Considering “Jumping Ship” to try NCL

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

NCL adds tips to the WiFi package.  Really?  Why am I tipping your internet router?

Do you have an itemized invoice to show that?  The web site indicates nothing regarding this.  There should be a footnote on the WiFi packages page to indicate that gratuities are added, as is done on the other pages for onboard packages.

 

19 minutes ago, kelkel2 said:

can you guys give examples.

Some other examples might be the Vibe Beach Club that is an extra-fee and limited-access sun deck, the go-karts on ships with that attraction, laser tag on those ships, Galaxy Pavilion on ships with that attraction. 

 

As a comparison to the go-karts, I've been on an RCI ship with the free bumper cars - don't even TRY getting on them during a spring break week as the line wraps around the entire venue and few people respect the line, we saw many instances of kids spacing friends in the line and after their turn they just filter back in near the front of the line with a friend causing the line to not move AT ALL for several rounds of riders.  If they made it a paid thing that would fix all of that.  I stood in line with my niece and nephew for over an hour of actual bumper cars and we were in line at least 30-45 minutes before the activity was scheduled to start.

[graphicguy]

Misspoke by calling WiFi extra charges a tip.  They actually are charging to connect.  I am doing all the work to get my device(s) connected, not NCL!

[aubreyc1988]

2 hours ago, kelkel2 said:

Ok, so as far as the nickeling and diming everyone is talking about, can you guys give examples.

I more than understand paying gratuities for the drink and dining package up front. But what else can I expect to pay for? I usually purchase wifi for the week on Carnival, so I’m also used to paying for that.

We do like carnival as long as you stay away from the short 3-5 day cruises as those tend to very much draw the rowdier crowd. But generally when booking 7 day or more cruises we really haven’t had any issues. Like I said, we’re not hard to please. We don’t need 5 star dining and go in with a pretty open mind. It’s hard to hate a cruise. Even with our Princess cruise that we didn’t love, we still had a great time. It just felt too stuffy for us. (I’d rather have a dj for music than a string quartet that’s all). The food and ship was wonderful. 
but, Carnival’s itineraries all kind of become mundane and there’s some Eastern Caribbean cruises on NCL that go to islands we’ve never been to before. I try to make it my goal that we go somewhere new on every cruise, at least one island, so that’s also a huge draw. 

In addition to what some other posters said, depending on the NCL ship you sail on, some activities cost extra, like the Galaxy Pavillon Virtual reality place, the speedway race track, Vibe sundeck passes, a few other things I am probably forgetting 

[wil e coyote]

My point of view - and it is mine alone - is that you can have a great cruise on NCL without paying for any of the "upcharge" stuff. My DW and I did that several times. We didn't get a drink package, do specialty dining, or book the Haven. The only "extras" we bought were shore excursions and an occasional drink. And we had a GREAT time.

Now, the last few times, we have chosen to take advantage of the specialty dining, the drink package, and even the Haven, fully knowing they cost more. Those have made the cruise even nicer. But those are our choices. If finances (or other factors) dictated, we could go back to the base plan and it would still beat sitting in my home office doing Zoom meetings for 9 hours a day, hands down!

[kelkel2]

Thanks guys!!

It sounds comparable to carnival as far as the nickels and dimes. Carnival also charges for tips, the roller coaster, arcades and such as well so you guys are correct, every cruise line does that. I think we will give ncl a try at some point. Maybe one day they’ll even bring back the kids sail free promotion!

[MNcruisingcouple]

16 hours ago, kelkel2 said:

Thanks guys!!

It sounds comparable to carnival as far as the nickels and dimes. Carnival also charges for tips, the roller coaster, arcades and such as well so you guys are correct, every cruise line does that. I think we will give ncl a try at some point. Maybe one day they’ll even bring back the kids sail free promotion!

 

They have 3rd and 4th person free on select sailings.

