First time NCL cruiser impressions

[KSinMex]

Just got off the Sun on the 14 day Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. This was our first time with NCL. Previously cruised Carnival, Celebrity, Orient Lines and Oceania. Just wanted to share some of my impressions about NCL for others who may be considering them.

 

1. Stateroom - we had a balcony cabin (BB on deck 9). Funishings and layout were fine, very similar to Oceania except lower quality of furnishings. Bed was very uncomfortable, though. Colors were garish and ugly, for those who care. Major complaints: No coffeemaker in cabin (as advertised) - had to track down steward to request it. No ice bucket or extra glasses in cabin - had to track down steward and request. This, even though we paid through the nose to have a bar setup in our cabin. We were told that these items will be supplied per request only. My husband had to get the ice from the bar every day. Maybe we just had stewards who didn't really give a lick. But this was not the kind of experience we have had on other lines. Also it took a couple of days to discover that if we wanted towels replaced we needed to throw them on the bathroom floor or in shower. Signage to that effect would have been nice.

 

2. Food - acceptable. We prefer to dine in the MDR. Food quality was inconsistant. Tortilla soup had so much chili oil I couldn't eat it (and I like spicy food). Same was true for my husbands duck salad (??). Fish was always overcooked, seems to have been sitting in a warning dish for awhile. Menu choices were pretty limited, with various versions of pork dominating the menu. The two best items I had were rack of lamb and prime rib. In general, food for dinner was good but not great. We ate in two specialty restaurants - French and Italian. Both were very good. Italian just $10 surcharge, French a hefty $20. Breakfasts in MDR - slow and cold... Buffet - hot plates to put cold salads and deli items like cheese doesn't work so well. Almost impossible to find seating. Fairly good selection of food, but nothing special. Also, a change from other lines we've been on - the waiters were there to sell you bar drinks only. Ice tea or coffee (anything free) was totally self serve.

 

3. They spend a lot of time trying to sell themselves. It was like living in an adverstisement - "Free to do whatever" every time you turn around. They could tone that down a bit in my opinion.

 

5. Itinerary - FANTASTIC!

 

6. Tender service - Excellent. Never had to wait to get on or off.

 

In general, we enjoyed our cruise. Loved the itinerary (which is why we booked this cruise). Would we go with NCL again? Not sure.

[Akitkat118]

honestly, my first NCL experience was on Dawn in August of 09. I'd previously sailed on Royal Caribbean and Carnival... NCL is my least favorite. I am not fond of the freestyle cruising and we were with a group of 10 so it was hard to be seated in the dining rooms. I also have found that cabin service is better on other cruise lines. We're going on another NCL cruise on April 9 in Europe.. and the only reason we are doing it is because of the price we got and the unusual itinerary. I think I am going to stick to RC in the future if I can help it.

[STARFISH*4]

LOVE NCL ....LOVE FREESTYLE...looking forward to our SAIL on the SUN in dec...THANKS for your review!

[DMH15]

I went on this ship and itinerary last year. I agree, this itinerary was very special. We made all the ports, I even got to Antarctica. What a thrill.

 

I was in an aft AC suite. Although the layout was incredible, the furnishings were drab, like you say. I was happy to hear that the Sun was scheduled for a drydock re-do this October, but now I hear it's posponed to 2011. I was disappointed to not have the Lavazza coffee maker that is talked about on CC a lot, in suite reviews. Alas, on the Sun only in the AA. Our "Mr. Coffee" was okay and as I have also sailed in an Outside and Mini on NCL would miss a coffee maker big time if not provided.

 

As far as stewards, it can be hit or miss. We had friends in balcony cabins... One had great stewards, the others did not. I have had good ones in all 3 cabins I have sailed and I know I was lucky, because that is pretty much luck of the draw. They should all be great, trained that way, too bad that's not what really happens.

 

I agree with you, I loved Il Adagio. The food, atmosphere and service made it the best $10 I spent on the Sun.

 

Thanks for a nice balanced review. I hope you try another NCL ship. I loved the Sun, but mostly for the aft balcony and cabin AND the suite perks, but take those away and I hear ya. The Dawn and Jewel are newer and have different vibes.

