Gem review - very good and really bad!

[danceman]

I appreciated that you included the positive and the negative. But I too was put off by the bigotry. You can dislike disrespectful men crowding you in the pool. You can criticize rude fellow-travelers and over crowding. But as soon as you feel the need to identify their national origin, you come off as bigoted. It just isn't necessary since, as you point out, you are annoyed by fellow travelers of all nationalities - as we all are if they are rude and inconsiderate.

 

Well, i hear what you are saying.....but i think it depends on whether or not you are looking from a bigoted point of view. It was of no consequence to me that the ship was full of spanish....it was just really full and they happened to be spanish....i wasnt looking from a superior point of view...ie saying the britis are better than spanish - but if you were looking for something from that angle then you could twist it that way. Oh, and by the way, did i mention my wife is Spanish!...point made i think!

[bluesea777]

Excuse me ....

 

THE BAD POINTS: = COMPLAINTS - by the tone of your typing

 

We have not seen you face to face nor heard you say the following, and your typing is so toneless that it doesn't show me how humourous you are trying to be. This is why you have been flamed by some of us on some of the Bad Point that you said.

 

One of your Complaints really stands out and it is:

 

5. Over 600 kids on board!! Need i say more? I know, 3 of them were mine....but i hadn't wanted another 597 to add to the ambiance!

 

Well, i hear what you are saying.....but i think it depends on whether or not you are looking from a bigoted point of view. It was of no consequence to me that the ship was full of spanish....it was just really full and they happened to be spanish....i wasnt looking from a superior point of view...ie saying the britis are better than spanish - but if you were looking for something from that angle then you could twist it that way. Oh, and by the way, did i mention my wife is Spanish!...point made i think!

 

When I read the above I spluttered my red wine over the screen: your wife is Spanish!!

 

May I add that I'm British myself and I did not find any humourous tone in any of your points.

 

I would suggest to you, danceman, that when you go on another cruise and it's good and bad PLEASE don't feel compelled to write the bad points/complaints like you did here (there are just too many of them and many are not so valid) - keep them to yourself and chalk them up as learning experience. PLEASE DO NOT SCARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO NCL OR HAVE ALREADY BOOKED AND SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON SIMILAR CRUISES ON GEM (or Jade).

 

My 2 cents.

 

Moderator: can this thread be closed?

[Jackielan]

I think the countdown clock idea is an excellent addition to the site, it is kind of a pre-warning of which cruises not to book next year

[JCD62]

Hello all, just adding my two cents worth (and in US currency, that ain't much!). We were on the Gem on Aug 17 - Aug 24. It was our first cruise and we also traveled with children. First of all, my sons loved the kids club. They left us the second the kids club opened and stayed until 10:30 each night. They both proudly wear the Norwegian GemT-shirts they made on the last day of the cruise. My younger son now corresponds via email with a fantastic boy he met from Malta. My DH and I actually had dinner by ourselves every night while on the cruise (that hasn't happened in over 11 years!). My sons went to the buffet with my DH before kids club opened and we would take them to the Great Outdoors (the buffet at the rear of the ship) for a snack at 10:30. As you can see, the free style cruising concept really worked well for our family

 

While I do agree with other posters that the pool are was very, very crowded, we just went with the flow and usually sat at the edge of the pool when the boys were swimming. The buffet was crowded as well; the hint is to go early. As we have kids that are school age, we must take our vacation during the school holidays and we do encounter crowded conditions, with lots of children frequently. But on the other hand, it does give the children an opportunity to meet other kids and us an opportunity to talk with other parents.

 

If you do not wish to use the pool and only sun bathe, the rear of the ship near the basketball/soccer courts is ideal! I find that view so much nicer then a crowded pool with (gasp!!) hairy Spaniards. Also the gym on board was really terrific. I took spinning classes 3 x's and worked out on the treadmill and elliptical machine on the 4th day. I do know that there was a Pilate’s class, which looked very well attended, after the spinning classes.

 

I did want to mention that the ports of call were absolutely fantastic. We visited Barcelona (pre-cruise for 2 days) Pompeii (a life long dream of mine), the Amalfi coast, Rome, Pisa, Cinque Terre (I highly recommend this area) and Villefrance. Our sons were enthralled with Pompeii and had a great time swimming in the Mediterranean while in Vernazza (one of the villages that comprise Cinque Terre).

