Finally Platinum Status.. But.. Will I go on NCL anymore?

LONG POST. Read if you are bored OR interested in my comments :cool:

 

I am finally Platinum status on NCL. I actually got it back in June, but haven't booked any upcoming cruises yet on NCL. My next cruise will be next year on Princess (will be 2nd time with them). I do love NCL, as most of the 15 or so cruises I have been on has been with them and have always recommended them to my friends. However, the more and more cruises I have been on recently with them (5 in the last 2.5 years), I am starting to take my business elsewhere. Overall, I think their service is declining and they keep nickel and diming their customers (this bothers me the most). I am curious how others are feeling and their opinions on recent travel. I'll describe a little bit about myself / experiences lately, to get a better understanding of where I am coming from. My goal out of the post is to share experiences / opinions good or bad.

 

Me - 31 year old male. Travel with wife last several cruises. Normally book Balcony, sometimes inside if Balcony is super expensive. Always try to upgrade to Balcony. I like to drink when I am on vacation. 99% of the time I DO NOT get stupid in public and behave myself ;p. I also like to dress up at night and go the majority of the shows on board. I'm NOT, what I like to call a chronic vacation complainer. Someone who will complain about everything while on vacation and no matter what you do for them, they can't be pleased.

 

Disclaimer - Trust me, I realize NCL needs to make a profit and make money for their shareholders. But, my question is how far will they go, until they are going to start to loose customers. My gripes listed below are focusing on how the last few years NCL (in my opinion) has gone excessive when it comes to charging more, and losing benefits. I am not saying I won't go on NCL anymore, but in the past they always seemed to be "the best bang for your buck" with the best service, and now I don't think so.

 

My recent "gripes", no particular order -

 

 

1) No more salmon lox at buffet.

Don't know how long this has been going on for, but last trip I went on, we went to buffet (normally do sit down) and they did not have it. I asked one of the head waitresses and she was nice enough to get some for me. She did bring out almost 1.5 lbs worth was insane. I felt bad not eating it all.

 

2) No more lobster tails at regular dining.

I know this has been gone for a while? But I purchased the dinning package last time, and paid even more money for the lobster at Ocean Blue, and was not impressed. The lobster tail for "free" at the regular dinning in the past was better than that one. Everything else at Ocean blue was great, and the service was excellent!

 

3) Alcohol package prices / drink prices

Recently the price going up has bothered me. It does mean you have to tip more now since base went up. Plus, what if you didn't want it and paid for drinks. Regular drink prices on NCL are INSANE. Carnival and Princess still have reasonable prices without package. Not sure about RCCL, haven't been on them in a while. Also, it was nice when the gratuity on the alcohol package was included. It still is on Princess. Have used the "free" package on Princess last year, and also will use it next year. Plus theirs, includes all coffee and bottled water!! To comment further, they now have a surcharge for "super premium", that was included when they first started the package. Also, certain wines now (the more expensive) or only availble on the drink package in the more expensive dining locaitons. What's going to be next? How far will they go?!?

 

4) Quality of service

Personally I think the service quality has gone down.

 

Drinks - I remember back in the day, when you go on the ship, they would be in your FACE trying to get you to buy a drink. I feel like now with the alcohol package, it can be harder to get a drink, during peak times. I did find it was hit or mess, if you were laying out by the pool, someone would come by and get you a drink. That was really nice, when that would happen. Honestly, I didn't really care too much, consdering the bar is about 20 feet away, and I am not that lazy. I won't say this is with everyone, there are so many great bartenders still on the ships and I know they work hard.

 

Dining - The last few times we had long waites while sitting down for dinner. By this, I mean we were already sitting down, waiting for the wait staff to come by to get a drink, or place our food order. It wasn't all the time, but the last 2 cruises, I thought it was longer than normal. I didn't complain or say anything. I am wondering about similar expereinces?

 

Interested in your comments, hopefully you didn't fall asleep reading this.

