First Time on Norwegian

I am only pleased that somebody could see the humorous side of things !

lol - apples and fruitless...pun-tastic i assume?

I'm getting kind of off topic for this post; sorry.

I think that it is probably true that you get better service in the nicer rooms on NCL.  I also find that it is very helpful to tip half to the room steward, concierge and butler up front.  Let them know there is another half if everything goes well and suprise suprise it does seem to go well.  I worked as a furniture mover all through college and the same principle worked great there too (try the tipping strategy if  you are every moving houses and don't want your stuff tossed around).  On one cruise my kids started collecting the towel animals and told the room steward how awesome they were.  When we came back that night the whole place was full of towel animals (like 50+).

Not that I want more people to cruise on NCL because cruise lines charge based on demand but for me the apples to apples is money.  Like most people I work hard for mine and I don't like to give it up easy.  Yes, we pay for the speciality food on NCL.  Yes, we pay for spa passes and services.  Yes, we pay for a nicer room.  But all told when the tab is paid the money feels similar to Princess or Celebrity and I don't feel like I get the same level of service on those lines.

Back to post topic - I second what CruisingCM said.  If you don't like something let someone know.  And don't stop cruising because of one bad experience.  There are lots of options out there and each person will have their own like and dislikes.

I could swear he said "We also really like the haven concept on NCL".   So he was saying he liked the haven......and the haven is not a regular cabin is it ???  So to comparing the haven to a regular cabin on NCL or any line is not apples to apples.   Now the haven and MSC Yacht Club would be comparable as they are both "Ships with in a ship"

The best cruise line is the one that works best for you.  It's that simple.

I don't think anybody actually said that the regular cabins are not like the Haven so the comparison with Apples is rather fruitless

Traveling in the Haven, you do not get the same level of service or food as us commoners in regular cabins. The Haven is very nice, but the regular cabins are not like that. I believe the Haven also comes with a dining room just for the Haven with better food then the MDR. The Haven also gets priority walk on and walk off and reserved seats for the show's. Lets compare Apples to Apples.

I'm with you.  I've been on Carnival, Disney, Celebrity and Princess but like NCL the best.  It's the right mix of laid back and busy for me and the family.  We also really like the haven concept on NCL  Everyone is entitled to their opinion - I do agree that Celebrity and Princess are higher cost but higher end...not so much.  I would also agree though that the Norwegian Star is not a shining example of what a cruise should be...:)

Is it not interesting as to how different people have different perceptions on what they consider to be a good holiday.? The ONLY cruise line that I will consider when looking for a cruise is Norwegian Cruise Line. The way they operate their company is perfect for me and the organisation is fine as well as the customer service on the ships. The freestyle concept is the only way to cruise in my opinion and long may it last !!

I will agree with the poster,  out of all the cruise lines and ships I have sailed on the NCL Star was the worst.  The ship lay out, service and food all needed vast improvement as did the customer service desk.  The OP had been on 2-3 cruises with different lines so had something to compare it to.

I also agree with CruisingCM that NCL, and Carnival are entry level cruise lines.   You may be happier on a better level cruise like Princes, HAL or Celebrity where you get Nicer ships, better service and better food.   All cruise lines target a demographic,  you need to find the one that fits you best.  My favorite of the standard cruise lines is Celebrity but I will still take Carnival for a short inexpensive get away on the 3 or 4 night cruises.  

The last cruise line that I consider when looking for a trip is NCL,  I have cruised 3 times with NCL.  The cruise on the Pearl was good,  both cruises on the NCL Star had major issues with customer service changing our cabin category from what was reserved (old days when you did not get cabin # until you boarded) slow and bad service in MDR,  cold food, bad food quality and out of a large table (10 to 14) always getting 1 or 2 orders wrong or not out to the table with the rest of the dinners, this was in the MDR and also in the specialty dining. 

I am curious as to what you mean by "Low end of the cruising spectrum". Are you referring to cost, facilities, comfort or class of passengers?. I certainly no not regard NCL as low end in regards to anything

Thank you for posting your review.

Unfortunately, this was your first cruise so you do not have other experience to which you can compare this.

There are many other options to consider and each cruise line targets a different market segment. Norwegian, Carnival, and to some extent Royal Caribbean are at the low end of the cruising spectrum. Each of these lines courts budget-minded cruisers. Consider these a gateway to the world of cruising.

When we started cruising (about 18 yrs ago), we started off with NCL, then Carnival, then Royal Caribbean, each for a couple cruises. Each had its pluses and minuses and there was a clear progression of experience quality, food quality, and ship condition/maintenance. Early on, we tried Princess and loved everything about it except the cost. It was only last year that we finally gave Celebrity a go, and had a wonderful experience. My point is simple - don't give up on cruising until you try a different lines and itineraries.

As for the issues you experience while on a cruise, be sure to go to guest services and make the crew aware of problems when they are happening. Waiting until you get off the ship only serves as a source of aggravation during your cruise. At least give the crew a chance to fix the issue(s).

A caveat to going to the service desk on the cruise - Be patient, be calm, and speak clearly and slowly. I have both witnessed and experienced issues at guest relations that were made worse because of language barrier. This was a bigger problem because the guest and the crew member did not share a common language. Also, being polite is key to successful resolution. In one instance a fellow cruiser started complaining loudly and rudely to the desk staff. Within a minute, security was called. Regardless of whether there was a valid reason for complaint, the guest relations staff felt threatened by the passenger and were less inclined to help resolve the matter.

Bottom line - Don't give up on cruising altogether. Learn from this experience and give another line a try... perhaps one of the higher end cruise lines (e.g., Princess, Celebrity). That will give you a real contrast of experience.

The 2 main dining rooms on NCL always have the same menu. I cannot see any problem with that. What were the comments from the chef regarding the food that was not hot?

I was on the cruise 1/3 through 1/10, totally agree with you about the food and crew members not being nice and friendly. The service om Norwegian is far from what I experienced with Carnival and Royal Carabbean. I won't cruise with Norwegian again.