NCL quality consistency

[davy jones]

Hi All,

 

I apologize in advance is post is lengthy.

 

I am returning to crusing after a 10 year absence. While cruisng in the past, I thought that there was no thing as a bad cruise, as long as the weather was good and the seas were calm. Cruising has changed considerably since we last sailed. The largest ship that we sailed on until now was the Seaward (now Sea) in 1989. It was a wonderful ship.

 

I did the homework and checked many cruise review sites and several cruise guide books. We don't want to fly to a port, so we limited the search to NY, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. We narrowed the choices to the Dawn and Carnival Miracle, which have similar itineraies. We chose the Dawn because of the freestyle concept and Great Stirrup Cay, which we fondly remember. I didn't find this board until after we booked. The board has been very helpful. Thanks to all posters.

 

There seem to be many conflicting opinions on the board from previous NCL passengers. It seems to be love it or hate it on just about everything. Food, service, entertainment, kid's program, etc.

 

Now the question that's bothering me:

 

What can I expect? Does NCL have very inconsistent quality or do the board postings reflect the differing expectations of the posters? Or do the postings reflect the people's tendency to talk about bad experiences much more than good exeriences.

 

I'm interested in your opinions.

 

Thanks

[jimbo23]

We saw some quite negative posts on the food on the dream before our first ever cruise last year .In reality the food was excellent and I spend a lot of time in restaurants and know the difference!!

 

make your own mind up but do the research anyway to pick up any tips from previous cruisers.

 

No-one put me off anyway and thank goodness they didnn't because I would have missed a marvellous experience.

 

Norwegian Dream April 2003

 

 

 

soon to be on board .Thats the life

constellation

[willydoit]

If that's the case, then my expectations are low in all of those categories. We loved the food, found the service to be great, NCL onboard musical shows wonderfully entertaining (magician=mediocre//comedian=good at late night PG show), teen program was good according to my DD (14),,,,and WE WILL return to freestyle cruising.

 

BTW,,,we were on the Sea last week!!

 

Life is short,,cruises even shorter!!

 

CCL Fantasy 05/92

RCCL Majesty of the Seas 06/01

NCL Sea 03/27/04

 

 

[garykool81]

My first cruise with NCL, which of course set expectation levels for later cruises with the line, was aboard the Norwegian Majesty in January 2003.

 

The experience on this cruise was absolutely amazing, and I must still say that it barely manages to beat even premium product from Celebrity. I found the service on Majesty (the entire ship) to be extremely consistent, food was excellent, entertainment was average (that is good for the cruise industry lol), etc.

 

The experience we had about Norwegian Sea (formerly your Seaward) in July 2003 was honestly the worst cruise I've yet been on. Service was inconsistent and lacked personality. Food was mediocre.

 

The two experiences were night and day from each other, so I would say that YES, there might just be some issues with consistency.

 

I've heard the Dawn is an excellent ship, though, so I am sure you will have a good time.

 

Gary Kulash

www.badelephant.com

 

Carnival Holiday 8/02

NCL Majesty 1/03

NCL Norway 5/25/03

NCL Sea 7/03

Celebrity Galaxy 3/04

Celebrity Mercury 10/04

[davy jones]

Thanks for the posts, My DD is also 14, so the teen program comment is particularly helpful. I fully believe that we will enjoy the cruise.

 

Since we are cruising on NCL, I haven't looked at the boards for the other lines. Is there a similar pattern on the Carnival and RCI boards?

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by davy jones:

What can I expect? Does NCL have very inconsistent quality or do the board postings reflect the differing expectations of the posters? Or do the postings reflect the people's tendency to talk about bad experiences much more than good exeriences.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>More often than not people will talk expensively about a bad experience and gloss over the good. You can read dozens of reviews on this board where someone spends two sentences talking about the good food they had and the efficiency of their room steward and then they'll spend 5 paragraphs talking about the rude bartender or the line for tender tickets being too long. I'm not saying that the negatives don't exist but you're far more likely to hear about the bad than you are about the good. The truth lies somewhere in the middle of all that.