So being on the opposite side, Elite with Princess... I am going on my FIRST cruise with NCL in December. Princess has declined in many ways too! I am just totally bored with Princess... the crowd seems to be getting older and older, with stale shows, boring activities, and ever declining specialty food quality.... they only have a few specialty options as it is, and the steakhouse has been terrible the last three times... now they too are charging $10 for extra entrees. The "Crab Shack" is a specialty option that is nothing more than a roped off section of the buffet area, is overpriced, and most of what is sserved you can find in piles at the buffet! Now Princess does have the best buffet I've seen (on the Royal and Regal). Really good! Coming from New England, I just don't care about Lobster on a cruise ship... it's Caribbean lobster, and when you have lots of Lobster at home, the REAL cold water variety, the over salty-mushy cruise ship version sucks. I agree NCL's drink packages are ridiculously overpriced... and that absurd price with no premium coffee or bottled water?? NCL is the ONLY line to not include those items on their premium package. Getting the package as one of the perks makes it a non-issue... but I would NEVER pay that absurd price for it outright. For the price I paid for a spa balcony, it was over $1000 less than a balcony on Princess. I get the thermal suite which costs another $179-199 on Princess... and it's a fraction of the size of the one on NCL. Elite benefits are really nice, including a bar setup and free 250m internet package amongst other goodies. But it's just BORING. So we'll see how NCL compares. I have Escape booked in March, but the same cabin is like $2700 vs. $1700 on Princess so I may very well be back on Princess with that much savings.

Princess has cut considerably too... in many ways. If you want a totally chill-out cruise, and don't care about the shows or night time activities, and much more limited dining options, then Princess is fine. The staff are great and it's still a decent product, especially if you are Elite. I'll be very interested to see how I feel after this first NCL cruise!

Seems to me that if you're that dissatisfied, you should should look elsewhere. Just know that the grass is always on the other side. It seems, every cruise line is in a constant state of change. Maybe seeing what others have to offer will either send you right back to NCL, or to land based vacations.

For our money, it's still a good value and a great time. We're platinum plus with NCL and 3 star with HAL. We cruise each line for a different reason. HAL still has lobster, btw, but you need a steak knife to cut it.

You're the only one who can decide for yourself. Good luck.

OP,

Your comments are right on the money. NCL is maximizing their profits/earnings to satisfy the shareholders.

Consider, prior to beverage packages,it was key to maximize alcohol sales to maximize profits. Every time you turned around there was someone willing to get/sell you a drink. Now with the packages, the less you drink maximizes profit. It seems rather apparent when you see a huge bar with only 2 bartenders when there could easily be 3 or 4.

Dinner service used to be focused on one or two dining rooms. Now there are multiple venues with up-charges. You don't put your best servers in the free dining room. Maximize profits. The salmon is served in the MDR at breakfast rather than the buffet, maximize profit. Trendy drinks like Dark&Stormy are now premium along with all but 1 bourbon. The extra charges maximize profits. Lobster is available for a 25 dollar up charge and to the Haven guests paying a premium, again maximize profits.

That all being said. I will be boarding the Escape Haven aft cabin next Saturday and will have a fabulous cruise. Sure a couple of things will bug me but this is the way it is now and I won't let it affect my vacation. For those of you that responded to the OP with “it really doesn't affect me”have no doubt that NCL and all the other cruise lines are working overtime to devise ways of separating you from your money and when you say “that really doesn't bother me” or “I don't mind”they have succeeded.

I can agree and disagree with this thread. I think its silly to complain salmon is not at the buffet LOL. I used to take 2 NCL cruises every year. That stopped in 2015. Prices went way up, gratuities went up, perks were slashed, services cut, etc. Those are the reasons I stopped cruising with NCL and not because of no lobster or salmon in restaurants.

We sail primary NCL. But, if you are looking at an Alaska cruise it would be the perfect opportunity to try Princess. IMO, they are the best for Alaska especially if you are looking at doing a cruisetour.

 

The one thing that is a must when doing Alaska is Glacier Bay. I think I am correct in that The Bliss does not go in the Glacier Bay, you would need to take a smaller ship, such as the Pearl.

Princess and HAL were the original lines that did Alaska so yes, they have it down better. I am not a Princess fan, yet I would gladly cruise them if doing Alaska.

SubSmithy:

Of course everyone has his/her own opinion but when you say rates and gratuities have increased, this is true of all lines or have you had a different experience? We certainly have not. As for service; same, not quite like it was 10 or 20 years ago. Food, I happen to think the food in the MDR at dinner has gone uphill, not down. We are not ones to use the buffet often or the MDR for lunch, so am not one to judge the quality at noon.

OP,

 

Your comments are right on the money. NCL is maximizing their profits/earnings to satisfy the shareholders.

