In our opinion, the cruise lines are undercutting their own value proposition by the way that they upcharge you for everything. As we started to calculate the numbers, cruising isn't the great value that it used to be. They really have taken the discount airline mentality and put profit ahead of everything, including guest comfort. Although we've been cruisers for many years, we're considering giving up cruising altogether.
Embarkation
1 out of 5
Cruise was late disembarking, so everyone had to wait a couple of hours to embark. Not enough seating for all the people. Just the start of being treated like cattle.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
2 out of 5
Unless you opted to pay an additional $30/meal for the specialist restaurants, the meals were bland and poor quality.
Onboard Activities
1 out of 5
EVERYTHING is an extra charge now, so get ready to be fleeced for each and everything. Free activities like water slides and ropes courses were open very limited hours, so they were hard to get to. We had lots of rain and the crew didn't seem to have any back up plan to entertain the thousands of people on the ship when you couldn't go outside. Activities were very limited in number anyway, so the chances to be involved were slim. They have not updated their activities in more than 30 years, despite building mega-ships.
Entertainment
1 out of 5
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
Now that the gratuities are charged by the corporation, the service has really suffered.
Ship Quality
1 out of 5
They have added to the number of passengers without enlarging the public areas or upgrading the a/c. It was always a crush to go anywhere on the ship and the a/c was in inadequate. Some areas were like a sweat box, especially the cafeteria as it seemed like they turned off the a/c to certain areas, especially at night.
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Ship tip
We are persuaded by the travel agent to get a balcony cabin instead of our typical inside and it was a complete waste of $$. The a/c in the cabin was so inadquate that we couldn't open the curtains. Our cabin was so hot that it was difficult to sleep at night. Despite multiple complaints, the problem persisted. Especially in the wee hours of the morning, it seemed like they turned the a/c off, so our cabin ended up being so hot and humid that the sheets felt wet.
Pretty concept, if you had it with other more interesting ports. Though this is NCL's private island, most everything on the island is an additional charge. Seems like just another way for NCL to fleece you!
Haven is the way to beat that. Love it. But at 10 Gs is that a value? Land based with puddle jumper planes to island hop may be cheaper now. Who would have thought?
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