Worst cruise of my life.

[SissasMomE]

Wow! We made the mistake of trying a Carnival cruise. We will never cruise with them again but our vacation wasn't ruined by it. We didn't ask for any kind of compensation, it was just a lesson learned. We will just stick with NCL from now on. Maybe a different cruise line would be better for you.

 

Ditto here too. Wasn't horrible - still had fun ... it was a cruise, afterall ... but I won't cruise with them again either!

 

As to the peeps responding to the OP - dontcha think maybe it's just a troll trying to rile people up? It was his first post .... I dunno ... I always kinda just chuckle at those and move on.

[DeWSkog]

I have a unbreakable rule: Don't trust rants posted by people who have less than 10 posts on CC. :(

[SuiteCruiser]

I'd love to hear the HD's side of the story:)

[youngestof9]

To me, it's threads like this that tend to make me more and more skeptical of reviews. After the OP admitted to hoping to rile everyone up, I don't believe a word of it.

 

There's enough flaming without people making crap up. Frustrating to say the least.

[DMH15]

In defense of the OP....

 

Not everyone does a research project when booking a vacation.

 

They book....they go.

 

I don't understand why people are flaming him for the sushi bar....there was physical space available. What was the big deal if the kid sat?

 

As far as the teen club...when my son was 13, and he was upset....I was upset. I don't think I would have read the rule book so thoroughly to know that if he was a few days short of his birthday it would cause an issue.

This year I won 3 new years eve packages. Hotel stay, party with food, drink, dancing, etc. Worth $350 each. I offered one to my dear nephew, age 22. He was so excited until he read the rules of age 21 and over. His girlfriend was only 20, and due to turn 21 in early 2012. On his own he declined. He said he did not want to break the rules or put his gf in a position of either having to lie or be turned away.

 

Unfortunately, there are always cut-offs. Some will be disappointed. Where do you draw the line? In order to be fair to all NCL has implemented this rule.

[Bluwaterz]

Delete post.

[ZoneHPH]

I can't imagine speaking to the Hotel Director for two hours about any issue. OP seems to be very high maintenance.

 

Bless the HD for their patience!

 

...maybe the Hotel Director deserved the bottle of wine and strawberries instead of the OP...:)

 

No doubt!

 

I'm loving this review...

 

The tip off came early, in the short 'positives' section, when instead of "the staff" it was "the (mainly Filipino) staff". Trying to give a 'faux' negative slant on a positive point means they'll be good reading ahead.

 

I'm also struck at how much of this review would have not applied had the OP read the rules before booking and instead reserved the very next sailing. :rolleyes:

 

As a Filipino who was proudly Made in the USA...I am proud of not just those who share my heritage, but for ALL the nationalities on EVERY cruise ship...not just NCL. They work so hard just so that we can all forget the life we left behind, for the time being.

 

Sadly, some folks bring all the negativity of regular life on vacation.

 

Come on everyone...sing it!!! "This is your home...away from home...you are a part of our family. We will be here...making your dreams come true...this is the Norwegian way..."

[ZoneHPH]

Yes indeed, he should charter a yacht and hire his own personal staff.

 

I may know of a captain in the market for a job...:D He is well versed in the maritime version of Top Gun's "Maverick buzzing the tower".

 

..just that Maverick was better at it.

[Redcab]

He was so excited until he read the rules of age 21 and over. His girlfriend was only 20, and due to turn 21 in early 2012. On his own he declined. He said he did not want to break the rules or put his gf in a position of either having to lie or be turned away.

 

Don't confuse legal drinking age which is a law with an inflexible age cut off for using the teen lounge which is a policy. The law is out of their control. The policy is not.

[EaglesWin]

In defense of the OP....

 

 

I don't understand why people are flaming him for the sushi bar....there was physical space available. What was the big deal if the kid sat?

 

Just remember, you've only heard one side of the story.

[EaglesWin]

The OP promised a tale of arrogance and he delivered.

[groo]

Don't confuse legal drinking age which is a law with an inflexible age cut off for using the teen lounge which is a policy. The law is out of their control. The policy is not.

 

I think you may have made erroneous assumptions.......again.....

[ZoneHPH]

I think you may have made erroneous assumptions.......again.....

 

And we know what happens when we assssssssume...

[Cmdr Cody]

Since I've never sailed on NCL - but will in January 2013 - perhaps I shouldn't be posting here now. But, I will! :D OP (Redcab), I somewhat agree with you that your son who turned 13 on the cruise should have been able to access the teen club even from the beginning of the cruise. That's only my opinion though. That being said, I don't own NCL so I can't make the rules. Fair enough. I will tell you this though - had you been on Princess or Royal Caribbean, the outcome would have been the same - your son would be denied the teen club because he wasn't 13 on the day of your sailing. I'm positive you wouldn't have been as generously compensated by either of those lines as you were by NCL. Kudos to NCL in my book for the compensation!

 

I don't understand why the hostess in the Japanese restaurant wouldn't seat your son though. Especially with the restaurant not full. Am I missing something? Did they have another function starting soon? Seems to me, there's information missing because this just doesn't make sense. I guess I can understand their denying your request for a "to go box." Sushi needs to be eaten in a "timely" manner, and it may have been a health issue on NCL's part. Hardly a problem worth mentioning when you're on a cruise ship with food available virtually 24/7.

