Will avoid NCL in the future, poor value for dollar spent. I would rather go with Carnival again, there are way better choices out there.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Specialty restaurants good, main dining room was slow and understaffed. Buffet food was average for cruise ship. Bars were good, with limited selection, but understaffed and required 10-20 minutes to get a drink.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
Entertainment
2 out of 5
Syd Normans band was good, the cast was off key, could not harmonize. It was like a bad Glee cast. Main Show was OK, singers were good with a lot of lip syncing. Other singer acts were about average for a cruise ship. Comedians were not exciting and used many jokes we all heard before.
Service and Staff
2 out of 5
Top to bottom, NCL prepays all kinds of tips and the staff knows it a service suffers as the staff knows they are pretipped.
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
Venues fill fast and host staff is pretty rude
Cabin / Stateroom
1 out of 5
Overall ok, but our stateroom had dirty dishes stowed in the closet when we arrived, trash on the floor. Several complaints made this somewhat better, but the staff was pre-tipped with 20.00/day service charge and ignored complaints until management was contacted. Worst service of past 20 cruises.
Well, if you like Carnival, I doubt you would like NCL. We were on same trip Christmas 2023. We had a great trip! We loved Prima. The food was great, entertainment was great and the ship is beautiful and clean. The service charge goes to fund programs for the staff like health care and some performance bonuses. It is not a tip share. We had a wonderful cabin steward and left a tip. We also tipped the great bartenders. The service was great even if you didn’t tip!
Aw man, I’m disappointed in seeing this. I’ve been looking at Prima for 2025. I believe it will be in the Mediterranean then (or maybe it’s the Viva lol). I’ve never cruised with NCL before and I’ve been comparing NCL and Celebrity. We’ve mostly cruised Carnival and while we have no complaints, we wanted to “upgrade”. I feel like Celebrity may be nicer, but I thought NCL would be more fun?
I was on Prima this past summer (Norway and Iceland) and agree with you 100%. While some designs are nice, who came up with the lack of space to ear at the buffet, lack of space in the atrium? Staff was horrid! Overpriced internet and optional dining rooms. One MDR was so noisy and chaotic we left before finishing our meal. Never again on NCL for me either
😲 If you feel Carnival is better, that's saying something. Thanks for your review. There's no reason for all the dishes/trash to be left behind in any reserved cabin.
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