Threads on NCL CC

[jmele999]

Like Ghandi said "Be the change that you want to see"

We will expect a well written review with pictures following your next cruise.:D

 

Please see my most recent review with lost of pictures and a very detailed explanation of our experience.

 

 

Enjoy

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1979682

[newmexicoNita]

I've seen the loyalists on the three boards that I have frequented and I've also seen those who wouldn't be caught dead on the cruise line in question (and I am sure this isn't just limited to the three boards I've been on). The loyalists I can understand, but I find it difficult to understand why someone would hang out on a board for a cruise line they have no intention of sailing with.

 

I have always felt like you, why even bother with a board if you don't like the product. Is it just to put them down, maybe making a persons choice seem superior? I do understand if one is just off a sailing than went bad for them, posting the negatives on that cruise line board, but then go on and get over it.!!!!!

[newmexicoNita]

I agree. The NCL fanboys are almost overwhelming on this site. The RCCL and Carnival boards are much more helpful, fun, and social. I am fairly new to NCL but the 3 roll calls I have joined have all been very slow/non-existent. There also seems be be a lot of posters here that think that are the end all and be all of information. They will belittle and attack people at a drop of the hat. I am glad that the attitude of these boards dont carry over to the ships or NCL would not be for me at all.

 

I think the attitude comes from years of having to defend the choice to use NCL over other lines. It has given some people the underdog mentality that seems to now permeate the forum. You cant even mention another line without a drove of people coming to say how that is just copying NCL....its is kinda sad really.

 

Most people come here to ask simple questions, and more then a few times I have seen them comment that they will not post anymore because of the negative reactions to questions be a segment of this forum...That is a terrible way to support a company you say you love IMHO...

 

6&8

 

wow, now who is posting negatives??? I totally disagree with you, I have been on CC 12 years and I think the NCL loyalists are a lot less defensive than a few others which will remain nameless. Sure some are cheer leaders, but much of what they are saying is true. Example, one of the negatives about NCL by some does result from NCL being the leader of the pact on many issues. Other lines wait until the snags are ironed out.

 

I must not read the same threads or topics you read cause I have rarely found anyone on here reacting negatively to an honest simple question. Most are more than willing to help and to give the best answers they can. Of course when someone comes on and asks why so many negative reviews about a ship or asks how is the best way to sue the company or write a letter of compliant, loyalist will get defensive. Wouldn't you do exactly the same? kalmeosrs

 

As for the roll calls, this depends on the sailing and the ship. Some are almost dead, others busy, busy. Our last cruise was a less active group, we had a good roll call but it was slow to get started, I agree. Our HAL roll call a few years ago was a total bomb and the cruise we have coming up has over 3500 hits.

[newmexicoNita]

A forum shows 40 threads per page by default. A typical photo blog/review spans many pages and posts and naturally gets bumped to the top of the forum more often. Whereas simple questions and answers drop off as soon as they are answered.

 

It's just natural for Carnival and Royal to have more reviews showing because they have more ships and passengers and hence more reviewers and more people to engage in conversations. However, they both have their share of heated conversations as well. Tipping, smoking, bacon police are universal subjects and Cruise Critic bread and butter :p

 

I had thought about the same thing: more ships, of course more active boards.

[yj2cute]

I have seen more than one post stating that NCL is an innovator in the industry. I'm curious, what have they been the leader of, besides Freestyle cruising? Which started years ago, BTW. I'm wondering what they've done lately that's so new, fresh and innovative?

[sjbdtz]

I have seen more than one post stating that NCL is an innovator in the industry. I'm curious, what have they been the leader of, besides Freestyle cruising? Which started years ago, BTW. I'm wondering what they've done lately that's so new, fresh and innovative?

 

 

Service Charges instead of post-cruise tipping requirements.

 

Up-charge restaurants

 

Dine anytime / anywhere with anybody

 

Studio cabins with no single supplement fare

 

Al fresco dining with the waterfront

 

Multiple entertainment venues instead of a single large theatre

 

Haven - ship within a ship experience

[newmexicoNita]

I have seen more than one post stating that NCL is an innovator in the industry. I'm curious, what have they been the leader of, besides Freestyle cruising? Which started years ago, BTW. I'm wondering what they've done lately that's so new, fresh and innovative?

 

I truthfully don't know they have done much lately,but here are some things they have done: first mass marketed line to have alternative dining: first to have several dining choices; first to use Roatan as a port: yes, first with freestyle; first to add a service charge instead of tipping; first mass marketed line to sail only in America: Hawaii: first in modern day to use New York as a home port: first to offer studio cabins. I am sure there are more, but this is a good start.

