klcardella

On 5/21/2023 at 2:10 PM, ontheweb said:

BTW, the TA we generally use once said to me if you have problems, don't let it ruin your cruise, contact me afterwards to get it fixed.

I wholeheartedly agree, but in this situation, waiting until we returned would have meant paying for drink package, etc. again, then hoping for reimbursement.  We were not confident that would happen, and considering we never got our excursion credit, I think it was wise.

We were on the May 7th cruise to Bermuda, and this is my first of 10 cruises with NCL that I was disappointed.  I liked the new layout with exceptions.  As said, there are more intimate seating areas around the ship, but there are several very popular spots (Penrose, Syd Normans), that are simply not large enough, making a ship with supposedly 36% more space pp feel very crowded.  We never got into Syd Normans, even with standing room.  The space holds a total of 70 people with 3200 on board. Doesn’t make sense.  We were able to enjoy the Penrose bar from a distance, but my husband did not like that we could not see the entertainment in the atrium from the upper levels, but I liked that there was more seating in the atrium overall.

If you are a pool person, you will most likely be disappointed on this ship.  Besides the main pool closure, the area is just small, plus shaded in large part by the racetrack.  The small pool areas on the sides of the ship are nice, but we had to go down there at 5:30 am to get a lounge chair near either of them.  It’s always a problem with people saving chairs, then leaving, but with fewer staff to remove these items, it seemed worse.  That being said, I enjoyed the outdoor areas of this ship the most of any other NCL ship as there are lots of seating areas not near the pools that were great for hanging out.

Another disappointment was the food, plus early closures.  Tried Hudson’s twice; abysmal service both times.  Food came out cold, no sauce as stated on the menu, fish tasted old, and it took more than 30 minutes to bring us new plates that were no better.  The service was great in the Commondore, so not sure if it’s just management of the spaces that is different?

Had a great meal in Onda, but for the first time at Le Bistro, we did not enjoy it.  The duck, which I always look forward to, was overcooked, tough, and the skin was not properly rendered, so it was thick and rubbery instead of thin and crispy.  Dessert was pretty, but inedible.  They also forgot a birthday that was set up in advance (2 separate occasions), and their response was it was our fault for not setting it up when we booked the cruise?  If that was necessary, we should have been informed the other 2 times we set it up.  Inexcusable customer service.

The limited hours in the venues also did not help with crowds, etc.  For the 1st time, there were several blocks of time where there were no options for food.  We tried to grab a bite before heading out to an excursion and NO venue was serving, and we asked.  We even sat down in the Local, but were told we had to wait until noon to order, but our excursion was at 12:30, so it just didn’t work.  Some of the bars (inifinity pool deck) that never opened the entire cruise, so the Local was the only bar serving inside and out, resulting in huge waits at the bar for a drink. Same with poolside service, or seating areas outside of the immediate bar.  It was non-existent, or extremely slow.  We routinely waited in excess of 30 minutes for drink orders in The Local, so we mostly just stood in line and ordered from the bar.  We were sitting there one night, and watched the bartender tell a passenger seated IN the bar but not AT the bar that he could not take a food order because it was not his job.  The passenger had been waiting for service for 45 minutes.  This is a HUGE departure from previous NCL cruises where service was always friendly and prompt.  
 

Entertainment was also lacking on this trip.  We enjoyed Donna Summer show, but the 10pm show time with no other option,  was too late for a long show.  I actually fell asleep.  Price is Right was well done and a lot of fun.  We tried to go on the go-carts, but the open hours never worked out for us.  We did the mini golf, but it looked run down, and the area was dark and dingy.  The VR area seemed cool, but $8 for a 2 minute game seemed excessive.  You can buy a 1 hour or daily pass, but there was not enough variety to justify that expense for us.  We also love trivia, but the venues were small and crowded, so we only went once.  We NEVER saw our cruise director except introducing the shows, whereas on previous cruises, the CD was everywhere, getting people excited about activities, etc.  We did enjoy the comedians very much.

The reduced cabin service was fine, and our room steward was great, as was the cabin overall (balcony).  More space, and the bathroom was very comfortable.