Consider, prior to beverage packages,it was key to maximize alcohol sales to maximize profits. Every time you turned around there was someone willing to get/sell you a drink. Now with the packages, the less you drink maximizes profit. It seems rather apparent when you see a huge bar with only 2 bartenders when there could easily be 3 or 4.

Dinner service used to be focused on one or two dining rooms. Now there are multiple venues with up-charges. You don't put your best servers in the free dining room. Maximize profits. The salmon is served in the MDR at breakfast rather than the buffet, maximize profit. Trendy drinks like Dark&Stormy are now premium along with all but 1 bourbon. The extra charges maximize profits. Lobster is available for a 25 dollar up charge and to the Haven guests paying a premium, again maximize profits.

That all being said. I will be boarding the Escape Haven aft cabin next Saturday and will have a fabulous cruise. Sure a couple of things will bug me but this is the way it is now and I won't let it affect my vacation. For those of you that responded to the OP with “it really doesn't affect me”have no doubt that NCL and all the other cruise lines are working overtime to devise ways of separating you from your money and when you say “that really doesn't bother me” or “I don't mind”they have succeeded.

If you really feel it is maximizing to satisfy share holders, explain stocks being up on all 3 mass marketed lines this year and big time. I guess you must feel all the cruise lines are screwing the clients to satisfy stock holders. The only problem with your thinking, if this is the case, sooner or later people will stop cruising and stock holders will left to holding a bunch of worthless paper.

If you really feel it is maximizing to satisfy share holders, explain stocks being up on all 3 mass marketed lines this year and big time. I guess you must feel all the cruise lines are screwing the clients to satisfy stock holders. The only problem with your thinking, if this is the case, sooner or later people will stop cruising and stock holders will left to holding a bunch of worthless paper.

Nita,

No I don't think the cruise lines are screwing the clients. They are managing giant publicly held companies. They will devise strategies to attract and service a variety of clientele. Part of that strategy is finding a price point and service level that the market will bear. Right now, the market is full of baby boomers who's children have grown and have plenty of disposable income. Hence the existence of the Haven and $799/afternoon cabanas on Harvest Caye.

I think it was totally fair for the OP to lament services that he one got and enjoyed and no longer receives or now come at a premium. I sympathize with him. The bourbons that I once drank with the UBP are no longer available and I am limited to one brand without an upcharge. I found that out last year after I actually paid for the UBP. Perhaps when cruise line management reads such comments and reviews, it may spark a change in service level. For those that respond with "it doesn't bother me" good for you. You have found that balance of service vs cost that is just right for you.

Nita,

No I don't think the cruise lines are screwing the clients. They are managing giant publicly held companies. They will devise strategies to attract and service a variety of clientele. Part of that strategy is finding a price point and service level that the market will bear. Right now, the market is full of baby boomers who's children have grown and have plenty of disposable income. Hence the existence of the Haven and $799/afternoon cabanas on Harvest Caye.

 

I think it was totally fair for the OP to lament services that he one got and enjoyed and no longer receives or now come at a premium. I sympathize with him. The bourbons that I once drank with the UBP are no longer available and I am limited to one brand without an upcharge. I found that out last year after I actually paid for the UBP. Perhaps when cruise line management reads such comments and reviews, it may spark a change in service level. For those that respond with "it doesn't bother me" good for you. You have found that balance of service vs cost that is just right for you.

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Nita,

No I don't think the cruise lines are screwing the clients. They are managing giant publicly held companies. They will devise strategies to attract and service a variety of clientele. Part of that strategy is finding a price point and service level that the market will bear. Right now, the market is full of baby boomers who's children have grown and have plenty of disposable income. Hence the existence of the Haven and $799/afternoon cabanas on Harvest Caye.

Choice of liquors, well hubby has been very happy with the scotch chouces

I think it was totally fair for the OP to lament services that he one got and enjoyed and no longer receives or now come at a premium. I sympathize with him. The bourbons that I once drank with the UBP are no longer available and I am limited to one brand without an upcharge. I found that out last year after I actually paid for the UBP. Perhaps when cruise line management reads such comments and reviews, it may spark a change in service level. For those that respond with "it doesn't bother me" good for you. You have found that balance of service vs cost that is just right for you.

