Need honest opinions - good or bad please

[bluesea777]

^^^^^ Amen 

to @wil e coyote’s post

 

Edited May 6, 2023 by bluesea777

[Peachypooh]

I have sailed on other lines but on NCL I have sailed on the Pearl (multiple times), Gem,

Jade (twice) Encore and most recently the Getaway. The crew has always been hardworking and kind. I was always able to find food to my liking. The only problems I have run into were ridiculous overcrowding on the Getaway (it was President's week) and kids taking over the Haven on the Encore. The overcrowding was NCL's fault. They should have known that while technically they could fit that many people on the ship it would make it awful for the guests. Kids taking over the Haven on the Encore is different. Their parents paid for the Haven and the kids were entitled to be there but none of the crew told the kids to stop doing disruptive things. Like going into the Horizon lounge and playing hide and seek and catapulting themselves over the couches.

I will still sail NCL but I am going to pick a week to sail a little more carefully.

[cruzbound]

Hi All,

 

So we made the final payment on our cruise - our other two couples backed out but we are going so we can form our own opinion on NCL and also we love the itinerary.

 

A few more questions - what time do they let you start getting on the ship?  I know they told me that the latest is 5 PM but of course, we don't want to get onboard that late.  Also, once you are checked-in in onboard what time do the actual staterooms open up?  Sorry for the 20 questions, I only know how RCCL works (check-in usually starts at 10:30 am and they open the staterooms up at 1 PM).

 

Thanks,

cruzbound

[georgiacat]

We were on POA last week.  I haven't had time to recuperate or write any reviews yet.

 

We were assigned boarding time of 1:30 by computer check in, but our hotel wanted us out by 11 am.  We had 4 days pre-cruise in Honolulu, so we did not want to sight see the morning of.  We checked out of hotel and went to the ship for boarding.  No time checked.  That time of day we just did all the stuff and walked on board.  It was very fast.  It gets really crowded middle of the afternoon.  We went to safety drill station, got check off, ate lunch in the buffet at 12 noon, found the library to read.  Our rooms were ready about 1:30 to 2 pm.  Ask any questions you wish.

[GirlWriter]

We were on POA in 2018, so pre-COVID. We had a lovely time. We didn't do a whole lot of shipboard activities, so I don't remember whether they were plentiful or lacking or anything, but the ship itself and the staff were great. While my family have sailed on NCL several times, on the POA we sailed with a couple that was new to NCL. They loved it and purchased certificates for their next cruise!

[graphicguy]

Done both RCCL and NCL….extensively as I’m Diamond on Royal and Sapphire on NCL.  

 

Food-similar on both.  But, I tend to eat in Specialty Restaurants for dinner at least ½ the evenings I’m on the cruise.

 

Service-they both offer good service.  Never been disappointed.  Whenever I had an issue, it was dealt with promptly and professionally.

 

Ships-they both have some of the most state of the art ships at sea.  They both also have some that are older and don’t have all the current amenities of newer ships.  NCL has race tracks and laser tag.  Royal has iFly and bumper cars.  Take your pick!

 

Itineraries-again, both have similar port stops.  Both have their own private islands.  Royal’s CoCo Cay resort tends to extend the “theme park” vibe while NCL has Great Stirrup Cay, which is more of a resort feel vs a theme park.  Pick the one you like best.

 

Aside from NCL’s newest Prima and Viva, both Royal and NCL have some of the biggest ships at sea.  TO some, that’s a positive.  For others, not so much.

 

Both cruise lines have their fans and detractors, which is probably where you’re hearing the negative views of NCL.

 

Aside from some serious faux pas right after the cruise restart, NCL has been the line I cruise the most.  They have lots to do, ships are well kept, offer great service and I like their “vibe” better than Royal.  That doesn’t make Royal bad, just different.

 

Just like some people swear by sailing Carnival.  Their cruises are fine, just not my vibe.  So, I don’t cruise them much.

[cruzbound]

Thanks georgiacat.  So NCL assigned you a check-in time, you did not get to pick?

 

Does anyone know if that is how all their cruise ships work?

 

We are going to do some scuba diving the day we embark and was just curious if they assign times and we can't make it on that time and come later, it is not a problem, right?

 

Thanks!

[Sailing12Away]

Pretty sure you still pick your own preferred check-in time around 21 days prior to boarding. So if you wanted a later time, but not the last possibly time, just remember to log into your account around 21 days before sailing and finalize your check in.

 

We did POA pre-Covid and had a great time. Would gladly do it again and take the opportunity to do different things on the islands than what we did the first time around. The sail past the napali coast was a highlight, so if that is now gone that's a bummer.

[Sailing12Away]

As for the picky eater part - I'm one of the biggest PITA when it comes to food and I do just fine. If it's listed on the menu, you can somewhat easily swap things around. At Le Bistro I like the sides and sauce for the veal - but refuse to eat baby cows. So they easily swap the protein out with a poppa cow instead for me.

 

In the MDR, I've often ordered an appetizer from the kids menu, or asked them to hold certain veggies or swap them out for other ones that are listed under a different meal. 

 

If you're trying to ask for something not even listed, less chance, but if it's there under a different dish it's not too much of an ask for them to grab the mashed potatoes instead of the seasonal veggies for your plate.