The TERRIBLE State of Norwegian Cruise Line in 2024

[One More for the Road]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why not dinner?  It’s all just freakin’ food.  🤣

 

I have a little sensitivity to others. Not much, but a little.

 

[complawyer]

if you slip the maitre'd

 

 a tenner, he probably wouldnt care what you were wearing. even in  your jammies!

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why not dinner?  It’s all just freakin’ food.  🤣

I felt not at all self-conscious wearing tie dye tee shirts at dinners on the Prima the summer of 2023. The only down side was when we went on a river cruise earlier this year, I was somewhat bummed out that I had to wear collared shirts to dinners. 

[ontheweb]

9 hours ago, One More for the Road said:

 

I have a little sensitivity to others. Not much, but a little.

 

No one on NCL cares what you wear to dinner (except for a few rules in some of the extra charge restaurants). 

[david_sobe]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

No one on NCL cares what you wear to dinner (except for a few rules in some of the extra charge restaurants). 

On the Aqua construction tour video on youtube, the NCL executive leading the tour talks about the dress code made a joke that NCL does not care what anyone wears to dinner. He said you dont have to wear anything (that was the joke).  He said that even the Manhattan Room changed and now all MDRs have relaxed dress codes.  The only restaurant on board with a dress code is Le Bistro. 

Personally this is one of the reasons I started cruising NCL.  When on vacation, I dont want to dress up.  However you are free to do so.  Other lines started to follow and "formal nights" are not as common. 

Edited Tuesday at 01:16 PM by david_sobe

[ontheweb]

59 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

On the Aqua construction tour video on youtube, the NCL executive leading the tour talks about the dress code made a joke that NCL does not care what anyone wears to dinner. He said you dont have to wear anything (that was the joke).  He said that even the Manhattan Room changed and now all MDRs have relaxed dress codes.  The only restaurant on board with a dress code is Le Bistro. 

Personally this is one of the reasons I started cruising NCL.  When on vacation, I dont want to dress up.  However you are free to do so.  Other lines started to follow and "formal nights" are not as common. 

It's not only dinner, but the whole ship. No one cares what you wear. On our 2023 Prima cruise at one point on the first day, I said to someone that my wife was about to change into her bathing suit when we heard an announcement suggesting it was a good time to fulfill your muster obligation, so she did not change at that point. His reply was it's Norwegian, no one ever cares what you are wearing.

[TOMandANITA]

41 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

It's not only dinner, but the whole ship. No one cares what you wear. On our 2023 Prima cruise at one point on the first day, I said to someone that my wife was about to change into her bathing suit when we heard an announcement suggesting it was a good time to fulfill your muster obligation, so she did not change at that point. His reply was it's Norwegian, no one ever cares what you are wearing.

Agreed.  This is why my wife and I ONLY cruise NCL.  When they say "Freestyle", they mean it.  The only reason I'm dressing up is a Wedding or a Funeral.  This is a vacation.  I'm also glad they don't have Captain's dinners.

[david_sobe]

1 hour ago, TOMandANITA said:

Agreed.  This is why my wife and I ONLY cruise NCL.  When they say "Freestyle", they mean it.  The only reason I'm dressing up is a Wedding or a Funeral.  This is a vacation.  I'm also glad they don't have Captain's dinners.

Or dancing, singing waiters 🙉

[TOMandANITA]

54 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Or dancing, singing waiters 🙉

lol  yeah....   Although they DO have staff who love to say, "Washy Washy! Happy Happy!" every time you walk into the Buffet.

[ChiefMateJRK]

58 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

Or dancing, singing waiters 🙉

Wait a tick. What about the pastry girls?  They just sang about 15 minutes ago. 😎

[RedwingHockeyFan]

Cruisers from RMS Titanic, Costa Concordia and even the Carnival Triumph all agree: "Could be worse." 😁

[david_sobe]

29 minutes ago, RedwingHockeyFan said:

Cruisers from RMS Titanic, Costa Concordia and even the Carnival Triumph all agree: "Could be worse." 😁

I am not sure about that.  Have you not read some reviews on CC of all the people that almost starved to death because they could not find anything to eat?  In their words they had to pick at bread at the buffet to stay alive.

[DCGuy64]

36 minutes ago, david_sobe said:

I am not sure about that.  Have you not read some reviews on CC of all the people that almost starved to death because they could not find anything to eat?  In their words they had to pick at bread at the buffet to stay alive.

I remember a tale of woe on the MSC boards long ago about people who (they literally said this) "went to bed hungry." Going to bed hungry on a cruise ship is literally impossible, unless you do it on purpose.

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I remember a tale of woe on the MSC boards long ago about people who (they literally said this) "went to bed hungry." Going to bed hungry on a cruise ship is literally impossible, unless you do it on purpose.

Yeah, Darwin would likely have some thoughts about this. 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, RedwingHockeyFan said:

Cruisers from RMS Titanic, Costa Concordia and even the Carnival Triumph all agree: "Could be worse." 😁

Well, I did read about a lady that said NCL ruined her cruise because they served Pepsi instead of Coke.  And, they would give her a full refund either.

