I don't want to dissuade anyone from Norwegian, yet this was by far the worst cruise we have been on. Having sailed on the Getaway, the Epic and the Star, we were expecting better. It wasn't awful, but different. It seemed an itinerary designed more for people with young children and first time cruisers. The amount of smoking allowed was incredible, Great if you were a smoker, but disgusting for those of us who are not. It seems as though NCL has lost their vision. I thought you were better than this. Norwegian has raised their prices significantly over the last few years. $89.95 for the beverage package. Really? Your greed has convinced us to go elsewhere Norwegian, this cruise being the final straw.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Went smoothly, no complaints.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The main dining rooms Taste and Savor were quite good although we found the service at Taste much better. My wife and I opted for the 3 restaurant dining package but were a little bit put off when told there was an additional charge for Ocean Blue. So we chose Cagney's and La Cucina. Both these venues were excellent and the service exceptional. Our third option was part of the Cirque de Soleil program. Here the food was not so good, I would rate it on par for what you might expect at the buffet.
Room Service
5 out of 5
Great steaks and service!
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
really didn't partake too much
Breakaway Casino
1 out of 5
Disgusting. As a non-smoker, the amount of smoke in this Casino was awful. My eyes watered, my clothes stank and the smell filtered throughout the ship. Dirty ashtrays and glass were never cleaned, Yech.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Burn the Floor, Rock of Ages and Dizzy the Magician were great. Cirque de Soleil was a disappointment and should not have been a premium event.
Children's Programs
1 out of 5
I can't really comment on the programs but I have never seen so many kids and strollers on a cruise.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
These people work extremely hard so my comments are a comparative to other cruises we have been on not to disparage anyone in particular, I believe the biggest issue we had was the lack of English on the ship. Several times our restaurant orders were wrong because they didn't understand the order. Some servers were great, others indifferent. A few times when we mentioned our food was wrong we got a shrug and a "what do you want me to do" look. The exception was Petr,our wine steward in the Taste dining room. He was fantastic.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
For the most part the ship was kept clean, yet compared to other cruises cleanliness didn't seem a priority. The buffets were like a free for all with guests playing musical chairs for for dirty tables. On every other cruise we have been on staff were constantly clearing and cleaning tables. More often than not on this ship, staff walked by our table filled with dirty utensils from previous patrons. The Casino was a mess. Dirty glasses and ashtrays everywhere.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Similar to other rooms we've been in, small but functional. Our room was very noisy though and the people above seemed to have a furniture moving company. We upgraded to a mini-suite which ultimately meant a larger bathroom but for some reason we could not get cold water from our sink.
Ship tip
If you are a NON-smoker think twice, We have NEVER been on any cruises where smoking was so prevalent.
Tendering process was horrific. No announcement or guidance where to go to tender off the ship. Asked 4 staff members. Go to 5, no 7, don't know ask Guest Services...and finally 4! After an hour on the island we have to go...big storm coming(although it was a bright sunny day). I personally think this was NCL BS. Talking to others this is a common occurrence at this port, and I believe they are unable to handle the logistics of tendering 4000 people.
Having visited the island before and being robbed I visited Nassau with a few doubts. I was pleasantly surprised. We arrived early because of the debacle at Stirrup Cay so we visited the Atlantis resort that night in Nassau, Taxi's were cheap and friendly and although we lost at the casino, the resort itself was incredible, The next day we spent a relaxing afternoon at the Warwick Hotel.
The UBP used to be a perk, now it's just fun with numbers. They have raised their prices incorporating the beverage package and then tell you WOW free booze!
Norwegian has one of the most expensive drink packages of all the ships! And it doesn’t even include water or premium coffee! And even funnier they won’t let you bring your own!
Customs has nothing to do with NCL. Funny last time we got off BA we had maybe a 10 minute wait at customs. We were off the ship by 8 and that was after having breakfast at Taste!
Princess is a good deal. They raised it to $69, but they don’t require every 21+ in a stateroom to get it, so it’s a savings for us since my husband doesn’t drink. 🍸
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