NCL - Initial Cruise - Concern

[willbrook]

My wife and I have cruised on many occasions with both Celebrity, and most recently, Princess. While we have enjoyed both cruise lines, we've decided to try NCL for a change. It will be nice to be on a ship that offers different dining and entertainment options where we don't know precisely where everything is located!

 

We have booked a 14 day West to East Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel for February 2017. We like the size of the ship (not too big), cabin selection (Aft/Mini Suite), and the itinerary. The booking incentives offered were another inducement. We both chose the beverage package - from what I've read, this is the choice of most passengers. Herein lies my concern.

 

I have been reading many complaints from passengers about overly crowded bars and lengthy waits for service. Some passengers have detailed their problems on consumer awareness websites. Many of the complaints originate from Norwegian ships departing from Florida ports.

 

Offering an unlimited beverage package incentive is obviously going to increase "bar business". Has Norwegian failed to make provisions to deal with the additional workload, or is the scope of the problem being overstated?

Edited November 10, 2015 by willbrook
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[khaide612]

The shorter Florida based cruises are going to have more of a "party" crowd so wait time for drinks would be longer. Also, the location of the bar is the biggest issue. On a beautiful sea day near the pool, you will wait longer than the martini bar inside on Deck 6. However, I don't think you are going to have that kind of problem on a 14-day Panama Canal cruise. Enjoy!!

[Linda the Book Lover]

Since you will be traveling on a longer cruise you should have no problems what so ever. The only time we ever had a delay was on a spring break cruise (I know what were we seniors thinking;)) but it was only at the pool bar. We never had an issue at any other bar.

 

Enjoy your first NCL cruise!

[S&S Cruisers 1983]

We did run into this issue on our Bermuda cruise last month. We talked to the Food and Beverage Director and he actually told us that since they have offered the unlimited drink package there has been a big increase in bar business and they have not really found a resolution for the wait time at the bars yet. He stated that the bars are a little overwhelmed. I was really surprised that he actually said this to us. Hopefully they will come up with a plan soon.

[willbrook]

The shorter Florida based cruises are going to have more of a "party" crowd so wait time for drinks would be longer. Also, the location of the bar is the biggest issue. On a beautiful sea day near the pool, you will wait longer than the martini bar inside on Deck 6. However, I don't think you are going to have that kind of problem on a 14-day Panama Canal cruise. Enjoy!!

 

Thanks very much for the responses - I feel better with the reassurances.

 

Safe Sailing!

[jpcdds6]

We did run into this issue on our Bermuda cruise last month. We talked to the Food and Beverage Director and he actually told us that since they have offered the unlimited drink package there has been a big increase in bar business and they have not really found a resolution for the wait time at the bars yet. He stated that the bars are a little overwhelmed. I was really surprised that he actually said this to us. Hopefully they will come up with a plan soon.

They are in the service industry. There is NO excuse for them not to have anticipated a dramatic increase in consumption. That is just plain common sense.

[CRUZIN TOM]

The jewel is a great ship not too small. We will not go on a mega ship of NCL. Just too big. We just got off the Jewel 2 weeks ago. They have about 14 bars throughout the ship. I only saw one line at only one bar the entire cruise. Most of the time nobody was at the bar except those sitting. Very little hustling by the waiters as was in the past.

[ib_gman]

My wife and I have cruised on many occasions with both Celebrity, and most recently, Princess. While we have enjoyed both cruise lines, we've decided to try NCL for a change. It will be nice to be on a ship that offers different dining and entertainment options where we don't know precisely where everything is located!

 

We have booked a 14 day West to East Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel for February 2017. We like the size of the ship (not too big), cabin selection (Aft/Mini Suite), and the itinerary. The booking incentives offered were another inducement. We both chose the beverage package - from what I've read, this is the choice of most passengers. Herein lies my concern.

