The TERRIBLE State of Norwegian Cruise Line in 2024

[Sizzlechest]

3 minutes ago, brad0576 said:

That’s not it at all - of course nobody clicks on videos that say “ everything met expectations and we had a great time” content creators take the absolute view on everything - it’s always “ the worst” and this “sky is falling” viewpoint is tiresome.

 

Too bad they didn't include photographic and video evidence to support their claims. Oh...wait...

[brad0576]

53 minutes ago, Sizzlechest said:

 

Too bad they didn't include photographic and video evidence to support their claims. Oh...wait...

Anyone can selectively cover or film a subject to fit their agenda - and while present the argument that “ it wasn’t that way in the past” when it has always been the case, people tend to not remember the minor issues from years ago

[Sizzlechest]

2 hours ago, brad0576 said:

Anyone can selectively cover or film a subject to fit their agenda - and while present the argument that “ it wasn’t that way in the past” when it has always been the case, people tend to not remember the minor issues from years ago

 

Do you know how I know what they said is ringing true to you? You haven't once addressed a single issue they raised. All you have to offer are ad hominem attacks. If they said something false, you'd correct it. That fact that you didn't means you agree, but don't like it.

[FloaterGirl]

On 10/5/2024 at 8:36 AM, Sizzlechest said:

 

That's their cognitive dissonance kicking in. They need to "shoot the messenger" instead of facing the fact that they've achieved the top level in the NCL loyalty program and now it's worthless. Switching to another cruise line starts the process all over again. It's sad.

I think you are correct. We were 35 plus cruises on NCL and started to see the decline pre COVID. We tried again post COVID and all that was described on the YouTube video was true and we actually thought he was being gentle. We moved over to another cruise line. No perks since we only have sailed twice with them but we accept the “loss” in loyalty status (and future cruise credits) and are so much happier. 

[Punky Guy]

I have just watched the video.

 

I used to watch B&D but stopped watching over their ridiculous negative MSC reviews contrasting their OTT positive reviews of Disney. It was clear they had their favourites and the ones they refuse to like. I couldn't trust them as I sail MSC often and the reality is so different to what they say.

 

However watching this, it comes across as a bit more genuine. They do like NCL so I feel like I can trust it and there's more substance in it. I haven't sailed NCL since 2019 and that cruise was somewhere between underwhelming and whelming. I thought it was OK but preferred others. I booked a NCL for 2025 for a price I couldn't refuse and starting to get a bit worried about all the negative comments on here and now this video.

 

Although have to say it's still pretty pathetic from B&D that they got unnecessary 3 swipes in at MSC for stuff like having 5 languages on board. Also sick of them saying MSC staff don't work as hard as other lines.

[david_sobe]

6 hours ago, Sizzlechest said:

 

Do you know how I know what they said is ringing true to you? You haven't once addressed a single issue they raised. All you have to offer are ad hominem attacks. If they said something false, you'd correct it. That fact that you didn't means you agree, but don't like it.

That is the frustrating part of this tread.  Instead of talking facts too much attention is being paid to vloggers on a personal level.  Hate the game, not the player.

[LadyBerard]

We've been cruising with NCL since the late 1990s.  Our last cruise we've sailed on them was the Gem this past May.  We were quite disappointed in the buffet, as some staple items were no longer available. 

 

Some areas of the ship were not cleaned from the previous evening when we got up at 5:00 a.m. or so.  This was unacceptable.

 

Some of the staff just looked totally miserable to the point that we did not even want to order a drink from them.

 

This year and last year, we've also sailed on Celebrity, RCL, and Holland America.  These cruises were much higher quality in terms of cleanliness, food, and service than what we receive currently on NCL.

 

In August of 2023, we cruised on the Pearl.  Although food quality has gone down, I must say, our waiter in the main dining room made the cruise for us.  Out of all the cruises we've been  on (over 50 throughout the years), he was the absolute best that we've ever encountered and the only reason we ate in the dining room. 

 

Do we enjoy our cruises on NCL....yes, always.  We are not complainers and always make the best of our trips.  But we did notice the differences.  Will we cruise on NCL in the future, yes, and only when we want to cruise to Bermuda out of Boston on their Jewel class, which leaves 2026 out!  We are not fans of their larger ships.  Venues are too small.

