What do you like about NCL?

[gaylebd]

As I have mentioned before, the food was good - not great, but good - during my first 2 sailings with NCL, but the last time we sailed with them, the food quality was not even okay. Fine, it was bad (we could not wait to get to port to eat). I can not really describe what went wrong, but it may have been due to the quality of ingredients they were using. Plus, the food is just way too salty. Considering the average age of the people on that cruise, I do not think the amount of sodium in the food they were serving would have done them any good. At the end of our cruise, I had gained about 6-7 pounds, and I did not even eat that much. I eventually lost the weight within a week or 2, which tells me I retained a lot of water.

 

On paper, the food sounds good, but it is not. I am a very adventurous eater, so I will eat almost anything. I am a big fan of sushi, and I had the sushi, but it just did not taste fresh. The sashimi did not taste fresh either. Not saying it was off, but it just was not right. I am ethically opposed to eating foie gras, but my DH isn't, so he had it at le bistro, and he was not impressed. The texture - even by just looking at it- was wrong. It was definitely over-cooked. I had the frogs legs one night, and it was just too dry and bland, but salty.

 

That said, I would still cruise with NCL because I think they offer value for money. My main reason for cruising is not the food. I mainly cruise for the itinerary so I could get a taste for various ports - more like a reconnaissance mission to help me decide which ones I would like to explore further in the future - and I think NCL has some good itineraries that are priced way less than other cruiselines. Plus the Freestyle concept just can't be beat.

 

Thank you - very specific reasons WHY! That helps explain the comments - and many have also answered too salty ... okay - not a deal breaker - but disappointing of course.

I am glad to hear so many positive comments about other issues as well ... clean .. relaxing ... excellent service ... many positives.

 

I am definetly looking into NCL - I have been looking at Alaska or Hawaii since those would be new to both of us.

[sillysailor 1955]

Thank you - very specific reasons WHY! That helps explain the comments - and many have also answered too salty ... okay - not a deal breaker - but disappointing of course.

I am glad to hear so many positive comments about other issues as well ... clean .. relaxing ... excellent service ... many positives.

 

I am definetly looking into NCL - I have been looking at Alaska or Hawaii since those would be new to both of us.

 

Can I just add one more thing... we just came back last week from Alaska on Diamond Princess - it was a wonderful trip.... however, our friends who we have previously sailed on NCL Dawn, Spirit and last year on the Jade did Hawaii on NCL Pride of America - they said it was outstanding far surpassing our cruise on the Jade (perhaps we just had a bad week as far as the food went). By all means give NCL a try the positives are many. Enjoy!;)

[sillysailor 1955]

Again, personal preference. We'd never pay more for an inferior itinerary over the issue of food, but others choose cruises primarily for the food, it seems.

 

No we don't choose cruises primarily for the food, it for us is just time for a change and I would of course would not choose an inferior itinerary over the issue of food - that is just ridiculous.:rolleyes:

[trojangirl90066]

Thank you so much for posting the menus. Do you know when they post the menus when you are on ship? Can you find out what they are serving before you eat there?

[goodshiplollipop]

Do your homework. It pays.Check out cc's boards, forums' reviews' ect. This is a goldmine of info. Ncl seems to lead the list in cust. satisfaction but every cruise line has thier ups and downs. Read, read, read.

[Ericktina]

I have never cruised on NCL, but I am looking at some differnet itineraries that NCL offers (southern Carribean) and would really love to go to those ports.

 

I have read many negative comments about NCL on "other cruise line threads" and thought I would ask - those that love NCL - for their opinion - and from there I will make up my mind.

 

what do you like about NCL?

 

how is the food? examples

 

atmosphere?

 

 

THANK YOU for opinion!

We like three things the best:

 

1. The Officers and Crew

2. The Officers and Crew

3. The Officers and Crew

 

None better at sea!!! We are in the minority, as we do not like Freestyle and the extremes to which informality has gone, but we can NOT resist NCL! Atmosphere?? Wonderful--it's those officers and crew again.

