OK-What's the Scoop on Norwegian Cruise Lines?

[coaster]

Yo!! A little off topic here as Tampa is a place NCL has ignored as a departure point over the course of their long history. Seen you have sailed on the SS Britanis. I am glad you got to sail on her. I saw her right before she left on her final departure from land in Tampa. It was sad to see the old girl tied up here for so long. Glad you were able to experience a classic ocean liner that I always wanted to be on.

[CC Help Michell]

Not sure what's going on with some of the negative LeBistro reviews on this particular thread, but it's perennially one of the two most popular NCL specialty restaurants (the other being Cagney's). LeBistro was the first specialty restaurant and we've loved it since our first time trying it (15+ years ago). Of course, we like French food, and not everyone does, and that may be the difference. We also think Cagney's is excellent, and definitely above Outback quality.

 

I hope you enjoy your first cruise on NCL. :)

[islandgirlejfan]

Not sure what's going on with some of the negative LeBistro reviews on this particular thread, but it's perennially one of the two most popular NCL specialty restaurants (the other being Cagney's). LeBistro was the first specialty restaurant and we've loved it since our first time trying it (15+ years ago). Of course, we like French food, and not everyone does, and that may be the difference. We also think Cagney's is excellent, and definitely above Outback quality.

 

I hope you enjoy your first cruise on NCL. :)

 

I love French food when I am in France and at Tersiguel's in Ellicott City near our home in Baltimore. Some of the best food I have ever eaten was in Strasbourg :D and on the Rue Cler in Paris. I don't consider what I had in LeBistro to be the best representation of French cuisine. It may be a popular venue on the ship, but I wonder if the reason behind that is because many people find out what a good deal the Romance Package is and they go there because of that. Most everyone around us seemed to be doing the celebration thing. Maybe that what's behind it's popularity. It was ok but for me (and my husband) personally, just ordinary. I however do love the atmosphere of the restaurant and the service there was above and beyond....more than made of for the ordinary food for me!:D

 

 

Oh and Yo Eleven....Pickles Pub is still there....busy as ever, especially on game day!:D

[Yo Eleven]

I just got off the Spirit from Boston and the food was really good. I gained 4 pounds. I do not go to the specialty dinning very often. out of 7 cruises I have only gone around 9 times. I went to Cagney's it was unbelievable. The cost adds up.

 

Norwegian Dawn is a real beautiful ship. I went on it a few years ago. I went from NY it was 14 days with Cozumel on it. The ports were great but watch yourself in Cozumel. The vendors are pitbulls. They llie and will tell you one price and charge your credit card another. Use cash....

 

The kids program is great. My daughter begs to go back. She is 4 almost five. She had a choice between Disney World and NCL she chose NCL without even blinking. The pools and the kids club keep her happy.

 

I have traveled on Holland America it was more expensive and the food was a bit fancier but not better. IT HAD SET DINNING which was hard with a 4 year old.

 

 

I play craps in the casino. There was only one table I think on the Spirit I cant remember on the Dawn sorry . I never had a problem getting a spot to play. Makes sure you get a players card so you can get credit for what you gamble.

 

The staff was very nice to me. I can only play at odd times because I am a non smoker.

 

The rooms are smaller than Holland America but price reflects that.

 

I hope this helps . I can see the good and bad in NCL. If you have any other questions I can try to help.

 

Anna

Thank you for the reply especially the information on the kids program!

And it looks like another great report for Cagney's.

I think you've finally gotten a lot of good info! We were on the Dawn for 11 days after sailing on mainly Princess (with a few others thrown in!) Just my 2 cents:

 

This cruise was MUCH cheaper than a similar cruise on another line. I also departed and returned to New York, so airfare was cheaper also.

 

Gambling: Lots of fun and seemed to be several people there most of the time. You know those times when it seems like you are the only person there? - not so much here. Dealers seemed to be having a good time too. The craps table looked busy most times.

 

Food: Tried the MDR - just OK for us. So just made ressies: 2 Cagney's, 2 Le Bistro's, 2 Italian, & 2 TexMex. DH loved his lobster in Cagneys - my med-rare filet was cooked as ordered and good. I loved the Escargot at Le Bistro and lamb. The Italian was our favorite. Whoever said there was an excellent antepasto tray was right!!! GREAT! And the gelato and cookies for dessert - yum!! Texmex was pretty good and just right for a quicker night. Didn't do the asian place - DH not a fan. During the day we found the buffet after 2pm has a NY Deli - type flavor which suited us. Lots of salads and fruit. Didn't care for the Blue Lagoon - but we don't like those fast-food type of things. Also a long wait with not enough waiters.

 

I noticed that the booze cost a bit more than other lines - this is probably how they make up that cheap fare!! And I do not mind this - it's not like you HAVE to drink!!:D (Well, YOU maybe not - but I do!!) I just usually ordered the whole bottle of wine - they will store it for you.

 

So in general - a nice cruise. I really liked the Dawn's size. She wasn't way too big, but still had all the good stuff. I like the pool area with the stadium seats and the back bar area. People were friendly and we had a great time (with no dogfood!!:D:D). If you are taking kids, I think that they have a better rate for them than some lines. Have a great time!!

