Why so many negative comments about NCL?

[Don Haynes]

I am of the opinion that many of the negative comments come from those who donated to the casino too much. Or they missed one port of call for any number of reasons. Or it rained on their parade all week. They let little things mount up and make a mountain out of a molehill. Most of the negative posters are selfish, have to be the first in line, and could care less about the other two to three thousand passengers. I say wake up, you are not the Lone Ranger.

[hello]

We have also cruised with other lines -- but we keep coming back to NCL because of (dare I say it) -- freestyle dining and resort casual attire -- and their destinations.

[osiebosie]

There is NEGATIVITY on ALL of the boards for ALL of the lines.

 

 

Well, maybe not ALL, since I haven't read ALL of them, but ALL of the ones I have read have negativity.

 

Songanddance, I was okay with your post until I got to the last line.

 

 

Shay

[MarkNH]

I don't see NCL as a budget cruise line in the way that Carnival is, but at the same time I don't set my expectations too high and expect everything to be perfect.

 

A lot of the complaints seem to be about older ships, about things that are mostly out of the crew's control, or about the shore based customer service.

 

I am off on the Pearl on 2/16 and I know I will have a great time not being stressed about work, just relaxing, and if we miss an island, or encounter bad weather I won't let it ruin my vacation.

[cruizinwithkids]

Number one is that people do have problems with NCL land customer service. I know I have been on hold for a few minutes then hang up and call at another time. Some people wait on hold and time it for an hour or more. I'm not sure why someone would do that as obviously they are going to get mad at the wait. I have not had problems with customer service; some people definitely do.

 

Freestyle dining is different for many people and they don't like it. I think a lot of people planning their cruise around their dining and if they are not prepared for freestyle it ruins their cruise. On NCL, if there is a line at the dining room I will leave and have a drink somewhere. Go back later. If I'm really hungry, I'll grab a cup a soup or something at the buffet, then eat later. Again, I don't feel like waiting and I'm not going to.

 

I think many people don't like the idea of automatic tipping, though I guess that is become common on other lines. People who don't want to have automatic tipping then look for imperfections that they can blame on "the staff not working as hard because they have no incentive." They are not happy because their iced tea isn't waiting for them.

 

I bring a lot of frozen meals to work to put in the microwave and have for lunch. One of my favorites is Chicken Carbonara. I had never heard of chicken carbonara before having it nuked from the freezer. I was in an Italian restaurant not too long ago and they had it on the menu. I ordered it and hated it. I guess the Italian restaurant in Boston's north end can't make food as good as lean cuisine.:rolleyes:

 

Many people don't like change and if the biggest difference is in the dining experience and so many people's cruise revolves around that, there will be complaints.

[Down-Unders]

I've cruised every major cruise line except Normegian. I'm wondering why so many people talk so negatively about NCL. I've researched all cruise lines and they all look very similar...why the negative talk?

 

I believe a lot of comments on CC are off topic, there are those who want to get to the 5000 post or even 10000 for one reason or another. It is so important to separate the self intrest ones from factual information. We have had very positive times with NCL but also mad fustration which is all part of the cruise. I find if you deal with problems as they arise NCL have been very good!

We have always found the passengers that complain disappear very quickly when asked the simple question, what have you done about it? Enjoy NCL we always do!

 

:) :)

[Warmer Climes]

I am about to take my first NCL cruise and I CAN'T WAIT!!! But on this topic: I sailed RCL Explorer last January and had a great time. I got back and read reviews of the very cruise I was on and saw the cruise described in such a way that you'd think it was from a nightmare of a torture chamber. I perceived the crew as courteous and the ship as spotless and was amazed to read about what a dump I sailed on. So I think some people are looking for things to complain about and anything no matter how slight confirms them in their belief that they are superior to what was offered on their cruise. That's not to say that anything is perfect or that real issues should be swept under the carpet, but for heaven's sake it's your vacation- have fun! I paid plenty for fun and by gosh I am going to have fun!

 

Barb

[dwrist]

Downunder, your first sentence or two was uncalled for. The OP did not ask if people wanted more posts to their credit. They asked a credible question,

I'm wondering why so many people talk so negatively about NCL

 

Downunder, how are we to know you are factual in your postings?

