The overall experience suggests this was a "Shakedown" cruise for which we passengers should have been paid rather than paying. Not to have known what European countries would require for entry before the cruise began is derelict on NCL's part. We should be given a rebate much as NCL is offering to its September 3, 2022 Baltic cruise passengers rather than 50% off the next cruise. We feel used and abused. Shame on NCL.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Fine other than the endless bureaucracy associated with Canadian entry requirements.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
1 out of 5
The buffet was almost totally inedible. Cagney's should have been the highlight experience. only 3 tables occupied but we were all huddled together so close none of us had any privacy. My lobster bisque was stinky/ putrid. My wife's steak came way overcooked and she was made aware of a $30 additional fee for the lobster part of the surf and turf at the point of ordering- an asterisk on the menu. My seafood platter was undercooked and cold.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the musical performances at both ends of the ship and in the Atrium. Also liked the Beanbag Toss.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Children's Programs
No children.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our steward, Mr. Geronimo, was efficient and thorough without being intrusive. He saved us from a near disaster by supplying us with an extension chord. The stateroom had only ONE 110 outlet and many many 220 outlets. For a ship that was supposedly refurbished in 2016, this problem should have been rectified then. In an age where mostly Americans are embarking from American ports it is obvious NCL is not interested in accommodating its passengers. We were up half the night charging phones, tablets, watches and toothbrushes.
Our Venetian dining room waiter, Reynan Fernandez, was so attentive, informative and pleasant that we sought him out for the rest of our meals. He truly saved us from focusing on our disappointments and cheered us up. After our experience at Cagney's we cancelled the balance of our specialty dining upgrades and ate in the Venetian dining room. The Assistant Director of Passenger Services (I've forgotten her name. She is a young, positive and action oriented person) helped us overcome the effects of chaotic Covid19 testing and a botched, rushed makeup tour of Amsterdam necessitated by our missing the scheduled 9am tour resulting from the ship's inability to timely provide documentation of negative Covid test results. Mr. Paco Adame(?), the head of shore excursions was also a fine example of an NCL employee committed to solving problems. He worked very hard to help us and many others get on a tour after being forced to miss earlier scheduled tours.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
The ship overall was clean and well maintained other than one incident. At midnight about half way through the cruise the water in our cabin was turned off. We called passenger services where no one answered the phone. Next we called Housekeeping and were told it was just maintenance and the water would be off for 4 hours. My wife had to use the toilet so she called Housekeeping again. She was told the problem was with another stateroom not general maintenance. She was then told she could use the toilet even without water and it would be much less than 4 hours for the water to be off. As it turned out it was less than 4 hours.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
As a result of bidding and winning an upgrade our new cabin was 11156. The cabin itself was very nice but its location was terrible. Firstly, it was not midship. Secondly, it was directly below the buffet cafe. So we had chairs overhead moving and scraping all hours of day and night. For this we had to pay $780 more.
Yes. Most enjoyable. The tour guide was knowledgeable. He explained the history of the struggle between Catholics and Protestants. And we got to see some of the architectural remnants of the divide. The Titanic Museum was excellent and the exterior facade was extraordinary.
Yes. Because of the late start (1pm instead of 9:30am) we were rushed through the city. There was little stopping . My wife was embarrassed by the tour guide when she asked if there would be facilities somewhere along the way. The guide gave her a somewhat disgruntled look and asked her if she couldn't hold it until we got to the canal boat which had facilities. The walking part of the tour was 2 hours. Fortunately other members of the tour also expressed the same request so the guide "relinquished" and indicated there were places we could stop. We basically flew through the tour and were not able to enjoy what we were receiving a glimpse of. At one point a member of our tripped and fell. A young Amsterdam fellow rushed to help the woman up. The guide came up to the woman and instead of asking her how she was, the guide's words were "I told you about the unevenness of the street."
If any passengers test positive on the ship get tested after disembarkation. The tests they use on the ship have been shown to be unreliable. That way you will at least have the paperwork needed to file insurance claims.
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