Goodbye NCL and Possibly Cruising Altogether Rant One

[Manchester is blue]

On 4/25/2024 at 8:36 PM, The Traveling Man said:

I'm not defending either NCL or the disappointed passengers, but just saying that NCL might have done a better job of studying the demographics of the passengers on that particular cruise and provisioning appropriately.  After all, they do stock up extra hot dogs and soda on cruises that have lots of kids on board.  They probably have the statistics down to a fine science about how much Bratwurst to stock when there's a travel group from Chicago, etc., etc.  It would be like sailing in late November with a predominately American crowd and not stocking extra turkeys. 

 

Yes, the "Guinness Day" celebration probably was made up by the folks at the brewery in order to sell more beer, but apparently it is a semi-official holiday well known and widely celebrated in the UK.  NCL knew in advance that the cruise included an inordinately large percentage of folks from the UK, so it truly is unfortunate that the ship was not provisioned with an extra lading of Guinness beer.  Watching those folks go bonkers over NCL's running out of their favorite beer, however, was a sight to behold.

I’m from England. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve never heard of”Guinness day” I can assure you it is not a semi official holiday here, and as such is not widely celebrated. 
Guiness really isn’t particularly popular in England. Some people drink it, but really not very many. This afternoon in my local pub, I do not recall anyone having a pint of it.Certainly non of my mates did. 
Lager is probably the usual drink of choice in England. Just thought you may like know 

Cheers.

 

 

 

[The Traveling Man]

1 minute ago, Manchester is blue said:

I’m from England. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve never heard of”Guinness day” I can assure you it is not a semi official holiday here, and as such is not widely celebrated. 
Guiness really isn’t particularly popular in England. Some people drink it, but really not very many. This afternoon in my local pub, I do not recall anyone having a pint of it.Certainly non of my mates did. 
Lager is probably the usual drink of choice in England. Just thought you may like know 

Cheers.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info.  While there were quite a few folks from England on that cruise on the Star, I suppose that most of the complaints about running out of beer came from the large number of Irish and Scottish passengers.  As @Sailing12Away noted, an internet search for "Arthur's Day" will reveal the story of this celebration. 

[Panhandle Couple]

1 minute ago, Manchester is blue said:

I’m from England. I’ve lived here all my life. I’ve never heard of”Guinness day” I can assure you it is not a semi official holiday here, and as such is not widely celebrated. 
Guiness really isn’t particularly popular in England. Some people drink it, but really not very many. This afternoon in my local pub, I do not recall anyone having a pint of it.Certainly non of my mates did. 
Lager is probably the usual drink of choice in England. Just thought you may like know 

Cheers.

 

 

 

I've been to the UK 5 times, and dealt with business folks there for 5-6 years at one point.  Never heard of Guinness Day.

 

Most pubs (outside of London touristy ones) have a tie in with a semi-local brewer for their draft beer.  Most won't have Guinness on tap, but in a bottle, the same as Heineken or other mass market beers.  Going to a pub and NOT having a sample of the local draft selection would be an insult to the pub owner.  (IMHO)

[Manchester is blue]

Absolutely yes, I’d guess it was perhaps the Irish. 👍🏼

[gmbhardy]

I’ve seen threads go sideways but this one is really something special.

[The Traveling Man]

13 minutes ago, gmbhardy said:

I’ve seen threads go sideways but this one is really something special.

I'll own up to my role in that nefarious practice.  Possibly one reason it took so many false turns down dead-end streets is that it seemed for a while that the OP had abandoned us, leaving us to our own devices.

 

In my defense, though, I would point to post  #109.

Edited April 27 by The Traveling Man

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

5 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

I thought it was supposed to be a word picture.  Who knew?

I forget how picky Dali can be about storing pics. Anyway, this was in response to the comment about not seeing bears and raccoons in thongs in the nationals parks. Hopefully this picture sticks, because it was one of my better AI efforts. 🙂

 

Edited April 27 by SeekingKillerWhales!

[schmoopie17]

5 minutes ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

I forget how picky Dali can be about storing pics. Anyway, this was in response to the comment about not seeing bears and raccoons in thongs in the nationals parks. Hopefully this picture sticks, because it was one of my better AI efforts. 🙂

 

I guess that qualifies as the "bear" necessities.