 

Not all people tell the truth on public message boards. Why do people come on the public message boards and believe all they read?:rolleyes:

 

Take each post with a grain of salt, cruise with whoever you want, come back and tell us what you opinion is about NCL. Check out facts with a reputable agency, or NCL themselves. Whatever people say, NCL will still answer your questions. :)

 

People complain about CSR's at NCL, but I have never been on hold longer than a couple(2-3) minutes after having the phone answered within 3-4 rings. :eek:

[RLJPHX]

I have cruised both Carnival and NCL. All of my cruises have been at the Christmas/New Year time frame (paid top dollar) and included the entire family (two cabins).

 

Likely since it was the holidays, both lines seemed to be packed with families. I would say the the lines were very similar in quality. I noticed two distinct differences which set the lines apart.

 

1. Carnival cabins are much bigger and on the whole their ships handle 3 or 4 passenger cabins much better. (Bunks that drop from the ceiling worked great).

 

2. NCL has freestyle dining.

 

We like the Carnival rooms better. We loved not having an assigned dining time on NCL, but did like having the same wait team each night on Carnival (more consistent service). We loved being able to eat at the specialty restaurants on NCL.

 

Generally, the service, food, cleanliness, etc. were all similar.

 

Considering that newer Carnival ships (and other lines) are adding specialty restaurants, and that room size doesn't really make or break a vacation, the differences come down to personal preference.

 

Personally, I will go with whichever line has the ports that I would like to see as long as the price was reasonable.

 

Certainly, in my opinion, NCL is a good cruise line that deserves no more criticism than any other mass market line. To the issue of negative reviews on this board, I think the vast majority are related to NCLA Hawaii cruises, not standard NCL cruises. Further, the negative Hawaii cruise reviews seem to be significantly declining. Its a non issue, IMO.

[Giorgi-one]

I suppose the only way to settle this thing for me is to book a cruise on NCL. The 7 day cruise our of Charleston on the Majesty seems to be just right for us since we live only a couple of hours ways from there. The only thing that has been holding me back is the fact that there are no balconies, but for the price I can get used to a smaller inside cabin.

 

Depending on what ships you have cruised in the past, you may be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Below are specs on the Majesty. Note that this is a relativey old and small ship by todays standards. My guess is that the cabins will be tiny. If you are used to balconies, you will not get used to a smaller cabin. If you want to go cheap, don't expect it to compare to your previous cruises. NCL new ships are beautiful. I have been on the Sun and Sky when they were new and we are booked on the Gem for next January. You need to compare apples and apples.

 

NORWEGIAN MAJESTY

 

40,876 tons

680 feet long

90 feet at beam

9 passenger decks

built 1992

stretched by 112 feet

and fully refurbished: 1999

passengers: 1,462

crew: 630

[hotspur]

I sailed RCL Explorer last January and had a great time. I got back and read reviews of the very cruise I was on and saw the cruise described in such a way that you'd think it was from a nightmare of a torture chamber. I perceived the crew as courteous and the ship as spotless and was amazed to read about what a dump I sailed on. So I think some people are looking for things to complain about and anything no matter how slight confirms them in their belief that they are superior to what was offered on their cruise.

This is an extraordinarily insightful observation, Barb.

 

It seems that many people are simply driven to give themselves some kind of strange feeling of superiority by going to a public forum to declare how inferior something they experience is to their standards (or, in many cases here, to their favorite cruise line).

 

I suspect you will have a very nice time on your upcoming NCL cruise. Enjoy!

[hotspur]

Depending on what ships you have cruised in the past, you may be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Below are specs on the Majesty. Note that this is a relativey old and small ship by todays standards. My guess is that the cabins will be tiny. If you are used to balconies, you will not get used to a smaller cabin.

Not necessarily. It's all a matter of attitude and expectations.

 

We sailed Celebrity's Galaxy in a suite that had a balcony bigger than our superior oceanview cabin on a subsequent Majesty cruise. No big deal. We've cruised Majesty twice since our Galaxy cruise and will likely do so again before she ends her Boston-Bermuda routine one of these seasons.