 

Happy cruising.

[newmexicoNita]

Just got off the Sun on the 14 day Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. This was our first time with NCL. Previously cruised Carnival, Celebrity, Orient Lines and Oceania. Just wanted to share some of my impressions about NCL for others who may be considering them.

 

1. Stateroom - we had a balcony cabin (BB on deck 9). Funishings and layout were fine, very similar to Oceania except lower quality of furnishings. Bed was very uncomfortable, though. Colors were garish and ugly, for those who care. Major complaints: No coffeemaker in cabin (as advertised) - had to track down steward to request it. No ice bucket or extra glasses in cabin - had to track down steward and request. This, even though we paid through the nose to have a bar setup in our cabin. We were told that these items will be supplied per request only. My husband had to get the ice from the bar every day. Maybe we just had stewards who didn't really give a lick. But this was not the kind of experience we have had on other lines. Also it took a couple of days to discover that if we wanted towels replaced we needed to throw them on the bathroom floor or in shower. Signage to that effect would have been nice.

 

2. Food - acceptable. We prefer to dine in the MDR. Food quality was inconsistant. Tortilla soup had so much chili oil I couldn't eat it (and I like spicy food). Same was true for my husbands duck salad (??). Fish was always overcooked, seems to have been sitting in a warning dish for awhile. Menu choices were pretty limited, with various versions of pork dominating the menu. The two best items I had were rack of lamb and prime rib. In general, food for dinner was good but not great. We ate in two specialty restaurants - French and Italian. Both were very good. Italian just $10 surcharge, French a hefty $20. Breakfasts in MDR - slow and cold... Buffet - hot plates to put cold salads and deli items like cheese doesn't work so well. Almost impossible to find seating. Fairly good selection of food, but nothing special. Also, a change from other lines we've been on - the waiters were there to sell you bar drinks only. Ice tea or coffee (anything free) was totally self serve.

 

3. They spend a lot of time trying to sell themselves. It was like living in an adverstisement - "Free to do whatever" every time you turn around. They could tone that down a bit in my opinion.

 

5. Itinerary - FANTASTIC!

 

6. Tender service - Excellent. Never had to wait to get on or off.

 

In general, we enjoyed our cruise. Loved the itinerary (which is why we booked this cruise). Would we go with NCL again? Not sure.

 

Thanks for you input and what appears to be a fair observation as you saw it. I am a little surprised your view on the buffet. We have cruised every mass marketed line (I am not comparing any line with luxury lines like Oceana) and have found the buffet to be outstanding on NCL. Well, outstanding as a buffet could be. Buffets are just that, a place to grab a quick meal and everyone can find something to their liking. By the way, I haven't been on a cruise in the past 3 years where the wait staff in the buffet has done much of anything other than clean up when people leave and sell drinks. On some, they have asked if everything is ok? I can't remember ever having someone in the buffet ask if they could get me coffee. Oh, maybe years ago, but certainly not recently nor would I expect it.

 

You seemed to enjoy your 2 specialty dining experiences which is great although you mentioned le Bistro was a hefty $20.00. I beleive that is the cheapest of all mass marketed specialty dining rooms.

 

I am sorry you didn't find the service in your cabin up to par, we had a similar experience on our last NCL cruise. In fact I ended up talking to the house keeping manager next to the last day. He said, I should have complained earlier, but nothing seemed worth bothering about, it just they did amount up. I think it is only the second time we didn't tip our cabin steward extra. On our last Princess we didn't either.

 

Again, it does sound like you had a good time and that is the important thing.

 

Nita

[Sauer-kraut]

Thank you for posting your impressions of the SUN. I will be sailing her transatlantic in Oct and was wondering how the beds would be. I hope the sofa bed will be okay, we are 3 in a cabin and I think we will be swtiching up the beds every 4 nights.

 

:(

[bar_20]

You forgot impression #4? Was that the entertainment?

 

How do the extra charge restaurants compare in costs to the other cruise lines you mentioned? Oceania excluded as someone else said it is not a mid-major line.

 

Your impression #3 is my pet peeve with NCL! However it's not something that would keep me away. Usually after a couple of days I have tuned them out.