Edited April 16, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[yj2cute]

There are also things that they've copied from other lines like the rock climbing wall, Broadway shows at sea. Fireworks at sea. Also didn't Cunard have a ship within a ship first? And no one can deny that Royal Caribbean is the most innovative when it comes to ship design. And there's nothing else out there that can touch the Oasis/Allure experience and soon Quantum.

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

Edited April 16, 2014 by yj2cute

[newmexicoNita]

There are also things that they've copied from other lines like the rock climbing wall, Broadway shows at sea. Fireworks at sea. Also didn't Cunard have a ship within a ship first? And no one can deny that Royal Caribbean is the most innovative when it comes to ship design. And there's nothing else out there that can touch the Oasis/Allure experience and soon Quantum.

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

No one is comparing mass marketed lines with lines like Cunard. They are in a totally different category. Yes, RCI was the first to add the rock climbing and ice skating, NCL was the first to offer bowling and of course, no one is saying NCL was the innovator of everything, but they are the line that has introduced more new ideas than most. I do notice, you have only cruised NCL one time, and are one of those true loyalist to another line. Hope you enjoy your cruise on the Breakaway.

Edited April 16, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[yj2cute]

No one is comparing mass marketed lines with lines like Cunard. They are in a totally different category. Yes, RCI was the first to add the rock climbing and ice skating, NCL was the first to offer bowling and of course, no one is saying NCL was the innovator of everything, but they are the line that has introduced more new ideas than most. I do notice, you have only cruised NCL one time, and are one of those true loyalist to another line. Hope you enjoy your cruise on the Breakaway.

 

I only asked the question because in just the last 2 days I've seen it posted by several different people that NCL is the leader and innovator and all other cruise lines are followers. I was just surprised because I've not seen that on any other board. I am pretty loyal to Royal, but I don't sail them exclusively. And yes, I have taken only 1 NCL cruise, and because it wasn't the greatest cruise experience, I haven't been back. However, I don't believe a cruise line can be judged just by a single cruise, and since mine was many years ago, I've decided to give NCL another go. And I'm very much looking forward to the Breakaway. I truly hope it's a great cruise and that I can look forward to more NCL cruises.

[fergusonvt]

I actually found the RCI board less friendly and informative. I haven't been back since my cruise. I much prefer the NCL and CCL boards.

[newmexicoNita]

There are also things that they've copied from other lines like the rock climbing wall, Broadway shows at sea. Fireworks at sea. Also didn't Cunard have a ship within a ship first? And no one can deny that Royal Caribbean is the most innovative when it comes to ship design. And there's nothing else out there that can touch the Oasis/Allure experience and soon Quantum.

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

can you tell me which cruise line did Broadway shows at sea before 1995? That was the year we saw Westside Story on the Seaward, later named the Sea. You haven't seen the comparison on other boards because they are not necessarily the lines to jump out with new ideas. This isn't good or bad, just fact..

Edited April 16, 2014 by newmexicoNita

[graphicguy]

...there's nothing else out there that can touch the Oasis/Allure experience and soon Quantum.

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

 

Ummmm...not entirely certain that's a positive.

 

Granted, I enjoyed my Allure cruise. But, the Epic and Breakaway are every bit as nice as the Allure. I'm not loyal to any line. But, the only ship I even considered sailing again was the NCL Breakaway (matter of fact, I am sailing her again).

 

My last cruise, I found the CCL Breeze to be just as much fun as Allure. I heard Allure (and by default, Oasis) described as trying to "hide the fact you're on a cruise" by others. I concur with that. Why cruise if it's difficult to ascertain if you're on a cruise? You can go to an amusement park for that experience.

 

This isn't an idictment of any other cruise line.

 

It's just that "no one can touch the Oasis/Allure experience" can be taken a couple of ways...some positive, some negative.

 

At the end of the day, I had as much fun on the CCL Breeze as I had on the Allure. To this day, the Epic cruise is my favorite. I expect to have more fun on my upcoming Breakaway cruise.

 

That said, choice is good!

Edited April 16, 2014 by graphicguy

[Aquahound]

I have seen more than one post stating that NCL is an innovator in the industry. I'm curious, what have they been the leader of, besides Freestyle cruising? Which started years ago, BTW. I'm wondering what they've done lately that's so new, fresh and innovative?

 

As you can see, my friend, you'll get several answers of things people think NCL did first but in reality, didn't. One example is the multiple entertainment venues. I've been cruising NCL a long time and I don't recall multiple theaters pre-dating RCI's Voyager of the Seas. A lot is perception or lack of a wider knowledge of the cruise industry outside of 1 cruise line.

[4774Papa]

We cruise on Celebrity as well as NCL and have found the same to be true. I am not sure of the reason.