 

We definitely want to go on another cruise, however I am afraid that the ports of call on any other cruise we take will not live up to the ones we visited while on the Gem and, best of all, we got to see these fabulous places with our sons. So yes, I will take an over crowded pool and very limited loungers in the pool area in order to visit the Mediterranean again. LOL, I didn’t even mention the food that we had, that must be in another post. I will say even though I visited the gym frequently and walked a lot, I still managed to put on a few pounds!

[DocJohnB]

I would suggest to you, danceman, that when you go on another cruise and it's good and bad PLEASE don't feel compelled to write the bad points/complaints like you did here (there are just too many of them and many are not so valid) - keep them to yourself and chalk them up as learning experience. PLEASE DO NOT SCARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO NCL OR HAVE ALREADY BOOKED AND SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON SIMILAR CRUISES ON GEM (or Jade).

 

OK, just so I take you point correctly. One should only write about the POSITIVE points, so that people who are new to NCL or have already booked can live in a fantasy world until they do experience some of the negatives. I would guess that most of those who do read these boards are mature enough to separate the whines from the legitimate complaints.

 

I may not agree with all of what the OP has written, but I do appreciate that he has taken the time to write of HIS experiences.

 

Moderator: can this thread be closed?

Why?

[CanadianTwosome]

Thanks for the comments JackieIan.....you are completely right....the review was from my own point of view and my own experience and about what was right for me and my family. I listed both good and bad points as i found them. We did enjoy our cruise overall and did make friends. I think the bottom line is...you get what you pay for!

 

I have to say, i have laughed at some of the replies and how cross some of you have got...its really made me giggle! I howled laughing at how bluesea777 said i should 'chalk it down to experience and a conversation topic'....the bit about hairy spaniards rubbing shoulders with me in the pool....well, might be ok if you are a woman but im a man....and i aint going bragging to my mates and making conversation topics about it with them!!!

I dont mind the Spanish, ive been on ships which have been all one nationality before....but the Gem is attracting quite a lot of the budget end if you know what i mean.....ie...noisy and pushy people that seem to have little control over their kids.

 

We have 8 year old triplets....we have to go in school holidays. Just because we took our kids doesnt mean i cant moan about others on the ship.....there were too many for the amount of staff to cope with.

I usually deduct my kids tips as $50 - $60 per day (depending on which cruise line you are on) is just too much.

 

Announcements only in Spanish...now there's an idea!.....i wouldn't have understood them but at least it would have been over and done with in about 3 minutes rather than taking 15 minutes!....and hey, i wouldnt have missed anything...they were only about bingo, art auction, casino etc.

 

Funny hardly anyone has picked up on all the good points i listed!! Maybe its just an NCL fan club that dont like to hear any negatives about their favourite cruise line?

 

Two weeks later, and ive just come off Oriana....a P&O ship. Its been quite a stark contrast to be on two ships so close together.....although it was still school holidays the ship was never overrun with kids, or crowded, ....it was sophisticated and elegant. However, it didnt have the excitement of the Gem or the imagination and the shows were rather poor but there was a clear difference in service, food and management of the ship.......see, im not one sided or biased....like some that write on here! ....simply saying how i found it all.

 

I think generally when people see things they agree with, they just say 'thanks for the review' or somesuch... when you agree, what more is there to say? On the other hand, I think people are labelled as 'NCL (or insert any other cruiseline) cheerleaders' far too often. Most of the comments that people have made stating that they don't agree with some of your complaints are directed at things that are not cruiseline related - which is what most of them are referring to. Lots of kids during school holidays? You'll find the same situation (and subsequent complaints) on any affordable line. Lots of Spanish people on a ship that embarks from Spain? Was this really a surprise? Announcements in different languages? Come to Canada; on my last flight I decided that if passengers can fill out contact info on their boarding passes, they could also answer a simple question: Will you understand announcements in English? - I hate having to listen to everything in English and French ALL the time... but announcements are announcements, they can be ignored - and again, they happen on every ship. (some people are even interested!! :eek: )

 

All in all, I thought it was a pretty good review. I thought the majority of your negatives had a lot more to do with your fellow passengers than the ship/line itself, but it was still your take on your holiday, and I have to admit that one of the things I enjoy about cruising when we do is the lower numbers of passengers. :)

[Sandyrella]

Come to Canada; on my last flight I decided that if passengers can fill out contact info on their boarding passes, they could also answer a simple question: Will you understand announcements in English? - I hate having to listen to everything in English and French ALL the time... but announcements are announcements, they can be ignored - and again, they happen on every ship. (some people are even interested!! :eek: )

 

This is a legal requirement in Canada....The right for all citizens to be served in either language. Try living in Quebec when you when you call certain numbers you press 1 for French and 9 for English. Insulting? Yes, but a fact of our lives.

