Long-time DCL'ers, trying Norwegian

[DisneyConvert]

My wife and I, both platinum, just got off our first NCL cruise, a 7 night Alaska. We had high hopes for NCL and were really looking forward to trying them out. Some things we loved, others we were disappointed by. Loved the verandah cabin, very spacious and a nearly full size shower. The two specialty restaurants we tried, Cagney's and Teppanyaki, were great. Jersey Boys was amazing. Having a separate enclosed area in the casino for smokers so the entire casino deck and the ones above and below didn't reek of smoke. And we absolutely loved getting the daily paper "Navigator" delivered to the room.

Our biggest disappointment by far was the nearly universally mediocre customer service. Cagney's, Teppanyaki, and the Manhattan Room were the only exceptions. Every other restaurant/bar we went to the staff was aloof and indifferent. If you order a burger and fries, you would think ketchup and mustard would be a given. Nope. After the food was delivered it took at least 5-10 minutes to catch our server's attention to ask for condiments, then another at least 20 minutes to get it. We got really tired of eating ice cold food. Same with salt, pepper, malt vinegar, sour cream, etc. when ordering anything else lunch or dinner. Our theory for this is the "freestyle" dining does not allow you to build a relationship with your servers. And, with the 20% "service charge" on EVERYTHING, that is used to "tip" the staff (we asked), there is no incentive to provide great service. Good service, bad service, mediocre service, they still get paid the same. But, maybe we just had a crew that was nearing the end of their contract and just wanted to go home. We have been told by other NCL cruisers that they had a very different service experience.

NCL touts their amazing phone app that allows your to text and talk to other guests on the ship who are using the app. We tried for several days to get it to work and finally went to the customer service desk to get some help. We were told, and I quote, "Yeah, we advertise that but it doesn't work. Just buy an internet package." Every other guest we talked to had the same problems with the app.

Other disappointments were having to get a reservation for everything. The shows in the theater, go carts (which were only open one day), laser tag (never open). And the 20% service charge on EVERYTHING. Even the drinks we prepaid for with the drink package we purchased. When given the option, and given good service, I am a very generous tipper. I know that cruise staff work very hard, and very long hours, for low pay. I'm just not a fan of forced tipping regardless of the quality of the service.

Your experience may vary.

Oh, forgot to mention The Beatles Experience. Fantastic Beatles cover band from Argentina. Incredible. Went to every performance but one because it conflicted with one of our specialty dining reservations.

Thank you. Very comprehensive.
Paradox to come:
. I love/prefer DCL;
. Some things about NCL are really good/better!

 

[jimmymc]

Thank you. Very comprehensive.
Paradox to come:
. I love/prefer DCL;
. Some things about NCL are really good/better!

That's always the paradox!

For me, the biggest thing is itinerary, and Disney runs pretty standard options that you could to on any cruise for any price range. But I love Disney, so sometimes you deal with standard ports.

 

[mjkacmom]

When I booked my cruise, it was going to cost two of us $436 for the "free" drinks. They're not really free. And, if you don't drink alcohol, then soft drinks and the like cost more than they do on DCL because they're free on DCL.


This is what I'm most worried about for my upcoming NCL cruise.

The FAS is $22 pp pd, since most drinks end up over $12 it’s a really good deal, plus soda and virgin drinks are included as well.

 

[mjkacmom]

My wife and I, both platinum, just got off our first NCL cruise, a 7 night Alaska. We had high hopes for NCL and were really looking forward to trying them out. Some things we loved, others we were disappointed by. Loved the verandah cabin, very spacious and a nearly full size shower. The two specialty restaurants we tried, Cagney's and Teppanyaki, were great. Jersey Boys was amazing. Having a separate enclosed area in the casino for smokers so the entire casino deck and the ones above and below didn't reek of smoke. And we absolutely loved getting the daily paper "Navigator" delivered to the room.

Our biggest disappointment by far was the nearly universally mediocre customer service. Cagney's, Teppanyaki, and the Manhattan Room were the only exceptions. Every other restaurant/bar we went to the staff was aloof and indifferent. If you order a burger and fries, you would think ketchup and mustard would be a given. Nope. After the food was delivered it took at least 5-10 minutes to catch our server's attention to ask for condiments, then another at least 20 minutes to get it. We got really tired of eating ice cold food. Same with salt, pepper, malt vinegar, sour cream, etc. when ordering anything else lunch or dinner. Our theory for this is the "freestyle" dining does not allow you to build a relationship with your servers. And, with the 20% "service charge" on EVERYTHING, that is used to "tip" the staff (we asked), there is no incentive to provide great service. Good service, bad service, mediocre service, they still get paid the same. But, maybe we just had a crew that was nearing the end of their contract and just wanted to go home. We have been told by other NCL cruisers that they had a very different service experience.