 

Just seeing all the repeat cruisers Majesty attracts should indicate she gives a fine cruising experience--so long as you don't board her and expect her physical facilities to be like a new megaship's. Enjoy her for what she is, and you'll have a very nice cruise with excellent value.

[tinkerbell1951]

In my opinion, only the people who have something negative to say search out a place to voice their opinion. Those of us who have had absolutely amazing experiences with NCL rarely if ever point them out. You end up with a very one sided opinion of the cruise line, which is really very unfortunate. Personally, I always take the negative opinions with a grain of salt. NCL is not for everyone, but it certainly meets my needs and keeps me coming back.

 

If you look at Dawn 2/18/07 sailing and 4/1/07 sailing you will see that NCL is a dynamite cruise line to frequent. Sure it has its share of problems but nowhere near the ones of RCCL. :)

[tinkerbell1951]

I suppose the only way to settle this thing for me is to book a cruise on NCL. The 7 day cruise our of Charleston on the Majesty seems to be just right for us since we live only a couple of hours ways from there. The only thing that has been holding me back is the fact that there are no balconies, but for the price I can get used to a smaller inside cabin.

 

Dex - the cabin is only a couple of square feet smaller and you're only there to shower and sleep :) Have a great time ! :)

[cruiser12]

I have sailed on the Majesty three times and enjoyed everytime. Also been on the Celebrity Galaxy, Zenith, Horizon, and then some. No two of my cruising experiences have been the same. Cruise twenty-three and cruise twenty-four will be on the same ship/not the same experience.

 

MajestyCabins- a suite on deck nine/cabin on deck seven.

 

 

 

Carnival-4

NCL - 14

Celebrity - 6

[tinkerbell1951]

Our first ship on NCL will be the Pearl. I'm very excited it looks beautiful. I agree with most of the postings. There are negative things to say about ALL cruiselines,even different ships within the SAME cruiselines. Some people are just not happy unless they are complaining.

 

Boy Lani, you got that right ! :eek:

[songanddance]

Just curious?

Do you shop at Kmart or Tiffany & Co.,:confused:

 

Tiffany & Co., do not usually have complaints...personalized service;)

 

I would not shop at Kmart if they were giving the stuff away. And yes whenever I have a special gift to buy or wish to purchase jewelry, finechina etc, I do buy it at Tiffany.

 

I do also shop at Walmart for my household products, vitimans and Sam's bottled water (very good by the way and really inexpensive). I do not shop at Target or any other department stores because we do not have Nordstroms, Saks, Lord and Taylor or Neiman Marcus in our area. And I do so miss Peck and Peck & B Altman's

[songanddance]

songanddance: I certainly hope you didn't mean to imply NCL is the KMart of the cruise industry; Look at all the new ships, the sur charge restaurants, the friendly crew, the entertainment,etc. You may have a point about the mass marketed within the mass marketed, but to group NCL in the catagory of K Mart, in my opinion is way off base. Maybe you didn't mean it the way it sounded. NMNita

 

Actually I did misquote. I should have used Walmart instead of Kmart. I think Walmart offers the best product selection in that mass market for the price so I think that is a better anagogy. Although of late I think the Walmart shopper is looking a lot sharper than what I have observed on my last several NCL cruises. But maybe that was just a fluke.

 

Anyway, NCL offers the most bang for the buck for the average joe in America and I recommend it for those that want to cruise for little money and cruise often.

[tinkerbell1951]

We have also cruised with other lines -- but we keep coming back to NCL because of (dare I say it) -- freestyle dining and resort casual attire -- and their destinations.

 

 

eeeeeeeeeeeeeek :eek: "freestyle dining and resort casual" ? ;) :D

[newmexicoNita]

Depending on what ships you have cruised in the past, you may be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. Below are specs on the Majesty. Note that this is a relativey old and small ship by todays standards. My guess is that the cabins will be tiny. If you are used to balconies, you will not get used to a smaller cabin. If you want to go cheap, don't expect it to compare to your previous cruises. NCL new ships are beautiful. I have been on the Sun and Sky when they were new and we are booked on the Gem for next January. You need to compare apples and apples.