[terrymtex01]

OP.. thank you for taking the time to post about your cruise. I am very sorry it did not live up to your expectations. Now I do want to say I am a huge fan of NCL's, but there are some of the negative parts of your review I do agree with. The furnishings are not super nice. I wouldn't have called them drab, just from our experience, but.. well.. cheap maybe? And for some reason the bed and sofa we had on the Sun were the most uncomfortable of any we have had. The sofa was like a rock, no comfort at all.

 

I do have to say we actually enjoyed all of the food we had on the Sun, and that was before the suite perk of having breakfast and lunch in the specialty restaurant. Maybe it has been so long since we have been on other lines (RCCL, CCL and Radisson), but we have always found NCLs food to be just as good as what we experienced on those lines. Service in the dining rooms, while good, is different, since you do usually have different servers every night with Freestyle, but for us, we love Freestyle so much that we are willing to lose a little bit of that special personal service you get with traditional.

 

I also believe that not every cruiseline is for every person. There are people who post on CC all the time that I have become CC friends with who love CCL as much as they love NCL, and although I respect their opinion, I wouldn't step foot on another CCL cruise. There were just things I did not care for on CCL. That maybe true for you as far as NCL. That is why there is so much choice available. For us, NCL offers a good product for the cost. Is it top notch or the best? Not in all areas, but it's usually very good considering the cost comparisons we have made when booking cruises.

 

None of my post is meant to deminish your review, just sharing from one cruiser to another. I really am sorry you were disappointed with some things, but I am glad you enjoyed your cruise over all and I am glad you took the time to post your experience here on CC.

[pictonite]

OP - thanks for a really honest review. We sailed this same itinerary in December - it truly is spectacular, isn't it?

 

We have sailed on other lines, and only recently discovered NCL. We love their itineraries, and their reasonable prices. I would agree with you that the Sun is a little tired looking, and needs some TLC. However, we found the crew to be really friendly and approachable. As has been stated - the stewards can vary tremendously. We had a BB cabin, and a pair of hard working and personable young men to accommodate us.

 

I would also agree about the buffet area on the Sun. It was the area I disliked the most on the ship. I would also agree that Il Adagio is a lovely place to spend an evening. A bargain at $10!

 

I have sailed on the Pearl, and will be sailing on the Gem this year. I really loved the Pearl and I am hoping that her sister ship will be as nice. If you try one of the newer ships I think you would be pleasantly surprised.

 

Thanks again for reminding me of a wonderful trip to SA!

[LJH1]

I have to admit that the Sun is not as fresh as some of the other NCL ships. We were on it 19 days last Nov doing SA cruise. They still hadn't completed the 2.0 upgrade stuff such as coffee makers in the suites and all the tvs were the old box ones.

Would be interested to know if they have put the Lavgazza coffee machines in the suites yet as well as the flat screen tv.

[newmexicoNita]

i think one thing some forget, the Sun isn't brand new or glitzy but that doesn't mean she isn't in great condition. She also has something no other NCL or probably any other ship has: Las Rambles...Maybe we are all so used to the newer, huge ships that we think every ship has to sparkle from stern to stern..The biggest problem with the Sun: the buffet area, the interesting thing about that, and I agree it is poorly laid out, 5 years ago we wouldn't have found it bad. We are just getting spoiled in some regards.

 

Nita

[amistad]

I just wanted to chime in about the ice in your cabin, it must be a fairly new thing, we stayed in an AC suite in March on the Spirit and we were not given ice unless we called room service and there was a sign stating you must call. I actually felt like I was imposing on the staff to call for ice, not because they made me feel that way, but I hate to be a bother. Thank you for taking the time to post your review, it's a shame all the lines seem to be cutting back here and there, most of the stuff I could care less about, but some services/items I wish they would rethink.

[DGSFlorida]

Having cruised NCL 7 times, I find the dining situation to be less than enjoyable, particularly when you happen to have a large family group. On our last 3 cruises we had groups of 12 and 10. On days when you want to avoid a large upcharge ($150 to $200 for the group at a meal) and eat in one of the main dining rooms, you need to fight for a suitable space in advance which is usually available only for an early dining time. They refuse to allow reservations in the main dining room for future days and you basically can only be accommodated by splitting your group. Who wants to fight for a place to eat you have already paid for on a vacation cruise? Furthermore, buffets like the chocoholic can be a disaster as the passengers overwhelm the space and forage for scraps. Not unusual to find no plates available or also no place to sit. We consider NCL to be the cruise line of last resort.

[luddite]

Having cruised NCL 7 times, I find the dining situation to be less than enjoyable, particularly when you happen to have a large family group. On our last 3 cruises we had groups of 12 and 10. On days when you want to avoid a large upcharge ($150 to $200 for the group at a meal) and eat in one of the main dining rooms, you need to fight for a suitable space in advance which is usually available only for an early dining time. They refuse to allow reservations in the main dining room for future days and you basically can only be accommodated by splitting your group. Who wants to fight for a place to eat you have already paid for on a vacation cruise? Furthermore, buffets like the chocoholic can be a disaster as the passengers overwhelm the space and forage for scraps. Not unusual to find no plates available or also no place to sit. We consider NCL to be the cruise line of last resort.

 

I'm pretty certain that they discourage fighting aboard-ship.

[CruiseNut7]

So sorry you had a bad experience. I appreciate your candid review.

 

My first sailing with NCL was not a good experience - AND it was one that I had planned for a large family reunion. Obviously, I had a lot of family upset with me.

 

Then last year we took a short NCL sailing and had a grand time. Our balcony cabin was smaller than others we'd cruised in, but it was cheerful and service was very good. We didn't mind paying the surcharge for a few of the restaurants as NCL's rates are so much lower than other cruises lines.

 

We are now booked on the NCL EPIC and really looking forward to setting sail on this mega ship!

[bluesea777]

Mind you, we do not bother to make or drink coffee in our cabin which means we had to store the coffee machine elsewhere in the cabin so we had space for our stuff.

 

Last cruise was the first time we did not see one in cabin, so assumed that a lot of people felt the same way as we do, and that the coffee machine can be provided on request.

 

As for ice: I think it's to cut down the waste - we never used or used very little ice during each of the 4 cruises we took. Last cruise was also the first time they didn't have ice buckets in room. Maybe it was the South American cruise, not Caribbean.

[newmexicoNita]

Having cruised NCL 7 times, I find the dining situation to be less than enjoyable, particularly when you happen to have a large family group. On our last 3 cruises we had groups of 12 and 10. On days when you want to avoid a large upcharge ($150 to $200 for the group at a meal) and eat in one of the main dining rooms, you need to fight for a suitable space in advance which is usually available only for an early dining time. They refuse to allow reservations in the main dining room for future days and you basically can only be accommodated by splitting your group. Who wants to fight for a place to eat you have already paid for on a vacation cruise? Furthermore, buffets like the chocoholic can be a disaster as the passengers overwhelm the space and forage for scraps. Not unusual to find no plates available or also no place to sit. We consider NCL to be the cruise line of last resort.

 

for large groups that do want to eat together freestyle isn't ideal, but we had a similar problem when we cruised Celebrity for our granddaughters wedding. They could only seat 8 at a table. That worked for our group, the younger ones (newly weds, college friends, etc) had to split up into 2 or 3 groups. The positive thing for us when we travel with a large group is the options of all eating together one night, splitting up on other nights. I guess it just depends on what works best for you. Nothing works for everyone, that is why we are so lucky to have choices.

 

Nita

[chezbo99]

My husband and I got off the Sun the day the OP boarded. We had a BC balcony and had excellent service. When we first boarded I left a note that said, ice please. When we returned from dinner and then twice a day, every day we had a full bucket of ice and clean glasses waiting for us! We also had a small sign in the bathroom that told us to put the towels on the floor if we wanted them replaced--just like many hotels now, including the one in Buenos Aires we had just left. We put our towels on the floor and had fresh ones hanging, again twice a day. I found the pillows to be very hard so I asked for a softer one the first morning onboard. That night I had one and the next day I had two! Maybe we were lucky, but we were very well looked after!

