Pride of Aloha 7/18 review

[gardencat]

We agree on that. (well at least some of us do) but here is the question: If NCLA does not have enough staff to properly run the main dinning room should they close one of the alternate dinning rooms and switch staff to the main dinning room to provide acceptable service there?

[ladybug103]

Have been reading these boards for awhile. Was just kidding about the specialty resturants to see what kind of response was out there.. sorry about that. DH is saying what are you typing now? I know it is very precarious to post these views...but honestly, finding a cruise is like buying a car..there are just too many variables...be happy in the lowest category...pick the cabin you will be happy in..hope for an upgrade and the prices really depend on how badly you want what you want...wallllah! We all really want to eat well, sleep well, and whatever else we will manage to make do.

[Traveler39]

Try buying a cruise on a new ship the Pride of America and then getting the 5 year old ship.... Yes we know about buying a new car... we did and we got a 5 year old car for our money... Yes we will get use to it, ncl.....

[ladybug103]

Mostly talking about the tactics involved in buying a car...deception at it's best and comparing the advertising involved to cruising..similar, you have to admit. Once the product is sold ( car or cruise) and money is in hand...customer service goes out the window.

Only those strong enough to perservere and tell their strory will impact the industry, and only if they continue to tell their experiences to an audience looking for information. We all acknowledge mass advertising, but the ones on this board are looking for more and enduring the ridicule of those who will make money off your ignorance.

[Host CMLA]

Gardencat...people can agree with you. That doesn't change my statements. When you post you speak as if everything written on this board is fact and it's not. I give my opinion. I think yours and several others here are incorrect. I can express that opinion. I've been on 11 NCL cruises. I think I have a pretty broad range of experiences to draw from. When I give my opinion, it's based on over 80 days on NCL ships; not one cruise and one cancelled cruise.

[Host CMLA]

Obviously, Cecilia is once again in the minority on this issue.

I'm OK with that. It doesn't make my experience or opinion any less valid.

[Host CMLA]

It really gets old to me when Cecilia challenges comments that she feels puts ncl in a bad light.

It's unfortunate that you feel this way. I'm sorry if my openmindedness to NCL as a whole is offensive to some. I happen to believe that NCL existed before the POA and I don't judge the company as a whole because of one ship. But you can feel however you like. I'll still feel the way I do.

 

It seems that if I challenge negative comments about NCL, it gets old but when the same people continue to challenge any positive things about NCL, it's supposed to be OK.

[gardencat]

Originally posted by Cecelia,

I give my opinion. I think yours and several others here are incorrect. I can express that opinion.

Cecelia

 

I have absolutely no problem with you posting your opinion. I also have no problem with your opinion being different than mine. What I do have a problem with is your accusing me of making statements which I never made and then taking me to task for those non-existant statements.

 

You said,

 

"How can you make a general comment about NCL as a whole not providing good food as a fact and not an opinion?"

But where did I ever say that? What I said was,

"If I were on one of these cruises, I would hate to feel that I am being forced to eat in the specialty restaurants and give NCL more of my money, because they are not giving me good value for the money I have already spent.

If I were....I would hate to feel" Where and how does that become that I know for a fact that NCL as a whole is not providing good food?

Once again, if you want to take exception to something I have posted, I encourage you to do so. I am more than willing to have my opinions questioned and to be asked to explain why I feel that way. But please make sure you have read my post and that you are criticizing something I have actually said and not just words you have put in my mouth.

Originally posted by Cecelia,

I think I have a pretty broad range of experiences to draw from. When I give my opinion, it's based on over 80 days on NCL ships; not one cruise and one cancelled cruise.

You may indeed have spent a lot of time on NCL ships, much more than I have, however based on many of your posts, it seems that you have not had a bad experience with NCL customer service so in that one area it would seem I have had more experience than you. If my assumption is incorrect then I would be more than happy to hear about your bad experience with NCL customer service. I also don't know if you have ever had an NCL cruise on which you were booked cancelled one month before the scheduled departure date. If you have I would be very interested in hearing about your experience with that.

[Host CMLA]

I have absolutely no problem with you posting your opinion. I also have no problem with your opinion being different than mine. What I do have a problem with is your accusing me of making statements which I never made and then taking me to task for those non-existant statements.

In my opinion you post like it's fact and not opinion. It reads as if you're stating fact. That's how I interpret what you say.

You may indeed have spent a lot of time on NCL ships, much more than I have, however based on many of your posts, it seems that you have not had a bad experience with NCL customer service so in that one area it would seem I have had more experience than you.

No, I haven't had an extremely unpleasant customer service experience with NCL. Does that mean I can't give a differing opinion than yours? Why am I constantly attacked for it by members? Because I haven't been treated badly by NCL customer service I can't contradict the broad generalizations you make about NCL? As I've said before, because I have sailed on NCL 11 times on several of their ships, I can see the difference between NCL as a whole and one ship in the NCL fleet. I don't think it's fair for people who've never sailed NCL or sailed one time on one ship to take that one experience and paint all of NCL as a bad cruise line to sail on.