 

Cecilia

 

I've cruised to Alaska, Australia, Asia, South America, Panama Canal, transatlantic, Hawaii, Baltics and the Caribbean. I've been on the NCL Dream, Wind, Star, Sky, Norway and the RCCL Mariner of the Seas. I can be contacted at *****@aol.com

 

My Wedding!

[Jim Gallup]

Davy,

 

Welcome back to cruising. Many things have changed in the past ten years - as you will soon see.

Ten years ago the average cruise fare was about 80% higher than for the same cabin today. Ten years ago the average recommended gratuity was $18.75 per person per day; today the average is $9.75.

Ten years ago it was the Howells on a cruise; today (usually, but not always) it is Gilligan and his chums.

Ten years ago the ladies were looking for refrigerators to store their furs in the tropics and the men were worried about running out of cigars and champagne; today they are looking for self-service laundries on the ship and K-Mart on shore. The men are smuggling cheap whiskey and tequila in shampoo bottles. Is all of this a good thing or bad? You be the judge. I only point out that it is different.

 

As for NCL, you should be aware that there is an "old NCL" and a "new NCL". Old NCL is the Sea, Majesty, Dream, and Wind (and until recently, the Norway). These ships comprise what is left of the old ships, old crew, old passengers, old ideas, old menus, old concepts.

New NCL is the Sky, Sun, Star, Dawn (and soon to be Dawn 2 and Dawn 3). These are the new ships, new crew, new passengers, new ideas, new menus, new concepts.

Some people like the Old NCL; some like the New NCL. Some like both. But be aware that they are very, very different products.

[cruise182]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jim Gallup:

 

New NCL is the Sky, Sun, Star, Dawn (and soon to be Dawn 2 and Dawn 3). <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Do you have any information on Dawn 2 and 3? Are they being built now? How will they differ? Thanks

 

-Cruise

 

 

Quote of the week

"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same"

--Anne Frank

 

 

Nordic Prince 02/89

Princess 03/90

Nordic Prince 02/91

Splendour 12/98

Celebrity 12/02

NCL Dawn 03/04

 

Proud member of the PPS

Not so proud member of the Adventurers II

 

 

NCL Dawn 02/05

Can not come soon enough!

 

[Joanne G.]

I've been reading cruise message boards for years, and I have read good and bad reports on every cruise line out there. Expectations, perceptions, and tolerance vary so much among people. Personally, I accept that individual waiters, cabin stewards, bartenders, etc. have different levels of skill, and sooner or later we will all encounter some mediocre ones. Unfortunately, some people find it easy to make the leap from "my waiter brought the wrong dessert" to "the service on XYZ Line is horrible."

 

I don't think the inconsistent reports you have read from NCL passengers are unique to NCL. Every one of the forums here on Cruise Critic probably gets the "I'll never sail XYZ Line again" posts - as well as the "I'll never sail anything but XYZ Line" posts. And everything in between.

 

[This message was edited by Joanne G. on 04-07-04 at 09:12 PM.]

[albertiger]

in a nutshell:

MY NCL cruises:Skyward

Starward

Norway (3)

Norwegian Wind

Norwegian Sun (2)

Norwegian Majesty

others: RCI (1)

Celebrity (6)

Costa

Premier (4)

Commodore (5)

Dolphin

i started with NCL, and ill probably end with them too. Freestyle is great. I did the Sun in dec. and just did Celebrity Galaxy. I'm rebooked on the Sun for this dec. that ought to tell you something. I also toured the Dawn in NY when she was brand new and she is a beautiful ship, cant wait to sail her! Have a wonderful cruise!

 

"live long and prosper...so you may cruise!"

[garykool81]

...and perhaps the most important tidbit of all has been left out: Service performance, consistency and QUALITY can greatly vary from one week to another on any ship.

 

It's unfortunate, but quite true. Some companies have excellent quality control, others need lots of improvement. But the bottom line is that there is never perfect consistency for service standards in any company in any field.

