Anyone cruised NCL and X??

[barmills]

We liked the musicians better on NCL, but "X" was a far superior experience. We have two trips booked on "X" this year.

[YVRCruiser]

OP: You truly can not compare the lines but rather need to compare the actual ships that you are considering.

 

Tell us which ships you are looking at and then we can talk comparisons between the two lines and the specific ships.

 

I could not agree more. After sailing on the Century last week, I do not feel that X maintains this ship at all compared to any other ship I have sailed. Visible rust on our deck, mildew on the walls in the tub, a jacuzzi that spews black bits. This would not exist on any newer X ship...hopefully.

[JEDIKNIGHT]

Eeyoregon...thanks for the question.

 

For NCL it would be "Gem".

 

For Celeb, possibly Century or Connie. also considering HAL Veedam. Thanks

[JennAngel9]

JediKnight,

 

I have only taken about 12 cruises, but I have actually been on each ship you mention within the last 2 years (with the exception of the Veendam, which I was on in 2002)! I personally would rate them overall (from best to worst) 1) Constellation 2) Veendam 3) Gem 4) Century. Again, I caveat that I cruised the Veendam about 6 years before the rest of these ships and people in general seem to think everything has gone downhill since then.

 

I will now try to address the specific categories:

*Ambience-- the Constellation is one of my very favorite ships, the overall ambiance is fairly elegant, the design of the ship involves a lot of windows, and there are plenty of (relatively sedate) activities, and a variety of nightlife options. The Veendam was my second favorite overall atmosphere, but note the ship is MUCH smaller than the others you are considering and I think that contributed to a high service level. I would describe the NCL Gem as a very similar experience to a Las Vegas Casino with a general high energy go-go-go ambiance, and bright (garish?) colors. There are some relatively more tranquil spots, but pretty much everywhere the Gem is color and sound and action. Finally, when we cruised Century it was a short cruise out of Miami and it was nothing like the Constellation ambiance. The cruise reminded me more of an RCCL ship in terms of service/food/overall ambiance-- I agree with the prior poster who said it looked like X let the ship go.

 

*Food quality: On Constellation, we thought the service and food in the dining room were excellent and good (respectively) each night except for their open-seating nights, which I believe happened twice while the ship was in port during dinner-- in which the service was a disaster. The speciality dining restaurant, Murano's was delicious and I think should compete with what you are used to on Regent. On Veendam, every meal was delicious and the service was good-- but we were cruising Alaska in '02 and I really like salmon/halibut. On the Gem, I found the main dining room food to be better than any university cafeteria I have eaten at, but definitely inferior to Constellation/Veendam/Princess main dining room. Probably along the quality lines of chain restaurants like Chili's/Cheesecake factory/Red Lobster (depending on what your order). On the other hand, we ate about 1/2 the nights at the Gem's speciality dining restaurants-- the Italian, French, and Teppenyaki restaurants were probably almost as good as the main dining rooms on X but they don't have "cruise ship dining room" ambiance--and they will set you back $10-$25/head-- also, they can all sell out, so unless you are travelling in a PH or above (and can book via concierge) you may be out of luck. On our short Century cruise, the food was not as impressive as either the Constellation OR the Gem. The main dining room was loud and service was mediocre as was my steak-- tough and flavorless. They told my husband they could not coordinate delivering his courses and his wine at the same time (I don't mean same minute I mean "we're not sure the wine will show up during the 20 minutes it takes you to eat the course"). We had a MUCH better experience in Murano's-- but capacity there is limited.

 

*Entertainment/Activities-- can't comment too much here except to say there seem to be the most things to do on the Gem (also it's the biggest ship with the most bells and whistles like rock climbing walls and bowling lanes) that tend toward "active" people (again remember the crowd is the same sort of people you'd find in a vegas casino). Celebrity and HAL had fewer "fun/exciting for kids at heart" activites and more enrichment lectures and wine tastings, etc. We had almost entirely port days on NCL, but even still, I seem to recall having more announcements on those ships in the stateroom (can be very obnoxious if you are used to premium/luxury experiences). The Constellation and the Gem have similar numbers of night life venues, but my guess is that the ones in the Gem would be more crowded. The Veendam and Century are smaller ships so they would have fewer venues and my guess is that on the Veendam that the venues would be less crowded than the Century.

 

Also, you didn't ask, and I don't want to start a hot topic, but as Regent past passengers, you will find the smoking policy on X most similar (somewhat restrictive) where as HAL is the most smoker friendly, and the Gem is pretty smoker friendly.

