This was possibly the worst cruise I have ever been on with Norwegian. Besides the problems I have listed above, My suitcase was broken, as well as a suitcase of another member of my group. I am highly upset because the staff could not do anything & kept telling us to claim it with the airline, BUT WE DROVE. Of the 2 suitcases that were broken, one we were told to replace, which we had to at a port with a cheap, awful piece that we were reimbursed for. My piece, however, I was told to call Norwegian when I got home about. I am upset because it was the largest piece from a $450 3-piece set that is no longer usable.
The overall trip was just disappointing. I dealt with fans blowing down the hallway for 4 day drying under the carpet in my hallway, overcrowding everywhere I went, forget watching any entertainment & SEVERELY understaffed bars. There is NO WAY this is up to the standards I have come to expect from Norwegian & I am sorry that I wasted my money on this trip.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
It was ok, the line was moving smoothly & it didn't feel like we waited very long, but it was boring. I'm use to excitement & embarkation drinks and people dancing & getting you in the cruise mood.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The food was ok, the specialty dining always shines & O'Sheehans was wonderful. There were a few specialty drinks that were superb, but by the 4th day on board the bars were completely out of many items, including but not limited to; Bud Lite, Coor Light, Blue Moon, Miller Light & more. By the 6th day the limes ran out. Also, the pepsi machine in O'Sheehans was malfunctioning the entire cruise. In other words: Drink taste was great, Service was AWFUL (people were great, but not enough) & food was average.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
There was a major crowding problem & getting to any of the activities was an hour+ wait. Considering there weren't sufficient staff running drinks, if you waited in line, you were stuck without a break.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
The staff that worked the entertainment was great, but there was hardly anything going on at all. Everyother time we've cruised, there has been so much to do that it's hard to choose. Since there was only 1 option at any given time, the areas ended up jam packed & you could hardly move. If you wanted a seat in the atrium for a show, you had to show up 2 hours early to save your seat & God forbid there was a show or game before the one you wanted to see because there would be no sitting or standing room anywhere. Rock of ages was a great show, but I am glad I saw it early because it was cancelled the rest of the cruise.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The staff was very friendly, but the ship as a whole was SEVERELY understaffed. It took 15 minutes at every bar just to get a drink ordered. Bars like O'Sheehans would only have 1 bartender for an hour or more around 9 pm.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Very clean, obviously needs an update. The doors on my closets were broken the entire trip, even after I complained to staff. I noticed many things like gromits missing in places & tho it was a very clean ship, it looked like nothing had been updated since it was built. I also had a major problem with the light in my stateroom. The lights around the ceiling flickered & strobed on & off the entire cruise. Ship was extremely crowded & the common areas were way too small for the lack of entertainment on board
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
Size was fine. Both closet doors would not open of close & ended up hanging crooked the entire trip. I also had a problem with the lights around the ceiling edge flickered the entire trip.
Ship tip
Don't unless it's dirt cheap & you have a TON of patience.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. It's unfortunate that so much went wrong for you on this cruise. I do appreciate your review it does give some insight to the possibility of overcrowding and some areas being understaffed. I hope this hasn't stopped you from cruising and I hope your next cruise I much better.
I don’t fault ppl for not having cruises listed. I don’t list my oldest one because I don’t want to see the chatter associated with the ship/ports any more. We mainly cruise to Bermuda so I’ve left those on since it still applies to us.
Agree with the luggage issue, as far as it might not be NCL’s fault. I had a problem our first time with them too and have no clue who’s fault it was. Brand new Samsonite suitcase and the piece holding the wheel in place got broken. Luckily I was able to get a free replacement from Samsonite, but I’d have been pretty mad if I couldn’t have gotten the issue fixed. The bag still rolled although not as easily, so it was still usable as far as getting it off the ship, but def an inconvenience.
Also agree that while we’ve only sailed BA so far and love her, seating can be an issue for atrium events. I wish they had an actual movie theater on board. That would provide additional space and activities and help clear out some of the crowding, and they could play various movies around the clock which would give ppl other options for entertainment. We were fortunate enough to stay in Haven where On Demand movies are included with the suite so we spent quite a bit of time either hanging in the room with the balcony door open to get a breeze or up on the Haven sundeck to avoid most of the craziness. I’m looking forward to our next trip to Bermuda as we will be on Encore, and I’m excited to see the differences between the two ships!
You have 0 cruises listed on your profile, but what ever line your use to maybe you should go back to them. You drove but porters also handles your luggage and they are not NCL employees, just saying??
You seem to be more fixated on broken luggage than you are and discussing the overall cruise and ports of call. Things happen sometimes and I'm sure even on Norwegian.
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