Another awesome review. Thanks for taking the time to write. Looks like a great ship for kids. So far so good!

[Yo Eleven]

Yo!! A little off topic here as Tampa is a place NCL has ignored as a departure point over the course of their long history. Seen you have sailed on the SS Britanis. I am glad you got to sail on her. I saw her right before she left on her final departure from land in Tampa. It was sad to see the old girl tied up here for so long. Glad you were able to experience a classic ocean liner that I always wanted to be on.

 

Not sure what's going on with some of the negative LeBistro reviews on this particular thread, but it's perennially one of the two most popular NCL specialty restaurants (the other being Cagney's). LeBistro was the first specialty restaurant and we've loved it since our first time trying it (15+ years ago). Of course, we like French food, and not everyone does, and that may be the difference. We also think Cagney's is excellent, and definitely above Outback quality.

 

I hope you enjoy your first cruise on NCL. :)

Another nice report for Cagney's saying it is better than Outback. That works for me. I don't know if I would like the Bistro. Never really was into french food, but someone mentioned the tenderloin was better than Cagney's though.

 

As for Britanis! Yup. I was on that ship a long long time ago. The boat has a lot of history and it was an honor to be a part of it. Here is a nice video of the ship:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJKFzmnRT4c

 

:cool:

I love French food when I am in France and at Tersiguel's in Ellicott City near our home in Baltimore. Some of the best food I have ever eaten was in Strasbourg :D and on the Rue Cler in Paris. I don't consider what I had in LeBistro to be the best representation of French cuisine. It may be a popular venue on the ship, but I wonder if the reason behind that is because many people find out what a good deal the Romance Package is and they go there because of that. Most everyone around us seemed to be doing the celebration thing. Maybe that what's behind it's popularity. It was ok but for me (and my husband) personally, just ordinary. I however do love the atmosphere of the restaurant and the service there was above and beyond....more than made of for the ordinary food for me!:D

 

 

Oh and Yo Eleven....Pickles Pub is still there....busy as ever, especially on game day!:D

Mmmmm-I remember Pickles had like 9 soups of the day to choose from. And they were all good! I was at the aquarium less than a year ago. I been there a lot of times and it was still fun as ever!

[flashdog_1]

Yo, what kind of cabin will you be booking, and how many kids? So, how many cabins?

 

The suite perk of eating breakfast and lunch at Cagney's, away from the madding crowd of the buffet is a good one (especially the crab benedict for breakfast). I think on Dawn the only suite with room for 4 or 5 is the AB. But the much lower charge for 3rd, 4th, and 5th passengers helps considerably.

 

Also, in a suite you may eat in your room (from menus from any of the restaurants on board, including specialty ones), served by your butler. There is also a special room service menu for suites if that's a consideration.

 

If you will be getting a "regular' cabin or two to accommodate the kids, yes, they are small, but functional on Dawn. For instance, on Celebrity the insides, & ocean views were all 172 sq ft,(same as their balconies) but on Dawn the insides are 145 sq ft with smaller, much smaller, closets. But the bathroom is nice with a glass door instead of a curtain.

 

For a foodie, Celebrity is definitely my choice. Last year after having cruised NCL Majesty we had booked NCL Sun to Alaska, had our plane tickets, hotel reservation etc. and saw that Celebrity had the same cabin, same date, for the same price, so switched. No comparison in food on Majesty to that on Mercury! But I don't think Majesty's food was a good example of NCL's food.

 

We found a deal on Dawn last January and food was much, much better. Service is not as good as with fixed dining times on X, but Chef was great. So from here on out I am going to assume that it will be this way on the next two NCL cruises we've booked.

 

We love not having to take formal wear since NCL only has "dress up or not" night. This helps when you are flying.

 

If you are getting a balcony, look at the deck plans for those cabins with larger balconies, such as those at the stern.

 

Remember that NCL's buffets do not provide trays, so you have to juggle.

 

BTW I did not gain any weight on Majesty, and generally gain 5-7 lbs on Celebrity. Dawn was only a 2 lb gain.

[GORDONCHICK]

Did you eat all of that??????? YUM

 

The ceviche belonged to a tablemate and I did try it. The rest were things I ordered and thoroughly enjoyed over the course of a week.

[OceanDreaming2]

I would choose LeBistro over Cagney's. I'm not particularly fond of "French" food but the shrimp cocktail, beef tenderloin, cream of mushroom soup, and chocolate fondue are calling to me. Only 56 days to go!

[pateoreo1]

We were on the Pearl in June the first time in a suite so we were able to eat at Cagney’s. I am from Texas and I will not eat just any steak (the only good steak is the one I make at home). With that said we did have the steak 3 or 4 times on the cruise. We also did LeBistro and it was the first time we ever had Veal and it was very tasty. We only did the MDR once for the murder mystery.

[Yo Eleven]

I want to sincerely thank you all for the great amount of information you provided regarding NCL. I voted to book Norwegian Dawn however, the dates of the cruise are not working for one of the families that wants to join us. UGGGGG! BUT, I will sail NCL sooner or later based on the comments in this thread as it definitely sounds like a very nice experience.

 

Back to the drawing board to find a cruise that will satisfy everyone's travel plans. Thanks again.