[wolfshadow]

I would much prefer Celebrity.

We were on NCL last month and the food was terrible. The buffet served the same junk over and over--I mean reheated the same clumpy rice dishes until someone finally ate them. Buffet selections were not great and hot things were not hot nor cold things cold. It was nearly impossible to get refills on drinks in the restaurants. As few as 2 courses could take an hour and a half because service was so slow. On X we have a hard time choosing between many good things, on NCL it was this crap or that crap?

Even the desserts were dry and unappetizing.

The grill was always out of chicken and hamburgers. I could go on and on. After a couple days I would have been happy for a McDonald's or Taco Bell onboard, it was that bad. NCL food reminds me of my mom's nursing home food. I have 2 in college and their cafeterias are much much better that anything we had on NCL.

Our NCL cruise did not have many daily activities other than Bingo and fee gym classes. I always bring a highlighter to mark what I want to do on the daily, but there just wasn't anything.

There were not the obnoxious hairy legs contests on the Jewel. There was nothing poolside daily--not ever. The band played 2 one hour sets each sea day and that was it.

We met many nice people on NCL and did not think it was at all lower class than X.

One huge difference was the pool butlers always keep the trays, cups, and trash off the pool decks on X. No one picks up the trash or plates on NCL until night. We actually had fries and cigarette butts still out on the deck the next day on NCL.

A final thing that was a big failure on NCL was the tendering. The first day we tendered people complained of 3 to 4 hour waits to get off the ship. We had gotten tender tickets early and gotten off in a little over an hour and thought these people were exaggerating. The next tender port it happened again. I know on X there are always many lifeboats circling around waiting for one to fill so they can load. NCL gets by as cheaply as they can and do not care about guest satisfaction. This was evidenced in the constant complaining we heard in lines, on tenders, on the pool decks, etc.

I don't know if I would go on NCL if it was half the price of X. We have tried them twice and it is just not worth wasting our vacation time.

I have only sailed with X but do have a Royal cruise booked in April. What you have stated regarding NCL is what several of our friends have said after their NCL cruises as well. There are some that seem to like them for whatever reason, but I have got to say that the more I read about NCL the less likely I am apt to try them. I have two really outstanding cruises behind me on X now so it is really hard to think of trying other lines. Especially when we are only able to cruise maybe once a year. We are taking the Mariner to Mexico because X is not doing this itinerary there any longer. Which is too bad, but this was our excuse to try Royal. You'll notice I have another upcoming X cruise next year thru the Panama Canal though. We love the M-class ships and they're perfect size, not too small and not too big. I'm hoping that the Mariner won't be too overwhelming! :eek:

[greydog]

Jediknight

 

You may find my earlier posting useful:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=879492

 

Add to that, we love the formal nights on Celebrity [and will miss them greatly on our Azamara cruise this year] and hated having to queue to eat in the main dining room on NCL.

 

Sue

 

Our Aug '07 Azamara trip had some brief (10-12mins) wait in MDR - check with Maitre'D early to learn what times the lines are short (and maybe how to get same table/waiter). At opening time, a bunch of early-diners has accumulated but that line gets worked down soon. We ended up eating in either of the 2 specialty restaurants on 4 nights and recommend them for ambiance, food quality. Good Luck.

[Eeyoregon]

Eeyoregon...thanks for the question.

 

For NCL it would be "Gem".

 

For Celeb, possibly Century or Connie. also considering HAL Veedam. Thanks

 

Perfect. This should help you get some better reviews/opinions. I haven't sailed either...sorry.

 

Gina

[NevadaHiRoller]

I have sailed NCL twice and in my opinion, it is the worst cruise line out there. I would never take them again and they aren't even on the same planet in comparision to X. Worst food/service anywhere. They are worse than Carnival by far.

[Tinwoman]

NCL you could compare to a Best Western, with hairy chest and legs contest and a more up beat crowd. The food is of Apple Bees quality! On the plus side, you have more Activities and Entertainment and flexible dinner options.

Celebrity you can compare to JW Marriot (a notch under Ritz Carlton, but a step above Marriott), a bit more elegant and subdute, better food quality and presentation, better service, announcements to the minimum, more things included...like Ice Tea, Lemonade and Ice Cream served complimentary by the pool butlers...just a lot more style!

 

You know this is so subjective, it depends on the itinerary, and just what as a person you enjoy.

Celebrity is more formal, and uptight, not a lot of partying aboard.

If I was sail the Caribbean, I would go with Celebrity because it is more relaxed and easy going.