 

But I'm waiting for the bear to thing a thong...🎶

 

Edited April 27 by schmoopie17

[erisajd]

10 hours ago, pcrum said:

Not our experience at all.  We frequented Maltings and Shakers and never had more than a couple of minutes wait for a drink. The pool bars were crowded, so we tended to avoid those, but inside the ship, no problem at all getting a drink. 

I bet that’s the exact opposite of an Alaska cruise!! 

[KeithJenner]

14 hours ago, Panhandle Couple said:

I've been to the UK 5 times, and dealt with business folks there for 5-6 years at one point.  Never heard of Guinness Day.

 

Most pubs (outside of London touristy ones) have a tie in with a semi-local brewer for their draft beer.  Most won't have Guinness on tap, but in a bottle, the same as Heineken or other mass market beers.  Going to a pub and NOT having a sample of the local draft selection would be an insult to the pub owner.  (IMHO)

In my experience the vast majority of pubs in the UK have Guinness on tap.

[jrt.mom]

On 4/26/2024 at 11:57 AM, crazycatlady82 said:

 

 

Regarding the gift shop--have you never been on a repositioning cruise? I laugh at the wrong cruise merchandise in the gift shops...and look for deals lol.

I'm doing an Alaska to Hawai'i repositioning cruise in October, I can't wait to see the juxtaposition of items in the gift shop....

[jrt.mom]

On 4/25/2024 at 4:56 PM, ontheweb said:

As I read that the music from Deliverance started running though my head.

I'm a canoe enthusiast and I have a sticker on my van, "Paddle faster,  I hear banjo music..."

[jrt.mom]

On 4/26/2024 at 8:49 AM, blackwing said:

 

 

The one thing I do agree with him is about the scooters.  There were a lot of scooters on our cruise.  Most are very kind people.  However, there was one lady in particular that I came to recognize.  Every time I saw her, her jaw was clenched and set and she had this look in her eyes like she was in the Monaco Grand Prix.  When you see her on the opposite site of the room, watch out.  Because she was going at full speed and didn't care whose toes she was going to run over.  She was an anomaly, but I do understand the context of OP's comment.

You must have been on a cruise with my mother-in-law....

[The Traveling Man]

21 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

I’ve seen threads go sideways but this one is really something special.

Yes, it truly has taken a turn.  Nonetheless, we still find new and amusing ways to twist and turn this puppy, don't we?  And @SeekingKillerWhales! has "bear-ly" scratched the surface.

[julig22]

2 hours ago, jrt.mom said:

I'm doing an Alaska to Hawai'i repositioning cruise in October, I can't wait to see the juxtaposition of items in the gift shop....

Booked for the same cruise. 

I just came off of the Jewel - Asia to Alaska reposition. Some stuff from places we didn't go, some generic Japan & Alaska t-shirts. If they had a "grab-bag" t-shirt sale, I missed it. The ship will be in Alaska all summer so it's possible they will restock with shirts for the various ports (we didn't go to those ports).

So for Alaska to Hawaii I'd expect to see any remaining Alaska stuff, hard to say if there will be much from Hawaii - since there are only 4 cruises before they move on.

[RexC]

I was also on this cruise and am surprised how different people can have completely different cruises. I read Orcagirls review when I came home and although we both had fun we did totally different events, dining and such we both had a great time. If I didn't show up in one of her pics I wouldn't have believed it was the same ship. As for this review I will agree the embarkation was very long with seemingly everyone arriving between 10:30 and noon. Our issues was we learned at the check-in table that we could have skipped some of the line (casino/myVegas) but we were given bad information in line. We were allowed to skip the wait for a boarding group. My frustration with embarkation was gone by the first dinner and cocktail. The wait at bars did happen but every bar had servers walking around and it was never more than a few minutes. 

 

The best part of this cruise was the people. I found the staff to be excellent and our fellow cruisers to be a friendly, outgoing group of people from a variety of places and life experiences. We made many new friends and hope to see them again in the future and online. 