 

I have been reading many complaints from passengers about overly crowded bars and lengthy waits for service. Some passengers have detailed their problems on consumer awareness websites. Many of the complaints originate from Norwegian ships departing from Florida ports.

 

Offering an unlimited beverage package incentive is obviously going to increase "bar business". Has Norwegian failed to make provisions to deal with the additional workload, or is the scope of the problem being overstated?

 

My wife and I just came off a 4 day cruise on the Pearl. No problems at all getting a drink at anytime at any bar.

 

I will say getting a drink in the MDR was slow, but that was solved by the second night by bringing a drink with us.

 

-g

[S&S Cruisers 1983]

They are in the service industry. There is NO excuse for them not to have anticipated a dramatic increase in consumption. That is just plain common sense.

 

I totally agree. That's why I was so surprised when he said what he did.

[www3traveler]

Please be aware, that Norwegian has just christened a brand new cruise ship yesterday. It has about 2100 staff members pulled from every other ship in the system.

 

By the time you cruise, you will a wonderful time. The Jewel is a great ship and a wonderful staff. I am heading to LA to board Her for the 2nd time in 9 months.

[S&S Cruisers 1983]

Please be aware, that Norwegian has just christened a brand new cruise ship yesterday. It has about 2100 staff members pulled from every other ship in the system.

 

By the time you cruise, you will a wonderful time. The Jewel is a great ship and a wonderful staff. I am heading to LA to board Her for the 2nd time in 9 months.

 

We loved the Jewel also, and had a great cruise on her. When we went on the Dawn is the only time that we had problems at the bars. I would cruise the Jewel again in a heartbeat.

[Va. Plumber]

As you are no doubt aware, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you read CC long enough you will discover more people post griping reviews than they do positive ones.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[S&S Cruisers 1983]

As you are no doubt aware, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you read CC long enough you will discover more people post griping reviews than they do positive ones.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

I hope you are not talking about me. :confused: I am not griping, simply sharing an experience that we had recently but never had before the UBP started. Simply giving the OP an honest answer to the question.

[emcelh]

Spent 10 days on the Gem last month. Never found the bars overcrowded or had to wait longer than normal for service. It might be an issue at times on the mega ship's but wasn't on the Gem.

[BirdTravels]

My wife and I have cruised on many occasions with both Celebrity, and most recently, Princess. While we have enjoyed both cruise lines, we've decided to try NCL for a change. It will be nice to be on a ship that offers different dining and entertainment options where we don't know precisely where everything is located!

 

We have booked a 14 day West to East Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel for February 2017. We like the size of the ship (not too big), cabin selection (Aft/Mini Suite), and the itinerary. The booking incentives offered were another inducement. We both chose the beverage package - from what I've read, this is the choice of most passengers. Herein lies my concern.

 

I have been reading many complaints from passengers about overly crowded bars and lengthy waits for service. Some passengers have detailed their problems on consumer awareness websites. Many of the complaints originate from Norwegian ships departing from Florida ports.

 

Offering an unlimited beverage package incentive is obviously going to increase "bar business". Has Norwegian failed to make provisions to deal with the additional workload, or is the scope of the problem being overstated?

 

We sailed to Alaska on the Jewel in July. We really didn't notice a large difference at the bars from pre UBP. Enjoy your cruise.

[fshagan]

I have been reading many complaints from passengers about overly crowded bars and lengthy waits for service. Some passengers have detailed their problems on consumer awareness websites. Many of the complaints originate from Norwegian ships departing from Florida ports.

 

Offering an unlimited beverage package incentive is obviously going to increase "bar business". Has Norwegian failed to make provisions to deal with the additional workload, or is the scope of the problem being overstated?

 

The NCL forum on CC is filled with complainers; more so than on any other forum I have been on, and I can't help but think that people have gotten into a rut vilifying each other and feeding into a negative echo chamber.