If I was sailing in Europe I would choose a different line as the Celebrity line would be very formal.

Celebrity formal, NCL fun, fun, fun.

[Eeyoregon]

I have sailed NCL twice and in my opinion, it is the worst cruise line out there. I would never take them again and they aren't even on the same planet in comparision to X. Worst food/service anywhere. They are worse than Carnival by far.

 

Interesting opinion without stating the exact ships. Once again, you really can not blanket hate one line based on 1 or 2 ships. Comparing apples to oranges.

 

If I were to NEVER sail RCCL again because of my experience on the Sovereign of the Seas, that would be a ridiculous mistake. I'm sure if I sailed RCCL's Freedom class I would have my socks knocked off.

 

Or if I only sailed the X Mercury and then said NEVER again without trying the new Solstice.

 

Point being, If I said NEVER again to RCCL because of my cruise on the Sovereign compared to my cruise on Celebrity Solstice, I would be foolish.

 

NCL is a fantastic line with some amazing ships. So is Celebrity. But I wouldn't dare to compare the lines. Only the individual ships.

 

TTFN

[Sky Sweet]

Interesting opinion without stating the exact ships. Once again, you really can not blanket hate one line based on 1 or 2 ships. Comparing apples to oranges.

 

If I were to NEVER sail RCCL again because of my experience on the Sovereign of the Seas, that would be a ridiculous mistake. I'm sure if I sailed RCCL's Freedom class I would have my socks knocked off.

 

Or if I only sailed the X Mercury and then said NEVER again without trying the new Solstice.

 

Point being, If I said NEVER again to RCCL because of my cruise on the Sovereign compared to my cruise on Celebrity Solstice, I would be foolish.

 

NCL is a fantastic line with some amazing ships. So is Celebrity. But I wouldn't dare to compare the lines. Only the individual ships.

 

TTFN

 

Hi eeyoregon :)

 

I agree with you that the ship is more important than the cruise line.

 

Our first RCCL experience, which was over ten years ago, was on Sovereign of the Seas and our most recent RCCL experience was this past June on Brilliance of the Seas. Even though they are both RCCL ships, the former was one of our worst cruises and the latter was one our best.

 

Similarly, one of our worst cruises was on Celebrity's Mercury in February 2005, while one our best cruises was on Celebrity's Constellation in June 2006.

 

We will be taking our first NCL cruise to Bermuda on Dawn this June and, based on what I have heard from several of our friends, we are looking forward to this cruise. On the other hand, I would not consider NCL's old ships that have tiny cabins and were not built for free style dining.

 

However, I do realize that no matter how good the food is in NCL's specialty restaurants and how nice their suites are, many Celebrity fans would not enjoy it because it does not have assigned seating and is less formal.

[Tinwoman]

Hi eeyoregon :)

 

I agree with you that the ship is more important than the cruise line.

 

Our first RCCL experience, which was over ten years ago, was on Sovereign of the Seas and our most recent RCCL experience was this past June on Brilliance of the Seas. Even though they are both RCCL ships, the former was one of our worst cruises and the latter was one our best.

 

Similarly, one of our worst cruises was on Celebrity's Mercury in February 2005, while one our best cruises was on Celebrity's Constellation in June 2006.

 

We will be taking our first NCL cruise to Bermuda on Dawn this June and, based on what I have heard from several of our friends, we are looking forward to this cruise. On the other hand, I would not consider NCL's old ships that have tiny cabins and were not built for free style dining.

 

However, I do realize that no matter how good the food is in NCL's specialty restaurants and how nice their suites are, many Celebrity fans would not enjoy it because it does not have assigned seating and is less formal.

 

Well I gotta say this totally sums it up, good on ya!!!

[NevadaHiRoller]

Interesting opinion without stating the exact ships. Once again, you really can not blanket hate one line based on 1 or 2 ships. Comparing apples to oranges.

 

If I were to NEVER sail RCCL again because of my experience on the Sovereign of the Seas, that would be a ridiculous mistake. I'm sure if I sailed RCCL's Freedom class I would have my socks knocked off.

 

Or if I only sailed the X Mercury and then said NEVER again without trying the new Solstice.

 

Point being, If I said NEVER again to RCCL because of my cruise on the Sovereign compared to my cruise on Celebrity Solstice, I would be foolish.

 

NCL is a fantastic line with some amazing ships. So is Celebrity. But I wouldn't dare to compare the lines. Only the individual ships.

