negativity that it is hard to give them credit. You also see fawning reviews that sound like a press release written by NCL. But much falls in between. I usually then weight the value of the post based on the overall tone of the writer. Do they sound (totally subjective, I know) like someone who has the same attitude about travel as me. For example, here are two ways the same issue can be described:

 

"When they unceremoniously dumped the basket of rolls on the table, along with the obligatory dish of butter, I found I could not enjoy the bread at all. It was hard and nearly impossible to cut. I had my husband, an internationally known weight-lifter and pro athlete, try to cut the bread, but try as he might, it just wouldn't succumb under the weight of the pathetic knife they give you. But it hardly mattered, the butter turned out to be too hard to spread. We couldn't wait to get out of that place and back to our cabins, where I had wisely stashed a week's supply of Peanut M&Ms so that I could at least get a little nourishment before going to the theater to see the loud, vulgar SPECTACLE that ROCK OF AGES turned out to be."

 

OR

 

"The rolls were placed on the table, along with the butter dish. Unfortunately, the rolls that night were pretty hard, and I struggled to cut it. My husband gave it a try, but eventually we decided it wasn't worth it, because the butter was frozen anyway, and I couldn't have spread it. We enjoyed the rest of our meal, along with a decent glass of wine (not what we might have chosen at home...but with the UBP, you don't always get the absolute best). After a relaxing repast, we enjoyed ROCK OF AGES...although not entirely to my taste, I appreciated the energy and fun the performers showed."

 

The tone of the first review (it's not a quote, I just wrote it) would turn me off, even if the complaint about the bread was legit. The 2nd one would demonstrate to me a person that could point out flaws, but also move on from them, because one little issue shouldn't be allowed to spoil a vacation.

[BNBR]

I agree that you see reviews that are so vitriolic in their negativity that it is hard to give them credit. You also see fawning reviews that sound like a press release written by NCL. But much falls in between. I usually then weight the value of the post based on the overall tone of the writer. Do they sound (totally subjective, I know) like someone who has the same attitude about travel as me. For example, here are two ways the same issue can be described:

 

"When they unceremoniously dumped the basket of rolls on the table, along with the obligatory dish of butter, I found I could not enjoy the bread at all. It was hard and nearly impossible to cut. I had my husband, an internationally known weight-lifter and pro athlete, try to cut the bread, but try as he might, it just wouldn't succumb under the weight of the pathetic knife they give you. But it hardly mattered, the butter turned out to be too hard to spread. We couldn't wait to get out of that place and back to our cabins, where I had wisely stashed a week's supply of Peanut M&Ms so that I could at least get a little nourishment before going to the theater to see the loud, vulgar SPECTACLE that ROCK OF AGES turned out to be."

 

OR

 

"The rolls were placed on the table, along with the butter dish. Unfortunately, the rolls that night were pretty hard, and I struggled to cut it. My husband gave it a try, but eventually we decided it wasn't worth it, because the butter was frozen anyway, and I couldn't have spread it. We enjoyed the rest of our meal, along with a decent glass of wine (not what we might have chosen at home...but with the UBP, you don't always get the absolute best). After a relaxing repast, we enjoyed ROCK OF AGES...although not entirely to my taste, I appreciated the energy and fun the performers showed."

 

The tone of the first review (it's not a quote, I just wrote it) would turn me off, even if the complaint about the bread was legit. The 2nd one would demonstrate to me a person that could point out flaws, but also move on from them, because one little issue shouldn't be allowed to spoil a vacation.

 

You may want to consider writing actual reviews in the tone of your first example. I'd read them for sure!

[BostonGal35]

omg why are people so obsessed with lobster night on these boards!

[BNBR]

omg why are people so obsessed with lobster night on these boards!

 

It's remarkable. Lol.

[Letsgo 2]

I hope the OP has a great time on the other cruise lines, as for us we will continue with NCL love the Breakaway,Getaway,Gem and I know we will love the Escape in December. We have never experienced anything what the OP is talking about. The ships do make it to GSC many many times. We missed it one time on 8 cruises, that'ts a good record. Yes when the weather is bad or is going to turn bad they will not go, Thank you Captain for keeping your guest and crew safe.

[CPT Trips]

Wait. They serve lobster in the MDR? ;)

[Laszlo]

I did a behind the scene tour on the BA about 6 weeks ago on a 14 day cruise. One of the places we tour was the kitchen that feeds Taste, Savor and the Manhattan room. I forget the number they gave us, for dinner but its amazing they can feed so many people in a short amount to time. They kitchen is huge, they must have 1/4 of the ship working there Lol. We had dinner at each restaurant twice durning the cruise. Each experience was good, we always eat and got out in under 60 minutes

[newmexicoNita]

I agree that you see reviews that are so vitriolic in their negativity that it is hard to give them credit. You also see fawning reviews that sound like a press release written by NCL. But much falls in between. I usually then weight the value of the post based on the overall tone of the writer. Do they sound (totally subjective, I know) like someone who has the same attitude about travel as me. For example, here are two ways the same issue can be described:

 

"When they unceremoniously dumped the basket of rolls on the table, along with the obligatory dish of butter, I found I could not enjoy the bread at all. It was hard and nearly impossible to cut. I had my husband, an internationally known weight-lifter and pro athlete, try to cut the bread, but try as he might, it just wouldn't succumb under the weight of the pathetic knife they give you. But it hardly mattered, the butter turned out to be too hard to spread. We couldn't wait to get out of that place and back to our cabins, where I had wisely stashed a week's supply of Peanut M&Ms so that I could at least get a little nourishment before going to the theater to see the loud, vulgar SPECTACLE that ROCK OF AGES turned out to be."

 

OR

 

"The rolls were placed on the table, along with the butter dish. Unfortunately, the rolls that night were pretty hard, and I struggled to cut it. My husband gave it a try, but eventually we decided it wasn't worth it, because the butter was frozen anyway, and I couldn't have spread it. We enjoyed the rest of our meal, along with a decent glass of wine (not what we might have chosen at home...but with the UBP, you don't always get the absolute best). After a relaxing repast, we enjoyed ROCK OF AGES...although not entirely to my taste, I appreciated the energy and fun the performers showed."

 

The tone of the first review (it's not a quote, I just wrote it) would turn me off, even if the complaint about the bread was legit. The 2nd one would demonstrate to me a person that could point out flaws, but also move on from them, because one little issue shouldn't be allowed to spoil a vacation.

very well put, it isn't what we say, but how we say it as the old saying goes.

[davy jones]

The people on the NCL forum are largely in denial. So they get very aggressive with anything negative. The amount of negative posts concerning NCL ships is not normal. Coming from the Royal and Carnival forums, it's notably WAY more negative here with people simply unhappy with the ships. There is a reason for that. Is it possible that NCL is falling short in their ship design and execution? Nah, it's just people with complaints that we'll "dismiss" and clobber them accordingly.

 

I will respectfully disagree and say that it gets nasty on all three forums. All three lines have their vocal supporters and defenders.

[Shawnino]

The people on the NCL forum are largely in denial. So they get very aggressive with anything negative. The amount of negative posts concerning NCL ships is not normal. Coming from the Royal and Carnival forums, it's notably WAY more negative here with people simply unhappy with the ships. There is a reason for that. Is it possible that NCL is falling short in their ship design and execution? Nah, it's just people with complaints that we'll "dismiss" and clobber them accordingly.

 

Some are in denial. Some are employees.