NCL touts their amazing phone app that allows your to text and talk to other guests on the ship who are using the app. We tried for several days to get it to work and finally went to the customer service desk to get some help. We were told, and I quote, "Yeah, we advertise that but it doesn't work. Just buy an internet package." Every other guest we talked to had the same problems with the app.

Other disappointments were having to get a reservation for everything. The shows in the theater, go carts (which were only open one day), laser tag (never open). And the 20% service charge on EVERYTHING. Even the drinks we prepaid for with the drink package we purchased. When given the option, and given good service, I am a very generous tipper. I know that cruise staff work very hard, and very long hours, for low pay. I'm just not a fan of forced tipping regardless of the quality of the service.

Your experience may vary.

Oh, forgot to mention The Beatles Experience. Fantastic Beatles cover band from Argentina. Incredible. Went to every performance but one because it conflicted with one of our specialty dining reservations.

If you have the FAS drink package there are no additional charges, they don’t even swipe your card.

 

[CamColt]

We have done 3 NCL cruises and 26 DCL. Our reason was similar, they sailed Boston to Bermuda, and my whole family was planning to do that so we went along twice. Then last year we did the Pride of America, Hawaiin cruise.

I wouldn't say NCL was bad at all, just different. POA was all about the ports, not the ship experience but we enjoyed what we did do on the ship. There was limited entertainment due to them just starting up again, but we had Jimmy Kimmel's sister do a comedy show and she was great. Definitely did not get a DCL "rating". Of course I compared everything, even down to how generic the public bathrooms looked, compared to DCL's which are sort of luxurious. Things like that certainly did not break the cruise but were noticeable. My biggest complaint was the size of the shower. I had bruised elbows by the end of the cruise, LOL!

The other 2 cruises were many years ago, but still not bad experiences. The kids clubs were somewhat laughable compared to DCL. An example was back in 2004 they had kids activities in a night club during the day. We went to drop off our DS and saw them rolling cases of beer in. Obviously DCL set the bar high on that one.

On any of them I didn't notice any excessive drinking or smoking, that I can remember. We did have the free drink package on our last cruise which was wonderful, especially since it included water.

I think it would take extreme circumstances to not enjoy a cruise. Just go in, knowing it's not DCL and you wont be getting the things you mentioned and maybe others, and enjoy what is offered. Be sure to update us with your opinions when you get back.

 

[Kwami]

The FAS is $22 pp pd, since most drinks end up over $12 it’s a really good deal, plus soda and virgin drinks are included as well.

It's only a good deal if you drink at least two alcoholic drinks per day, which is quite a lot. I don't drink any, so it doesn't work for me.

 

[DCLMP]

You are not required to get the free drink package.

 

[DCLMP]

The FAS is $22 pp pd, since most drinks end up over $12 it’s a really good deal, plus soda and virgin drinks are included as well.

I bought it on Royal and I thought it was a good deal. Beer was the only thing I saw being 12 and under. On our last Disney cruise, I don't think I bought more than two drinks. The prices have gotten outrageous. We brought beer or wine on board in the ports. That is one nice perk to DCL if they got rid of that policy I could not justify the price.

 

[Pens Fan]

It's only a good deal if you drink at least two alcoholic drinks per day, which is quite a lot. I don't drink any, so it doesn't work for me.

When I booked my cruise, it was going to cost two of us $436 for the "free" drinks. They're not really free. And, if you don't drink alcohol, then soft drinks and the like cost more than they do on DCL because they're free on DCL.

Then don't add the drink package on. No one is forcing you to. I truly don't get the complaint here. They do offer a soft drink package for a few dollars a day if you have to have your cola fix. I can't imagine that whatever that ends up costing would even be in the same stratosphere as making up the difference in cost between DCL and most other cruise lines.

 

[Kwami]

You are not required to get the free drink package.

Then don't add the drink package on. No one is forcing you to. I truly don't get the complaint here. They do offer a soft drink package for a few dollars a day if you have to have your cola fix. I can't imagine that whatever that ends up costing would even be in the same stratosphere as making up the difference in cost between DCL and most other cruise lines.

I wasn't complaining. I was responding to a post talking about free drinks and showing that they aren't free. Y'all are just trying to cause trouble.