 

NORWEGIAN MAJESTY

 

40,876 tons

680 feet long

90 feet at beam

9 passenger decks

built 1992

stretched by 112 feet

and fully refurbished: 1999

passengers: 1,462

crew: 630

It sounds to me like Dexter is prepared. He mentioned the price he is getting: if he isn't than he hasn't done his homework and is expecting too much. We have cruised 20 plus times and paid bargain prices and top $$ prices. Our favorite cruises with a few exceptions have been bargain cruises. We knew going in we would not get bells and whistles or much in the way of glitz, but always take into consideration what we are paying. Our biggest disappointment was a cruise (not NCL) that wasn't a good price considering. You are right, we have to know what to expect. One more thing, which none of us have mentioned: NCL does have a few ships still in their fleet that were purchased from other lines. They are the older ones like the Majesty and don't fit into the same catagory as most of their newer vessels. This could affect the overall view as most lines have cooking cutter ships. NMnita

[tinkerbell1951]

Dexter,

In answer to your question, it is probably because those people have nothing better to do. Have a wonderful time.

Tink:)

[Giorgi-one]

It sounds to me like Dexter is prepared. He mentioned the price he is getting: if he isn't than he hasn't done his homework and is expecting too much. We have cruised 20 plus times and paid bargain prices and top $$ prices. Our favorite cruises with a few exceptions have been bargain cruises. We knew going in we would not get bells and whistles or much in the way of glitz, but always take into consideration what we are paying. Our biggest disappointment was a cruise (not NCL) that wasn't a good price considering. You are right, we have to know what to expect. One more thing, which none of us have mentioned: NCL does have a few ships still in their fleet that were purchased from other lines. They are the older ones like the Majesty and don't fit into the same catagory as most of their newer vessels. This could affect the overall view as most lines have cooking cutter ships. NMnita

 

Ihave never really been on any bargain cruises, but our favorite cruises were not necessarily the most expensive. Went on RCL Freedom last summer- relatively expensive. Beautiful ship but awful food. Just got off Crown Princess. Got a great deal on a mini suite and it was one of the best cruises we have done. Our favorite cruise was on Costa Atlantica at a great price. This was before Costa went downhill. Some attribute this to Carnival but Princess is also owned by Carnival and they are still good. I agree that higher price does not necessarily make a better cruise. However, many people are used to the large ships and Majesty looks awfully small by today's standards. I would probably like it if the food was good becasue are not into rock climbing, miniature golf, promenades, but most people are.

[JPAU]

Other than several Caribbean and Med cruises in the US Navy, NCL is my only other cruise experience. I was initially lured in by the Freestyle concept for my honeymoon (eat where you want, when you want and wearing pretty much what you want). After 3 NCL cruises, we're sold and the BofA credit card points only serve to make it more attractive. Taking a land tour this year, but looking forward to Alaska in 2008. As others have said, a vacation is what YOU make of it, not a cabin steward or a waiter. Life's too short to sweat the small "stuff". Enjoy. JP

 

Norwegian SKY 2003

Pride of Aloha 2005

Norwegian SUN 2006

[ce2000]

Give NCL a try. I believe that they offer a very good value for the money. This is the only way for you to know if the Freestyle concept is for you. If you travel with a small group you may be surprised how well Freestyle works. The food in the main dinning rooms for lunch and dinner may not be as good as some of the other lines, but the breakfast served was very good. I found the entertainment to be a little weak but I was very satisfied with the rest of the cruise experience. I booked my cruise through a travel agency, so I didn't have to deal with NCL's Customer Service Representatives.

[Darlenew17]

I will be brief. We have been on 10 cruises. The worst cruise by far was on Norwegian. It was comparable in price but the service, food and entertainment were less then acceptable. We are not grippy, nick-picky people. We have been at least satisfied with the cruises we have been on so far. We were just VERY dissapointed that our first and probably only trip to Hawaii was such a let down. I wouldn't waste my vacation time on a FREE cruise with Norwegian.

That is just my two cents. MAYBE I just had a bad experience with them. But will I EVER chance it again? NO!

 

*Posted by someone with nothing better to do then offer my input (even if it is negative). Hopefully maybe at least one person will be saved the dissapointment we suffered.

Darlene