 

TTFN

 

Well let's see, I have sailed on the Pearl, which is one of their newest ships, and also the Star, which isn't one of their oldest ships either, so I think that gave me a pretty good idea of if I liked NCL or not. It was awful on both.

[luvbermuda]

My husband and I sailed on the Norwegian Gem, which is a new ship, in November. This was our first cruise since 1976!!

Our mini-suite on the Gem was very nice and the room stewards were great! However, people on lower floors told us they never saw their room stewards.

As far as the dining, the specialty restaurants were very good. Out of 7 nights, we ate 2 times in Caigney's Steakhouse and once in the Italian.

Our cruise was right after Thanksgiving so there weren't many children, teenagers, or a young crowd on board. We did not see anything unruly or obnoxious by the pools!! Most people were well dressed and certainly not a bad crowd.

We liked the free style dining as we don't want to be tied down to a certain time to eat. We also liked having a choice of eating alone or joining a group.

I am going on the Celebrity Solstice in May with my friend. In November, my husband and I are going on the Crown Princess so I will be anxious to compare.

Other than a complaint about a shore excursion, our cruise on NCL was nice. The buffets could have been better but I really had nothing to compare it to since we have not experienced other lines.

[mkad1109]

Hi eeyoregon :)

 

I agree with you that the ship is more important than the cruise line.

 

Our first RCCL experience, which was over ten years ago, was on Sovereign of the Seas and our most recent RCCL experience was this past June on Brilliance of the Seas. Even though they are both RCCL ships, the former was one of our worst cruises and the latter was one our best.

 

Similarly, one of our worst cruises was on Celebrity's Mercury in February 2005, while one our best cruises was on Celebrity's Constellation in June 2006.

 

We will be taking our first NCL cruise to Bermuda on Dawn this June and, based on what I have heard from several of our friends, we are looking forward to this cruise. On the other hand, I would not consider NCL's old ships that have tiny cabins and were not built for free style dining.

 

However, I do realize that no matter how good the food is in NCL's specialty restaurants and how nice their suites are, many Celebrity fans would not enjoy it because it does not have assigned seating and is less formal.

 

As you can see from my signature, all we have cruised is NCL up to now. I think those posters who have indicated you have to compare ships are right on. We loved our Dawn and Jewel experiences and liked our Spirit experience. Not that I am an expert by any means, but having been on three I think I can comment:

 

Never did I see anything like a "hairy chest contest". Sometimes we hung by the pool, sometimes we were looking for a more peaceful environment and we hung up on the top deck. I really enjoyed the library, the gym had a little of everything (Dawn and Jewel were better equipped than Spirit), the children loved the activities. The comedy and dancer shows were very entertaining. Did it compare to Broadway? of course not, but we still laughed and enjoyed ourselves.

 

Anyone comparing it to Applebee's or Red Lobster hasn't been to either of those places lately (unfortunately with 4 children we have!!), I agree with the main dining room being so so in terms of quality, but trust me NOT Applebee's or Chili's! Living in proximity to NYC we like to eat nicely (DH and I without the children usually) and so when on NCL we go to Le Bistro (french $15pp), Cagney's (steak $20pp) and Teppanyaki (Japanese $20p) at least once each cruise. We enjoy the variety and to be honest are a little nervous with the concept of traditional cruising--we do like to eat fine foods, but we do like to eat when we want to. 6:15 is a bit early and 8:30 is a bit late. At NCL, You do NOT have to queue up unless you make no plans whatsoever. The marketing is a bit misleading you dont do "whatever, whenever", but each day we figured out the plan and made reservations for the 6, 9 or 13 of us depending on which cruise(we had friends with us on two of them) and NEVER, NOT ONE NIGHT waited! You kind of just need to know what you are doing.

 

Sorry I can't help with Celebrity although I have heard some wonderful things so we are looking forward to our cruise in April. Just wanted to clarify some of the misconceptions being put forth about NCL. Enjoy either cruise-how could you not!

[Aber]

Was on the Jewel (a new ship) in August and will be on the Solstice in June this year.

 

X is our favorite company so far....also been on Princess and Holland.

 

NCL is our least favorite because rooms are so much smaller and they tend to cut corners. For example: no transfers in Europe from the sip to the town. We docked next to other ships and watched the passengers getting in to town with included transfers while we all walked.....things like that turn us off. Could not even pay for a reasonable transfer, had to take taxis or walk.

 

We do like the flexibility of Freestyle which is NCL's. The food on all lines is Hotel grade at best! It's never a highlight for us on any ship. NCL does offer Cooking light items.