 

Norwegian's Free at Sea | Free Open Bar & More (ncl.com)

[complawyer]

fyi, 3rd and 4th people sailing for free. all ncl does is spread out the  costs. try and mock book a cabin for four  people when you get to the end and it shows breakdown, click on it and you will see there are no savings the cost for the 1st 2 have been inflated

 

i have said this before, my criteria for booking is itinerary and price. so far ncl meets those, so i stay with them. after a number of cruises, you will find ncl doesnt give away ice cubes in winter. their 35% off deal has been going on and on and on, but you really arent saving any money

[cmecruise1962]

I jumped ship a couple of years ago...went from having 10 cruises on Carnival (don't remember what that made me loyalty wise) and now I am Platinum on NCL.  I frankly like the drink package...being able to get two drinks at a time and no limit on the number I can drink in a day was what sold me!  Other than that, they are VERY similar!  LOL

[Alynna715]

We started cruising with Norwegian when our twins were 5. We had cruised other lines before children.  We think Norwegian is family friendly and will probably remain loyal. We really love the Splash Academy. They do crafts, games, parades, athletic activities. Our kids love the "evening activities" and that gives us time to have some date nights. The staff is really amazing with our children and have made some magical memories for us.  Even with the dining package at the specialty restaurant kids can order off the "main dining kids menu"

[LGW59]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:04 PM, kelkel2 said:

So, those promotions they keep emailing me look really nice, and they’re very intriguing. So tell me, what is actually included in those unlimited drink plans? What about the dining plan? 
we’re a fun family of 4 with almost 4 yo twins and we’re genuinely interested in something different but want the kids to enjoy it too. 
Carnival is “comfortable” because we know what to expect and what’s included but I know absolutely nothing about NCL. Obviously the buffet is included, what kind of restaurants would be available to us if we got the dining plan? 
Please share anything a potential newbie would need to know! 
 

This is just my opinion, but if you have only sailed on Carnival, NCL is a huge step up in the cruising game.  Have not been on NCL in a few years, but the cruises I took were very enjoyable, food, entertainment venues, fellow cruisers etc.  I am just so not a Carnival fan in any way shape or form.  Also, now that I am over 60, Celebrity is my go to, but with kids at 4 yo, I feel NCL would be a good fit for your family.

[cruiserbear55]

On 6/23/2022 at 1:55 PM, complawyer said:

35% off deal has been going on and on and on, but you really arent saving any money

   Can't wait for their 70% off 2nd person deal to come back. Now that's a real moneysaver!!

[complawyer]

yeah, right! lol!

[strickerj]

On 6/22/2022 at 10:26 AM, graphicguy said:

...

Frankly, the only cruise line I found that was pretty up front was Celebrity.  They tell you they’re “all inclusive” sailings have no hidden charges.  And, they’re right.  I didn’t pay a nickel for drinks, they included tips, and they give an OBC to cover some Specialty Dinning venues and perhaps an excursion or two.  They’re fares tend to be higher (except they have a great solo fare sale going on right now).

 

 

On 6/22/2022 at 10:48 AM, peikris said:

 

I absolutely love Celebrity. No hidden charges, port fees returned for missed ports and excellent itineraries and food.

Holland America was like this too. The "Have It All" promo with the drink package, specialty dining, and WiFi was actually free, gratuities already included. And we proactively got a $20pp port fee refund because the dock in Sitka was unavailable, so we had to tender to shore instead. I didn't even know we were entitled to that; someone on this forum told me what it was for.

 

So, to be clear, with NCL's Free at Sea promo, do you only pay gratuities on the specialty dining when you book the specialty restaurant, or do you pay it even if you don't use it? I'm looking at an itinerary that has the promo but it's so short and port-intensive that we'd probably stick to the MDR or buffet.

[graphicguy]

12 minutes ago, strickerj said:

 

Holland America was like this too. The "Have It All" promo with the drink package, specialty dining, and WiFi was actually free, gratuities already included. And we proactively got a $20pp port fee refund because the dock in Sitka was unavailable, so we had to tender to shore instead. I didn't even know we were entitled to that; someone on this forum told me what it was for.