 

BTW -- hope people don't think I am a "Negative Nancy" because I complained about the Sea. I truly did have an overall poor cruise as far as the onboard experience went (thank god for Bermuda.).

 

However, I also ranted and raved about the Majesty. She is still my favorite ship, though, she is a bit old. I think she has been maintained wonderfully and the product NCL displayed at that time during my cruise was fabulous. It is what made me book with NCL again, only to be let down a bit on the Sea.

 

Personally, I feel even the decor on the Majesty and Sea are night and day. The Majesty had wonderful wood paneling, marble, etc. The Sea I found, even after a recent rehab, still screaming "Take me back to 1988!"

 

Both ways -- it's a vacation. And, as two people have in their signature files on this board (and they hold quite true)...A BAD DAY AT SEA IS BETTER THAN A GOOD DAY AT WORK.

 

'Nuff Said.

 

Gary Kulash

www.badelephant.com

 

Carnival Holiday 8/02

NCL Majesty 1/03

NCL Norway 5/25/03

NCL Sea 7/03

Celebrity Galaxy 3/04

Celebrity Mercury 10/04

[Joanne G.]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Service performance, consistency and QUALITY can greatly vary from one week to another on any ship.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

That is so true. And it can vary from ship to ship within a line, based on the particular skills of the hotel manager, the head chef, the cruise director, the front desk manager, etc. So many factors make up our total cruise experience, and it's a rare cruise when everything is perfect. When I encounter some negatives, I remind myself that I am out to sea, I am enjoying new scenery, I am not cooking and making my bed every day, and I am not at work.

[gardencat]

I've only sailed on NCL once previously ( Dawn out of New York) and had a wonderful time. The ship was lovely, the freestyle concept suited us and the service was excellent. I think we had one waiter one evening who was less than attentive but the service we received at all our other meals and in other areas of the ship was great. I personally thought the shows were great! We've sailed on RCCL before and while those shows were enjoyable they felt like "cruise entertainment'. The shows on the Dawn, at least on the week we sailed, were in the class of shows I have paid $50 to $70 a ticket to see on shore.

 

Having said all that let me also say that I hope you don't run into any problems that require you to be involved with the Guest Relations department of NCL. As good a job as the crew and staff on the ships do it has, in my experience, all been undermined by the horrible performance of the NCL's home office.

I was recently booked on another NCL cruise (Star repositioning from Hawaii). Several weeks ago I noticed that the itinery had changed from what it had been when we originally booked. We were disappointed as the changed port was one we were particularily looking forward too. I realize itineries do change sometimes but called NCL to find out what had necessitated this switch. I think I was low key and polite. I simply asked what had caused the change I talked to 2 different people in 2 different departments. No one knew anything no one could tell me anything no one cared to try to find out for me. So fine, we were still looking forward to our cruise I decided just to roll with the punches and find fun things to do in the new port.

 

Then last Friday evening we found out that our cruise has now been cancelled due to mechanical problems. Okay these things happen. We were all dissappointed but our first concern was to get on with things and make alternate plans for our vacation. That is where the real nightmare began. I won't go into all the details (they are scattered around on some of the different cc boards) I'll just say that NCL's guest department was unavailable at critical times and, when finally reached, gave conflicting and misleading information and broke agreements they had made with us on what they would do. We have now made other plans based on information given us by NCL. These new plans will put us considerable out of pocket since NCL have now renaged on what they originally agreed to.

This whole episode has so soured me on NCL that I will never cruise with them again. I'll miss the nice ships, great staff etc. but couldn't stand the stress of any more dealings with thier home office.

[ZoneHPH]

EXCELLENT BOARD!

 

for those who know me...i usually like to be the one to really gets under people's skin about the B&M sessions after they have cruised (b?tch & moan).

 

however, many posters have said that things differ whether it's from ship to ship, from line to line, or even from week to week. how true this is.

 

i sailed on the WIND last week to the western caribbean. last time i hopped on board her was back in 1995 when she was the Windward. but a midship stretch, and numerous personnel changes later...she was like a brand new ship to me. a totally different experience all together.

