In our 42 cruises we have never felt so unwelcome aboard a ship. We used to love going with Norwegian, but we will never book another cruise with them. They beat us all to death with their plugs for future cruise certificates in the Atrium, while people tried to eat and talk to each other in O'Sheehan's. The music was too loud in most venues. The food was the worst we have encountered.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
This was the slowest embarkation (and most confused) ever. Not only did we wait a long time in the terminal, but only 25 people were allowed in at a time. An elderly man fell going up the escalator and chaos ensued because no one in the terminal staff knew where the first aid kit was! It was like stepping back in time the way they checked us in! They still have to rummage for your room keys instead of having them at your stateroom door.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
We were not at all impressed by the offerings in the Main Dining room or the three Specialty restaurants we tried. We felt that the waiters were doing us a favor to wait on us! One brought us two courses at once while another brought us a used pitcher of cream which we rejected since it had been on a neighboring table for over a half hour! The bar staff didn't know how to make or serve the drinks we ordered. There was no shrimp cocktail and no lobster night. Shrimp was served twice in the buffet, as was prime rib once.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Trivia, theater, music venues
Entertainment
3 out of 5
One of the stage shows, Elements, was on again! We had seen this several years ago. So so magic show, wonderful Sinatra tribute, superb aerialists, great piano player and a better than average stage show.
Children's Programs
No kids with us.
Service and Staff
1 out of 5
Our room steward managed to park his cart right outside our door every morning from 8:00 a.m. and left it there until late afternoon. He had no routine for cleaning our room. He came once a day at no set time nor did he clean the room all at once. He came back and forth over a four hour period. The waiters made us feel that they were doing us a favor to just come to our table. Anytime dining does not work! We were given a beeper every night but one, which meant that we had to wait between 1/2 - 1 hour to be seated. The service was poor in the Venetian Dining room. In one specialty venue, I only saw the waiter's hands as he dropped off our food on his way somewhere else. They were training our waiters who didn't even know how to set the tables!
Ship Quality
2 out of 5
We've been on this ship many times, and it is still confusing getting around. We saw at least half a dozen people trip and fall because of the poorly lit stairs in the theater and the Dining room. The restrooms were not well maintained. Paper towels were overflowing the bins most days. The lavatory doors were difficult to open. Several people were trapped inside and needed to be let out.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
The steward managed to keep it clean. It was comfortable. It was dated.
This was horrible! For some reason, the ship came in to port backwards. They told us that the gangway was broken. The decks, stairwells and common areas were jammed with people. None of had any idea what the problem was. Through word of mouth we heard that a total of 5 passengers had died on this cruise. No mention was made of it. We did hear Code Alpha on many occasions (a medical emergency). Norwegian made no attempt to tell us what the problem was and what steps they were taking to rectify our departure. They simply asked for our continued patience for 3 1/2 hours.
(I can't edit my earlier comment to finish it.) We have never gotten our keys at the stateroom door. Seldom are the rooms even ready when boarding begins.
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