[CanadianTwosome]

This is a legal requirement in Canada....The right for all citizens to be served in either language. Try living in Quebec when you when you call certain numbers you press 1 for French and 9 for English. Insulting? Yes, but a fact of our lives.

 

I believe the Official Languages Act refers to federal services; retail store owners, for instance, are not required by law to have bilingual personnel. I don't know where air travel falls, but since there are government laws regarding air safety, I could see it being included. Even so, the law states that the services must be offered, based on what percentage of the population in a given area speak the minority language; it does not require that both languages be used arbitrarily and in most cases services are offered in the predominant language of the area with minority language service available upon request. I just think the airlines could easily take a poll when people check in and save some time once on board, since the plane can't take flight until the safety presentation is over. :)

[Sandyrella]

I believe the Official Languages Act refers to federal services; retail store owners, for instance, are not required by law to have bilingual personnel. In Quebec they are. I don't know where air travel falls, but since there are government laws regarding air safety, I could see it being included. Even so, the law states that the services must be offered, based on what percentage of the population in a given area speak the minority language; it does not require that both languages be used arbitrarily and in most cases services are offered in the predominant language of the area with minority language service available upon request. I just think the airlines could easily take a poll when people check in and save some time once on board, since the plane can't take flight until the safety presentation is over. :)

 

It may not be a law but it is a legal right as per the Canadian Association of Airline Passengers (CAAP) - Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

 

http://www.travel-net.com/~piacca/billofri.htm

See the first point in General Service Quality

 

I'm pretty sure that polling 200-300 people on what language they prefer would take much longer than the 3-5 minutes of the safety spiel or any other announcements made in both languages:rolleyes:

 

If you don't like listening to it in both languages you can always fly out of the states...but then you'll be listening to it in English and Spanish.:)

 

Canada is a bilingual country. You may want to get used to it;)

[CelticDuck]

There is no obligation for Quebec retailers to have bilingual personnel or offer services in both languages. Most accept that it makes sense from a business point of view. If you were to travel to Quebec city, Lac St. Jean or other regions outside tourist areas, you would find much less English spoken.

 

Here is Montreal, it is rare to find someone who does not at least get by in both French and English.

 

I find bilingual announcements annoying when I got it the first time, but I understand and accept the reasoning (and laws) behind them.

[pinotage]

So glad I don't like sitting around pools... and I don't do buffetts.

 

Maybe the OP should try a beach resort next time.

[Sandyrella]

There is no obligation for Quebec retailers to have bilingual personnel or offer services in both languages. Most accept that it makes sense from a business point of view. If you were to travel to Quebec city, Lac St. Jean or other regions outside tourist areas, you would find much less English spoken.

 

Here is Montreal, it is rare to find someone who does not at least get by in both French and English.

 

I find bilingual announcements annoying when I got it the first time, but I understand and accept the reasoning (and laws) behind them.

 

I stand corrected in the legality of Quebec retailers ensuring bilingual service. They must however, hire staff that can speak French lest someone complain to the OLF. It is the anglos that get the short end of the stick in that case. If staff is unilingually French, I'm not aware of a government body that will protect MY rights as an anglo. Just sayin...:)

 

BTW...Quebec City and Lac St. Jean both have very large Anglo communities and it is not hard to find English spoken in either place. They are also much less political with the laws and their enforcement of them.

[Sandyrella]

Danceman...I really enjoyed your review. I thought it was well-balanced with the good, the bad, and....well, you know!:p

 

I guess when you travel in the summer months you can't do too much about the kid situation. You may want to travel at another time of year to avoid this....just don't go over the Christmas holidays or in March!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write.