[yj2cute]

can you tell me which cruise line did Broadway shows at sea before 1995? That was the year we saw Westside Story on the Seaward, later named the Sea. You haven't seen the comparison on other boards because they are not necessarily the lines to jump out with new ideas. This isn't good or bad, just fact..

 

I've only been cruising since 2000, so your example pre-dates my experience. And you proved my point. NCL copied that off of someone else, they weren't the first. Not saying that they have not been the first to do some things in the industry, but when I think about innovators and forward thinkers in the cruise industry, NCL is just not the first thing that pops into my mind.

 

 

Ummmm...not entirely certain that's a positive.

 

Granted, I enjoyed my Allure cruise. But, the Epic and Breakaway are every bit as nice as the Allure. I'm not loyal to any line. But, the only ship I even considered sailing again was the NCL Breakaway (matter of fact, I am sailing her again).

 

My last cruise, I found the CCL Breeze to be just as much fun as Allure. I heard Allure (and by default, Oasis) described as trying to "hide the fact you're on a cruise" by others. I concur with that. Why cruise if it's difficult to ascertain if you're on a cruise? You can go to an amusement park for that experience.

 

This isn't an idictment of any other cruise line.

 

It's just that "no one can touch the Oasis/Allure experience" can be taken a couple of ways...some positive, some negative.

 

At the end of the day, I had as much fun on the CCL Breeze as I had on the Allure. To this day, the Epic cruise is my favorite. I expect to have more fun on my upcoming Breakaway cruise.

 

That said, choice is good!

 

 

I guess everyone has their own opinion, but I wouldn't put the Breeze in anywhere near the same league as the Allure.

 

 

As you can see, my friend, you'll get several answers of things people think NCL did first but in reality, didn't. One example is the multiple entertainment venues. I've been cruising NCL a long time and I don't recall multiple theaters pre-dating RCI's Voyager of the Seas. A lot is perception or lack of a wider knowledge of the cruise industry outside of 1 cruise line.

 

Paul, as always, you are right. :)

Edited April 16, 2014 by yj2cute

[dasmonkey]

I guess everyone has their own opinion, but I wouldn't put the Breeze in anywhere near the same league as the Allure.

 

The poster said they had more fun on the Breeze. Maybe like me they just prefer a more ship like experience vs a trip to the local mega mall.

 

I sailed the Allure, once..........

[Aquahound]

can you tell me which cruise line did Broadway shows at sea before 1995? That was the year we saw Westside Story on the Seaward, later named the Sea. You haven't seen the comparison on other boards because they are not necessarily the lines to jump out with new ideas. This isn't good or bad, just fact..

 

My parents have old pictures of them posing with the cast of Grease on Song Of America in the late 80s. I'm sure Broadway style shows pre-date even the late 80s, but they certainly pre-date 1995. What cruise line did it first? Who the heck knows? Who the heck cares?

[Checkmate1955]

I could not disagree more. I just looked at every active thread on the first page of the NCL board. Every one of them were either asking for help or looking for information or posting reviews, comments, or issues about NCL cruises or ports.

 

Sure there are some that will post a thread negative towards their cruise or NCL but that is to be expected. We are not all zombies loyal to NCL. I don't see the NCL board as different than the other cruise lines except one exception. Royal and Carnival have much more active boards. But that is to be expected since NCL is very small in the cruise business only having about 10% of the total business.

 

There are several that want no dissent on the NCL forum. They get upset if someone posts a negative review or asks a redundant question. Or maybe they do dare complain something was not up to par compared to Royal or Carnival. But take it with a grain of salt.

 

The major difference from the other boards is threads just like this one. The boards should not be for cheerleaders only. It is called cruise critic after all. Why are some so offended over silly threads or complaints or questions? I will never understand. But every month someone posts a thread on the NCL board about people being too critical or complaining. What board are they talking about? The majority of all posts are very positive of NCL.

 

I agree..... We need more honest comments and less rose colored glasses trying to paint such a wonderful picture of ncl... The truth will stand on it's own...

Edited April 16, 2014 by Checkmate1955

[barnacle_boy]

For those of you who DO care, NCL was indeed the first passenger line to introduce large Broadway performances at sea. Onboard production shows prior to the era of mainstream cruising were almost unheard of. SS Norway's nearly full-scale production of "Hello, Dolly!" really turned heads when the ship made her debut in 1980 and set NCL above the competition. Others followed suit, but NCL was definitely the first out of the gate.