 

So, to be clear, with NCL's Free at Sea promo, do you only pay gratuities on the specialty dining when you book the specialty restaurant, or do you pay it even if you don't use it? I'm looking at an itinerary that has the promo but it's so short and port-intensive that we'd probably stick to the MDR or buffet.

I’ve never booked without taking the Specialty Dining package perk.  But, I think I read where some have declined the specialty dining perk.  So, you wouldn’t have to pay the tips on the perk if you don’t take it.  You only pay specialty dining gratuities if you use that “perk”.  

 

I will say, I’ve seen the charges for those venues without the perk.  The charges for specialty dining without the dining package are hefty.

[hallux]

29 minutes ago, strickerj said:

So, to be clear, with NCL's Free at Sea promo, do you only pay gratuities on the specialty dining when you book the specialty restaurant, or do you pay it even if you don't use it?

If you don't decline the perk at the time of booking you pay the gratuities as an extra line-item on the fare.  

[billslowsky]

On 6/22/2022 at 2:35 PM, hallux said:

As a comparison to the go-karts, I've been on an RCI ship with the free bumper cars - don't even TRY getting on them during a spring break week as the line wraps around the entire venue and few people respect the line, we saw many instances of kids spacing friends in the line and after their turn they just filter back in near the front of the line with a friend causing the line to not move AT ALL for several rounds of riders.  If they made it a paid thing that would fix all of that.  I stood in line with my niece and nephew for over an hour of actual bumper cars and we were in line at least 30-45 minutes before the activity was scheduled to start.

On the Anthem of the Seas this spring they required reservations for the bumper cars and they limited you to one or two reservations for the week.  And you had to show the reservation on your phone when you arrived.  You could walk up and half the time might get to go.

 

But I agree with what you were saying, given the demand, things like go-karts on NCL, iFly on Royal, etc., I don't think charging is unreasonable, like the arcades.  

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, strickerj said:

 

Holland America was like this too. The "Have It All" promo with the drink package, specialty dining, and WiFi was actually free, gratuities already included. And we proactively got a $20pp port fee refund because the dock in Sitka was unavailable, so we had to tender to shore instead. I didn't even know we were entitled to that; someone on this forum told me what it was for.

 

So, to be clear, with NCL's Free at Sea promo, do you only pay gratuities on the specialty dining when you book the specialty restaurant, or do you pay it even if you don't use it? I'm looking at an itinerary that has the promo but it's so short and port-intensive that we'd probably stick to the MDR or buffet.

If you take the free at sea perks, the tips are charged to you in advance. If you don't use any or all of your special dining, they still stay as a charge. Same thing with the drink package if you do not take the maximum amount of drinks.

[habc]

I have done Carnival twice NCL at least 10 times and Princess once.

 

 I just booked another Carnival cruise because it’s leaving from my home port and going to 2 islands that are new to me.

 

On Carnival the drinks package is extra, to the point that my cost of an 8 day cruise is almost doubled. There’s a limit of 15 drinks a day and, if leaving from NYC or Galveston it Doesn’t kick in until day 2. The drinks on the private island are not included in the cheers package so you pay extra for those. Specialty dining is not included 

 

NCL drinks kick in immediately but you have to pay tax until the ship leaves port in NY. At least one specialty dinner is included. The tours are cheaper, due to the $50 credit. (The cheapest tour I could find on Carnival was $50)

 

NCL does allow you to opt out of the drink package and specialty dining package.

 

The shows are better on NCL

 

[Sam Ting]

With NCL, nothing really stands out.  Everything is mediocre.  I think families would be much happier on RCCL.  The entertainment and things to do are far superior for all ages.  We also think their food is just as good in their main dining room as the specialties on NCL.   