 

My wife and I recently went on a sister ship, the Gem, and feared not being able to get a drink or eat in a specialty restaurant after seeing all the dire warnings here. We expected to see Frank Del Rio (the new CEO) dressed up as Ebenezer Scrooge stealing from babies at the buffet, long lines at the bars, and angry passengers all around. Perhaps Andy Stuart, the President of the line, tossing passengers overboard if they didn't spend another $5 on board.

 

But our fears of the "dramatic" changes and wait times were greatly exaggerated. We never had a problem at a bar, or at a restaurant. We never saw a lot of complaining (except for the first sea day, when a woman was upset that her lunch at a pub-style restaurant named O'Sheehans wasn't available "within five minutes" like she was used to). The

 

I predict you will have a wonderful time and wonder, like we did, what the big deal on CC is all about. I think part of it may stem from the megaships like the Epic, Breakaway and Getaway, that have small public areas and about 4,000 people on board. The "Jewel Class" ships can easily accommodate all the passengers on board, and we didn't notice any decline in customer service, attentiveness of the crew or staff, or any other degradation in our cruise experience.

[Linda the Book Lover]

The NCL forum on CC is filled with complainers; more so than on any other forum I have been on, and I can't help but think that people have gotten into a rut vilifying each other and feeding into a negative echo chamber.

 

My wife and I recently went on a sister ship, the Gem, and feared not being able to get a drink or eat in a specialty restaurant after seeing all the dire warnings here. We expected to see Frank Del Rio (the new CEO) dressed up as Ebenezer Scrooge stealing from babies at the buffet, long lines at the bars, and angry passengers all around. Perhaps Andy Stuart, the President of the line, tossing passengers overboard if they didn't spend another $5 on board.

 

But our fears of the "dramatic" changes and wait times were greatly exaggerated. We never had a problem at a bar, or at a restaurant. We never saw a lot of complaining (except for the first sea day, when a woman was upset that her lunch at a pub-style restaurant named O'Sheehans wasn't available "within five minutes" like she was used to). The

 

I predict you will have a wonderful time and wonder, like we did, what the big deal on CC is all about. I think part of it may stem from the megaships like the Epic, Breakaway and Getaway, that have small public areas and about 4,000 people on board. The "Jewel Class" ships can easily accommodate all the passengers on board, and we didn't notice any decline in customer service, attentiveness of the crew or staff, or any other degradation in our cruise experience.

 

Like you I am always amazed at the stories but ignore most of them. I agree with you. As I posted earlier we only had a slight issue at the pool bar during spring break. My DSD who that cruise was all about took care of it (gal tried to swipe our drinks!:eek:). We always managed to have a good time and the one time there was an issue on the Epic we spoke to the "hotel manager" and it was taken care of immediately. Customer service has been nice and I am looking forward to enjoying our UBP on the Jewel's sister ship the Jade.

 

OP Have a great time!

[rmmom1962]

My wife and I have cruised on many occasions with both Celebrity, and most recently, Princess. While we have enjoyed both cruise lines, we've decided to try NCL for a change. It will be nice to be on a ship that offers different dining and entertainment options where we don't know precisely where everything is located!

 

We have booked a 14 day West to East Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel for February 2017. We like the size of the ship (not too big), cabin selection (Aft/Mini Suite), and the itinerary. The booking incentives offered were another inducement. We both chose the beverage package - from what I've read, this is the choice of most passengers. Herein lies my concern.

 

I have been reading many complaints from passengers about overly crowded bars and lengthy waits for service. Some passengers have detailed their problems on consumer awareness websites. Many of the complaints originate from Norwegian ships departing from Florida ports.

 

Offering an unlimited beverage package incentive is obviously going to increase "bar business". Has Norwegian failed to make provisions to deal with the additional workload, or is the scope of the problem being overstated?

 

 

Was on the Getaway out off Miami with free drinks. I never had a problem. Plenty of bars. Casino was impossible to get a drink unless you headed to the bar. Servers weren't working the slot floor.

