We were unlucky. We paid a lot and had high expectations. We wanted a special celebration for my niece's 10th birthday. We spent her birthday dinner waiting 1 and a half hours. Very disappointed and not taking Norwegian up on their sham of a good will offer. We should have picked Disney.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Only a single staff member we encountered bothered to smile. We booked a haven suite to have the 5 star experience but sadly this is not how the staff treated us. Happy to rush us up to our cabin before we could have any refreshment after a long journey. No food or snacks available when we boarded. Concierge unavailable for haven tour.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Haven dining room has excellent food but the same menu daily. Very limited vegetarian options. Food in the main dining hall poorly prepared. Again very limited for vegetarians. Food in the specialty restaurants average
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Lots of options for all ages. Busy though because of number of passengers.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Cirque excellent. Others performances hit and miss.
Children's Programs
Did not utilize
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Our bad luck. Unhelpful Buttler. Indifferent concierge. We felt like a burden. Service in the main dining halls a matter of luck as well. One night we waited an hours for dinner. Haven restaurant staff excellent.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very impressive ship. Incredible gym.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Arrived to sewage backed up in second toilet. The odor remained for 4 days as they failed to find or fix the issue for 4 days. Backed up one night and I took a video and it's only then they took the issue seriously. We arrived to find no toilet paper, no bathrobes, 2 half consumed bottles of water and a towel soiled with sewage. Failed to provide comforter or towels one night. When called provided a flimsy blanket. Not a great vacation when you sleep in a cabin that smells awful.
Ship tip
It's a hit and miss. Most will have a great time. We splurged for a 5 star vacation but got a bad room, bad service, average food and an indifferent customer relations response. Despite contacting guest relations all they had to offer were platitudes, canned advice and a 1000$ credit for 2 of use and 200$ for another 2 towards another cruise which had to be within 12 months and the offer could be combined. If they treated us like this when we spent 12000$ for the cabin I doubt we would want to spend another 10000$ to sail with them again. This is our experience and I'm sure cannot be generalized. If something bad happens don't expect any classy response. Don't book any excursions through them if you can avoid it. Best thing is to book a private car. Cheaper and more efficient.
We had an excellent time because we booked a car. There was chaos for those that did not. Not enough shuttles to the port. There was pushing, scuffles and one of the guest let me know it took him 2 hours just to get to the terminal. Some passengers missed the boat as Rome is 1.5 hours away.
I've been on a Disney Cruise and it's almost twice as much for similar amenities. Another case of too high of expectations leading to disappointment. I would suggest an all inclusive cruise next time such as Regent or Crystal for three times the cost of NCL.
Well. Sometimes, for some complementary restaurants, there's a lot of waiting. Happened to me. But with so much choices, there's no point in waiting. And on top of that, you can make reservations, even for complementary restaurants.
Charlou, I thought exactly the same... makes no sense if you have a speciality table reservation, and if you haven't the main dining room never had more that a 5-10 minute queue...
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