 

sure i can B&M about the shortcomings of retrofitting a ship for Freestyle...but here is the clincher...

 

after speaking with a couple employees (especially our P&C Consultant, Tatiana) she has shared the philosophy of NCL as they head forward towards being the industry leader in Freestyle. while it is true that cruising used to be for Rose DeWitt Bukater and her snooty mother...cruising has blown itself wide open to Jack Dawson and his chum Fabrizio De Rossi.

 

NCL will be full steam ahead once POA comes to life and the Spirit establishes herself in Miami for the 9 day Exotic Southern Caribbean itinerary. with every ship NCL puts out there...freestyle gets better and better. are there growing pains...sure. but you know what? Freestyle IS THE WAY TO GO.

 

WE ARE...PENN STATE! Biology '94

http://photos.yahoo.com/zonehph2002

click on NORWEGIAN SEA 20030803 (08/03/2003 sailing)

[davy jones]

Hi All,

 

Thank you for all of your comments.

 

I believe that things will be fine and am going into this with an optimistic view. I will state what I expect and don't expect, so you know where I am coming from.

 

We are looking for a family cruise, not an ultra premium experience. My girls would hate the ultra premium structure and formality. I expect to see children of all ages. As long as they behave reasonably, there's no issue there. In my past cruise experiences, I was put off more by the alcohol fueled behavior of a very small number of adults than any children's behavior.

 

I don't expect Mobil guide 5 star food or service at dinner, but food representative of a good restaurant, better than the average TGI Friday. If we want fancier food, we'll eat in the dining room. If not, we'll grab something quick. Buffets are usually good food, but simpler.

 

Service - be available if I want something, but don't smother me. It's OK if you don't know that I drink my coffee black. I will request black coffee. Just don't act like I am bothering you.

 

Every cabin steward that I had in the past was better than every hotel maid I have ever had. (They must hide in the closet ) All I want is the room to be clean, items refreshed, and ice in the bucket.

 

I just don't want the girls to be bored. They will probably be happy with movies and the Stardust shows and will be with us in port. Both girls love pools and the beach. Their use of the kids programs will be a little on sea days and (maybe) an evening or two. If they want to spend more time than that in the programs, that will be a testimonial for NCL's programs. We will go off on our own in these ports.

 

There's no need for us to smuggle booze onto the ship. We're not big drinkers. Our alcohol bill will probably be about $100 for the week.

 

One less than great meal or an inattentive waiter will be shrugged off, not ruin our week, and not change our overall opinion of the cruise. The staff is human too. However, a persistent pattern is another thing.

 

Others may have differing expectations. Based on my expectations, what do you think?

 

Thanks

[basketballmom]

If we all listened to the complaints and opinions of cruise line short comings and inconsistencies read on the boards, then no one would want to cruise any line! My philosophy is a cruise is what you make of it. If you let one little incident spoil the whole cruise then that is your fault. Don't worry about NCL, you and your family will have a great time. We are thinking of the Dawn for our trip next year!

 

NCL Majesty

 

[mrsbooger]

davy jones,

 

I think you're going to have one heckuva cruise! The right attitude is everything! We sailed the Dawn Spring 2003 with my two boys 9 & 12 at the time. This year we sailed on RCCL Navigator. They prefered NCL over RCCL! Next year we are going on the Sun for Spring 2005!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

 Days To Go Until The Sensation!

 

[newmexicoNita]

Cruising is what you make of it as well as life is what you make of it. I do believe service depends on the person giving it; there will always be good ang bad wait staff, bar tenders, room stewards. NCL has a very unusual fleet as some of the ships are cookie cutter like most lines and some one of a kind thus you get a variety of experiences when cruising NCL. WE love the Sea and hope to sail her in the fall before she goes across the world to her new home; others love the mega ships which have many fine qualities. Regardless of all that is said I do believe it boils down to what someone has said tolerance level, expectations and overall attitudes. I would never let waiting in line a few minutes for dinner, hours that the casino or child care is open, attitude of one room steward, food in the buffet not being gourmet or a tender that takes a little longer than expected of a embarkation that didn't go quite as smoothly as I expected ruin my cruise. If all these things were put together and all negative, that would be a different story. I would never let a few negative comments influence me before I even reach the pier. There will always be those who would rather tell us about the bad than the good, those who have an opinion before ever cruising a ship and those who compare apples and oranges.