 

 

 

[MiniJeffrey]

10 minutes ago, LadyBerard said:

We've been cruising with NCL since the late 1990s.  Our last cruise we've sailed on them was the Gem this past May.  We were quite disappointed in the buffet, as some staple items were no longer available. 

 

Some areas of the ship were not cleaned from the previous evening when we got up at 5:00 a.m. or so.  This was unacceptable.

 

Some of the staff just looked totally miserable to the point that we did not even want to order a drink from them.

 

This year and last year, we've also sailed on Celebrity, RCL, and Holland America.  These cruises were much higher quality in terms of cleanliness, food, and service than what we receive currently on NCL.

 

In August of 2023, we cruised on the Pearl.  Although food quality has gone down, I must say, our waiter in the main dining room made the cruise for us.  Out of all the cruises we've been  on (over 50 throughout the years), he was the absolute best that we've ever encountered and the only reason we ate in the dining room. 

 

Do we enjoy our cruises on NCL....yes, always.  We are not complainers and always make the best of our trips.  But we did notice the differences.  Will we cruise on NCL in the future, yes, and only when we want to cruise to Bermuda out of Boston on their Jewel class, which leaves 2026 out!  We are not fans of their larger ships.  Venues are too small.

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I ask myself if we are talking about the same cruise line 😄. I've been on the Getaway like 3 weeks ago and we had the most lovely staff and food was ok (buffet) to great (specialities). Entertainment is a bit less than before, I agree and I'm sick of howling at the moon after XX years seeing this same old show with the same old songs over and over. My biggest disappointment was the cruise director, she was on the radio all the time but barely visible at events.

 

I still like cruising with NCL, but I do agree that they need to step up their game. Charging more for less (no more turndown, less entertainment) is not ok. But I like their ships, the freestyle cruising and their loyalty program, so I'm not switching.

 

However, I do cut on certain extra's: the spa (not worth it for me anymore), the Vibe (I only take it on cruises with lots of sea days). If NCL makes everything more expensive I'm going to compensate.

 

[Sizzlechest]

2 hours ago, MiniJeffrey said:

 

Sometimes I ask myself if we are talking about the same cruise line 😄. I've been on the Getaway like 3 weeks ago and we had the most lovely staff and food was ok (buffet) to great (specialities). Entertainment is a bit less than before, I agree and I'm sick of howling at the moon after XX years seeing this same old show with the same old songs over and over. My biggest disappointment was the cruise director, she was on the radio all the time but barely visible at events.

 

Yes, but that's true of other cruise lines, too. Most RCL ships have had the same entertainment since they were christened.

[DCGuy64]

On 10/4/2024 at 3:03 PM, Topdog52 said:

What do you call cancelling ports that people have saved for years to see.

What evidence are you basing this assertion on? I don't think I've ever spoken to a single passenger over the course of my cruising history who saved "for years."

[D_And_K_gocruising]

On 10/4/2024 at 3:03 PM, Topdog52 said:

What do you call cancelling ports that people have saved for years to see. 

 

If this is a life long dream to visit a certain location, and they legit have saved years, I would 100% suggest folks plan a vacation / trip that takes them directly to that destination,(ie:fly there directly) not on something that flat out says ports can be changed for basically any reason.   But this is coming from a person that only cruises for the food, drink, and hopefully warm weather in the winter.  Not for the specific destinations other than "warm"

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

What evidence are you basing this assertion on?

 

have you spoken to the CEO? 

 

he repeatedly has acknowledged how people save for years to afford a cruise on NCL and how NCL therefore has an enormous obligation to fulfill the expectations of those guests. he did so recently with the introduction of "more at sea." also, he and much of NCL's marketing refer to taking a vacation of a "lifetime," which suggests a unique event that may not occur again for many years, if ever. 

 

also the united states congress, at the onset of the pandemic, criticized cruise lines for providing future cruise credit, rather than refunds, with the chairman of the select revenue measures subcommittee stating,  “you’ve got people, just working class people who have saved for years to take their family on a cruise and this happens and they’re either out the money or run the risk of exposure.” 

 

i recommend you do a search on google with the following terms:

 

NCL "saved for years"

 

i think you'd be surprised at how many results are returned.

 

one might ask, on which evidence are you basing your assertion that people don't save for years?

 

the good people of this forum take many cruises... sometimes two or more a year, and they sometimes do so year after year. the good people of this forum are super users of cruise line products.  for many guests, however, it is a singular experience for which they have indeed "saved for years."