[dalwhitt]

As usual, Gardencat, well said.

 

Cecilia, I have had one experience with NCL and it has thus far been negative. If I had something positive to say I would. You on the other hand have NOTHING negative to say, and can't understand why we do.

 

Considering that you have been on 11 NCL cruises there has to be something that you don't like about NCL. I can tell you good and bad things about every ship I have been on, even the almost perfect cruises. When I read comments from people who have been on ships that I have, and they have negative things to say, I always respect those opinions.

 

You on the other hand, do not respect us and the problems we have had with NCL and the stress that the poor performance of POA had heaped on us.

 

I was excited weeks before my July 11 Adventure of the Seas cruise. But I can't say the same for my upcoming cruise on on POA Aug. 8. The reasons I cruise have been taken away by POA -- great food, pampering, great service -- and I have every right to resent that. It isn't what I paid for.

 

If I knew back in January what I know now, I would have tried to cancel even though it would have cost me since this is a charter. But I'm stuck with a cruise that I don't feel good about.

 

Why you can't understand how we feel is beyond me.

[gardencat]

In my opinion you post like it's fact and not opinion. It reads as if you're stating fact.

Where? Please, Cecelia, pick out something that I have actually said in that post and point to where it is posted like a fact.

 

"If I were... "(please note subjunctive tense) and "I would hate to feel"

these are not the forms you use to state something you know as a fact.

 

If I had said, " If I were a millionaire I'd buy a new car" would you claim that I had stated for a fact that I was a millionaire?

[dalwhitt]

As usual Gardencat, it is pointless to explain yourself. She's not going to get it.

[Guest nhrich]

It seems this whole thread is getting to be nothing but bickering back and forth, and off topic.

 

Cecilia, I'm sorry to feel this way as for the most part I think you do a good job, but I think if this back and forth did not involve you, this thread (or at least a number of the recent posts, would have been deleted.

 

Rich

[gardencat]

nrich

You're right. Sorry about all the 'bickering'. I wrote what I wrote. Readers either get it or not. I shouldn't have tried 3 or 4 times to explain it.

[Traveler39]

Yes I will defend Cecilia as our Moderator on the NCL thread.... It is when she starts attacking words and phrases as a poster that is when she loses it... If we would all discuss the POA and only the POA when it is the subject of a thread then we would stay out of these who said what statements?

 

Cecilia, you will take statements like Gardencats and try to make those statements against the ncl corportation for its fleet... The statements about customer service and the management of ncl are in context with statements where the POA was the subject...

 

One statement that you made was that we were challenging the positive statements of other reviewers... I do not believe anyone is doing that... We want to see positive statements from returning cruisers of the POA... We need to hear about a clean ship and good food and service....

 

Consider this... If we are in your opinion attacking NCL as a company could it be that it was NCL that put this ship into operation and then appears to have stopped all support of the crew.... NCL has done many things wrong in the handling of the problems of the poa... They have been discussed in depth... So how could we feel in any way that ncl is a great and wonderful company when our discussions and experiences being discussed are in reference to the Pride of Aloha... We live in the now... what are you doing for us now with the poa.. We are not discussing the fleet.. Nor the past..as poa has no past in Hawaii.....

[Traveler39]

Cecilia , please do not remove this thread or others that have comments and bickering that you do not like... Please allow the threads to continue and just remove the bickering..... We are looking for positive experiences with the POA and we are hoping that NCL corporate will read these postings and try to do something to address the problems... We can work together for the good of the passengers of the poa...

[alohacrewmom]

I find many entries by both Cecelia and Gardencat to be very helpful. However, I do understand what Cecelia means by stating things as opinions rather than facts. Many things are heard someplace and then posted another as a fact.

Gardencat, I just read a comment on another thread where you stated that NCL should have been able to control the quality of their food. That definately would mean that they DID NOT. To me (and most people I believe) you were stating for a fact that they did not control it. Therefore, you were definately making anyone that read your post believe that you KNEW it to be of low quality.

I have seen several reviews where people have said the food was good. I've seen more comments that it isn't but I also realize I'm reading many of those negative comments over and over on different threads

I am in no way down-playing the problems that you and many others have had with NCL. I've read often of similar treatment from other cruiselines and for much less reason than a sinking ship.

[gardencat]

alohacrewmom

Hi, thanks for your post. I don't agree with your assesment of the 'should have been able' however I do agree with nhrich's comment that there has been enough bickering so I'm not going to try to defend it here.

I will take note of the fact that both you and Cecelia seem to be getting a different impression from my posts than I intended so may try to add a few more ' This is my opinion's' when I post in the future.