[CanadianTwosome]

It may not be a law but it is a legal right as per the Canadian Association of Airline Passengers (CAAP) - Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

 

http://www.travel-net.com/~piacca/billofri.htm

See the first point in General Service Quality

 

I'm pretty sure that polling 200-300 people on what language they prefer would take much longer than the 3-5 minutes of the safety spiel or any other announcements made in both languages:rolleyes:

 

If you don't like listening to it in both languages you can always fly out of the states...but then you'll be listening to it in English and Spanish.:)

 

Canada is a bilingual country. You may want to get used to it;)

 

You're making some assumptions about me... believe me, I'm used to living in a bilingual country (actually, there are many more than two languages spoken here and my understanding is that Toronto is the only place in the world where every known language is spoken). I am functionally bilingual myself, having taken French throughout my first undergrad degree and participated in two immersive sessions in Quebec. Regarding the requirement for English speaking services, while I don't know where you live, I can tell you that in Joncquiere and Chicoutimi, while I was there, I encountered very few service personnel (retail or restaurants) who spoke functional English. I can understand why availability of English services would be a requirement in the larger centres, due to the fact that they do business with non-francophones, though. I also met a fairly large group of students on my last immersion that were from Montreal... and I spoke better French than all of them. :)

 

Thank you for providing that link.:) It is stated as I expected:

 

The passenger is entitled to courteous service with full explanations of safety regulations and answers to questions in his or her Official Language.

 

To me, being entitled to it means that it has to be available, but not that it necessarily needs to be presented if nobody is unilingually French. As for polling passengers taking longer than the spiel itself, I disagree. Each and every passenger must check in before boarding, and a simple 'Will you require services in French?' during that process would take about two seconds. If ONE person answers, 'yes', then the French instructions would go ahead, and if nobody does, then it could be foregone. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

I should point out that the reason it bothers me so much is probably due to having to sit through an entire speech in two languages at a dance recital when my niece was small. I had to leave to go to work, and even though her group was first to perform, I missed it because the moderator felt it necessary to repeat her 30 minute speech in French - in REGINA. Sorry, but bilingual country or not, I do not believe for one second that there are any residents of Regina who ONLY speak French.

 

My only point in responding to the OP was that announcements are made in other languages wherever a perceived need exists for everyone interested to comprehend. I love my country, and part of being a Canadian is living with bilingualism. :) I certainly don't find it insulting; I just think it's a waste of time to repeat everything in a second language if no need exists.

[danceman]

So glad I don't like sitting around pools... and I don't do buffetts.

 

Maybe the OP should try a beach resort next time.

 

my kids like pools and buffets....and i have 3 of them. As im sure you know, there are generally more facilities on a ship than a beach resort. If i were to cruise without my kids, i might not spend much time around the pool or use the buffets so much, but anyone with kids will tell you that you need to be near the pool to keep an eye on them playing and that 3 eight year olds wouldnt want to go to the sit down restaurant each afternoon for a long drawn out meal....they want to get back to the pool to play! Anyone who has just one child will tell you its hard work....well i can tell you that having triplets is extremely hard work and so at the moment, time near the pool and using the buffets is easiest amd having the use of a ships facilities is the way we actually feel like we get a holiday ourselves as well as the kids.

[Sandyrella]

You're making some assumptions about me... believe me, I'm used to living in a bilingual country (actually, there are many more than two languages spoken here and my understanding is that Toronto is the only place in the world where every known language is spoken). I am functionally bilingual myself, having taken French throughout my first undergrad degree and participated in two immersive sessions in Quebec. Regarding the requirement for English speaking services, while I don't know where you live, I can tell you that in Joncquiere and Chicoutimi, while I was there, I encountered very few service personnel (retail or restaurants) who spoke functional English. I can understand why availability of English services would be a requirement in the larger centres, due to the fact that they do business with non-francophones, though. I also met a fairly large group of students on my last immersion that were from Montreal... and I spoke better French than all of them. :)

 

Thank you for providing that link.:) It is stated as I expected:

 

 

 

To me, being entitled to it means that it has to be available, but not that it necessarily needs to be presented if nobody is unilingually French. As for polling passengers taking longer than the spiel itself, I disagree. Each and every passenger must check in before boarding, and a simple 'Will you require services in French?' during that process would take about two seconds. If ONE person answers, 'yes', then the French instructions would go ahead, and if nobody does, then it could be foregone. Seems pretty simple to me.

 

I should point out that the reason it bothers me so much is probably due to having to sit through an entire speech in two languages at a dance recital when my niece was small. I had to leave to go to work, and even though her group was first to perform, I missed it because the moderator felt it necessary to repeat her 30 minute speech in French - in REGINA. Sorry, but bilingual country or not, I do not believe for one second that there are any residents of Regina who ONLY speak French.

 

My only point in responding to the OP was that announcements are made in other languages wherever a perceived need exists for everyone interested to comprehend. I love my country, and part of being a Canadian is living with bilingualism. :) I certainly don't find it insulting; I just think it's a waste of time to repeat everything in a second language if no need exists.

 

I'm not going to get into a long-winded debate with you about semantics. I know from your past posts that you won't back down until you think you've driven the point home but I am a born and raised anglo Quebecer who gets by in French but prefers my announcements in English. I have lived here all my life and while I may have issues with some of my rights being taken away from me, I can certainly have empathy for the other side. You are talking about taking away peoples rights because it is annoying to you. :confused: Whether or not they understand English is a moot point. The are "entitled" to receive the information in the language of their choice whether the minority or not. I would be insulted if I was polled on whether or not I understood enough French to listen to the announcements in that language alone.

 

You can continue arguing this point but I will not be back to respond. Until you have lived it, you will not understand it.

[Boston and beyond cruiser]

Danceman: Thanks for the honest review. I enjoy reading the balanced reviews and, like a previous poster observed, I tend to discredit the "one star hated everything" and the "5 plus plus stars - everything was perfect" reviews.

 

And the cheerleaders? I find them interesting, even if it's a little odd to get so worked up over a cruise line, for heaven's sake. Oh, well, whatever works.

 

That aside, I WANT YOUR JOB!!!!

 

Happy sailing everyone.

[sizzle_sisters]

maybe it's time for the donkey word again... second time tonight:D

I embrace multi languages. She's needs to get over it.

[DocJohnB]

Anyone who has just one child will tell you its hard work....well i can tell you that having triplets is extremely hard work and so at the moment, time near the pool and using the buffets is easiest amd having the use of a ships facilities is the way we actually feel like we get a holiday ourselves as well as the kids.

Danceman,

 

I am one who can truly empathize with the above. My brother and his wife have 9.5 y.o. triplets. My wife and I are not only aunt and uncle, but are almost surrogate grandparents (18 year age difference between brother and I and our folks were both deceased before the triplets were born and we were retired, etc. etc.) We helped raised them the 1st year and were an intricate part of their lives until we moved to Maine last year. It is hard work on land, I can only imagine that having to be constantly aware x 3 is even harder at sea. But, I am going to hazard a guess here and say your triplets had a blast . . . . you guys not so much, but enjoyed them.

[sjbdtz]

Danceman:

20. This is the first ship I've seen have reduced tipping rates for kids...half price....therefore it was the first time I've left the kids tips on our account as i usually have them taken off. Shame on you for taking off the tips, just to save money. For someone who has been on hundreds of cruises, you should realize just how important this money is to the people who work so hard for it. Some huge % gets sent back to keep their kids fed, too. Also, ALL NCL ships follow the same tipping / service charge structure....it's not ship-by-ship.

 

THE BAD POINTS:

2. I didn't like chair hogs....so I became one. Uh huh.

 

3. ...bunch of big hairy Spaniards jostling you for space. The "racist" charges stem from the difference between YOUR comment, and this comment: "bunch of big hairy men jostling you for space.". I said the same thing, just without specifically referring to a race of people. Bingo-sellers do not constitute a 'race'.

 

6. Multilanguage announcements! All the time and usually in 3 or 4 languages....it was the Costa ships all over again! No, it was Europe.

 

7. Constant revenue touting over the speakers....all day, every day! Before, during or after the information in 12 different languages? Reminding people who may have elected not to wear a watch at the pool, that the art auction they wanted to attend is starting in 10 minutes is not Revenue Touting. Not everyone is "budget" cruising like you, and some people WANT to go to Bingo, the Casino, or the Art Auctions.

