I've defected from NCL....

[CrusinAgain]

For regular cabins, such as inside, oceanview and balcony the rooms are bigger on NCL, The way the set up the rooms make it feel more spacious. I think it has to do with the fact that NCL doesn't give as much closet space as NCL. But NCL gives more drawer space. Any cruiseline you take you will enjoy it.

 

Really confused....as the square footage is smaller than Princess and Carnival but you are saying the room is bigger? There was lots of drawers on both Carnival and Princess with Princess having the big long closet.

 

I have seen a picture of open shelves as soon as you walk into the room on the Pearl - have they covered this now anyone?

[fin]

Don't know why, but out of 35 cruises I have never been on a NCL ship.

Didn't plan it that way, guess it never looked right to me. My husband would love the casual no dressing up part of it.

I don't really care for the hull art, I think it's tacky but wouldn't keep me from cruising with them. Would be nice if I could win a cruise to try it out. :D

 

I'm no fan of the hull art either, but the Dawn has some art inside which is fairly nice. I have my picture at dinner with a lovely Monet behind me.

[monicajay]

Love NCL and freestyle but am defecting temporarily for 3 reasons:

 

1) Kids free on Costa for the dates we are going ( includes teens)

 

2) Want to try the X1 package on Costa : fixed price (11.?? pp/pd) for beer and wine at meal times. Draft and house wine plus soda and mineral water are included in the package.

 

3) Wanted to leave out of NY but Gem is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and 7 day itinerary for winter sailings is too short. Once flying to FLL we decided to try something else.

 

Oh, just thought of a fourth reason- I don't like the bed configuration for the quad cabins on many of the NCL ships. The trundle bed that fills up the room is a bit strange.

 

I'm sure we will cruise NCL again.

[Jill SC]

For regular cabins, such as inside, oceanview and balcony the rooms are bigger on NCL, The way the set up the rooms make it feel more spacious. I think it has to do with the fact that NCL doesn't give as much closet space as NCL. But NCL gives more drawer space. Any cruiseline you take you will enjoy it.

 

 

Not so. I was just on the Jewel. The inside cabin was 143 sq feet compared to the Grand Princess inside which was 165 sq feet. On the Jewel my DH and I were constantly bumbing into each other. The oceanview cabins across the hall were the same size.

[Droopy_Sails]

Every time I think my cabin is small, I remind myself that I'm on a ship and that I find the tininess of everything part of the appeal. Just as much as on my first cruise, I'm fascinated by how well these ships are designed to accommodate everything in a small space. It's fun to see how they organize things.

[heelfan94]

Love NCL and freestyle but am defecting temporarily for 3 reasons:

 

1) Kids free on Costa for the dates we are going ( includes teens)

 

2) Want to try the X1 package on Costa : fixed price (11.?? pp/pd) for beer and wine at meal times. Draft and house wine plus soda and mineral water are included in the package.

 

3) Wanted to leave out of NY but Gem is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and 7 day itinerary for winter sailings is too short. Once flying to FLL we decided to try something else.

 

Oh, just thought of a fourth reason- I don't like the bed configuration for the quad cabins on many of the NCL ships. The trundle bed that fills up the room is a bit strange.

 

I'm sure we will cruise NCL again.

I'm curious to know if you've cruised with Costa before? The kids sailing free thing is tempting. :)

[Giorgi-one]

I suspect not too many people in the New York area care to sail to the Caribbean in summer? We have more than enough beaches around here.

 

You are kidding aren't you? You must like that 65F water. I live in New Jersey which has beautiful beaches. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate NJ beaches about a 3-4 compared to most Caribbean beaches which rate from 8 to 10. Just no comparison. Summer is a great time to visit the Caribbean. Most islands have temps in the 80s which is the same as the water temp. Love it. And there are usually one 1 or 2 ships in port as opposed to Winter when there can be as many as 6 ships in port.

[LateCruiser]

Not so. I was just on the Jewel. The inside cabin was 143 sq feet compared to the Grand Princess inside which was 165 sq feet. On the Jewel my DH and I were constantly bumbing into each other. The oceanview cabins across the hall were the same size.

 

If you think that is tight quarters, you should try my 28' power boat. A full galley, full head, dinette, and two sleeping areas:D (but she does have windows that open!).

[shoreguy]

Not so. I was just on the Jewel. The inside cabin was 143 sq feet compared to the Grand Princess inside which was 165 sq feet. On the Jewel my DH and I were constantly bumbing into each other. The oceanview cabins across the hall were the same size.

 

The outside cabins are larger - 164 sq feet.