The soda package only works out if you want to have 4+ sodas a day. That's way too much. On the other hand, if NCL would allow adults to substitute their "free" alcoholic package for a "free" soda package in which I only had to pay the 20% "gratuity", then that would be great. Unfortunately, they don't. And that is a complaint.

 

[DCLMP]

I wasn't complaining. I was responding to a post talking about free drinks and showing that they aren't free. Y'all are just trying to cause trouble.

The soda package only works out if you want to have 4+ sodas a day. That's way too much. On the other hand, if NCL would allow adults to substitute their "free" alcoholic package for a "free" soda package in which I only had to pay the 20% "gratuity", then that would be great. Unfortunately, they don't. And that is a complaint.

How is that causing trouble? I'm just informing people they don't have to include the free drink package. They generally sail away rates that include none of the extras and those are quite a bit less.

 

[cmph]

We went on our first NCL this summer (a 10nt Baltic) on the Dawn, which is one of their older ships. I did a lot of research in advance, and my conclusion at the end was that the NCL experience, in pretty much every respect, is too varied across the line/itineraries/ship to get a solid, reliable NCL vs. DCL breakdown. Which isn't helpful to you, I'm afraid, but is my honest opinion!

To give a few examples: 1) The general consensus seems to be that the food is good; we thought it was pretty bad and had some really problematic supply issues. We had a couple of good upcharge experiences, but not across the board - even Cagney's was not good. 2) Common knowledge is that they handle food allergies really well, with a dedicated kitchen and lots of custom offerings; my husband and son, on the other hand, had really limited options, no custom offerings, and got hit hard with the supply issue problem. 3) Many reviews will suggest you go in with low expectations for the room steward, especially with once a day service; but ours was actually great! We saw him nearly every day and chatted, got extra towels without asking, and so on. Zero difference in NCL vs. DCL in that respect, for us. 4) Production shows are supposed to be Broadway quality; we thought that was a huge overstatement and the production value much lower than DCL. I am guessing this depends on whether it's a contracted show vs. NCL-produced show; we had only the latter.

Long story short - it's so hard to even compare NCL to NCL!

 

[Pens Fan]

4) Production shows are supposed to be Broadway quality; we thought that was a huge overstatement and the production value much lower than DCL

Sadly, this only applies to the newer ships. The smaller ships mostly have old school cruise line quality shows. They can be entertaining, but really aren't our thing and do not compare to what DCL puts out. And unfortunately NCL seems to be ending it's contracts with some of the Broadway based shows on the larger ships. We haven't sailed with them since this has happened in the last few months, so I'll reserve judgement until I see how that plays out and what they replace them with.

I also agree about the food being inconsistent. Cagney's in particular is a head scratcher. We had amazing meals there on the Sun and Joy, but our Cagney's experience on the Jade and Gem weren't all that great. I still contend that NCL beats DCL food overall, but food is so subjective. Everyone has different preferences. We've just always thought food was the biggest negative to DCL so pretty much anything is an improvement .

 

[cmph]

I also agree about the food being inconsistent. Cagney's in particular is a head scratcher. We had amazing meals there on the Sun and Joy, but our Cagney's experience on the Jade and Gem weren't all that great. I still contend that NCL beats DCL food overall, but food is so subjective. Everyone has different preferences. We've just always thought food was the biggest negative to DCL so pretty much anything is an improvement .

Cagney's didn't salt DH's steak . It was such a bland experience, when it wasn't outright bad (soups and apps were unfortunate), that I couldn't believe this was one of the most highly-recommended venues. Clearly not always the case on other ships, though!

Regular TS just wasn't good on our cruise - that was our primary issue with the food. DD and I liked the dinner buffet more than TS dinner, so we "pre-gamed" there. I thought the dinner buffet was pretty good, lots of variety, but there is no DCL comparison there of course. Sadly not an option for DS and DH (the ones with dietary restrictions), who were told not to go to the buffet. Breakfast buffet was a draw with DCL, I'd say - I missed my usual eggs benedict but really liked the Indian options. TS breakfast was worse for us on NCL; service was laughably poor, so we gave up after a couple tries. Definitely liked the all-hours pub option - we went there a bunch and liked our food.

 

[DCLMP]

We went on our first NCL this summer (a 10nt Baltic) on the Dawn, which is one of their older ships. I did a lot of research in advance, and my conclusion at the end was that the NCL experience, in pretty much every respect, is too varied across the line/itineraries/ship to get a solid, reliable NCL vs. DCL breakdown. Which isn't helpful to you, I'm afraid, but is my honest opinion!