[KarimaJ]

So we did the opposite, cruised NCL and other lines (RC, Celebrity) and decided to try Carnival. My thoughts:

• The rooms are generally nicer on NCL
• The buffet on NCL is much better, I really didn't like the Carnival buffet at all
• Desserts on Carnival are better, food in main dining room on NCL is better
• Carnival has those great free lunch places like Guys Burgers, taco place, BBQ place
• Carnival still had a lobster night, NCL does not
• The carnival tea time was nice
• Both cruise lines can be chaos when trying to get off at ports. Celebrity was awesome!
• Pizza on Carnival was the best

 

To sum it up, we generally like NCL better mostly due to the food and buffet. But we did like things about the Carnival cruise and we had fun.

[Liljo22]

2 hours ago, Sam Ting said:

With NCL, nothing really stands out.  Everything is mediocre.  I think families would be much happier on RCCL.  The entertainment and things to do are far superior for all ages.  We also think their food is just as good in their main dining room as the specialties on NCL.   

My family disagrees.  We just got off our first RCCL cruise today and while we had an amazing time, we found that all of us would mention that NCL did it better on certain things.  The food was hit or miss and desserts were terrible.  Entertainment was ok but still far superior on NCL.  

[graphicguy]

16 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

My family disagrees.  We just got off our first RCCL cruise today and while we had an amazing time, we found that all of us would mention that NCL did it better on certain things.  The food was hit or miss and desserts were terrible.  Entertainment was ok but still far superior on NCL.  

Agree.

 

Sailed the NCL Encore to Alaska last Fall.  Sailed the RCCL Ovation of the Seas to Alaska (same itinerary) this past Spring.  Had a great time on both.

 

However, entertainment on the NCL Encore was significantly better than on the Ovation.  Food on both were similar.  But, service was severely lacking on the Ovation.  They actually stopped people from going to the Windjammer buffet because EVERY SEAT was filled.  Same for Cafe 270...the line was about 30-40 minutes, as it was for the MDRs, too.

 

Entertainment, while some were good (mostly single or duo performers), main shows were hit and miss.

 

Again, had a good time and I can make things work for me, personally.  But, my pre and post COVID cruises on Royal were somewhat lacking,

[bowlinmoe]

On 6/21/2022 at 10:04 PM, kelkel2 said:

So, those promotions they keep emailing me look really nice, and they’re very intriguing. So tell me, what is actually included in those unlimited drink plans? What about the dining plan? 
we’re a fun family of 4 with almost 4 yo twins and we’re genuinely interested in something different but want the kids to enjoy it too. 
Carnival is “comfortable” because we know what to expect and what’s included but I know absolutely nothing about NCL. Obviously the buffet is included, what kind of restaurants would be available to us if we got the dining plan? 
Please share anything a potential newbie would need to know! 
 

We actually just booked an NCL cruise this past week after doing Carnival the past couple times.

 

Regarding the offers, read the fine print.  It's technically not as good as you are led to believe.  The "free excursions", for example, you get $50 towards ONE excursion for ONE person....not $50 towards excursions for both a husband and wife in a stateroom.  For the "free unlimited drink package", it will cost you about $125 in gratuities/fees (assuming this is a 7 day cruise).  This might be a great bargain depending on how much you drink but still...it's something to keep in mind.

 

I think the "free wifi" is something like 120 to 150 minutes during the 7 day cruise.

 

Summary:  The offers are nice but not as good as you think they might be at first glance. 

[hallux]

1 minute ago, bowlinmoe said:

For the "free unlimited drink package", it will cost you about $125 in gratuities/fees (assuming this is a 7 day cruise)

$20 per person per day - the regular price of the package is $100 pp/pd you pay the gratuities based on 20% of that cost.  Max drink price allowed on the plan that's included is $15.  4 drinks per day between 2 passengers in the room and you easily break even. 

 

When you consider that some lines have limitations - some allow you to only get one at a time while NCL allows two, some have a per-day limit on how many you can have while NCL does not restrict in that way - the package isn't as bad of a deal as some make it out to be.

[The Shrike]

1 hour ago, bowlinmoe said:

The "free excursions", for example, you get $50 towards ONE excursion for ONE person.

It's $50 credit for each port.  We've got a cruise next month with four excursions booked, and thus saved $200 (not including additional savings for Latitudes level).