Things you wish you knew on your first NCL cruise?

[hmmerr01]

Ok, so we will be going on our first NCL cruise this summer. Platinum DCL cruisers, multiple Royal cruises, and Carnival. This is our first NCL cruise. 4 adults 2 children (ages 9, 11). What can you think of that you wish you would have known before you sailed with NCL the first (or even second) time? Particularly if you were coming from other cruise lines and had that knowledge rolling around in your head ? :)

 

Couple of questions in general... where can be expect to spend extra money (or where should we)?

How does the service compare?

How is the entertainment?

 

THank you!

[BirdTravels]

That Freestyle cursing is really freestyle. Show up when you want to eat. With a couple of exceptions, you can show up in short to dinners and shows.

[Sauer-kraut]

Just get your heads around that the shows and the dining are NOTHING like Disney.... having said that its all about the same.

Money would need to be budgeted if the young ones want to play arcade games.

Extra also would be specialty dining, dinner show, and of course drinks that aren't included in any drinks package (fancy coffees, water and no 'virgin' drinks on the soda package).

[disneynutssss]

The service, dining, and shows cannot compare to Disney (imho).

 

Service Charge / Tips:

$13.99 USD per person per day for all guests 3 years or

older will automatically be added to your onboard account

I have never encountered this on another cruise line.

[mjkacmom]

The service, dining, and shows cannot compare to Disney (imho).

 

Service Charge / Tips:

$13.99 USD per person per day for all guests 3 years or

older will automatically be added to your onboard account

I have never encountered this on another cruise line.

I thought a lot of the mass market cruise lines have an automated service charge. ETA, apparently DCL has had this charge for years, too.

Tips on Disney Cruise Line are automatically added onto your shipboard account at the beginning of the cruise. These cover your stateroom host and dining room staff. Disney suggests an amount to tip, but this can easily be increased or decreased at Guest Services.

ETA is appears Celebrity also adds them now, too.

Edited March 11, 2018 by mjkacmom

[disneynutssss]

I thought a lot of the mass market cruise lines have an automated service charge. ETA, apparently DCL has had this charge for years, too.

Tips on Disney Cruise Line are automatically added onto your shipboard account at the beginning of the cruise. These cover your stateroom host and dining room staff. Disney suggests an amount to tip, but this can easily be increased or decreased at Guest Services.

ETA is appears Celebrity also adds them now, too.

 

 

 

I stand corrected! :D

[Cancruizer]

Great question! I think the best way to enjoy every cruise is to adjust expectations and take advantage of what each cruise has to offer.

 

1. Entertainment is really good and high energy. Generally I would say it is comparable to RC. Just be aware that not all is "family friendly". I have no issue with this, but we did encounter some fellow passengers that did bring younger teens to Rock of Ages and felt it was a bit "adult". You won't find this on Disney.

 

2. The buffet is pretty good. That surprised us.

 

3. Dining room quality of food and service was more restaurant style than traditional dining room, which is understandable for Norwegian. Servers didn't try to be refined.

 

4. Pools were very, very crowded and the pool area did not have a lot of deck space for chairs (Breakaway class). We found the pools to be the most crowded and NOT relaxing at all. We still had fun but really were glad that we had a balcony to escape at different times.

 

5. I don't like cruise lines charging for room service. Norwegian does. They do have Osheehan's that is 24hrs I think and had a good selection of "pub" style food.

 

6. Do check out which restaurants are included. We loved the Asian dumpling and noodle restaurant.

 

7. The beverage package perk has a service charge, but still worth it if you drink more than 2 drinks per day. A 15$ corkage fee is charged for the wine you bring onboard at the time of boarding, not when and where you drink it.

 

8. Activity staff are pretty dynamic, similar to RC.

 

9. Some game shows (like love and marriage), take place in theatrium so it can be crowded and there is not a lot of seating. Arrive very early if its important to you.

 

10. Check out Howl at the Moon - a unique alternative to a piano bar.

 

These are some things I now know about NCL. Have a great cruise!

[the_dylaness]

To book in the Haven. Our first NCL cruise (Jade) was not in the Haven and it honestly felt like herding cattle all week. We were also disappointed at the dismantling of the waterslide (sounds silly until YOU are the one traveling with a 5 year old whose primary goal for the whole cruise is to swim) around the 2nd day of the cruise and then the subsequent closure of the family pool.