[Host CMLA]

[quote name='dalwhitt']Why you can't understand how we feel is beyond me.[/QUOTE]Once again, I DO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE FEEL ABOUT THIS. Having a differing opinion doesn't mean I don't understand how you feel. And you are 100% incorrect when you say I have nothing bad to say about NCL. If you'd like to hear it, I'll tell you everything I didn't like about my 11 NCL cruises. Difference here is I don't go on and on about it. I talked about those things at the time and have since moved on.

For everyone else that likes to throw around that I'm the host and I shouldn't have an opinion and if it was anyone else the thread would have been removed...I can remove this whole thing if all of you would like. I was under the impression that a discussion could take place without me being chastised because I'm the host.

[Guest nhrich]

Cecilia, I don't have a problem with you stating your opinion. I just don't think that the bickering back and forth is necessary on [B]anyone's[/B] part. Perhaps you would not pull the thread (that was an unfair assumption on my part), but there are other hosts that would have, I'm pretty sure.

At this point, I think everyone's opinion is crystal clear, and folks should just agree to disagree and move on.

Rich

[elephant98]

Thanks for posting your review. I'm glad that you had a wonderful time!

What I can't figure out. And, perhaps this is because I have never sailed with NCL, is the LIMITED CHOICES in the main dining rooms. On the other cruise lines I've sailed (Princess, RCCL, Disney), they offer different main selections each night (often a "themed night"; i.e., italian night, french night, etc.), but always provide some limited "stand-by" options for passengers who don't like that particular night's themed dining (i.e., sirloin steak, chicken, ceasar salad, pasta). I'm more than a little shocked to read that the POA seems to do it the other way around, offering the same standard menu every night, and sprinkling in a few different dishes nightly. Is this true, or am I misreading something here?

[kkorman]

gardencat,

It is hard for me to believe that the food is inedible in the dining room. I have been to specialty restaurants on all my cruises and they are usually head and shoulders above the dining room as that is why you are paying th eextra money. I do not think that people are forced to eat in these restaurants... they are choosing to. As for some of the quotes, it is like a political add... be sure to include the context in which it was written... many people choose no tto eat lunch on board the POA (and the Sky) before because of the poor setup of the buffet. I have never been a fan of the lunch time meals on any ship and would always choose land, but be sure you are accurately represnting what the original posters are saying.

[Traveler39]

Cecilia or anyone who may know please tell me the size of the beds on the poa..... The ncl magazine for NCL Hawaii cruising states two lower beds that convert into a double for the balcony room.... Is this true? Does the two small beds only convert into a double size bed? I believe that most cruise ships have two small beds that convert into a Queen Size Bed... It is not confortable for me to sleep on any bed size smaller than a Queen...(my problem I know)..... I hope ncl's words in the publication is incorrect...
Any help?

[Traveler39]

Everyone, from the same publication by ncl the following is provided for passengers reading and booking of these two ships...

Room size: Pride of Aloha Balcony room -- 202 Sq. Ft. --- What?
Room size: Pride of American Balcony rm -- 178 Sq. Ft. ---

Bed size: Pride of Aloha two beds convert to a double
Bed size: Pride of America two beds convert to a queen size bed

This amazing information is in ncl's publication on Hawaii cruising

The Pride of Aloha has bigger balcony rooms -- Since when?
The Pride of America beds convert to queen but not the Pride of Aloha.. ?

I say since when on the balcony room size because every reviewer that I have read states that the Pride of Aloha has small rooms, some of the smallest in the industry... What is up with this info.... Are the reviewers wrong or is ncl up to it's old tricks and mis-information...?

[Traveler39]

[quote name='gardencat']margu1241

Thank you so much for posting that interesting and detailed review.

You already know my view about the 'alternate dinning' but I will add it here for others on the board.

[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana]If I were on one of these cruises, I would hate to feel that I am being forced to eat in the specialty restaurants and give NCL more of my money, because they are not giving me good value for the money I have already spent. It would feel like I am rewarding them, with extra income, for not giving me good value for the fare I already paid.[/font][/font][/color]

[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana]In my view they have contracted to provide customers with decent service and food. Until they can do that, they should not be diverting staff to extra money making areas.[/font][/font][/color]

[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana]However, I’m afraid NCL will continue to do this, because every customer who gets disgusted with the wait or the service in the main restaurant, and goes to an extra-pay restaurant, puts more money in NCL's pocket so they have little motivation to improve this.[/font][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana][/font][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana]I understand that someone on their vacation might just want to enjoy a meal ,rather than being stressed out, and may feel that it is the lesser of two evils just to pay the extra price but I guess that is why NCL thinks they will get away with this and 'people will just get used to it." At least thanks to this board and info from passengers like you people will be forewarned.[/font][/font][/color]
[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana][/font][/font][/color]

[color=black][font=Arial][font=Verdana]I am glad that you did manage to have a great vacation.




[/font][/font][/color][/QUOTE]
I have looked and I can not find any reference to inedible food...Kkorman please point out that specific reference by Gardencat so that I can read it>>> Thanks...