 

8. No free Sauna ...you had to pay to go into the spa to use a sauna. There's a free sauna in the gym change-room. Across from the free steam room.

 

11. Needs either more deck space or less passengers. Maybe next time you & the four other members of your party will leave more space for others...by not being there?

 

13. The ship was 2/3 full of Spanish...nothing wrong with them except i don't feel the ship knows who its catering for...spanish, english, american, german, french and maltese who got on at Malta. It was hard to make friends with anyone as hardly anyone spoke the same language....and to be honest...the cultures are very different and i don't feel it works that well. If you don't like dealing with Europeans...don't cruise in Europe....or even vacation in Europe. 'Cause they're on land, too.

 

15. Sick of revenue touting....even selling bingo tickets in the theatre just before the curtain went up. There was a 'pool casino' so you could even gamble by the pool, yoga, pilates, abs , cycling classes...all chargeable. This is HOW the cruise was so economical. If these things had to be included, the cruise fare would increase.

 

18. The huge tv screen in the reception lounge was very glaring...no one could watch it with its glaring neon psychedelic colors, heat images and electro funk clips...how this added to the ambiance of the room i'll never know. And to top it, they put the classical quartet playing in front of it. It needs something more relaxing and beautiful to watch to match the music and purpose of the room. It was so bright, people were having epileptic fits looking at it! Really? People were having seizures in the reception area? That's information worth passing on to head office...if it's actually true and not an exaggeration.

 

...but with an itinerary that attracted less of a cocktail of nationalities. Maybe you could stay home? The danger of travel is meeting people from other places :rolleyes:

 

....the bit about hairy spaniards rubbing shoulders with me in the pool....well, might be ok if you are a woman but im a man....and i aint going bragging to my mates and making conversation topics about it with them!!! Good job. The only thing missing from the earlier post was something homophobic. Now you've covered that too.

 

I dont mind the Spanish, How noble of you.

 

ive been on ships which have been all one nationality before....but the Gem is attracting quite a lot of the budget end if you know what i mean. This is the funniest line in your review....other than the 20 or 30 times you talked about Price, Touting, Value-for-money, and how you'd only go again if it was cheap enough. ....ie...noisy and pushy people that seem to have little control over their kids.

 

 

We have 8 year old triplets....we have to go in school holidays. Just because we took our kids doesnt mean i cant moan about others on the ship..... yes it does.

 

there were too many for the amount of staff to cope with.

I usually deduct my kids tips as $50 - $60 per day (depending on which cruise line you are on) is just too much. This is just so sad. Is this related to being part of the "budget-end", or a belief that your children don't dirty the toilet when the use it, and therefore the cleaners shouldn't be compensated for cleaning up after them?

 

Funny hardly anyone has picked up on all the good points i listed!! Maybe its just an NCL fan club that dont like to hear any negatives about their favourite cruise line? No, it's just that the good points are all well-known. The NCL board definately is comprised mostly of people who like (or are planning on doing business with) NCL....

[sizzle_sisters]

too funny.. well said.

[sjbdtz]

, i would have preferred to pay more and get a bit more class.

 

Yes, a bit more class would serve you well.

 

12. Gaudy carpets...especially in cabins...3 shades of blue with orange and red shells and starfish on them. The designers must have had their work cut out to blend that with the wood paneling, yellow cabin door and cerise pink headboards!

 

Hang on....especially in cabins???? The carpets are WAY gaudier in the hallways.... and the elevator lobbies.... it's one of the best things about the Gem.

 

 

13. The ship was 2/3 full of Spanish...nothing wrong with them except i don't feel the ship knows who its catering for...spanish, english, american, german, french and maltese who got on at Malta. It was hard to make friends with anyone as hardly anyone spoke the same language....and to be honest...the cultures are very different and i don't feel it works that well.

 

Not sure why this is a negative. It's certainly not a bad thing with the ship. What would you suggest they do... bar all Englishmen from booking? (you weren't thinking of barring the Americans, Spanish German, French & Maltese....were you?)

 

 

I think I've also just found part of the problem. It would seem that you're not very adept at counting. You say "over 100 cruises"....but then you only list 58, in a list which would appear to be quite encompassing.