[packman266]

:) My wife and I have cruised NCL many times and enjoyed every cruise. Freestyle Dining is part of what makes the difference. We just returned from a transatlantic on RCCL (Navigator) and our dining experience with tablemates that did not show up and one that dominated all conversation, plus having to eat when they said was the worst part of the trip. I would like to cruise HAL but will wait until they go to a similar dining program. We have been on 31 cruises.

[Cruise_More_Often]

:) My wife and I have cruised NCL many times and enjoyed every cruise. Freestyle Dining is part of what makes the difference. We just returned from a transatlantic on RCCL (Navigator) and our dining experience with tablemates that did not show up and one that dominated all conversation, plus having to eat when they said was the worst part of the trip. I would like to cruise HAL but will wait until they go to a similar dining program. We have been on 31 cruises.

Every time we consider trying something else, that same feeling comes up for me. We had horrid tablemates on two RCI cruises, and it has completely soured me. We're doing a 2-night repo on Princess in September (Vancouver to San Francisco, and no NCL ship ever ends a repo in SF). There is a formal night on that 2-night cruise! Even though we selected Anytime Dining, unless we want to eat in the buffet, we will be expected to lug our dressy clothes with us. UGH!

[Droopy_Sails]

Every time we consider trying something else, that same feeling comes up for me. We had horrid tablemates on two RCI cruises, and it has completely soured me. We're doing a 2-night repo on Princess in September (Vancouver to San Francisco, and no NCL ship ever ends a repo in SF). There is a formal night on that 2-night cruise! Even though we selected Anytime Dining, unless we want to eat in the buffet, we will be expected to lug our dressy clothes with us. UGH!

 

Isn't that a stitch--a formal stitch?

 

We would love to do the Tahitian Princess in Tahiti, but Princess has no Anytime Dining on that particular ship, and they have formal nights in French Polynesia! I mean, come on. We'll probably suck it up and do it, but packing a suit and formal dress and lugging them to the South Pacific is really going to steam me.

[Stillfloatin']

Isn't that a stitch--a formal stitch?

 

We would love to do the Tahitian Princess in Tahiti, but Princess has no Anytime Dining on that particular ship, and they have formal nights in French Polynesia! I mean, come on. We'll probably suck it up and do it, but packing a suit and formal dress and lugging them to the South Pacific is really going to steam me.

 

We're planning on doing this ship in 09, and we've already decided that there is no meal, including lobster, worth lugging formal wear all that distance, just to be all hot and sweaty in the South Pacific! We're opting for the buffet on those nights.

[Droopy_Sails]

We're planning on doing this ship in 09' date=' and we've already decided that there is [i']no meal[/i], including lobster, worth lugging formal wear all that distance, just to be all hot and sweaty in the South Pacific! We're opting for the buffet on those nights.

 

Yeah! You've convinced me (wasn't hard). We'll do the same thing!

[Cruise_More_Often]

We're planning on doing this ship in 09' date=' and we've already decided that there is [i']no meal[/i], including lobster, worth lugging formal wear all that distance, just to be all hot and sweaty in the South Pacific! We're opting for the buffet on those nights.

I like the way you two think! We'll try the buffet, too.

[Stillfloatin']

Maybe if enough folks opt out of formal night in the South Pacific, they'll at least offer an alternative dining room. :D

[monicajay]

Heelfan94,

 

I'm curious to know if you've cruised with Costa before? The kids sailing free thing is tempting.

 

No, we have never tried Costa before. Seen their ships sometimes in ports and they look nice enough from the outside. The kids free only applied to inside and outside cabins - no balconies or suites and on select Caribbean sailings only. It was a really good deal. I have one friend who sailed Costa and loved it. She found the ship a bid ornate but said you quickly get used to it. She said the food was great as long as you like Italian and are willing to try new stuff - Not a good ship for Steak and Potato people.

 

What really got us interested is the X1 package. It seems that you reserve at least 14 days in advance and pay $11.00 or so per person per day and this gives you beer and wine at meals. Yes it is house wine and draft beer but that is fine with me. I have read the Costa boards and some have had a better experience with this than others. It seems you need to slip a tip once and a while to get good service.

 

I'm sure I will miss Freestyle a bit but when I do I will try to remember all the money we are saving:D

[Droopy_Sails]

Maybe if enough folks opt out of formal night in the South Pacific' date=' they'll at least offer an alternative dining room. :D[/quote']

 

I think the Tahitian Princess is so small (it's one of the old Renaissance ships) that it only has one dining room. But maybe we can get them to ditch formal night in the South Pacific altogether, and thus absolutely ruin the entire cruise for the traditionalists. ;)

[travage]

From what has been said on these boards, Tahitian Princess 'formal nights' are actually very causal, very few tuxs....just no shorts. Also, Tahitian Princess has two speciality restaurants in addition to the main dining room.