 

We also ate most meals in the dining room, Four Seasons. The servers were very friendly and the meals were served at a very nice pace. There weren't many people there for breakfast as it is reserved for those staying in a balcony. Our food was always hot or cold, as would be expected and very good. Of course I didn't LOVE everything they served but that is to be expected.

 

We went to the buffet three times and only when we had to due to excursion times. The food was fine...I just prefered the atmosphere in the Four Seasons to all the traffic and hustle in the Garden Cafe.

 

I totally enjoyed this trip around South America. The itinerary was amazing and we were very comfortable and treated well by the crew.

[wack001]

Just got off the Sun on the 14 day Valparaiso to Buenos Aires. This was our first time with NCL. Previously cruised Carnival, Celebrity, Orient Lines and Oceania. Just wanted to share some of my impressions about NCL for others who may be considering them.

 

1. Stateroom - we had a balcony cabin (BB on deck 9). Funishings and layout were fine, very similar to Oceania except lower quality of furnishings. Bed was very uncomfortable, though. Colors were garish and ugly, for those who care. Major complaints: No coffeemaker in cabin (as advertised) - had to track down steward to request it. No ice bucket or extra glasses in cabin - had to track down steward and request. This, even though we paid through the nose to have a bar setup in our cabin. We were told that these items will be supplied per request only. My husband had to get the ice from the bar every day. Maybe we just had stewards who didn't really give a lick. But this was not the kind of experience we have had on other lines. Also it took a couple of days to discover that if we wanted towels replaced we needed to throw them on the bathroom floor or in shower. Signage to that effect would have been nice.

 

2. Food - acceptable. We prefer to dine in the MDR. Food quality was inconsistant. Tortilla soup had so much chili oil I couldn't eat it (and I like spicy food). Same was true for my husbands duck salad (??). Fish was always overcooked, seems to have been sitting in a warning dish for awhile. Menu choices were pretty limited, with various versions of pork dominating the menu. The two best items I had were rack of lamb and prime rib. In general, food for dinner was good but not great. We ate in two specialty restaurants - French and Italian. Both were very good. Italian just $10 surcharge, French a hefty $20. Breakfasts in MDR - slow and cold... Buffet - hot plates to put cold salads and deli items like cheese doesn't work so well. Almost impossible to find seating. Fairly good selection of food, but nothing special. Also, a change from other lines we've been on - the waiters were there to sell you bar drinks only. Ice tea or coffee (anything free) was totally self serve.

 

3. They spend a lot of time trying to sell themselves. It was like living in an adverstisement - "Free to do whatever" every time you turn around. They could tone that down a bit in my opinion.

 

5. Itinerary - FANTASTIC!

 

6. Tender service - Excellent. Never had to wait to get on or off.

 

In general, we enjoyed our cruise. Loved the itinerary (which is why we booked this cruise). Would we go with NCL again? Not sure.

 

Thanks, I have sailed; Carnival, Celebrity, RCL, Oceania, & HAL, sailed 21 times and I consider myself a pretty savvy traveler. Booked my 8th on NCL, Freestyle is more of a "FOR A FEE" eat anywhere you want but expect to pay. However, I personally like NCL, I like the service, food is fine, buffet is perhaps the BEST I have had and I do not like buffet food, enterainment is par but I find a lot of fun activties, so I keep coming back, I LIKE NCL.

cruisinbob.com

[newmexicoNita]

My husband and I got off the Sun the day the OP boarded. We had a BC balcony and had excellent service. When we first boarded I left a note that said, ice please. When we returned from dinner and then twice a day, every day we had a full bucket of ice and clean glasses waiting for us! We also had a small sign in the bathroom that told us to put the towels on the floor if we wanted them replaced--just like many hotels now, including the one in Buenos Aires we had just left. We put our towels on the floor and had fresh ones hanging, again twice a day. I found the pillows to be very hard so I asked for a softer one the first morning onboard. That night I had one and the next day I had two! Maybe we were lucky, but we were very well looked after!

 

We also ate most meals in the dining room, Four Seasons. The servers were very friendly and the meals were served at a very nice pace. There weren't many people there for breakfast as it is reserved for those staying in a balcony. Our food was always hot or cold, as would be expected and very good. Of course I didn't LOVE everything they served but that is to be expected.

