We love cruises but this was the worst and it was a shame to ruin our anniversary cruise. We paid for Norwegian Air to Sea and then got no help when the first flight was delayed and thus caused us to miss our connecting flight. We were traveling with 2 kids under 12 and a one day in the airport turned into 3. We joined the cruise in Rome (2 days late) and were so exhausted and disappointed that we missed activities in Barcelona, Ajaccio, France, and Rome. We had to arrange our own hotels, meals, etc. while we tried to get to the ship. If we had booked our own air we would have had more of a buffer and would have had a better experience and easier rebooking. Air to Sea is a waste of money. Norwegian's service and follow up when something goes wrong during travel are awful. We did not get refunded the air transfers or for the unused cruise days.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Terrible - We paid for Norwegian Air to Sea and then got no help when the first flight was delayed and thus caused us to miss our connecting flight. We were traveling with 2 kids under 12 and one day in the airport turned into 3. We joined the cruise in Rome (2 days late) and we missed activities in Barcelona, Spain, Ajaccio, France, and Rome, Italy. We had to arrange our own hotels, meals, etc. while we tried to get to the ship. If we had booked our own air we would have had more of a buffer and would have had a better experience. Air to Sea is a waste of money. Norwegian's service and follow up when something goes wrong during travel are awful. We did not get refunded the air transfers or for the unused cruise days.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We enjoyed the specialty restaurants for our birthday and wedding anniversary dinners. The Garden Cafe was a hit with our kids.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
The kids loved the pool and the ping pong table was a hit.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The kids loved the magician's performances and "Deal or No Deal". We adults enjoyed "Burn the floor" dancing show.
Children's Programs
4 out of 5
It was good but was only open in the evenings or when we had a late arrival at port. This is a very active cruise and the kids found it exhausting to do an all-day or longer shore excursion. It would have been great to be able to take them to one shore excursion and then drop them at Splash Academy while we enjoyed another shore excursion.
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Everyone was polite. There were some great personnel like Ana Maria from Columbia in Guest Services. However, we were unimpressed by Norwegian's lack of empathy and help when the flights they arranged did not work out.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Snug for a family of 4 but a very good use of space. Enjoyed the balcony. The shower and toilet closet were good sizes.
Ship tip
Do not buy Air to Sea. Book your own airfare and make sure to arrive the day before in case of air delays. This is a very busy cruise (no days at sea) so come well rested and be prepared to be active. It's an enjoyable itinerary but is probably better for adults than families with kids under 12.
We missed this port because our first flight was delayed and thus we missed the connecting flight and joined the cruise in Rome. What a disappointment to miss this!
We spent our time in Rome getting retested for covid and waiting to embark the ship. This was because our first flight was delayed and thus we missed the connecting flight and joined the cruise in Rome. What a disappointment to miss this!
We paid for airport transfers. The bus driver took us all to the wrong terminal. Only after everyone refused to get off did he take us all to the right terminal.
After reading about your issues we called NCL to verify that they are gonna book our flight 3 days out. As with delays / cancellations they told us that you need to go to the airline and let them know you are with NCL and are booked on a cruise. The airline has to get you onto a flight in order to make the cruise, that is the agreement that NCL and the airlines they use have.
Glad you enjoyed what was left of your cruise despite the difficulties in getting there. Even if you book your own airfare, plan to get to your port a couple days in advance. The airlines are having major issues now. The Western Med itinerary isn't great for young children. We took our son when he was 13. He did enjoy the trip including Camp Nou.
Appreciate your feedback. Sorry you had to learn that the cruise lines are terrible at booking air travel, on this cruise. We fortunately learned it early and much closer to home. We probably would have been tempted to do the same for an overseas cruise. Thank you for sharing your experience. Hope your next cruise is better!
There are lawyers / mediators specializing in making stuff like this right. Can't remember the name but should be easy to find out online. Hope you get the compensation you deserve!
Sorry you had such a bad time with air, but- you could have gone in a day or two early with air and sea! That was your choice! Don't blame NCL for flight delays, it's not their fault. You should always travel early.
You can book your flights on any day. Not sure why you didn't choose to arrive 2-3 days in advance to plan for airline delays and cancelations. This has been all over the news for several months.
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