 

NCL was the first in a number of significant respects. They were the first cruise line to homeport out of Miami and offer regularly scheduled cruises to the Caribbean. Great Stirrup Cay was the first island to be privately owned by a cruise line. However, their greatest "first" was the introduction of SS Norway in 1980, an accomplishment that forever changed the cruise industry and ushered in the era of the mega-ship. They single handedly proved that a large ship could turn a profit doing pleasure cruises out of Miami in an era when small ship cruising was the norm. SS Norway was many times larger than any of her competitors and, due to this enormous size advantage, was able to offer an unparalleled variety of entertainment choices and distractions for her passengers. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the mega-ships of today owe their existence to that great ship.

[sjbdtz]

From this PDF: http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEgQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncl.com%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FCorporate_Overview_01092014.pdf&ei=pwZPU_K_A8i42wW_1oHQCw&usg=AFQjCNHczWjUrNO_mkO-KBobrrAVfB_PxQ&bvm=bv.64764171,d.b2I

 

 

 

 

 

 

In NCL's own words...what they did first.

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[LrgPizza]

I only asked the question because in just the last 2 days I've seen it posted by several different people that NCL is the leader and innovator and all other cruise lines are followers. I was just surprised because I've not seen that on any other board. I am pretty loyal to Royal, but I don't sail them exclusively. And yes, I have taken only 1 NCL cruise, and because it wasn't the greatest cruise experience, I haven't been back. However, I don't believe a cruise line can be judged just by a single cruise, and since mine was many years ago, I've decided to give NCL another go. And I'm very much looking forward to the Breakaway. I truly hope it's a great cruise and that I can look forward to more NCL cruises.

Yeah, that. That's my situation, too. I had a good time on my first NCL cruise, but there were way more negatives than on any other cruise I'd ever been on, mostly related to service and staff. But we didn't blame the cruise line any more than I blame the entire McDonalds corporation if I get a waggy French fry. Employees are just humans, and sometimes humans are no good. :-) I'm very much looking forward to my upcoming cruise, and it's about a 50% chance I'll do NCL for my NEXT cruise after that, which is saying something, considering all the great cruise lines out there.

[Silverman]

I agree. The NCL fanboys are almost overwhelming on this site. The RCCL and Carnival boards are much more helpful, fun, and social. I am fairly new to NCL but the 3 roll calls I have joined have all been very slow/non-existent. There also seems be be a lot of posters here that think that are the end all and be all of information. They will belittle and attack people at a drop of the hat. I am glad that the attitude of these boards dont carry over to the ships or NCL would not be for me at all.

 

 

 

I think the attitude comes from years of having to defend the choice to use NCL over other lines. It has given some people the underdog mentality that seems to now permeate the forum. You cant even mention another line without a drove of people coming to say how that is just copying NCL....its is kinda sad really.

 

 

 

Most people come here to ask simple questions, and more then a few times I have seen them comment that they will not post anymore because of the negative reactions to questions be a segment of this forum...That is a terrible way to support a company you say you love IMHO...

 

 

 

6&8

 

 

You really have that first paragraph wrong. I can't even go to Carnival forum. Way to many people jumping on everyone who has had a bad experience on a any Carnival ship.

 

I loved my cruise on FOS. But there are way to many fake people over on that forum. To many snobs for my liking.

 

I come to NCL to get some normal conversation. People here are the friendliest on any of the forums. Sure there are cheerleaders here too. But no where near the other forums. Don't believe me? Read the reviews with the people who had a bad experience on CCL or RCL. That should convince you.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[yj2cute]

You really have that first paragraph wrong. I can't even go to Carnival forum. Way to many people jumping on everyone who has had a bad experience on a any Carnival ship.

 

I loved my cruise on FOS. But there are way to many fake people over on that forum. To many snobs for my liking.

 

I come to NCL to get some normal conversation. People here are the friendliest on any of the forums. Sure there are cheerleaders here too. But no where near the other forums. Don't believe me? Read the reviews with the people who had a bad experience on CCL or RCL. That should convince you.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Yeah, TOTALLY unlike NCL reviews. Everything is sunshine and lollipops in those. :rolleyes:

 

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[Erik101]

I actually found the RCI board less friendly and informative. I haven't been back since my cruise. I much prefer the NCL and CCL boards.

 

I have found that ALL boards can be less friendly and informative because of the post questions being asked. Case in point, how many times have you read the following questions on any CC board:

 

- Port or Starboard?

- Where on the ship can I get ice cream?

- Can I bring my own water and soda to the ship?

- Which night is lobster served?

 

These questions are examples of the long list of redundant questions asked on the boards and I bet there are many CC members who bypass them because they're not interested in giving the same answers over and over again….OR, they simply do not know. Either way, I don't think they're being unfriendly unless they are blatantly rude to you. And if that's the case, tell them they're going to be walking the plank on their next cruise.