I am not suggesting the OP is wrong, I happen to feel, if he doesn't think the product is what he wants or is accustom to, maybe it is time to move on. I am question your reasoning about keeping the stock holders happy. If service goes down, and perks go away, are people going to stop cruising and I am not talking just NCL? If the industry loses money, over time stock holders are going to lose as well. Cruising like any other industry exists to make money , not lose it. Oh and as for the Haven, though I would not pay the extra I know several who have and they think it is worth every penny. Cabanas on Havest Caye, if someone is willing to pay that amount good for them. No one forces them to do so.

As for the upcharge on liquor because they don't offer you brands anymore, would you expect them to offer Johnny Walker Gold for instance. Hubby is a scotch drinker and like quality scotch, so far he has had no complaints about the choices. Neither has my son in low or most people I know. A perk is always going to have some limitations. Even if you pay a few $$s extra for the brand you want, you are still getting a good deal or at least I think you are.

Platinum plus here, enjoy the loyalty rewards every cruise, better than on CCL or RCCL, but not much of a factor. Don't drink so I will probably never sail Sky. After the cruise glow wears off I find myself more concerned with who goes where when rather than which cruise line is involved. Enjoyed the RCCL Anthem 9 day cruise to New England/Canada, could have taken the Gem for a few less dollars. We have enjoyed the Gem on 4 previous cruises, decided to try something different and enjoyed the newer, bigger ship. We had hoped to take the Jewel Japan to Alaska cruise, but it came out to late we are instead going with RCCL Mariner of the Seas from Singapore to Barcelona. It was originally scheduled to go from Barcelona to Miami, but that leg was canceled. So now we are scheduled to spend 2 days in Barcelona and then get on the Carnival Horizon on its maiden voyage to NYC. Never been on Carnival before, beats flying home I hope. We now go to Asia every fall and back to the USA every spring. We want to take the Jewel back to the Pacific and Australia in fall 2018, but the booking is still not available, we already have a deposit in RCCL coming back to the USA in April 2019. We have found a slight decline on all the cruise lines, our first cruise in 2006 on Mariner of the Seas we looked forward to lunch in the buffet, they had great soup, large variety, it was like they hired the Soup ****onale. Have not seen any that good since, but I am more of an eat to live rather than live to eat, so we keep cruising. Gonna take a 10 day out of Singapore in February on Princess, $1,600 for 10 days inside cabin for 2, was shocked at the low price, our first Princess cruise, hope there are no other shocks.

We too are Platinum and agree with you. The service is declining as is quality.

I noticed on our last cruises that with most of the ship having the beverage package, just getting a drink is often difficult.

We are looking at land based vacations as well as other cruise lines. While we still love NCL...they need to work a little harder to keep my business.

We too are Platinum and agree with you. The service is declining as is quality.

I noticed on our last cruises that with most of the ship having the beverage package, just getting a drink is often difficult.

 

We are looking at land based vacations as well as other cruise lines. While we still love NCL...they need to work a little harder to keep my business.

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I couldn't agree more with op. The customer service might be the worst in any industry. They have a system that makes it impossible to get imediate results. I'm not sure how long it's been going on but when you file a complaint about anything the only thing you can do on board is get a business card with a number to call, when you call with your case number you then have to file an email wait 3 weeks to just speak with ncl.

I actually did find (besides the photos) far less nickel and diming on the dawn but that was expected with less activities to push.

We got off the ruby princess on Saturday, we needed a vacation after a September dawn cruise which was not so pleasant. It was a far better experience even with massive fires all around. Like ncl princess free food lacked taste but the specialty dinning was on point.

So being on the opposite side, Elite with Princess... I am going on my FIRST cruise with NCL in December. Princess has declined in many ways too! I am just totally bored with Princess... the crowd seems to be getting older and older, with stale shows, boring activities, and ever declining specialty food quality.... they only have a few specialty options as it is, and the steakhouse has been terrible the last three times... now they too are charging $10 for extra entrees. The "Crab Shack" is a specialty option that is nothing more than a roped off section of the buffet area, is overpriced, and most of what is sserved you can find in piles at the buffet! Now Princess does have the best buffet I've seen (on the Royal and Regal). Really good! Coming from New England, I just don't care about Lobster on a cruise ship... it's Caribbean lobster, and when you have lots of Lobster at home, the REAL cold water variety, the over salty-mushy cruise ship version sucks. I agree NCL's drink packages are ridiculously overpriced... and that absurd price with no premium coffee or bottled water?? NCL is the ONLY line to not include those items on their premium package. Getting the package as one of the perks makes it a non-issue... but I would NEVER pay that absurd price for it outright. For the price I paid for a spa balcony, it was over $1000 less than a balcony on Princess. I get the thermal suite which costs another $179-199 on Princess... and it's a fraction of the size of the one on NCL. Elite benefits are really nice, including a bar setup and free 250m internet package amongst other goodies. But it's just BORING. So we'll see how NCL compares. I have Escape booked in March, but the same cabin is like $2700 vs. $1700 on Princess so I may very well be back on Princess with that much savings.

