I am a fan of Norwegian and have been on the Getaway and the Breakaway several times in the last few years. I hate to say it but, of more than 50 cruises I have taken, this one was probably the worst. Of course, Norwegian can't be blamed for the cold and winds but, with the pool closed most of the time and ports being cancelled, there wasn't much to do. We were extremely disappointed that we were entitled to four specialty dinners and could not get a reservation for a single one. Do not sell specialty dinners if you can't accommodate them! Very long lines at the bars and waiters taking drink orders were hard to find. Very disappointing cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was fast and easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
We were extremely disappointed with the food. We paid for four specialty dinners and were not able to book a single one. We lucked out when a friend we met on the cruise said she had made reservations at Moderno and two of her group had cancelled so she allowed us to take their reservations. We tried repeatedly to book other dinners and even spoke to guest relations but got nothing but the runaround and advised to be patient and check each morning for cancellations. We did so but were never successful in getting a reservation. I am very disappointed that Norwegian would charge us for specialty dinners when they were not available.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
We were looking forward to relaxing and swimming but the pools were closed much of the time due to high waves and winds. Not anyone's fault but disappointing never the less.
Entertainment
2 out of 5
I enjoy being on deck and listening to the music but it was so loud that it was difficult, if not impossible, to carry on any kind of conversation. We were not able to get reservations to any shows.
Children's Programs
No children with us.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
As a veteran of more than 50 cruises, I found the staff to be slower than usual and much less attentive. As a platinum member with Norwegian, I should have received a bottle of wine, a bottle of water, and a badge for the cruise. I never received them, even after asking. Rarely saw our room steward. Dirty socks in our bathroom when we arrived. Bar service and waiters were unusually slow.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Ship was clean and well maintained.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was roomy and well appointed. Balcony was large and spacious. A pair of dirty socks were hanging behind the door when we checked in.
Ship tip
I sailed on the Epic several times when it was new but it's definitely not in the same class as other Norwegian Vessels anymore.
We were really looking forward to Costa Maya as it is one of our favorite spots. Unfortunately, we were told the winds were too strong and we were not able to visit.
There wasn't anything here that appealed to us. The port is small, there isn't a pool or beach. We shopped for an hour or two and returned to the ship.
We love Cozumel. We were supposed to go to Costa Maya but were diverted to Cozumel on Wednesday. We had purchased a beach day for Friday, when we were supposed to be there and were happy that they honored it on Wednesday, even though it shorted us by two hours. On Friday, we were told the port in Costa Maya was still closed and we were returning to Cozumel because we were originally scheduled to be there on Friday anyway. I wish we had known we would be returning because we would have used on beach excursion and had a much nicer day and another two hours to enjoy. However, if we had to repeat a port, Cozumel is what I would have chosen.
This was my first cruise with NCL and didn’t experience quite as many issues as you. Some cruises are better than others but none have ever been bad. I had three specialty dinners and was able to easily make reservations. Of course I made them prior to embarkation.
Appreciate your details. Sorry this cruise didn’t meet your expectations. If you cruise long enough (as you obviously have), there will be disappointing cruises.
I agree with you, you purchased those specialty dinners…they need to be honoured. I get there is only so much seating, but there can certainly be a system in place for you to be accommodated. Seriously in 2024, there are many ways this could be accomplished
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