21/03/2023
Hey everyone! I recently got the opportunity to sail away on Norwegian Cruise Line and I thought I would share some thoughts about the experience. Arriving and check in process was easy enough and we were almost immediately onboard. Due to being a cruise during Spring Break, it was BUSY! I felt a little overwhelmed at just how many people seemed crammed in small spaces.
1) Room - We booked a Club Balcony Suite for my family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids). The added perks of the suite were one complimentary laundry service (which we loved having) along with a few treats and sail away champagne. As for the room cons, it was smaller than other balcony rooms we have enjoyed and the television channels severely lacked when it came to the kids watching anything while we got ready. And the pros, the bathroom was larger with a double vanity and a large stand-up shower!
2) Ship - The ship itself was nice and extremely large. It was beautifully decorated and, in many spaces, looked spectacular. There were some areas that needed refurbishing, for example, in our shower we had cracks and chunks of paint missing. Also, a big thing for us is the pool deck, and we felt the ship really lacked in this aspect. The pool deck seemed so small and cramped compared to other cruise lines we have experienced. The kid’s area on the pool deck was small and cramped and neither of my kids truly cared to spend much time in it.
3) Dining - We had 4 specialty dining opportunities on board, and we loved them! Stellar service (albeit a little slow), great food, and a good experience. Our favorite was Cagney's Steakhouse (get the au gratin potatoes, they are to die for!) Unfortunately, that is where the excitement ended. The main dining rooms (Taste, Savor, and The Manhattan Room, and O'Sheehans) were a major failure in our opinions. The food was not up to par and often bland. Not to mention, waiting three hours when the dining rooms are not even full seems a bit excessive. Their buffet area, Garden Grill, was not much different. They had quite a few options, but mostly was bland food.
- As for the bars, they were all decent. Not too long of a wait at any of them, however, I did find that they often told me “No we don't have that" or "no we can't do that" when I asked for simple things like a sangria or an Irish beer on St Patty's day.
4) Kids Areas - I have come to learn that NCL is just not meant to be super kid friendly. As I mentioned above, the kids’ areas in the pool deck were lacking. A few smaller slides, a small pool (where big kids just jumped all over the little ones) and a cramped splash pad do not necessarily win us over. They did have the Guppies Nursery, however, it was not a drop off location, so for those that have real littles, it was only open for play time throughout the day. We took the opportunity for our kids to check out Splash Academy. It was.... interesting to say the least. The first night, the Administrator chased us around the boat (I kid you not!). When we picked up our kids he said "on your registration you indicated that your daughter was potty trained, was that not the truth?" I was dumbfounded the way they spoke to us. (I understand the concern, did not appreciate the tone he took with me). Another night there was "note" that told me I needed to discuss sharing with my son. When I asked him about it, it was a completely different story that the one the Splash Academy team had said to me, so I was not happy with that either. We did not have any other incidences the rest of the trip, and the kids did have a decent time playing Nintendo, and line dancing, and more. Just thought that their team could use a lesson in speaking with tact with guests.
5) Customer Service - Now let me just say, I have been on a few different cruise lines and many different cruises, and suffice it to say, we truly love cruising and everything that comes along with it. We have grown accustomed to stellar service all around, and sadly, NCL did not deliver. Their customer service was abysmal! Multiple days I had to call my stateroom attendant and remind him I am a family of four, so we need four bath towels. One time when I called, his response was "I'm on break, you'll need to call the operator if you want them now." He made the kids bunk beds and turned over the couch to a bed the first night, and NEVER put it away. Since the rooms are already smaller, that made everything a tight fit when walking around the room. He would leave plates and warm glasses of drinks just sitting all over the room and we knew he was not actually cleaning our bathroom at all. When we were in the main dining room, my daughter spilled her water glass (because there are no kids cups anywhere!) right in front of a server, and they completely ignored her, did not help to clean it up, didn't offer to get her another glass, and didn't offer to replace their napkins. There were maybe one or two servers walking around the ship the entire time to take drink orders, but mostly non-existent. Except somehow, when I would take my daughter to the bathroom on the pool deck, miraculously a server came by and had taken my 3/4 full cups of whatever I was drinking. I can honestly say this was the BIGGEST disappointment of the entire trip. When you have experienced nothing short of amazing service, even when issues arise, and your first time on a new cruise line is this, it does not make you want to go back.
Finally, 6) Entertainment - this was the shining star of the trip! They had your typical magicians and comedians that were so, so. BUT, let me just say that Choir of Man is AMAZING! We ended up watching them both nights they performed. It was a mix of pub fun, Broadway style show, but mostly just guys enjoying their jobs and singing wonderfully. One of the guys belted out Adele's Hello, and I cannot stop singing it back in my head because of him. This is a MUST SEE when on board for sure!
Overall, I know we made some great family memories. We had some great ports, decent weather, and enough pictures to last a lifetime. Everyone loves different things when it comes to cruising, so I always say give things a try once.