 

Just a different point of view.

[doitallWMB]

Hopefully this doesn't result in any heated words from anyone regarding their favorite line. All lines have their good and bad, and we all decide what suits us best.

 

I'm taking in-laws from overseas who have NEVER traveled on a cruise. The small-ship-lux thing won't do due to cost, but also it would be too subdued. Dining variety/quality, activities and "fun" factor are important but how do I say this..... not looking for the "Four Seasons" cruise, but also, don't want to end up with "hairy chest" contests at the pool with throngs of drunk crowds yelling about something or the other. Think, a Marriott or Hyatt type of resort is what I'm looking for.

 

Can anyone here provide contrast between the two lines?

 

*Ambience

*Food quality

*Entertainment

*Activities.

 

Thanks!

 

I feel like I need to comment on NCL. They try very hard to serve you well. They are family oriented. THERE ARE NO HAIRY CHEST , BELLY FLOP, OR OTHER ASSORTED NONSENSE BECAUSE OF THE NCL 2.0 INITIATIVE. We were on the Jewel from 11/14-11/23/08. There is a calypso band that does two sets by the pool each day. I am not an NCL fan, but, let's be fair. NCL has come a long way.

[pyrogy]

I too think a little accuracy would help. Matters of opinion, such as food, decor, even service, are one thing, but the OP should know that NCL does NOT do belly flop and hairy chest contests, etc. Also, their regular cabins are not particularly any smaller than any other line (except Carnival, which has bigger standard cabins than most). Also, their newer ships in particular are quite beautiful in their own right, although quite colorful, moreso than some people like.

 

The Jewel-class ships also have stunning spa areas with floor to ceiling windows at the front of the ship.

 

I haven't been on Celebrity yet, but I am looking forward to it, so I cannot help with a comparison. Only wanted to ensure there was some accuracy re: NCL.

[Eeyoregon]

I guess I am just a different breed. I like ANY cruise that I am on, period. Sure there will be some things that are hit and miss but that is to be expcected when catering to 3000+ passengers on a floating vessel. You can't please everyone all of the time and as these boards have proven over and over some people can NEVER be pleased ever.

 

I just laugh out loud at those that say a cruise was "aweful" regardless of the line. I just can't believe them or give them an inch of credibility! Those types of people spend their lives miserable, thinking that the world owes them everything and wouldn't be happy no matter which cruise they were on because it's more fun to whine, complain and moan.

 

If I came back from a cruise, or even worse, two cruises and all I could say about them was that they were "aweful" I would be taking a serious look at what they heck is wrong with ME, NOT the cruise line!! They have medication for those kinds of problems :D!

 

Bottom line, Celebrity and NCL are both AWESOME and the OP will have a great time no matter which line and ship they choose.

 

Happy sailing.

[Project_gal]

I guess I am just a different breed. I like ANY cruise that I am on, period. Sure there will be some things that are hit and miss but that is to be expcected when catering to 3000+ passengers on a floating vessel. You can't please everyone all of the time and as these boards have proven over and over some people can NEVER be pleased ever.

 

That's the attitude!

 

Sue

[runningdeer1]

That's the attitude!

 

Sue

 

 

I agree!:)

[Steph27]

I read most of the posts on this thread and I agree that Celebrity has a better product. I also agree to compare ships. On NCL while we enjoyed the anytime dining and the abundance of dining venues there were also downsides. NCL food quality is poor, the decor is very garish, the pool area is very small and too crowded. Wall to wall people. The best parts about our NCL cruise was the lovely aft balcony cabin, the lavendar hand wash and the extra pillows and comfy bed. We also like the Asian food on the NCL Jewel. However during our NCL cruise last month we came to understand how spoiled we have been on Celebrity. We did not know this until we tried NCL.

[johnritt]

If you are like.....

 

Thurston Howell III and Lovey (but sleepier)......sail Celebrity.

Ginger........................................................sail Princess.

The Professor, Mary Ann, and the Skipper.........sail NCL.

Gilligan........................................................sail Carnival.

[lvz2cruz]

I guess I am just a different breed. I like ANY cruise that I am on, period. Sure there will be some things that are hit and miss but that is to be expcected when catering to 3000+ passengers on a floating vessel. You can't please everyone all of the time and as these boards have proven over and over some people can NEVER be pleased ever.

 

I just laugh out loud at those that say a cruise was "aweful" regardless of the line. I just can't believe them or give them an inch of credibility! Those types of people spend their lives miserable, thinking that the world owes them everything and wouldn't be happy no matter which cruise they were on because it's more fun to whine, complain and moan.