 

Princess has cut considerably too... in many ways. If you want a totally chill-out cruise, and don't care about the shows or night time activities, and much more limited dining options, then Princess is fine. The staff are great and it's still a decent product, especially if you are Elite. I'll be very interested to see how I feel after this first NCL cruise!

Let me know what you think. It's funny that I am doing the opposite. Going on Princess for the 2nd time next year. After reading most of these posts. I think people make a good point. If you are used to going on the same line, just like I am guilty of it. You notice so many more things, and when something goes away you notice it. But when you go on a line you might not be used to, it's the opposite. I will say Princess had the best pizza, I've had on any cruise ship I have been on. I think you will enjoy NCL. I will say the two times I have booked Princess. I got a steal of a deal on a balcony with the alcohol package, to where it is the same price as NCL. I still think overall NCL might have the best value, but again they keep pulling key benefits away (that are important to me).

My personal experience is this...

We went on our first (Carnival) cruise in 2005 and felt so nickel and dimed, I didn't think we'd try it again. We were on a 5 day cruise and had a huge tab at the end even though we didn't do much.

A few years ago, we tried an all inclusive. It was nice, meals fantastic... but huge price tag (and no lobster unless you paid extra!) and there just wasn't much to do. The advertised activities were pretty sad in reality.

Least year, we wanted to do a nice spring break trip and knew that our kids would be bored to tears at an all inclusive so we decided to give cruising another shot. We considered 3 cruises from the same region with basically the same itinerary. NCL won out because of price (beat the others by $200-500 and included drinks!), cabin layout, and kid stuff.

We had a great cruise. I didn't notice nickel and dime stuff because there are SO many free activities. Lobster situation was the same as the resort (that we paid over double for with half as many people) but food overall was good and there were a lot of options. I actually thought the salmon mousse was OK 😂

Service in the restaurants I did feel was seriously lacking. Hostesses and servers in the included restaurants ranged from not personable to rude. Most bartenders and drink servers were indifferent at best (and I tipped every drink!). The buffet attendants and our cabin steward were amazing though.

At the end of the day, the positives outweighed the negatives and we had a 0 balance on our account by the end (prepaid grats and a little obc that we used for clamshells and a shuttle bus). We had a good time, the kids loved it, and we booked another for May. We did look at other lines once again, but couldn't beat the value of NCL. Plus, the casual freestyle was the perfect fit for us.

I guess that my point is that all cruise lines nickel and dime. Bumps in the road aside, NCL is the best value for my money. I'm glad that I didn't cruise them before the cutbacks though, so I'm not jaded. I can see where others might be.

I am going on my first NCL cruise in November on the Breakaway so I don't have much to say about their cruises. I do think the price of their drink packages and internet are outrageously expensive for what you get. I have been on several RC cruises and I usually buy the Ultimate drink package with internet (unlimited) bundle and it cost approx $54 a day. This includes specialty coffees and bottled water. I think someone who is Platinum status should get more perks for being loyal. Lox and lobster are definitely up my alley so I feel your pain. I also think that those of us who cruise on a regular basis should give constructive feedback to our chosen cruise lines and let them know that what we want and expect in the dining rooms, amenities, and service.

I am going on my first NCL cruise in November on the Breakaway so I don't have much to say about their cruises. I do think the price of their drink packages and internet are outrageously expensive for what you get. I have been on several RC cruises and I usually buy the Ultimate drink package with internet (unlimited) bundle and it cost approx $54 a day. This includes specialty coffees and bottled water. I think someone who is Platinum status should get more perks for being loyal. Lox and lobster are definitely up my alley so I feel your pain. I also think that those of us who cruise on a regular basis should give constructive feedback to our chosen cruise lines and let them know that what we want and expect in the dining rooms, amenities, and service.