 

Look, you weren't happy, and that's a shame. You did get some great compensation for your "pain and suffering" though. 2 bottles of wine (cheap though they may have been), strawberries, $100 comped dinner in an up-charge restaurant (OK, so you didn't like the charge for the after dinner drink. In most land-based restaurants, liquor isn't included in a "gift card" either). AND $300 credit!!! WOW is my opinion! Try other lines, if you like. You won't get anything like this compensation.

 

I won't comment on some of your comments on Business 101 that you posted in another thread. Don't have it in front of me, but I might agree with you on some of your points.

 

Sorry you had such a bad experience, but you haven't succeeded in deterring me from trying NCL in the future. Happy sailing or vacationing whichever.

 

Elf

 

 

Well Elf try this. The Sushi restaurant is an upcharge. You pay per person.

Look at it a different way. You go to a movie theater. Your kid pays to see one movie. You pay to see another. You wait for your movie that starts 90 minutes after the kids movie. They then come in and watch the rest of your movie with you. They don't pay but since you paid for yourself, shouldn't they get to come in and sit with you instead of being traumatized. No they should pay to be there also. That's why I have an issue with that argument.

[Redcab]

Carnival and Royal (I'm told by friends who have been on their lines) are not hard nosed about the age cut off in the kid groups.

 

People, we are talking about a kid 5 days short of his 13th birthday. Not some 4 year old who wants to hang with his teenage sister. None of you have been in that situation because if you were you would see the insanity of it.

 

BTW, that event did not "ruin" my vacation. It was just another annoyance and seem indicative of the NCL culture. There were enough of those that I feel compelled to share them with folks who come here to share our OPINIONS.

 

All you folks that live in this forum do so because you love NCL. I think that is wonderful. Several times a day someone unfamiliar with NCL comes onto this forum to learn about the line. I hope they will read my post and all your reactions and decide for themselves whether NCL will meet their expectations.

[Redcab]

Well Elf try this. The Sushi restaurant is an upcharge. You pay per person.

 

You are not correct.

The sushi bar is not an upcharge. It is 100% ala carte. You pay for what you eat.

 

So your analogy is all wrong.

[time2cruise1]

You are not correct.

The sushi bar is not an upcharge. It is 100% ala carte. You pay for what you eat.

 

So your analogy is all wrong.

 

Uncharge = pay. Flat fee or la carte. :rolleyes:

[Redcab]

Those of you coming to the defense of NCL on the sushi bar ....

 

I didn't tell you this earlier, but the Food & Beverage Director learned of the hostess' misdeed and apologized profusely for the her lack of skill in handling the situation. He said it was wrong and that he would talk with the staff so that they would know how to handle a situation like that next time.

 

Again, I point to my original assertion that the line staff either isn't trained to make judgements or isn't allowed to make judgements. The higher rated cruise lines and hotels don't have this problem.

[Redcab]

Uncharge = pay. Flat fee or la carte. :rolleyes:

 

But your analogy was sitting at the sushi bar is like watching a movie you didn't pay for.

 

I bought enough sushi for all 3 of us so I don't see your point. Analogy denied.

[computerworks]

I forgot to ask earlier...

 

....who gave another hollow apology and a $300 certificate to be used on a future NCL cruise. Well, no way am I going on another one of their cruise for a measly $300 discount!

 

Since you're not going to use it, can I have your certificate?

[Redcab]

I forgot to ask earlier...

 

 

 

Since you're not going to use it, can I have your certificate?

 

Is it transferrable? The answer might be "Yes".

[computerworks]

Is it transferrable? The answer might be "Yes".

 

I can check. ;)

[bplazo]

All of the op's complaints seem very trivial and not something I would waste my valuable vacation time dealing with.

 

My daughter just got off a cruise and she said that everything was perfect and if she had to make one complaint it would be that there was not enough ice in her cup one night. We have cruised quite a few times and we do not let small things ruin our vacation.

 

OP, I think that you should be gratefull of the compensation that they gave you because I think that it was more than you deserved. I do not think the ships management were the arrogant ones (look in the mirror).

[DMH15]

Don't confuse legal drinking age which is a law with an inflexible age cut off for using the teen lounge which is a policy. The law is out of their control. The policy is not.

 

Ah, but you made an assumption that gf would be drinking which is a law. But I have been to plenty of parties in hotels where those over 21 would have a wrisband and be allowed to drink and those without not. So, in this case, it was the hotel's policy, not a law. So more like your situation than not. The decision dn made was on gf's presence, not alcohol consumption.

[njhorseman]

Those of you coming to the defense of NCL on the sushi bar ....

 

I didn't tell you this earlier, but the Food & Beverage Director learned of the hostess' misdeed and apologized profusely for the her lack of skill in handling the situation. He said it was wrong and that he would talk with the staff so that they would know how to handle a situation like that next time.

 

Again, I point to my original assertion that the line staff either isn't trained to make judgements or isn't allowed to make judgements. The higher rated cruise lines and hotels don't have this problem.

 

It doesn't mean that at all. It means this individual made a mistake. If your assertion were true the F&B director's talk with the staff would have been a waste of time. The F&B director's talking to the staff means they were being instructed in how to exercise proper judgment in these situations. If they were not allowed to exercise judgment why would he be training them to do it correctly?