 

We went to the buffet three times and only when we had to due to excursion times. The food was fine...I just prefered the atmosphere in the Four Seasons to all the traffic and hustle in the Garden Cafe.

 

I totally enjoyed this trip around South America. The itinerary was amazing and we were very comfortable and treated well by the crew.

 

It amazes me and always has, how 2 people can experience the same thing and see it so differently..

 

Nita

[terrymtex01]

I just wanted to chime in about the ice in your cabin, it must be a fairly new thing, we stayed in an AC suite in March on the Spirit and we were not given ice unless we called room service and there was a sign stating you must call. I actually felt like I was imposing on the staff to call for ice, not because they made me feel that way, but I hate to be a bother. Thank you for taking the time to post your review, it's a shame all the lines seem to be cutting back here and there, most of the stuff I could care less about, but some services/items I wish they would rethink.

 

I have to say if this is the new policy, I'm going to be bothering staff A LOT.. LOL.. I'm one of those that die when I got to Europe because I'm VERY American. I want a full glass of ice with my drink. My first trip to Germany we had a great Italian restaurant on the first floor of the hotel. It was so delicious we ate most night there. First night we ate there I got a soda and it had one small cube of ice in it. The next night I asked the owner (a small restaurant where the owners actually served the tables .. it was a really neat place) for extra ice and I got two cubes that night.. LOL. From then on I told them I would gladly pay extra if I could get a full glass of ice..

 

Thanks, I have sailed; Carnival, Celebrity, RCL, Oceania, & HAL, sailed 21 times and I consider myself a pretty savvy traveler. Booked my 8th on NCL, Freestyle is more of a "FOR A FEE" eat anywhere you want but expect to pay. However, I personally like NCL, I like the service, food is fine, buffet is perhaps the BEST I have had and I do not like buffet food, enterainment is par but I find a lot of fun activties, so I keep coming back, I LIKE NCL.

cruisinbob.com

 

cb.. if you liked the buffet on the Sun, you will LOVE it on the Pearl. To me, the Pearl has one of the best buffets, not just on a cruise ship, but for any mass market kind of place. And I am like you.. I don't care too much for buffets. 8-)

 

I do have to say I hated the buffets on the other NCL ships we have been on. I don't hold that against them because, as I said, I'm just not that fond of buffets to begin with.

[rusticfurnituremaker]

"We also ate most meals in the dining room, Four Seasons. The servers were very friendly and the meals were served at a very nice pace. There weren't many people there for breakfast as it is reserved for those staying in a balcony. Our food was always hot or cold, as would be expected and very good. Of course I didn't LOVE everything they served but that is to be expected." (from a prior post, I didn't want to quote the whole post)

 

Is the Four Seasons really only for those staying in a Balcony? We are in a BB leaving on April 26, I am dreading the thought of having to go to the buffet.

 

Thanks!

 

Amy

[Ms belp]

Nita, some people require more than others. I think their expectations are not realistic.

[flashdog_1]

I thought that that the cutbacks for 2010 had excluded the short lived "balcony & above" breakfast and lunch special dining room. Is this not fleet wide? Does anyone know for sure? I mean if Sun just had it, why not the other ships?

[bluesea777]

"We also ate most meals in the dining room, Four Seasons. The servers were very friendly and the meals were served at a very nice pace. There weren't many people there for breakfast as it is reserved for those staying in a balcony. Our food was always hot or cold, as would be expected and very good. Of course I didn't LOVE everything they served but that is to be expected." (from a prior post, I didn't want to quote the whole post)

 

Is the Four Seasons really only for those staying in a Balcony? We are in a BB leaving on April 26, I am dreading the thought of having to go to the buffet.

 

Thanks!

 

Amy

 

Nope, Four Seasons is open to everyone for dinner. It is open to balcony pax for brekky and is closed at lunchtimes.

 

The SUN has 2 MDRs - the larger Seven Seas and the smaller Four Seasons. We found ourselves dining in Four Seasons most evenings and really enjoyed it. We went to Seven Seas some lunchtimes and found it very good also.

 

One tip ... the buffet usually carry same soups and some dishes that are also served in the MDRs at the same time.