 

NMNita

 

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004

[jp2001]

Davy Jones,

I am sure you will LOVE the Dawn and NCL Freestyle. As you describe your family, it's perfect for you. (I personnally LOVED it).

 

NCL Dawn, December 2003

[SecondMate]

Davy, if every cruiser were as reasonable as you--expecting decent food and service but able to put little bumps in the road into perspective--the number of complaining posts on this board would dwindle to nil. You're going to have a fabulous time and really enjoy NCL.

[ZoneHPH]

I HAVE A COMPLAINT!

 

i have to work while you go on your cruise. (ok so i just came back from mine.)

 

i have some serious post-cruise distress syndrome (PCDS).

 

i miss my pool deck bbq ribs!

 

WE ARE...PENN STATE! Biology '94

http://photos.yahoo.com/zonehph2002

click on NORWEGIAN SEA 20030803 (08/03/2003 sailing)

[willydoit]

Davy,,,I'd sail with you anyday,,,it's truly all about attitude. Yours is perfect!!

 

Life is short,,cruises even shorter!!

 

CCL Fantasy 05/92

RCCL Majesty of the Seas 06/01

NCL Sea 03/27/04

 

 

[intrepid_guy]

You know, it is true that most people will tend to complain rather than praise. I personally have not had a "bad" cruise with NCL, and each time I come back I write a review expressing my happiness. The other thing is, that people tend not to comment too much on a positive post, and they disappear quickly. When I was on the Sky in Nov, everyone wanted to know about her, so I wrote a long review, there were some responses, but they died off quickly. There were a lot of people viewing it, but that doesnt keep a post at the top of the board. I think that too may have something to do with us seeing more negative posts. Most of us will respond more quickly to give our opinion on someone elses negative one.

 

~Intrepid <--- Positive Poster

 

<b<SS NORWAY! NEVER GONE IN MY HEART![/b] I will always miss her.

Norway - Philadelphia - Nowhere July 14, 1984

Norway - Miami - Eastern July 08, 2000

Norway - Miami - Eastern February 17, 2001

Norway - Miami - Eastern April 21, 2002 Birthday Cruise!

Norwegian Sky - San Juan – Southern November 9, 2003

Splendour of the Seas - Galveston - Western March (or April), 2004

 

____/7__/7__/7____

\::::::::::::::::::::::/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[carolmacey]

Hi Intrepid Guy,

And here I was just thinking I hadn't seen a post from you in a while. I guess we are reading different threads.

Tomorrow I am down to single digits before sailing. Started packing today. Any suggestions on what I MUST have on the Sky?

Thanks,

Carol

 

Norwegian Sky Back-to-back

[intrepid_guy]

I dont know carol,

 

But I will say you MUST have FUN on the Sky, I dont think there will be a problem with that! Just dont over pack! They will weigh your bags at the airport before you leave San Juan - I got socked with 105.00 in charges before I was allowed to leave!

 

~Intrepid <---- Serial overpacker

 

PS - If you have specific questions, let me know.

 

<b<SS NORWAY! NEVER GONE IN MY HEART![/b] I will always miss her.

Norway - Philadelphia - Nowhere July 14, 1984

Norway - Miami - Eastern July 08, 2000

Norway - Miami - Eastern February 17, 2001

Norway - Miami - Eastern April 21, 2002 Birthday Cruise!

Norwegian Sky - San Juan – Southern November 9, 2003

Splendour of the Seas - Galveston - Western March (or April), 2004

 

____/7__/7__/7____

\::::::::::::::::::::::/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~