[Independent]

I’m a little nervous about commenting on this, but I do kind of get the OP’s reaction.  Currently on the Bliss in Alaska, and it is striking to me how some things are excellent, and other aspects are - not.    I love  Freestyle, meet mostly nice staff, receive good (although declining) value with Free at Sea.  BUT our mattresses needed replacement long ago - they have the shape of classic glacial valleys, i.e. U, and are so worn that there is basically no padding left at the bottom of the curve. Yes, we requested and received egg crate foam added.  Our room attendant made up the couch with bedding, which is better, but not exactly excellent.  It’s a good thing that my spouse can sleep almost anywhere.

 

Observation lounge is lovely.  It would be even nicer if part could be a designated quiet zone.  Somehow the most raucous groups always seem to find the spaces filled with people reading books and proceed to, well, be raucous.

 

Had a vey fine vegetarian meal at Le Bistro, excellent.  Then we had a shore excursion that we were told included bus transportation (we asked, because it is important to us) but that in reality provided a dedicated bus to town, but that left us to walk and stand in the long line for the public shuttle on the way back.  Not really excellent.  

 

So mixed feelings, I very much appreciate comments from OP and others that tell me what works and especially what doesn’t, so I can try to make better decisions based on what matters most to me personally.

[rj59]

On 4/23/2024 at 12:36 PM, DCGuy64 said:

I wonder how many people actually ever make good on that. Even on this site, I have seen people say such things, only to announce, with great fanfare a few weeks later, "I'm booked on 3 more cruises with them!" I tend to take such comments very much with a grain of salt.

I've sworn off Celebrity, Royal, Carnival, HAL, Princess, and Cunard, but have always booked them again. My solution to horrible weather? Don't sail across the ocean on long cruises. My solution to embarkation lines and over-capacity ships? I have two cruises booked on HAL Zaandam, with a max of 1400 passengers. My solution to bartenders? Turn down the beverage package for FAS, especially after experience with rude bartenders on Joy and the fury every time I had to wait while they poured from a flat open can of Coke Zero into a glass. After-season shop items? That's when everything goes on clearance sale, so that's the best time to shop. It's unconscionable for NCL not to have Azores hoodies, though, or Transatlantic-themed designer barf bags. 

[JustAPilot]

I like these threads, from reading the comments here it’s like NCL is paying you to take a cruise with them vs you spending thousands of dollars with them for a vacation and letting things slide vs sharing your concerns and holding them accountable.

 

And yes this is a vacation, so large crowds and over crowded pool bars do affect my vacation. If the pool bars are overcrowded then bring in more bartenders to serve the guests or setup more bar areas around the pool deck. 

[cruiseny4life]

18 hours ago, Independent said:

I’m a little nervous about commenting on this, but I do kind of get the OP’s reaction.  Currently on the Bliss in Alaska, and it is striking to me how some things are excellent, and other aspects are - not.    I love  Freestyle, meet mostly nice staff, receive good (although declining) value with Free at Sea.  BUT our mattresses needed replacement long ago - they have the shape of classic glacial valleys, i.e. U, and are so worn that there is basically no padding left at the bottom of the curve. Yes, we requested and received egg crate foam added.  Our room attendant made up the couch with bedding, which is better, but not exactly excellent.  It’s a good thing that my spouse can sleep almost anywhere.

 

Observation lounge is lovely.  It would be even nicer if part could be a designated quiet zone.  Somehow the most raucous groups always seem to find the spaces filled with people reading books and proceed to, well, be raucous.

 

Had a vey fine vegetarian meal at Le Bistro, excellent.  Then we had a shore excursion that we were told included bus transportation (we asked, because it is important to us) but that in reality provided a dedicated bus to town, but that left us to walk and stand in the long line for the public shuttle on the way back.  Not really excellent.  

 

So mixed feelings, I very much appreciate comments from OP and others that tell me what works and especially what doesn’t, so I can try to make better decisions based on what matters most to me personally.

I understand why you would be nervous. Some (myself included, sometimes 😞 ) can be too harsh on some commenters. Gotta think before clicking that "reply" button! You'd think I would remember that. 

 

I was totally willing to give @MajSteve the benefit of the doubt. I was hoping for an updated post with more things that went wrong. Not that anything should go wrong! After all, we're all paying thousands of dollars for a cruise vacation. And that money is valuable to all of us. 