 

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

I don't think I've ever spoken to a single passenger over the course of my cruising history who saved "for years."

 

nor have i.

 

then again, strangers don't usually volunteer details of their personal finances.

 

nor do i ask. 

 

because, you know... societal mores, decorum and civility. 

 

Edited October 7 by UKstages

[Topdog52]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

What evidence are you basing this assertion on? I don't think I've ever spoken to a single passenger over the course of my cruising history who saved "for years."

Do you actually ask them that question. Maybe the people you hang out with are in better shape financially then others. 

[DCGuy64]

48 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

have you spoken to the CEO? 

 

he repeatedly has acknowledged how people save for years to afford a cruise on NCL and how NCL therefore has an enormous obligation to fulfill the expectations of those guests. he did so recently with the introduction of "more at sea." also, he and much of NCL's marketing refer to taking a vacation of a "lifetime," which suggests a unique event that may not occur again for many years, if ever. 

 

also the united states congress, at the onset of the pandemic, criticized cruise lines for providing future cruise credit, rather than refunds, with the chairman of the select revenue measures subcommittee stating,  “you’ve got people, just working class people who have saved for years to take their family on a cruise and this happens and they’re either out the money or run the risk of exposure.” 

 

i recommend you do a search on google with the following terms:

 

NCL "saved for years"

 

i think you'd be surprised at how many results are returned.

 

one might ask, on which evidence are you basing your assertion that people don't save for years?

 

the good people of this forum take many cruises... sometimes two or more a year, and they sometimes do so year after year. the good people of this forum are super users of cruise line products.  for many guests, however, it is a singular experience for which they have indeed "saved for years."

 

 

nor have i.

 

then again, strangers don't usually volunteer details of their personal finances.

 

nor do i ask. 

 

because, you know... societal mores, decorum and civility. 

 

I wasn't responding to you, I was responding to the person who posted the comment above. Thanks.

[UKstages]

OK, but we're talking now. i was responding to your comment. 

 

how do you know people haven't saved for years?

 

thanks.

 

 

[DCGuy64]

41 minutes ago, Topdog52 said:

Do you actually ask them that question. Maybe the people you hang out with are in better shape financially then others. 

I do a lot of chatting with fellow passengers, and when we speak about why we chose a particular cruise, I often hear them say things like "we cruise several times a year" or "we booked this last minute," etc. We do not hear them say "this cruise cost us a fortune" or "we had to save for years." You can often figure out a lot about people's backgrounds by discussing where they live, what their careers are, or whether they are retired (and where). So no, I don't believe it's fair to say there are many people who saved "for years" (as if that would change whether or not the cruise line can/should skip certain ports). As someone else posted, if you have to save for years and have your heart set on a particular destination, then fly there and get a hotel.

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, UKstages said:

OK, but we're talking now. i was responding to your comment. 

 

how do you know people haven't saved for years?

 

thanks.

 

 

No, we're not. Thanks.

[Topdog52]

55 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I do a lot of chatting with fellow passengers, and when we speak about why we chose a particular cruise, I often hear them say things like "we cruise several times a year" or "we booked this last minute," etc. We do not hear them say "this cruise cost us a fortune" or "we had to save for years." You can often figure out a lot about people's backgrounds by discussing where they live, what their careers are, or whether they are retired (and where). So no, I don't believe it's fair to say there are many people who saved "for years" (as if that would change whether or not the cruise line can/should skip certain ports). As someone else posted, if you have to save for years and have your heart set on a particular destination, then fly there and get a hotel.

Wow!! LMAO!!!

[pc_load_letter]

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

What evidence are you basing this assertion on? I don't think I've ever spoken to a single passenger over the course of my cruising history who saved "for years."

 

Wow, your naivete is only surpassed by your smugness.

 

Work with a single mom with two kids. Did a Carnival cruise last year, loved it and her kids loved it. Is currently saving to take another cruise next year. That's more than 600 days of saving for a cruise.

[jkbec101]

9 hours ago, Punky Guy said:

I have just watched the video.

 

I used to watch B&D but stopped watching over their ridiculous negative MSC reviews contrasting their OTT positive reviews of Disney. It was clear they had their favourites and the ones they refuse to like. I couldn't trust them as I sail MSC often and the reality is so different to what they say.