 

Food?? You can always find something good to eat, even great. Our favorites are Le Bistro and Bamboo, and for fun, Salsa. We love the burgers at the Bimini, which is one of our very favorite spots on the ship.

 

The beds and linens are delicious, and the ship is incredibly clean. The Dawn is our sentimental favorite NCL ship, but we have never been on one we did not love. Try it--you will not be disappointed !

[hat776]

Two of our group (foodies) order fish in the Grand Pacific (Gem). I was wary as none of us had ever heard of that fish. As soon as they tasted it, they didn't like it and called the waiter. They ordered something else. The waiter said "No problem" and was so quick to get their order that we still ended up eating together.

If the food was salty, wouldn't it have made sense to tell the waiter to replace it ? And on further days emphasise that you don't want such salty food when ordering .

Our foodie friends were all impressed with the food and that is why I feel it is a pity/strange that some folk found the food so inedible that they had to eat at the Port of Calls.

Even when we chose food from the Buffet it wasn't bad - and lovely eating it in the Great Outdoors with the beautiful Med. as a backdrop.

[petesweet]

I've read this post from the beginning, but I can't remember if this was mentioned.

One plus for NCL is their Meet & Greet. Many of the ship's officers join you for that occasion (often the captain!), and you have a nice time with them. I like that better than RCCL's.

Be sure to join your roll call if you decide on NCL.

Kathy

[orchid72]

If the food was salty, wouldn't it have made sense to tell the waiter to replace it ? And on further days emphasise that you don't want such salty food when ordering .

No, actually, it wouldn't have made sense because food in the MDR is not cooked to order. It is mass produced, so if, say, the grouper dish is laden with salt, then every grouper dish is also laden with salt. I tried ordering from the cooking light options, and although the fat, sugar, and calorie content of most of the dishes offered were acceptable, the sodium content was too much considering they were classified as "healthier" options. For example, one small "cooking light" cup of soup, if I am not mistaken, had >500 mg of sodium. 500mg?!?! And that is just soup. And because it is in the cooking light menu, people are led to believe that it is a "healthier" option. (Yes, I guess it is relatively healthy - I just dread to think how much salt there is in any of the other "regular" food options...)

 

Our foodie friends were all impressed with the food and that is why I feel it is a pity/strange that some folk found the food so inedible that they had to eat at the Port of Calls. Even when we chose food from the Buffet it wasn't bad - and lovely eating it in the Great Outdoors with the beautiful Med. as a backdrop.

I agree that it is a pity, but I do not find it strange. The quality/taste of food is a very subjective matter. Therefore, I don't think that choosing to eat elsewhere in port because one finds the food served on the ship unappealing (or too salty, or not good) is strange at all. It is a pity - because one paid for it as part of the cruise fare - but I do not think it is strange at all.

 

The only good thing about the buffet, IMO, is the salad bar - I was at least able to eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as I wanted without consuming all that salt. Most of the other offerings, were, in my opinion, too salty and greasy.

 

Let me make it clear that I have nothing against NCL. I just feel strongly about the *amount of sodium* in the food they serve. My expectations about food on cruise ships is not even high - they are quite low, actually. As I have said before, the food is hit and miss, but for the most part, the food is fine EXCEPT for the fact that it is too salty, hence the reason I could not wait to get to port to enjoy some of the local food on offer.

 

 

I am by no means a health nut, nor am I even a self-proclaimed foodie. But I stand by my opinion that there is just too much salt in NCL's food (and I know others will certainly disagree with me wholeheartedly).

 

IMHO, NCL really should think about the amount of sodium they put in their food. NCL has 2,000+ passengers to whom they cater, and all of whom have different tastes and preferences. Therefore, rather than putting in all that sodium hoping they have struck the right balance of saltiness in the food they serve, wouldn't it instead make more sense to decrease the amount of salt in the food and have each passenger add the salt based on their own preferences and/or dietary restrictions?