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, TOMandANITA said:

Agreed.  This is why my wife and I ONLY cruise NCL.  When they say "Freestyle", they mean it.  The only reason I'm dressing up is a Wedding or a Funeral.  This is a vacation.  I'm also glad they don't have Captain's dinners.

My tee shirts really did work out well for me. The first night I laid out a Bob Marley tee shirt, and the next day one of the bands played a Bob Marley tribute.

 

And I wore a tie dye Grateful Dead tee shirt to Syd Norman's Pour House and one of the singers came over to talk to me and said it was her favorite band. And our conversation went on from there as I told her it was a present from my wife who bought it at Bethel Woods, the site of the original Woodstock Festival and that I had attended that festival.

[bkrickles1]

12 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

My tee shirts really did work out well for me. The first night I laid out a Bob Marley tee shirt, and the next day one of the bands played a Bob Marley tribute.

 

And I wore a tie dye Grateful Dead tee shirt to Syd Norman's Pour House and one of the singers came over to talk to me and said it was her favorite band. And our conversation went on from there as I told her it was a present from my wife who bought it at Bethel Woods, the site of the original Woodstock Festival and that I had attended that festival.

I also wore a Dead shirt to Syd Norman's and someone in the band came and talked to me too.

On Getaway, this past April.

I also had my Who and Allman Bros t-shirts on that sailing.

Never leave home without my concert T's

[graphicguy]

23 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I also wore a Dead shirt to Syd Norman's and someone in the band came and talked to me too.

On Getaway, this past April.

I also had my Who and Allman Bros t-shirts on that sailing.

Never leave home without my concert T's

Very cool.

I used to have a King Crimson shirt (it was an actual button shirt.  Wore it, washed it, re-wore it so much it literally fell apart at the seams.  Dang it.

 

Of course, it had their iconic album cover on it....

[UKstages]

redwing's original comment was relevant and not the slightest bit inappropriate.

 

reminds me of those booking one of the many inaugural cruises on the NCL aqua next year. the very first one is from southampton to boston, leading some wags to quip... a transatlantic cruise from southampton, england to the east coast of america on a brand new ship... what could possibly go wrong?

 

52 minutes ago, RedwingHockeyFan said:

And why have you targeted me lately?

 

it goes in cycles. this week, apparently, you have been chosen. it will be somebody else next week. such is the established pattern for many of the good people of this forum.

[Barb Nahoumi]

On 10/4/2024 at 7:13 AM, david_sobe said:

I would add 2 more things.  With all the cutbacks it is insulting that the CEO of NCL makes more than any other CEO of the cruise lines.  No one is saying his salary should not be competitive or similar to other cruise lines.  But the hiking of fees and cut backs leaves a bad taste when CEOs are padding their pockets and not concerned about customer satisfaction.

The second thing is the wait for drinks. I have not sailed recently so I dont have personal experience.  Before I sailed Encore I watched a cruise video that documented long wait times for drinks.  However when I sailed I got drinks all over the ship without waiting.  There are lots of reviews and videos of people clocking their wait time on NCL ships and its alarming.  Many of the reviews are mostly positive except the wait time for drinks.  The bartenders were so overwhelmed they put 2 glasses on the bar and make 20 drinks at a time just to try and keep up with the demand.  Ben and David's timing the drink experience is not unique and I see it in other cruise vlogs.  When you have an "all inclusive" experience since most have a drink package, you must staff your ships appropriately. 

 

On 10/3/2024 at 6:08 PM, Sizzlechest said:

Is this true? Are the slightly older ships that bad?

 

 

 

On 10/3/2024 at 6:08 PM, Sizzlechest said:

Is this true? Are the slightly older ships that bad?

 

 

We were on the Jade last August, round trip from Boston-Canada-Boston, and everything was fine.  No complaints at all.  

[graphicguy]

Just saw the recent thumbnails of these vloggers.  Crystal clear they’re going full tilt on click bait for their vids!

[omahabob]

On 10/22/2024 at 9:57 AM, TOMandANITA said:

...The only reason I'm dressing up is a Wedding or a Funeral...

Wore my uniform to my wedding. Not planning to have another. Uniform doesn't fit anymore anyway. Don't really give a d--n what I wear to my funeral.

[One More for the Road]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Just saw the recent thumbnails of these vloggers.  Crystal clear they’re going full tilt on click bait for their vids!

 

Show me a vlogger's thumbnail that isn't clickbait. That would be news.

 

 

[graphicguy]

3 minutes ago, One More for the Road said:

 

Show me a vlogger's thumbnail that isn't clickbait. That would be news.

 

 

Bunch of them are more honest with way less drama.  Mentioned many of them earlier!

 

 

 

 

 

[JIMESOPUS]

7 hours ago, UKstages said:

redwing's original comment was relevant and not the slightest bit inappropriate.

 

reminds me of those booking one of the many inaugural cruises on the NCL aqua next year. the very first one is from southampton to boston, leading some wags to quip... a transatlantic cruise from southampton, england to the east coast of america on a brand new ship... what could possibly go wrong?

 

 

it goes in cycles. this week, apparently, you have been chosen. it will be somebody else next week. such is the established pattern for many of the good people of this forum.

I'll be on that cruise and will let you know what's wrong, at least they can't cancel any ports at the last minute