This was also the first cruise that I was forced to use the elevators most of the time due to an injury, and the waits were very long a lot of the time.   It may be the same on other ships, but I used the stairs a lot before, so cannot comment.

Last but not least was Guest (I hate to say Services).  For reasons still not explained, ALL of our amenities (dining, drink pkg, etc) were removed from our reservation sometime between final payment and embarkation.  We first noticed when we tried to get a drink right after boarding when we had to sign for drinks.  When we went to GS to update what we thought was a mistake on our key card, we found out we had nothing we had already paid for.  We had paid for an upgrade through NCL, and apparently that was when our paid-for amenities were removed.  GS pulled up our final payment receipt from December, and the receipt for the upgrade, showing our payments for everything, but told us we would have to pay again (over $500) since the amenities were not listed on the most recent receipt.  They admitted someone probably did not check the right boxes, but would not budge.  We had to call our TA, who then had to get in touch with her rep at NCL, who then had to send an email to NCL corporate, who then had to contact the ship (NCL rep nor TA were allowed to contact the ship directly) to verify our paid amenities even though we all had the receipts.  It was an NCL mistake, yet they put the burden on us; at one point telling us that when you pay for an upgrade, you lose all of the amenities you previously paid for.  Isn’t that the opposite of an upgrade?  They were rude and unhelpful; again the opposite of our previous experience with NCL.  Luckily, we discovered this while still in port with phone service, or we would have been SOL.  As it was, this did not get resolved until 2 hours after sailing, about 6 hours after embarking.

We had a New Years cruise booked on the Viva, but have cancelled due to our experience on the Prima.  We have a smaller ship booked for September, so will see if the problems extend fleet-wide, in which case we will be booking with other cruise lines.

4 hours ago, Meekofigaro said:

I sail on the 13th and we were notified that we are Not going to Kotor, leaving Venice at 8:30pm.

Our itinerary shows the update. 
my PCC showed it was for the 13th and 20th sailing . 
 

 

They did go this week, so keep us updated if Kotor is actually cancelled on your trip,  and I will update about the 20th saling.  My TA is planning this trip for next year, and thinking about changing their originating port to Athens to avoid this problem, so maybe not something that will be resolved anytime soon.

2 hours ago, imwmn913 said:

So, if they went this week 10/7, they will not got next week, but should go on 10/21?  The notice we got said Kotor was cancelled on 10/13 and 10/20 sailings, but maybe we still have a chance as we are sailing on the 20th.  We will keep our fingers crossed.  They did cancel our excursions though.

 

The email I received from our booking agent, states that for both the October 13 and 20th sailings, the stop in Kotor is canceled . Since it is the Port of Venice that controls the departures and arrivals, I would not think that anything would change. I had read in an earlier thread on this site as well as on the sister site Trip Advisor/Venice Forum, that all this is a result of the 'incident' in Venice between a large cruise liner and an excursion tourist boat. There is a lot of ship traffic there. So, the port authorities determined that they needed to slow down the  traffic using what ever methods they are now using.

Yes , it is a bummer that Kotor will not happen, however, but I think safety rules in this matter.  

Best to go with the flow... ! (no pun intended)

I spoke with someone on the 10/6 sailing that were notified that Kotor was cancelled, but the Star was in port there yesterday, 10/7 according to cruisemapper, so not sure if the notifications are just in case

20 minutes ago, ollienbertsmum said:

 

To be honest, if I lived in Venice I would want the ships to leave.  The place was like Oxford street the week before Christmas.  It was not jolly though.  Even the gondolas were stuck in traffic jams 

 

 

But the act of moving the port is probably more complex than it sounds.  What about all the people who at present work at the very busy cruise port.  What about the investors in the very busy people mover?  What about all the taxi drivers?  What about the many small hotels and restaurants that rely on people staying  overnight before their cruise?  

 

Venice is lovely and will always have visitors, but it seems to me that moving the cruise ships away from the city to prevent any more environmental damage is going to take a lot of planning.  

