Will this Celebrity fan be happy on NCL Star?
Jan 14th, 2005, 07:59 AM
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Will this Celebrity fan be happy on NCL Star?
I've loved my two cruises on Celebrity's Millenium and Summit ships in Concierge Class. My friend has invited me to join her on an Alaskan cruise on NCLs Star. While I love the FreeStyle idea, and the thought of travelling with my friend, I am concerned that I will not be happy with the cabins, service or food on NCL. They seem to be below Celebrity's standards. Can anyone compare them for me?
My husband and I are older and enjoy the "finer" things We are not "high energy" people interested in nightlife and rock climbing. Service, amenities and gourmet food are important to us.
My husband and I are older and enjoy the "finer" things We are not "high energy" people interested in nightlife and rock climbing. Service, amenities and gourmet food are important to us.
Jan 14th, 2005, 11:24 AM
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There is a huge differance between Celebrity & NCL.WE have been on the Century and in Nov. went on NCL's Spirit. The ship, cabin, etc. were very nice BUT...........We had 45 min. waits to get in the dining room (8-8:30)but unless you eat at 5:30 there is always a wait and the food wasn't great at all. Our room steward had 30 cabins to make up so we were usually not done til 11:30AM or so. The tips are automatic as they are now on other ships but on NCL they don't think they have to smile and so don't! Check cruisecritic.com's site and go to reviews to see what others had to say. I posted a review after getting back. We have been on MANY,MANY cruises but never plan to go back on NCL again! You have enough time to cancel NCL's Alaska and book another cruise line. Maybe you should!
Jan 15th, 2005, 03:47 AM
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Frankly- you probably won't enjoy this as you are already stating this is "below" your "standards. BUT a big reason to go to Alaska is for what is OUTSIDE the ship and NCL does a good job in this aspect. Determine if this is a reason to go. Don't make your friend miserable.
Jan 17th, 2005, 12:47 PM
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It really depends on your adaptibility to a different cruising experience. NCL Freestyle cruising is quite different from 'traditional' cruising. I have experienced 3 traditional cruises and 2 NCL cruises. Personally I loved the NCL cruising experience - not having to dine at a specific time every night with strangers (who I may or may not personally like as dining companions). BTW I never had to wait longer than 5 minutes to be seated in a dining room (however I was on the Sky and the Sun not the Star). I liked service on the NCL ships (professional, efficient but not ridiculously obsequious). The food was fine - slightly better in some aspects than on my 'tradional' cruises. However since Celebrity has a reputation for very good food, I suspect it may not be up to that standard. My recommendation - if a specific "style" of cruise is essential to your enjoyment of a cruise - don't go but if you are prepared to try something different, go.
Jan 18th, 2005, 02:40 PM
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We have sailed on the Celebrity's Millenium and it still remains our first choice of all cruises we've taken. Our experience on NCL's Wind ranks as our all time low. It was this past summer in Hawaii.
The FreeStyle dining was Horrible. We had to wait in line for 45 minutes for the early dining. The service was very, very slow. The food was also very bad! I had to settle for spaghetti or pizza 6 of the 11 evening meals, as the choices were not good. They would not provide a suitable alternative.
We talked to many during and after the cruise, in the airport and on the plane and to the person, they agreed with out feelings. I too thought that the free style would be appealing, but not if every one wants to eat at the same time. Even if you made a reservation, you had to stand in line.
The cabin was nice and clean, with good service. We opted for an inside room for the first time and that turned out okay.
Try to get a starboard balcony going north in Alaska as the views are tremendous.
The FreeStyle dining was Horrible. We had to wait in line for 45 minutes for the early dining. The service was very, very slow. The food was also very bad! I had to settle for spaghetti or pizza 6 of the 11 evening meals, as the choices were not good. They would not provide a suitable alternative.
We talked to many during and after the cruise, in the airport and on the plane and to the person, they agreed with out feelings. I too thought that the free style would be appealing, but not if every one wants to eat at the same time. Even if you made a reservation, you had to stand in line.
The cabin was nice and clean, with good service. We opted for an inside room for the first time and that turned out okay.
Try to get a starboard balcony going north in Alaska as the views are tremendous.
Jan 20th, 2005, 04:38 PM
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We have cruised with both Celebrity and NCL and LOVED NCL. We may be a bit more casual than you and your husband, but I think you will still have a wonderful trip. The Freestyle Dinig on NCL is great and the food choices we had were every bit as good as on Celebrity. We are not "rock climbers" or late nighters either. For that reason we appreciated the relaxed atmosphere of being able to go to dinner when we were ready. Often we were still in the hot tub relaxing with a drink when we would have had to be heading to the dining room on a fixed schedule. My only strong recommendation on any cruise is to get a balconey - I will never cruise without one again!