 

 

 

 

I'm surprised at how gentle the other "cheerleaders" have been. :rolleyes:

[DocJohnB]

7. Constant revenue touting over the speakers....all day, every day! Before, during or after the information in 12 different languages? Reminding people who may have elected not to wear a watch at the pool, that the art auction they wanted to attend is starting in 10 minutes is not Revenue Touting. Not everyone is "budget" cruising like you, and some people WANT to go to Bingo, the Casino, or the Art Auctions.

 

15. Sick of revenue touting....even selling bingo tickets in the theatre just before the curtain went up. There was a 'pool casino' so you could even gamble by the pool, yoga, pilates, abs , cycling classes...all chargeable. This is HOW the cruise was so economical. If these things had to be included, the cruise fare would increase.

 

 

sjbdtz . . . . isn't that just a bit of a contradiction. At least dancerman is consistent in this area. IMO, it is revenue touting and it gets quite tiresome on NCL, probably even for some of those who can't take the time to put on a watch.

 

...the bit about hairy spaniards rubbing shoulders with me in the pool....well, might be ok if you are a woman but im a man....and i aint going bragging to my mates and making conversation topics about it with them!!! Good job. The only thing missing from the earlier post was something homophobic. Now you've covered that too.

Not sure where you pulled that from . . . . sounds more like macho "chest thumping to me".

 

We have 8 year old triplets....we have to go in school holidays. Just because we took our kids doesnt mean i cant moan about others on the ship..... yes it does.

No it doesn't. You just don't have to agree with him, but he can moan about it if he wants. But the next part may be the important part of this argument:

 

there were too many for the amount of staff to cope with.

With 20-25% of the passengers being kids that cruise, I can almost guarantee that the crew was not equipped in numbers or equipment, that there were indeed too many for the staff to cope with.

 

No, it's just that the good points are all well-known.

That is argumentative at best. To the NCL loyalists they certainly are, they may even be to others who have cruised with NCL, but to someone who has never have cruised NCL before . . . how would they know?

[CanadianTwosome]

I'm not going to get into a long-winded debate with you about semantics. I know from your past posts that you won't back down until you think you've driven the point home but I am a born and raised anglo Quebecer who gets by in French but prefers my announcements in English. I have lived here all my life and while I may have issues with some of my rights being taken away from me, I can certainly have empathy for the other side. You are talking about taking away peoples rights because it is annoying to you. :confused: Whether or not they understand English is a moot point. The are "entitled" to receive the information in the language of their choice whether the minority or not. I would be insulted if I was polled on whether or not I understood enough French to listen to the announcements in that language alone.

 

You can continue arguing this point but I will not be back to respond. Until you have lived it, you will not understand it.

 

Wow. Thank you so much for explaining myself and my point to me.:rolleyes: You are correct that when someone clearly is not understanding me, I will try repeatedly to explain myself (especially when what I'm doing is defending myself), but since you've chosen to believe you know what I wanted to say better than I do, I agree that there's no point in continuing. I do find it interesting, though, that while you accuse me of wanting to take away peoples' rights (which I do not, and I have no idea how anything I said would lead anyone to think that), you apparently didn't think I had the right to make a comment on a free message board, and chose to take a simple remark and turn it into a personal issue.

 

Just FYI, I have 'lived it'. I LIVE IN CANADA, where EVERYONE 'lives it'. If you think that you are somehow 'living it' to a greater degree than the rest of the country, though, I have also experienced being a minority speaker in Quebec. I needed emergency services while in Joncquiere, and spent hours at the hospital unable to get services in English. It was extremely frustrating, to say the least.

 

I will ask you one favour now. Please, in the future, if you see me post on any thread, IGNORE IT. You pulled this thread completely off topic and started an argument where none was warranted. I don't understand it, but I'm glad it's over.

[bluesea777]

Too funny sjbdtz!!!

 

 

13. The ship was 2/3 full of Spanish...nothing wrong with them except i don't feel the ship knows who its catering for...spanish, english, american, german, french and maltese who got on at Malta. It was hard to make friends with anyone as hardly anyone spoke the same language....and to be honest...the cultures are very different and i don't feel it works that well. If you don't like dealing with Europeans...don't cruise in Europe....or even vacation in Europe. 'Cause they're on land, too.

 

I dont mind the Spanish, How noble of you.

 

 

Yeppers - and guess what? danceman's wife is spanish!!