I agree with this also.  Maybe they should not actually come into port, but tender and limit the number of ships at one time.  There is also growing evidence that the cruise ships are damaging small ports such as Kotor, so maybe these ports should just not be available to large cruise ships - maybe only smaller luxury ships live Viking.

47 minutes ago, GA Dave said:

It sounds to me like the cruise lines really need to just stop using Venice.  Based on all the mainstream media reports, plus what people are posting on CC, it is definitely apparent that both the government officials and the residents of Venice do not want the revenue generated by these ships due to the overcrowding/environmental impact.  The business owners in that area probably feel differently, but I think they will lose the battle in the long run.  I wonder if other cities such as Trieste, Ancona or Messina would be willing to take on some of these ships.

I agree.  I spoke with NCL, and questioned why they are still selling Kotor as a port if they cannot reasonably leave Venice in a timely manner on a regular basis for several months now.  They told me that they were thinking of building a new port in Venice, but I said that does not help people that are booking now.  I understand if ports are changed/cancelled due to weather, etc., and it happens, but this is an ongoing problem, (since the end of July) but they are still selling this itinerary and exursions.  Of course CS has no answer, only that they can pass that on.

10 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

They know that far in advance.  The Venice port authorities have slowed down the rate of departure from the port to reduce the environmental damage being caused by the ships.  

 

Star is leaving last on alternate weeks and this does not give time to reach Kotor.  It is a shame, you basically get a day at sea.  It is not a deal breaker, the cruise is still lovely. 

 

So, if they went this week 10/7, they will not got next week, but should go on 10/21?  The notice we got said Kotor was cancelled on 10/13 and 10/20 sailings, but maybe we still have a chance as we are sailing on the 20th.  We will keep our fingers crossed.  They did cancel our excursions though.

Thanks

Does anyone have any updates on this POC?  Cruise mapper shows NCL Star in Kotor today.  we are scheduled on the 10/20 departure from Venice, but were informed last week that Kotor was cancelled.   Do they know that far in advance what their timetable leaving Venice will be, or are they just changing the schedule just in case.  It seems like some people are notified they are not going, then the ship actually goes to Kotor. 

Thanks

You can call, or just make your reservations on myNCL.com.  We only called when we had a large party (more than 6); otherwise we made our reservations on NCL.  If they don't have the time you want, you can also change it once you get on the ship.  They usually have cancellations/changes. 

Have a great time!

Ok, so every woman I know is wearing jeans or even pants that are distressed, holes and unhemed at the ankle. I have one such pair of nice white pants that have holes in the knees. ( I know, nice pants with holes,,but they are super cute!) Do you think they will let me in the dinning room for lunch with these on? Same pants, in black, do you think they would let me in the dinning room for dinner wearing them?

 

Please no rude comments, it's a fashion thing. Thank you:o

As others have said, I don't think it will be a problem for lunch, and probably not for dinner if they are not really raggedy. That said, they did ask my husband to remove his cap for breakfast on a morning we were headed outside. Not a big deal, but surprised since it was breakfast and many people were in shorts and beach cover ups. I guess it just depends on the person at the door.

Hi all,

 

Is Ocean Blue on the Bliss included in the dining plan? It is showing as a la carte. So I'm wondering if I can make reservations online without paying the upcharge? like we would Cagneys, Q etc...

 

When we were on the Getaway last year... we made reservations online before the cruise and had to pay the 17$ something upcharge at the time of booking. But it seems it has changed to a la carte pricing?

 

Anyone who's been on the Bliss and gone here and has any info would be great, ty!!!

There is a $7 pp upcharge for people with the UDP, but nobody in our party (10) thought is was worth even that. Very poor selection, unless you really love oysters and shellfish, except lobster or crab, which is not on the new menu. It used to be on the old menu. Appetizers were very good, but the fish entree was very bland (had better in the Garden Cafe), and 3 people in our party found the scallops inedible. I would never even think about going back. We have lived in So Fla for 30 years, so are very spoiled by fresh seafood, and nothing on their menu was up to par.