To give a few examples: 1) The general consensus seems to be that the food is good; we thought it was pretty bad and had some really problematic supply issues. We had a couple of good upcharge experiences, but not across the board - even Cagney's was not good. 2) Common knowledge is that they handle food allergies really well, with a dedicated kitchen and lots of custom offerings; my husband and son, on the other hand, had really limited options, no custom offerings, and got hit hard with the supply issue problem. 3) Many reviews will suggest you go in with low expectations for the room steward, especially with once a day service; but ours was actually great! We saw him nearly every day and chatted, got extra towels without asking, and so on. Zero difference in NCL vs. DCL in that respect, for us. 4) Production shows are supposed to be Broadway quality; we thought that was a huge overstatement and the production value much lower than DCL. I am guessing this depends on whether it's a contracted show vs. NCL-produced show; we had only the latter.

Long story short - it's so hard to even compare NCL to NCL!

We could someday see the same thing with DCL. The more ships you have the less quality control. I do think it will be decades or maybe never until DCL has a fleet the size of NCL. I would guess never.

It's good though that Royal and NCL put ships all over the world and offer unique itineraries. Even if you have to suffer through some bad food and entertainment you still can see some amazing places.

 

[Pens Fan]

Cagney's didn't salt DH's steak . It was such a bland experience, when it wasn't outright bad (soups and apps were unfortunate), that I couldn't believe this was one of the most highly-recommended venues. Clearly not always the case on other ships, though!

Regular TS just wasn't good on our cruise - that was our primary issue with the food. DD and I liked the dinner buffet more than TS dinner, so we "pre-gamed" there. I thought the dinner buffet was pretty good, lots of variety, but there is no DCL comparison there of course. Sadly not an option for DS and DH (the ones with dietary restrictions), who were told not to go to the buffet. Breakfast buffet was a draw with DCL, I'd say - I missed my usual eggs benedict but really liked the Indian options. TS breakfast was worse for us on NCL; service was laughably poor, so we gave up after a couple tries. Definitely liked the all-hours pub option - we went there a bunch and liked our food.

It's funny, we've never been buffet people in general and think Cabana's is pretty awful for lunch on DCL (breakfast is good though). NCL's buffet won us over - especially the Indian food! But we've always found plenty of good things on their buffet (though skip anything masquerading as "steak" ). The last cruise we were on we were in the Haven for the first time. In general, that food is the best of any restaurant on board - even better than the specialty restaurants. But then we got a wonderful surprise that made the experience even better. The manager of the Haven restaurant was from India. My husband spent a lot of time there before he retired and they bonded over talking about the area. One night he surprised us by bringing multiple plates of Indian dishes. I couldn't even tell you what they all were , but it was without a doubt the best meal we've ever had on a cruise ship.

 

[jimmymc]

I've found NCL attracts a lot of people who really enjoy traveling...they're on the ship to get to point A and don't care as much about the daytime entertainment.

I've seen the same thing, and I am one of them. I still would like something to do during sea days, but on port days you may as well close the ship.

 

[DCLMP]

It's funny, we've never been buffet people in general and think Cabana's is pretty awful for lunch on DCL (breakfast is good though). NCL's buffet won us over - especially the Indian food! But we've always found plenty of good things on their buffet (though skip anything masquerading as "steak" ). The last cruise we were on we were in the Haven for the first time. In general, that food is the best of any restaurant on board - even better than the specialty restaurants. But then we got a wonderful surprise that made the experience even better. The manager of the Haven restaurant was from India. My husband spent a lot of time there before he retired and they bonded over talking about the area. One night he surprised us by bringing multiple plates of Indian dishes. I couldn't even tell you what they all were , but it was without a doubt the best meal we've ever had on a cruise ship.

Your post made me laugh because it proves how subjective food is. I think the breakfast in Cabanas is unedible and the lunch is half decent. I also hate Indian food.

 

[DCLMP]

I've seen the same thing, and I am one of them. I still would like something to do during sea days, but on port days you may as well close the ship.

I'm a port person too. All I need on sea days is a gym, a good book, and a nap.

 

[DisneyConvert]

It's only a good deal if you drink at least two alcoholic drinks per day, which is quite a lot. I don't drink any, so it doesn't work for me.

Ya, we don't drink alcohol, but we will be getting the Soda package, as we both like the Coke products and soda water ($.05's, yes?).

My wife likes Starbucks (she will miss Cove Cafe) but can do the a la carte, because it doesn't pay us to both get the Premium Coffee package. She has a plan

Really appreciate all the feedback and experiences. I am getting more excited realizing, "It's hard not to have fun on a cruise." Thanks.