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constructive criticism is the secret. As for the platinum status, they perks are as good as any and better than some.

Drink package, expensive yes, but remember most get it as a perk. That makes a huge difference. I do not think that many lines, including RCI offer the same perks as NCL. If one does purchase the drink package separately on NCL you are right it way too pricey for many of us, unless you are a huge consumer of alcohol. Lets face it, no matter what line you cruise there will always seem to be a line with better pricing or perks, but in the end,all mass marketed lines are similar. NCL, overall, probably has the best pricing if you take the class of ships, itinerary,etc into consideration, but that is just my opinion.

Kevin7Kodac7 is completely right. With all the perks here and there a TA can be a Gift from God for many of us. You have this package, versus that package, this cabin versus that and on and on. I know more people who have booked, thinking they have all the answers but to find out it is quite as simple as it appears.

I was on the Dawn last year and the Pearl this February...and wondered...where did all the drink waiters go? Most times we had to go to the bar and ask for a drink. I guess More free drink packages may mean less chances of being served a drink. But on Carnival on the other hand....you are asked often maybe too often if you would like a drink....

LONG POST.

 

My recent "gripes", no particular order -

 

 

1) No more salmon lox at buffet.

Don't know how long this has been going on for, but last trip I went on, we went to buffet (normally do sit down) and they did not have it. I asked one of the head waitresses and she was nice enough to get some for me. She did bring out almost 1.5 lbs worth was insane. I felt bad not eating it all.

 

2) No more lobster tails at regular dining.

I know this has been gone for a while? But I purchased the dinning package last time, and paid even more money for the lobster at Ocean Blue, and was not impressed. The lobster tail for "free" at the regular dinning in the past was better than that one. Everything else at Ocean blue was great, and the service was excellent!

 

3) Alcohol package prices / drink prices

Recently the price going up has bothered me. It does mean you have to tip more now since base went up. Plus, what if you didn't want it and paid for drinks. Regular drink prices on NCL are INSANE. Carnival and Princess still have reasonable prices without package. Not sure about RCCL, haven't been on them in a while. Also, it was nice when the gratuity on the alcohol package was included. It still is on Princess. Have used the "free" package on Princess last year, and also will use it next year. Plus theirs, includes all coffee and bottled water!! To comment further, they now have a surcharge for "super premium", that was included when they first started the package. Also, certain wines now (the more expensive) or only availble on the drink package in the more expensive dining locaitons. What's going to be next? How far will they go?!?

 

4) Quality of service

Personally I think the service quality has gone down.

 

Drinks - I remember back in the day, when you go on the ship, they would be in your FACE trying to get you to buy a drink. I feel like now with the alcohol package, it can be harder to get a drink, during peak times. I did find it was hit or mess, if you were laying out by the pool, someone would come by and get you a drink. That was really nice, when that would happen. Honestly, I didn't really care too much, consdering the bar is about 20 feet away, and I am not that lazy. I won't say this is with everyone, there are so many great bartenders still on the ships and I know they work hard.

 

Dining - The last few times we had long waites while sitting down for dinner. By this, I mean we were already sitting down, waiting for the wait staff to come by to get a drink, or place our food order. It wasn't all the time, but the last 2 cruises, I thought it was longer than normal. I didn't complain or say anything. I am wondering about similar expereinces?

 

Interested in your comments, hopefully you didn't fall asleep reading this.

I agree with you, but do believe as many have stated that all of the mainstream cruise lines and been cutting back to keep pricing competitive. And their is an attempt to cut things they think the majority of the people won't really mind seeing go away.

I don't eat lox, I don't eat lobster, I don't drink alcoholic beverages on cruises or drink much alcohol at all -- maybe six drinks a year, since I just drink water and lemonade on the ship I don't mind getting my own and don't like people pushing drinks. That means I'm one of the people that wouldn't notice four out of the five complaints. Now the longer waits for dinner I do mind. On our last NCL cruise, we had good quick service on four of our six dinners, but one specialty restaurant and one meal in the main dining room had super slow service.

I think trying another line is probably a good move for you. For us our next cruise will be our second NCL cruise. Our first NCL one was a welcome change from Carnival.