[Cloudyrain]

I always find it strange how two peoples experience can differ so much. We were on a sell-out Epic med sailing this year and had no problems with getting served, getting a lounger, watching shows or getting a table in the MDR or buffet. However, i have seen people on the exact same sail date saying they waited hours for tables, never could eat in the buffet, couldn't find a lounger because if chair hogs, and missed all the entertainment because it was all fully booked.

 

Maybe we are just easy to please or work to a different timetable to everyone else :)

 

We have been on the Spirit and had the best holiday i have ever had, but also been on the Epic twice and the big ship experience is just different: not necessarily worse or better. Besides, it couldn't be that bad, we are off on the Breakaway in a few days....hopefully i don't change my tune after that! :eek:

[SuiteCruiser]

I think the biggest difference you'll find, and I did 7 cruises last year with NCL on different ships, is that there are fewer waiters, which means the likihood of having to go to the bar yourself is much higher. On the Sky (the smallest) there were 2 waiters working the entire pool area both levels at sailaway when it was packed. In the casino, they are very well equipped and there are always waiters there to take your order.

 

You'll have a great time, there is more positive than negative, the onboard experience is much better than the land-based operations, though the staff seem to be more stressed, they're still the best in the mainstream lines.

[calmpets]

I was just on the Dawn a few weeks ago, and had the same concerns about beverage service. My conclusion was that if you thought you were going to walk up to a bar and be immediately served, you were going to be disappointed. Expect to wait for a few minutes (less than five) and you should be fine. I really only had a problem getting a drink twice, where it took closer to ten minutes: the first was at the martini bar immediately after the lifeboat drill (apparently everyone on the ship had the same idea at the same time), and the second was on a particularly nice afternoon at the bimini bar on the top deck. In general, though, I found that once I adjusted my expectations, I was perfectly happy. I did run into several people who were outraged at their wait time, and one couple was livid that they actually had to go to the bar themselves instead of being stopped by a waiter the instant the thought of a cocktail entered their heads. Again, if you have reasonable expectations you should be fine. Enjoy your trip!

[hypercafe]

I think you picked the right class ship and right cruise. You should have no trouble. The only place I had a Waite was the pool bar on a sea day. I had about the same Waite times on X and Oceania. Have fun.

[cliffd64]

This is an issue with bar service across all ships... but, as I discovered last week, it doesn't have much to do with the UBP.

 

Norwegian has altered the pay structure for "bar servers" so that it's even pay across the board for each server regardless of how much you serve.

 

This has caused a huge exodus of employees from those positions, leaving customers no choice but to try to serve themselves by going to the bar. You could really see the difference... especially at the shows where they used to have several servers, there was maybe one if you were lucky. Who would want to do that job with no incentive to earn?

 

This in turn causes the bartenders to be really really overworked (and they are not really happy about it)

 

On our recent cruise they attempted to alleviate the issue by the pool by making a "Beer and Soda only line" for those who only wanted to get beers or soda, as opposed to a time consuming blender drink. It helped a little.

[S&S Cruisers 1983]

This is an issue with bar service across all ships... but, as I discovered last week, it doesn't have much to do with the UBP.

 

Norwegian has altered the pay structure for "bar servers" so that it's even pay across the board for each server regardless of how much you serve.

 

This has caused a huge exodus of employees from those positions, leaving customers no choice but to try to serve themselves by going to the bar. You could really see the difference... especially at the shows where they used to have several servers, there was maybe one if you were lucky. Who would want to do that job with no incentive to earn?

 

This in turn causes the bartenders to be really really overworked (and they are not really happy about it)

 

On our recent cruise they attempted to alleviate the issue by the pool by making a "Beer and Soda only line" for those who only wanted to get beers or soda, as opposed to a time consuming blender drink. It helped a little.

 

They tried to alleviate the busy bars on our cruise by having the bartenders yell out "Who was next?" I think it helped.