 

However watching this, it comes across as a bit more genuine. They do like NCL so I feel like I can trust it and there's more substance in it. I haven't sailed NCL since 2019 and that cruise was somewhere between underwhelming and whelming. I thought it was OK but preferred others. I booked a NCL for 2025 for a price I couldn't refuse and starting to get a bit worried about all the negative comments on here and now this video.

 

Although have to say it's still pretty pathetic from B&D that they got unnecessary 3 swipes in at MSC for stuff like having 5 languages on board. Also sick of them saying MSC staff don't work as hard as other lines.

I too watched the video and their opinion is just that, their opinion.  

 

We too booked NCL for next year because we had an offer we couldn't refuse.  Am I worried about the ship, nope.  This past June we sailed on the Pride of America and heading into the cruise, people complained and complained about the condition of the ship.  We had no issues.  Heard the same thing about the Epic before we cruised in 2022, and while the service was hit and miss and we had a small issue at Cagney's, the cruise was great.  

 

I do miss the hashbrowns at breakfast.

 

As someone else said, you make of it what you want.  

[ChiefMateJRK]

I don't watch any of this crap.  I sail NCL often enough to see for myself.  I've sailed Joy, Sky, Bliss, Sun, Pearl and Spirit in the last 24 months and they were all great.  Can picky people find something to complain about?  Sure.  Is that fair to NCL? Sure, why not.  But to use the word "TERRIBLE" is just stupid.  Terrible is what those migrants on sinking boats trying to escape awful island countries experience.  The worst thing that ever happened to me on an NCL ship is that the Guinness nitro-tap in the Brewhouse on the Joy quit working about halfway through the cruise.  Don't worry, I managed to survive and sail on NCL another day.😎

 

[cruiseny4life]

18 minutes ago, Topdog52 said:

It cost quite a bit of money to go on a cruise. Many families with 2 or 3 children, save a long time to afford a cruise or any vacation. Some need to pull their head out of the sand and look around at people with families.  

Agreed. I am extremely grateful that I'm able to travel as often as I do! It's not lost on me that so many people I know aren't able to and a cruise truly could be their one in a dozen year adventure. 

 

Finishing up a trip today where I have that blesses feeling!

[Punky Guy]

2 hours ago, jkbec101 said:

I too watched the video and their opinion is just that, their opinion.  

 

We too booked NCL for next year because we had an offer we couldn't refuse.  Am I worried about the ship, nope.  This past June we sailed on the Pride of America and heading into the cruise, people complained and complained about the condition of the ship.  We had no issues.  Heard the same thing about the Epic before we cruised in 2022, and while the service was hit and miss and we had a small issue at Cagney's, the cruise was great.  

 

I do miss the hashbrowns at breakfast.

 

As someone else said, you make of it what you want.  

Oh definitely. I'm trying to be positive. I always throw my self into cruises, events, etc. I've been on cruises where a lot went wrong but still had a good time. But still, when all you hear is negative, it's hard not get a sense of dread.

[Topdog52]

4 hours ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

AND neither side is going to change their mind.. sooooo.... time saved 😄

 

That should tell you how wrong u are!when you get so many that disagree with you!!! Families spend a long time saving for a cruise like this. You talk to a few people who cruise all the time and you think everyone can do it. Sounds to me that you are out of touch with most!!!!

Edited October 8 by Topdog52

[jibbity]

Newbie here...great site & great posters with info and advice! Glad I found it - my situation is while I've booked an NCL cruise next May (on the Getaway), I can still cancel it as final payment not due until January. It was a great deal with the liquor package and other perks included (internet, excursion credit, etc)  but now I'm second guessing it and whether I should cancel and find another option. I've been on one other cruise before - NCL Sun to Alaska over a year ago. While it seemed ok I had nothing to compare it to. I can say I wasn't blown away by it but I know the Sun is an older ship and booked said cruise due to , again, a great deal.

 

I know some will say for a better experience go with a more exclusive line but I'm not to where I can splurge on such (and I'm glad, but envious, lol, of those who can). 

 

In the future I plan on cruising more as I get to full retirement so another concern is going with and stick to a line for the customer loyalty thing - and from what I'm reading & seeing, NCL may not be the one. 

 

Would Royal, MSC or another be a "like" cruise line to go with vs NCL at this point??