 

If I came back from a cruise, or even worse, two cruises and all I could say about them was that they were "aweful" I would be taking a serious look at what they heck is wrong with ME, NOT the cruise line!! They have medication for those kinds of problems :D!

 

Bottom line, Celebrity and NCL are both AWESOME and the OP will have a great time no matter which line and ship they choose.

 

Happy sailing.

 

 

I have been on about 10 X cruises. The only thing that has been disappointing is the occasional smoker in the nonsmoking side. Pretty good for 80+ nights. Service, cleanliness, food, activities, entertainment, have all been great.

I have been on 2 NCL and while many things were awful, overall I would just say disappointing or mediocre.

I do not think I have a problem or need medication, if so I would feel the same on X. There is this thing called discernment--the ability to judge exceptional quality and at the same time recognize failure. You might not share the same standards of many others. Don't judge us and we won't judge you for finding NCL acceptable.

As far as spending my life miserable, my MIL has called me Pollyanna for the last 25+ years--you know the story of the happy, optimistic girl. She says I could sit in a cardboard box and find things to laugh about and be thankful for.

NCL is just definitely not one of them. Our first cruise on them, we thought it would be similar to X. We had been on small old ships and bigger, newer ships and loved both. The Majesty was old, poorly maintained, food was bad, service worse, not anything we would want to repeat. We heard NCL was better with the 2.0 and tried again on a newer ship. We were optimistic and hoped it would be great because NCL has a lot of itineraries in the Carribbean and Bermuda we like. Well, the ship was cleaner in some ways but still not in others. The food had more varieties but still was not good and the service was so bad it just wasn't worth dealing with to get the crummy product. I wish I could say I loved it and was booked again but we have went twice hoping for the best and been very disappointed. I train my kids to always give your best and NCL has no clue about trying to give their best.

I could name 5 travel agencies who either refuse to book NCL or aggressively discourage clients from booking because of the amount of complaints they get from returning passengers. So there is no doubt NCL leaves a bad taste to many.

I know your post was not directed at me; but there are many many who do not recommend NCL and it is not that we are whiners who need to be medicated, we just do not have the same standards you do.

[johnritt]

I have been on about 10 X cruises. The only thing that has been disappointing is the occasional smoker in the nonsmoking side. Pretty good for 80+ nights. Service, cleanliness, food, activities, entertainment, have all been great.

I have been on 2 NCL and while many things were awful, overall I would just say disappointing or mediocre.

I do not think I have a problem or need medication, if so I would feel the same on X. There is this thing called discernment--the ability to judge exceptional quality and at the same time recognize failure. You might not share the same standards of many others. Don't judge us and we won't judge you for finding NCL acceptable.

As far as spending my life miserable, my MIL has called me Pollyanna for the last 25+ years--you know the story of the happy, optimistic girl. She says I could sit in a cardboard box and find things to laugh about and be thankful for.

NCL is just definitely not one of them. Our first cruise on them, we thought it would be similar to X. We had been on small old ships and bigger, newer ships and loved both. The Majesty was old, poorly maintained, food was bad, service worse, not anything we would want to repeat. We heard NCL was better with the 2.0 and tried again on a newer ship. We were optimistic and hoped it would be great because NCL has a lot of itineraries in the Carribbean and Bermuda we like. Well, the ship was cleaner in some ways but still not in others. The food had more varieties but still was not good and the service was so bad it just wasn't worth dealing with to get the crummy product. I wish I could say I loved it and was booked again but we have went twice hoping for the best and been very disappointed. I train my kids to always give your best and NCL has no clue about trying to give their best.

I could name 5 travel agencies who either refuse to book NCL or aggressively discourage clients from booking because of the amount of complaints they get from returning passengers. So there is no doubt NCL leaves a bad taste to many.

I know your post was not directed at me; but there are many many who do not recommend NCL and it is not that we are whiners who need to be medicated, we just do not have the same standards you do.

 

So NCL was worse than a cardboard box? It is either that or your MIL is wrong. I vote for for a wrong MIL. You are certainly no Pollanna.

 

You and your type are the main reason that many don't like celebrity. Uptight, judgemnental, faux judges of good taste and high quality who would eat anything as long as it was served under glass and proclaim it marvelous while wearing a rented or old, ill fitting tux or gown should realize that Celebrity is the line for them. Stay there.

 

Many people who do not like NCL need to have everyone act like them, dress like them, do like them, think like them. Stepford cruisers.