 

Your review, though, is an example of a great review! You provided some nuance, mentioned a couple of negatives, and positives. Since cruises are primarily based on the people around (crew, guests, port agents, vendors), something is bound to go wrong on every cruise. But, that doesn't mean 95% of the cruise shouldn't be great! If you chose right (i.e. don't choose NCL if you want a formal Cunard experience and vice versa). 

 

By reading multiple reviews, yours, the OP's, mine, others, it is easier for a guest that wants to do the research to find the best possible cruise for them where they'll get the most value out of the experience. Thank you for adding to the vast store of experiences here on Cruise Critic - good, bad, ugly, mediocre! 

 

17 hours ago, JustAPilot said:

I like these threads, from reading the comments here it’s like NCL is paying you to take a cruise with them vs you spending thousands of dollars with them for a vacation and letting things slide vs sharing your concerns and holding them accountable.

Sometimes I do think a few posters just cannot fathom NCL providing a bad experience to guests, based on their past experiences. We do pay thousands for our cruises and expect a great experience. We should continue with that expectation! And, yes, hold NCL accountable (in whatever virtually powerless way we can) when the experience isn't up to our expectations...if those expectations are within the realm of reality. 

[DCGuy64]

19 hours ago, JustAPilot said:

I like these threads, from reading the comments here it’s like NCL is paying you to take a cruise with them vs you spending thousands of dollars with them for a vacation and letting things slide vs sharing your concerns and holding them accountable.

 

And yes this is a vacation, so large crowds and over crowded pool bars do affect my vacation. If the pool bars are overcrowded then bring in more bartenders to serve the guests or setup more bar areas around the pool deck. 

As long as we all agree that complaining on Cruise Critic is not what people like me would describe as "holding them accountable." If I have a poor experience at a hotel or a restaurant, and all I do is have a gripefest with my friends, things are unlikely to change. If, OTOH, I contact the businesses (by phone, email, in writing) and share my poor experiences with management, who can actually do something about it, that seems to be more likely to meet with success. 

[DCGuy64]

On 4/26/2024 at 1:09 PM, graphicguy said:

-"I want to get to the pier as early as possible so I can board early."  The expectation is, you get there early, check in, and walk right on board.  Doesn't work like that.

I'd love to see NCL actually enforce the boarding times people are given, since so many people have complained about the long lines. NCL could say something like "we listened to you, our guests. In order to ensure an orderly boarding process and minimize waiting in lines, guests who show up in advance of their printed boarding times will be asked to wait in a separate area of the terminal until their assigned time has arrived." And I 100% guarantee people will find a reason to complain about that, too! 🤣

[schmoopie17]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

I was hoping for an updated post with more things that went wrong. 

Since the title of his post included the words "Rant One", I was breathlessly awaiting additional rants. I guess I can stop holding my breath now...

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

As long as we all agree that complaining on Cruise Critic is not what people like me would describe as "holding them accountable." If I have a poor experience at a hotel or a restaurant, and all I do is have a gripefest with my friends, things are unlikely to change. If, OTOH, I contact the businesses (by phone, email, in writing) and share my poor experiences with management, who can actually do something about it, that seems to be more likely to meet with success. 

Only if we also agree that NCL onboard staff are not telling the truth when they claim NCL monitors Cruise Critic and will sometimes take feedback from Cruise Critic into account when making changes. 

 

Personally, I'll stick with the onboard crew are telling the truth which therefore means Cruise Critic (just like Google Reviews, Yelp, etc.) is a legitimate way of letting the cruise line know what you think. 

 

But yes, continue filling out the post cruise survey that NCL admits they don't really read/respond to. 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

I'd love to see NCL actually enforce the boarding times people are given, since so many people have complained about the long lines. NCL could say something like "we listened to you, our guests. In order to ensure an orderly boarding process and minimize waiting in lines, guests who show up in advance of their printed boarding times will be asked to wait in a separate area of the terminal until their assigned time has arrived." And I 100% guarantee people will find a reason to complain about that, too! 🤣

 Every day we see posters insist upon being on the ship as soon as possible.  Of course they would complain if the cruise lines enforced the assigned arrival times.     

 

I doubt if most terminals could provide a waiting area for early arrivals.  Wonder what would happen if the cruise lines charged for the early arrival times?

Edited May 1 by RocketMan275