Pick a different line. Having sailed others and NCL I was surprised how much I felt like NCL couldn’t be bothered with customer service. They sell themselves as a higher level cruise line but they did not live up to it on this cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Get there early - worth it not to stand in long lines. We were there around 1030 and able to go right on. As a party of 9 this allowed us to get all our meal reservations etc finalized before we left.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Buffet is VERY CROWDED with rude people. Getting a table was tough. On the last morning I had to walk the entire buffet before I found a clean plate. Specialty meals were better than main dining room but I never had anything that overwhelmed me. Also several of our requested times for restaurants we were told were booked. But when we came by at those times and while we ate the restaurants were empty.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
The escape experience was fun. It was too cold for most people to use the pool and the kids pool was closed on one of days at sea they wouldn't allow kids to go to adult pool even though it was empty. Putt putt and rock wall were good. Too windy when we tried to do the ropes course. The ship’s available activities are geared to its carribean travel and left us looking for things to do during normal weather for a Baltic Cruise.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Dueling pianos was rough - not very exciting. Wine lovers lunch the food was served before show so pairing the wines was left to you. The limited information provided through the show was largely lost as by the time they told you about it, you’d already eaten and/or tasted other wines and changed your pallet. Then they rushed you out - literally announcing get out - after the show ended. The show was not long enough for 8 glasses of wine.
Children's Programs
Only had older teens who did not use
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Service was ok at best. No one seemed concerned with customer service or making sure you were happy. They just did what they had to and moved on.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Layout led to back ups and areas with too many people for the space (2 stars). Areas were clean and well maintained (4 stars)
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Great size, good layout. No complaints. Never saw steward. No “extras” like towel designs or checking in on you. Just did his job and moved on.
Ship tip
If going to Russia plan ahead - months ahead - to insure proper visa and availability of tour. Try to book private tour.
Book a scavenger hunt - 100 point challenge. It was a great way (even in the rain and cold) to discover the city and a welcomed change from classic tours
Elevators closed off meant near impossible to get anywhere - including to breakfast and off the ship. Thank god we kept our bags with us. Our group got shoved to different elevators and different ends of the disembark. Staff was not helpful in even listening that passports were with the other half of our group. Very disorganized.
Btw the only negative comment I have about this ship is that many popular activities are held in the atrium, which is way too small for the number of people who come to participate or spectate. Many of those are so popular they should be moved to the big theatre or something
One thing I really liked about my cabin was the air conditioning. My daughter and I love a cold environment. We actually did spend a bit of time in our room, on purpose
I loved the dueling pianos too. When I went to the buffet it wasn’t crowded. I got in and out and sat down easily. I found plenty to do and made myself some relaxing time with my daughter too. We did the Baltic Sea cruise. Yes, you should try to book tours ahead of time, especially for Russia. In the case of Russia, when we were there (August 2017), Russia’s immigration was there to issue visas, but of course, it was a pain. We decided to stay on board even though there were things we wanted to do. :(
We spoke to others later who mentioned most of their day was spent standing in line for hours. (Different parties mentioned that F.R. different places)
Sorry you didn't enjoy your trip on the GA. Our experience was the exact opposite of yours. I have to say not sure about your comments regarding Howl at the Moon, one of the most fun venues (in my opinion) on the ship. Entertainment on NCL cruises is the best we have seen.
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