Everyone who dislikes wearing clothing that might remotely resemble formal wear has NCL. I applaud Princess and the other cruise lines which have evolved to offer more dining styles while retaining elements of classic cruising.

[Droopy_Sails]

Also, Tahitian Princess has two speciality restaurants in addition to the main dining room.

 

Yes, yes, I know about the two specialty dining rooms. I was responding to Stillfloatin regarding the TP designating an alternative MAIN dining room for non-formal wear on formal night.

 

Really, there's no need to get defensive about "classic cruising" in general when what we were very specifically laughing about is the absurdity of holding formal nights in French Polynesia, the Cook Islands and the Marquesas.

[sunshine 229]

But maybe we can get them to ditch formal night in the South Pacific altogether, and thus absolutely ruin the entire cruise for the traditionalists. ;)

 

I have to say that statement sounds a bit more like laughing at the traditionalists than like laughing at the absurdity of holding formal nights in French Polynisia. Be that as it may, I agree with the poster who pointed out that people who don't like formal nights have NCL, so each group can go for the experience they prefer.

 

Maybe preference depends a lot on past experience. If, as one previous poster mentioned, I had had a couple of experiences with horrible tablemates, I suppose it may sour me on the traditional dinning experience too. So far however, we have been lucky in having had a number of pleasant tablemates and a few tablemates who were such fun that having dinner with them each night truly enhanced the whole cruise experience for us. Only once were we placed at a table with a group with which we suspected we would not meld very well and we simply requested another table after the first night and were pleasantly accomodated .

 

As far as attire for formal nights goes, being a woman may make it easier for me. It is not difficult for me to find a dress that fits the requirements of formal night but it still pleasantly cool. ( For the men though I am wondering, doesn't the Tahitian Princess have air conditioning in the dinning room?)

[fin]

Isn't that a stitch--a formal stitch?

 

We would love to do the Tahitian Princess in Tahiti, but Princess has no Anytime Dining on that particular ship, and they have formal nights in French Polynesia! I mean, come on. We'll probably suck it up and do it, but packing a suit and formal dress and lugging them to the South Pacific is really going to steam me.

 

Something vaguely unsettling about whinging about having to take nice clothes on a South Pacific cruise. It just seems, somehow, well, wrong. Maybe it's just me.

[Droopy_Sails]

I have to say that statement sounds a bit more like laughing at the traditionalists than like laughing at the absurdity of holding formal nights in French Polynisia. Be that as it may, I agree with the poster who pointed out that people who don't like formal nights have NCL, so each group can go for the experience they prefer.

 

Nah--but it was partly laughing at the traditionalists who think their cruise would be absolutely totally ruined if they didn't get a formal night regardless of location. See the difference?

 

As things stand, we non-traditionalists are laughing all the way to the buffet on the nights in question. Problem solved and the cruise goes on happily for us.

 

It would be lovely if NCL did a Tahitian itinerary. Don't think they're going to anytime soon, though.

[Welove2cruise2]

Well, we can add our names to the ranks of people who've defected from NCL -- we booked the Noordam last night! We're excited to try something new. I think about the only downside to this particular ship is that there is only one alternative (pay) restaurant -- we'll miss all the different dining venues like on the Dawn and Spirit. The thing I'm most excited about is that I was finally able to snag an aft veranda stateroom!:D We'll see how this goes...

 

Ahem, and we used our NCL credit card to book the cruise...

[travage]

Tahitian Princess is fully air-conditioned, so its not like they're making you sit on the beach roasting away during diner time. I'm also not sure why French Polynesia got singled out for this 'absurd' designation. A formal night in many places can seem out of place-Alaska, Caribbean, etc...-but its not so out of place when you're enjoying these locales from the comfort of a ship's air-conditioned dining room. Its also not like they're really expecting much. From what I understand Tahitian Princess, which is decidely less formal than other Princess ships, just wants pants, and a collared shirt and perhaps a sports jacket. I imagine that for the majority of people taking an expensive cruise like this bring a pair of khakis and a shirt with a collar would not be too cumbersome.

I'm glad that they're are options for everyone. While I would call myself a traditionalist, I found no fault with the concept of Freestyle Cruising until they began marketing it as the answer to the imprisonemnt of traditional cruising...give me a break, they're a mass-market, budget cruise line like a lot of others.