 

As a nation, we have too much salt, fat, and sugar in our diets, which is probably the reason why some people do not even notice how salty the food is anymore on cruise ships. Fat, sugar, and salt - these are some of the main contributors as to why we, as a nation, are getting heavier and heavier, and more of us are getting diagnosed with diabetes and heart problems everyday.

 

The only thing one can do to settle the "saltiness debate" is to ask NCL to post the nutritional information per serving for ALL the dishes they serve - only then can you really tell whether the salt content is acceptable or not.

 

(sorry about that. that turned out to be quite the rant)

[CC Help Michell]

No we don't choose cruises primarily for the food, it for us is just time for a change and I would of course would not choose an inferior itinerary over the issue of food - that is just ridiculous.:rolleyes:

 

Oh. I must have misunderstood when you said "even though" NCL has the "best itineraries for Europe" the "poor quality of the food is a deal breaker." :rolleyes: right back atcha!

 

Seriously, I hope you have a great trip whatever line you choose.

[gaylebd]

- and lovely eating it in the Great Outdoors with the beautiful Med. as a backdrop.

 

 

Now WHO can argue with that? :D

 

Thanks Hat776

[kath00]

Europeans in general use WAAAY more salt than people in the US to cook. I find that when I travel in Europe, I find everything I eat too salty. I think it's cultural. Maybe some of the chefs/menus are designed by non-Americans on NCL and therefore more salt then we are used to. I dunno.

 

That said, I disagree that food is completely subjective. If you go to a 5* restaurant, 95% of the people will find the food incredibly delicious. If you go to the nearby diner, only about 1/3 of people will say "it's great!" There is great cookind that tastes fresh, is cooked just right, has quality ingredients and a variety of flavors.

 

And then there is mass produced cafeteria style food. As long as NCL doesn't venture into the latter, I am happy to cruise with them. If I want 5* dining, I head to Crystal or Cunard and pay 3-4x as much for the cruise... Because in the end, you get what you pay for.

 

Katherine

[sillysailor 1955]

Oh. I must have misunderstood when you said "even though" NCL has the "best itineraries for Europe" the "poor quality of the food is a deal breaker." :rolleyes: right back atcha!

 

Seriously, I hope you have a great trip whatever line you choose.

 

OK MichellP, you can put away the NCL pompoms - I get your point, but sometimes CHANGE IS GOOD. Happy cruising!

[CC Help Michell]

OK MichellP, you can put away the NCL pompoms - I get your point, but sometimes CHANGE IS GOOD. Happy cruising!

 

Yes it is! That's why I encourage folks all over these boards to try different lines and not become wedded to any one. Their experience might be different from ours, but having sailed several lines we think they are more alike than different, and book cruise travel for itinerary and price, in that order. Cruiseline comes into play only after we think about those two things. The only pompoms I have are for cruising as a vacation style! :)

 

I really enjoyed my last cruise (Carnival) and am really looking forward to the HAL cruise we just booked for next summer. In between I think Christmas on the Norwegian Spirit will be a lot of fun, too, if we decide to take that one -- I'm not happy with the price point on it at the moment since other lines are offering much better deals at this time.

[Philly Steve]

I loved the fact that NCL cruised out of Philly. Sadly, that's going away after 2009. :(

[sillysailor 1955]

Yes it is! That's why I encourage folks all over these boards to try different lines and not become wedded to any one. Their experience might be different from ours, but having sailed several lines we think they are more alike than different, and book cruise travel for itinerary and price, in that order. Cruiseline comes into play only after we think about those two things. The only pompoms I have are for cruising as a vacation style! :)

 

I really enjoyed my last cruise (Carnival) and am really looking forward to the HAL cruise we just booked for next summer. In between I think Christmas on the Norwegian Spirit will be a lot of fun, too, if we decide to take that one -- I'm not happy with the price point on it at the moment since other lines are offering much better deals at this time.

 

LOL - Just remember Pompoms go with everything. Keep checking the NCL Spirit prices (you know how they can drop in the blink of an eye). Have fun (really isn't that what its all about!):)