We enjoyed Le Bistro, as we do on all of NCL cruises. Probably my favorite. La Cucina was surprisingly good after hearing bad reviews - not upscale Italian, but well prepared and a decent selection. We usually like Cagney's, but were not impressed on the Bliss. I usually order a porterhouse, but it was literally less than 1/2" thick, so they could not reasonably cook it to medium rare, and anyone who enjoys steak knows a thin steak is just not juicy, even when cooked rare. First time I had to send something back. Others had the prime rib and filet, and they were happy. They also did away with the bone-in ribeye, and the substitution was not nearly as good. Unless you REALLY like oysters, avoid Ocean Blue. The selection was minimal (no lobster or crab on Alaska cruise?). The mussels and clams we had as appetizers were very good, but the fish dish was bland and non-distinct. Service was so-so. I expected MUCH better for a restaurant with a cover charge. Would never waste my money to go back. We had better seafood on the buffet. Others in our party loved Los Lobos (for the guacamole) and Teppenyaki, but nobody tried Q

We were on the Bliss from 7/28 to 8/4, and there were no crab legs on the seafood buffet as pictured in the link above. If you realllllly like shrimp, it was not very amazing.

On the Bliss, we chose La Cucina, Cagney's, Le Bistro, and Ocean Blue (we had a 4-day UDP because of group booking).

First time at La Cucina, and really liked it. Not an extensive menu (none really are), but the dishes were delicious and well-prepared.

Really loved Cagney's on the Getaway, not as much on the Bliss. They offered Lobster with your steak (additional charge) on the Getaway; no option anywhere on the ship for Lobster on the Bliss. Also, no crab legs, which should have been offered on an Alaskan cruise. Also, I love porterhouse, and the one on the Bliss was only 1/2 thick, so they had a difficult time getting it rare, plus I like a thick steak, which is usually the case at better steak houses. That said, others that ordered the filet or the ribeye had thick steaks. Sides were good, not great.

Le Bistro was excellent. I love duck, and they prepare it perfectly. The entire meal was great. I am not a dessert eater, but everyone seemed to love them.

Not a fan of Ocean Blue, and would not eat there again. We got the "new" menu, and after someone posted the "old" menu, we may have like it better with that menu. Choices were very limited, and besides the appetizers, our fish dish (halibut) was overdone and lacking taste. Others that ordered the scallops did not eat them (they were pretty bad, cooked OK, but fishy tasting). Overall, a disappointing experience.

Others in our group loved the Japanese steak house, and Los Lobos. Nobody ate at Q; not big BBQ fans.

Older menu, originally posted by BirdTravels (assuming rude not to give credit where it's due! :-)) From old menu we'd have like the crab legs, crab cakes and fried calamari, all gone.

 

 

 

Probably would have liked Ocean Blue much better with this menu! We had the new menu, and found the choices very limited. Would not go back with the new menu, but would consider with the old

We sailed on the Star last December and ate three times at à la carte specialty restaurants (twice at Le Bistro and once at Cagney's), each time with a different server. Unless all three servers were lying/misinformed, it's now one appetizer and dessert per person only.

We just sailed on the Bliss, and we ordered multiple appetizers and/or desserts (party of 10) on several occasions. We were never charged. Nobody ordered a second main course, but they did not blink and eye at multiple first courses, salads, desserts, etc.

DH and I have a reservation in Ocean Blue and I don't mind the up charge so much but if I'm understanding correctly, it's an up charge in addition to counting as one of our 3 specialty restaurant picks? Is it that good? Just wondering.

CM

I don't think it was worth it at all. 10 of us dining, and it was everyone's least favorite by far. The menu looks good, but is limited, and our halibut was overcooked. Appetizers were good, but the mains were so-so, and just not very good. We had the UDP and paid $12 pp, but I would not eat there again for free.

I just booked Ocean Blue last night for our Nov Bliss cruise and there was no up charge.

They must have changed it, which is good. We paid $12 pp in July 2018, and it was definitely NOT worth it. I would not eat there again even without the upcharge. Very limited menu, and while the appetizers were very good, the main courses were so-so. 10 very un-picky people in our party, and nobody particularly liked it. The other restaurants on board were much better, including the complimentary ones. It was everyone's least favorite, which is saying a lot for seafood lovers