NCL Newbie Question

[kbset]

Hi Everyone!

We are NCL newbies and will be on the Jade in January in a mini-suite. It will be me, my husband and our 3 year old daughter (who has a physical disability) going on this cruise. We’ve sailed with Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Princess and were curious as to how NCL compares or is different to the 3 lines we have sailed. If I were to rate the 3 lines we have sailed from best to least favorite, it would be Celebrity, Princess and then Royal Caribbean.

Forgot to add: This will be our daughter's 2nd cruise

 

Thank you!

[Cruiseenthusiast101]

After sailing 42 cruises with NCL, 6 with Princess, 4 with Celebrity, and 9 with Royal, you can see which line I prefer. I feel as if NCL as the best customer service and hospitality of all the cruise lines I've tried. NCL dining is different from every other. They have this freestyle concept. You do what you what, where you want, when you want. So this means no set times. After cruisjgn with a family member who is physically disabled many times, they love this idea, there is never a crowd, it's easy for them to navigate around the ship.There will be plenty of activities for your daughter do. My son loved the kids program. They took great care of him, and gave us a pager, in case he wanted us, or if something were to go wrong and they would need our assistance. She will fit right in no problem! The Ncl Jade was just refurbished so you are in for a treat. Oh yah, just a tip, if you do not already have pier side service I would contact ncl. This allows you to bypass security (much shorter line, no wait, just walk right through) and a dedicated lounge. This comes in handy. They will also help you with disembarktion. Any more questions just let me know!

[kbset]

After sailing 42 cruises with NCL, 6 with Princess, 4 with Celebrity, and 9 with Royal, you can see which line I prefer. I feel as if NCL as the best customer service and hospitality of all the cruise lines I've tried. NCL dining is different from every other. They have this freestyle concept. You do what you what, where you want, when you want. So this means no set times. After cruisjgn with a family member who is physically disabled many times, they love this idea, there is never a crowd, it's easy for them to navigate around the ship.There will be plenty of activities for your daughter do. My son loved the kids program. They took great care of him, and gave us a pager, in case he wanted us, or if something were to go wrong and they would need our assistance. She will fit right in no problem! The Ncl Jade was just refurbished so you are in for a treat. Oh yah, just a tip, if you do not already have pier side service I would contact ncl. This allows you to bypass security (much shorter line, no wait, just walk right through) and a dedicated lounge. This comes in handy. They will also help you with disembarktion. Any more questions just let me know!

 

 

Thank you for your response, we are definitely looking forward to trying NCL! I do have a few of questions :)

Are the rooms ready when you board?

For dinner, do you have to eat dinner the same time everyday in the MDR and I'm guessing you don't have the same waiter/waitress?

Do they have formal nights?

Thank you!

[Oldgoat61]

They generally start letting you on board around 11-11:30. The rooms are ready about 1 pm. If you bring carry-on luggage, ask one of the crew members, or guest services where you can stash it until the rooms are ready. :D

 

With freestyle dining, you eat when you want, where you want, and with whomever you want. Think of it as eating at a land based restaurant. You can make reservations, but it usually isn't necessary, unless you are eating at a specialty eatery, in which case, it is better if you do. You almost always get a different waiter, they are rotated to different restaurants on a regular bases.

 

And, part of freestyle is no formal nights. They do have a few nights that are called "Norwegians night out", which gives you the opportunity to dress up if you like (we NEVER have). There are two restaurants that will not let you wear shorts, they are Le Bistro, and the larger of the 2 main dining rooms. :cool: