NCL left a lot to be desired

Okay, so the positives

- affordable

- food was delicious

- some exceptional staff members on board

- kids club is great, my children enjoyed it

The negatives

- the worst is observing the staff vacuum the floor in O'Sheens then pick up the vacuum and do the same to the tables, then lean the chairs in as if the table is done. Absolutely nauseating, the cross contamination left me without words. And my family did have GI upset on the cruise, now we know why.

- activities like Bingo and deal or no deal are expensive. For a family to play Bingo it cost $89 for 3 games. 

- I wasted min after min dealing with annoyances like key cards not working, Mustard station drills did not report the hand written record of our attendance and I received a notice I did not attend and must reattend (another trip to customer service). The customer service people, although friendly, spoke in circles and did not understand or acknowledge my input/concerns about my onboard account. They closed my bank debit card because it maxed out at my daily limit. I tried explaining to them they can apply a hold for the remainder the next day but they couldn't comprehend. They didn't listen, just restated  their stance/position. Also prior to boarding I asked a staff member in the terminal where the kids club registration table is (last year the cruise had a table in the terminal to register kids). The man told me to sit in my color and wait for my number to be called, then I can board. I restated my question about the kids club table and pointed out the spa table and asked about the kids club but again he told me with more attitude to sit in my color and I must wait for my number. He wasn't listening to me. 

- Last cruise my room Steward was awesome, this year, just bare minimum. Room needed a thorough cleaning and towels were taken but not replaced some days. On a positive note, almost all room stewards in the hallway we're extremely polite and friendly.

- main dining room meals monopolized 2 hrs each meal. It took 2 hours from start to finish all 3 meals we ate in main dining areas. 

- never a chair to be had by the pool, the towels all had a spot on them. Most never had a person on them, just a towel.

-$25 for 1 picture, seriously, absolutely disgusting. How do you justify charging $25 per photo

- bar staff besides Gusti (he was awesome) were not friendly, took orders of people they prefer over people waiting the longest. Casino wait staff were awesome as was the buffet staff.

- the biggest enemy on any cruise is time. I felt NCL wasted too much of my time with inefficient procedures like the 30 min plus mustard drill that was disorganized, systems like key cards not working, room account issues and grossly long dinning times.

I received a post cruise survey, I completed it with my honest opinion and at the end I received and error code (thanks again for wasting my time NCL). I followed the instructions to contact the survey support and provided the error code and received no response. It may be time for us to look elsewhere. We traveled with a group of 11 this time. Each time  we cruise, it has been with groups of 10 or more. I am sure someone wants our business.