The Positives of cruising NCL

[Barb Nahoumi]

I love being able to have lunch in the MDR on embarkation day-------not dealing with the crowded buffet, while still dragging carry on bags.

 

NCL does not have a structured formal night, just Dress Up or Not Night. The resort casual dress code is good enough for us. Love That.

[CasinoCruzGirl]

See there are plenty of positive things. No negative nellies allowed.

[Rede411]

I love being greeted by a party, drinks, Balloons etc... when you board!! The decor is just beautiful inside & outside the ships (colors Galor!) Great mix of younger & older people. Freestyle dining, more unique things to do aboard. Layout of the pool decks w/ waterslides & lighted palm trees. Staff & crew always seems more relaxed than with Royal.

 

Plus the NCL Cruise critic peeps have a sense of humor! :D

[AEckhardt]

I love meeting the cheery staff and feeling like I'm part of the family, coming back to have a great time and relax! I always befriend a bartender and like to swing by in the evening, be greeted by name, and have him hand me my favorite drink!

 

I've also always met cool people on board and end up hanging out with several new friends over the course of the trip! Everyone is there to have a good time and have fun!

Edited April 24, 2015 by AEckhardt

[youngestof9]

Hands down, the crew. I've never come across a nicer group of people who really try to make your hard-earned vacation perfect.

[jackson bernard]

The price. I just got back from an all inclusive and although a different experience it was about twice or three times the price.

 

Both were enjoyed equally.

[de2fan]

I love the vibe - everyone just seems so happy whether it be crew or passengers.

 

I love the dining options - if I want to eat at O'Sheehans every night I could, or I can have a wonderful steak at Cagneys or the yummy pineapple at Moderno.

 

I love the kid's club staff, how they energize the children and recognize them in the hallway, how they have such an impact that your kids cry the last night of the cruise because they don't want to say goodbye.

 

I love the little nooks and crannies on the ships. There always seems to be a new discovery around every corner.

 

I love the entertainment and its variety - comedy, live music, Broadway shows, game shows. There is always something to do on a Norwegian ship.

 

I love the whole experience - it is what you make of it! :)

[emcelh]

I like the way they handle freestyle dining. It works really well and having so many choices on every ship is a plus. The entertainment is usually very good and the crew is so friendly and engaging. All of the things other posters have talked about I agree with too, CAS, the suite perks, the way they greet you when returning to the ship.

 

I was on a Carnival ship for 5 days last week and, although I had a good time, there were things I missed. With their version of anytime dining you will share a table unless you request otherwise, and then be prepared to wait. The buffet on embarkation day is a chaos, the food was good but there seemed to be fewer choices of items that changed everyday than on our last few NCL cruises and our cabin attendant never made themselves known. Not really important but just different.

[wichitastatecruiser]

I like the fact that they allow their super hot spa employees to sunbath in Spice H20 in teeny tiny bikinis on their days off. Almost booked the Spa because of her. I also think that NCL should change their corporate policy so that staff can fraternize with the guests because of her! :p

[Nightengale31]

Having been a loyal Princess cruiser prior to my first NCL cruise 6 years back which came via a land casino comp, after that cruise I never looked back.

 

Love not having to lug dressy clothes!!

Love be able to dine where, when, and most importantly with whom I want.

Love being able to carry my own bags off the ship if I choose.

Love getting cruise comps from CAS compared to getting a tote bag from Princess for the same level of play!!!

Love having a coffee maker in my cabin.

 

Could probably think of many more positives that what I have listed. I will not discount that my cruising future will include another line, but that will be because NCL does not offer an itinerary I would like to cruise.

[hawk1972]

My cruise experience is somewhat limited, but I have enjoyed all three lines we have cruised on with no real negative experiences.

 

We are sticking with NCL right now because we are Texans and they cruise out of Houston. We hope to build up some Latitudes rewards with time. They also have Saturday departures, which suits our schedule better. We like Freestyle dining, no formal nights, and the Jewel size class of ships. We're also looking forward to trying the UBP promotion next year.

 

I don't feel exclusive loyalty to NCL, but we have no major complaints so far.

[buckirj1]

I still like NCL best for the same reasons as always (freestyle, entertainment, service, etc). Nothing I've read suggests that the current NCL management attitude of viewing passengers as sheep to be fleeced instead of valued customers (thanks, Sparks!) has filtered down to ship staff and crew. They, at least, still seem to giveadamn you're there, and the actual shipboard experience hasn't changed much, so far as I can gather.

[greatlakesgirl]

They have the only ship that sails exclusively around the Hawaiian Islands! :)

[luv2swimwdolphins]

Yes, lot's of negativity!! We're cruising.let's keep perspective!

 

Positives about NCL?

 

CAS-how I started w NCL in the first place

 

Staff/Service- Treated like a regular/family. Officers are a riot!!

 

NO FORMAL NIGHT!! Dressy great, formal NO!

 

Walking onto the ship singing "Let's Go"

 

Pretzel rolls!

 

The clean smell of the body wash......smells like vacation.....

 

DH so relaxed and carefree he wants to dance at the 70s and 80s parties

 

Meeting great people..have made friends on the cruises!

 

I could go on........

[annamcc314]

We love that they offer entertainment for the whole family. My kids love all the Nickelodeon stuff, and the family pizza making and cupcake decorating. They love Splash Academy and the youth counsellors.

 

I love how friendly and happy the crew is. Love the washy washy songs!

[meatball_nyc]

Love the crew and their smiling faces.

Coming back to the ship and getting cold towels, lemonade, clean beach towels, water, dancing and a red carpet.

A really really comfy bed and pillows.

The Waterfront!!!

Dancho the awesome bar server at Malting's!

Pretzel rolls.

Freestyle is the best.

Love having an adventure at sea on a great ship.

Good drinks and fun times!

The crew working the rock climbing and ropes course are so happy and nice.

Hand scooped ice cream at the buffet.

Chicken Pot Pie at O'Sheehan's.

Martinis at Shaker's.

Can't wait for my next time :)

Happy Sailing!

[Shayhooper]

If they did this on NCL, I wouldn't cruise! How awkward and uncomfortable! Thanks NCL for not putting us thru that!

 

I thank NCL for not putting their crew through that.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

All this positivity is making me very excited to try NCL next year! :D

[Sparkygirl]

I love being greeted by a party, drinks, Balloons etc... when you board!! The decor is just beautiful inside & outside the ships (colors Galor!) Great mix of younger & older people. Freestyle dining, more unique things to do aboard. Layout of the pool decks w/ waterslides & lighted palm trees. Staff & crew always seems more relaxed than with Royal.

 

Plus the NCL Cruise critic peeps have a sense of humor! :D

 

 

I love how NCL accommodates my 4 year old with a life threatening latex allergy, keeping her safe while maintaining the balloons for all of the other guests.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AndyT3]

Personally, I think it's sad that we need to have this thread to discuss these things! With all the negative talk of NCL lately, it's refreshing to read about what keeps people coming back.

 

As first time cruisers, we were starting to get a little nervous, but reading this thread has made us look forward to cruising NCL even more!

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Personally, I think it's sad that we need to have this thread to discuss these things! With all the negative talk of NCL lately, it's refreshing to read about what keeps people coming back.

 

As first time cruisers, we were starting to get a little nervous, but reading this thread has made us look forward to cruising NCL even more!

 

I'm glad this thread is helping you feel more at ease.

 

 

Geri

[medicalma'am]

Hmmmmm.....what do I not love about cruising. LOL

 

Espresso machine in my suite

The Suite life

The Spa wet area

Freestyle dining

Choices, choices, choices

THE CREW! Happy Happy

My PCC

Not having to dress up

Seeing the world from my balcony

Coming back to my room and finding the bed made and everything tidy

The turn down service and towel animals and a note from my steward

Crew who know my name and remember me from another cruise, (really?, wow. What do they do, set up a database for the crew to check on that or do they REALLY remember you :p)

 

I just feel special from the moment I arrive at the pier and that is amazing to me. It is like I have a cheerleader group to get my vacation going.

 

[esp13]

What do I love about NCL?

 

Freestyle - dining, dressing, cruising. I love the dining options and I love not having to be dressy even more.

 

I love the crew and they way they always make us feel special.

 

I love the various entertainment options.

 

I love the many different bars with different themes and options.

 

I love the whole Haven concept. Best of both worlds with a combination of a more exclusive luxury experience and all the fun of a big ship n

 

Lastly, I love that I get to pay for what I want and not pay for what I dont. Some call it nickel and diming, I call it cruising ala carte. Everybody can decide what works best for them and their budget and still enjoy a wonderful cruise.

[pls5286]

Thank you for posting this thread. I am going to be taking my first NCL Cruise (5th overall) in just under 2 months for my honeymoon and had been 2nd guessing our decision to sail, due to all of the negative feedback I have been seeing on the boards.

 

I do have a question about the Dressy or not night. We will have our wedding clothes with us (but they are not traditional wedding attire. I am wearing a purple knee length dress and cowboy boots, he is wearing black jeans, purple shirt, boots, and string tie.) Will we stand out or look awkward? We want to get a few pics taken of us dressed in our wedding clothes.

[NMLady]

So since so much negative threads lately let's talk about positives of NCL.

 

Freestyle dining. I like that option a lot, there are lots of other things I like about NCL. The prices I get through CAS are great also.

 

I also agree that freestyle dining is best on NCL. Even though other cruise lines offer some kind of 'anytime' dining, since part of each of their MDR's is reserved for assigned dining, there aren't as many seats available for anytime dining as NCL's freestyle dining gives.

We enjoy meeting others so we often ask for, and get, shared table on NCL. But on nights we only want a table for two, that option is available in any MDR.

 

I also like the way NCL greets returning guests in each port for about an hour before the All Aboard: cool compresses, water/lemonade, much of the crew outside by gangway saying welcome back, often singing or dancing too. Makes one feel so welcome

Edited April 25, 2015 by NMLady