I was wondering if I can get some info on NCL cruises. I have cruised before, but never on NCL. Any comments, concerns or tips would be appreciated.

thanks
Santafee

No dressing up for meals but people tend to take a step further and dress like absolute slobs IMHO. But the rest of the cruise was okay, we enjoyed the meals and had enough to do to keep us busy and entertained.

My husband and I have taken three cruises, two with NCL; once on the Norway (our first cruise in the Caribbean) and once on the Norwegian Wind (Alaska.) We like the "Freestyle Cruising" Even though we are about to take the transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2, we generally prefer the laid back style of cruising that NCL offers. I can't think of anything negative to say about the line. Our experiences were great! I would love to sail on the Norway again, but I believe NCL sold the ship. I haven't heard anything about it.

I would recommend the line. A good first cruise might be on one of their new ships; Pride of Aloha, Pride of America, or Pride of Hawaii. my husband, son and I cruised the Hawaiian Islands on the S.S. Independence, now retired. It's a wonderful way to see the islands, and you don't have to unpack and pack bags! Your hotel is always waiting for you!

Happy Sailing!
Angel from Portland, OR

I would go to www.cruisecritic.com and check the reviews. Unfortunately they tend to be below par, esp. the "Pride" ships. There are some positive reviews to be sure but far more negative ones that all other lines. We recently cruised the Tahitian Princess and met some people who had cruised with NCL. They said they would never go again due to poor service and substandard food. JM2C. Larry

We have cruised NCL 2X. The first was a Caribbean trip on the SUN. Loved it! Very good food and great service. Also on the Dream for an 11 day Alaska cruise. We picked this ship for the unusual 11 day itinerary last Sept. Again, service was outstanding but found the food was just OK. Freestyle dining worked very well for us on both cruises.
We have also sailed the Golden Princess. In fact, we thought NCL offered much more attentive service and the food on a par with the Dream.
From my limited experience and comments from different friends that have sailed Princess I would not consider it Premium line. We were rather disappointed with Princess after all the hype.
Your best bet is to go to www.cruisecritic.com and read the NCL board.NCL has some very loyal customers as does other lines. Maybe you can gain some insight as to why people like it.

Only have been on the NCL american line (Hawaii) and while the regular NCL is probably better, I sure wouldn`t go on the NCL america cruises again. Not good food (unless you went to the pay restaurants) and long waits for the dining room Very poor service, as they are so busy they can`t keep up. They even give you a beeper. What`s free style about that? Not good service on those ships. We got a $500 off a future cruise discount (for 2), and won`t even use it. Freestyle doesn`t work on those ships. Read also, that NCL has lost a lot of money on those Hawaii ships, and that part of the cruiseline is rumored to be in the process of being sold off. Check out www.cruisereviews.com. I do not know about the NCL regular line, just the Hawaii line. The regular line might be just fine.

I have been on NCL and non-NCL cruises. I much prefer NCL. The service was better and so was the food and I did not have to dine at a specific set time every night with people not of my own choosing.
Tips: read the reviews at cruisecritic.com
: if you go on an NCL cruise read the Freestyle Daily
: Don't expect to get into the main dining room on "lobster" (Captain's Dinner) night at prime time (7PM-7:30) without a wait. We neverER waited to be seated in the dining rooms but we used common sense - on "Lobster" night we ate early.

We cruised NCL Sun to AK in June and absolutely loved it. Service was awesome. Because it was AK, everyone was dressed down. However at dinner, I found everyone to be dressed appropriately in the formal dining rooms. Even when I cruise RCI, I do not dress for dinner, at least not in any type of formal attire.

We had slow service at breakfast once. It was actually quite comical as the server just could not get it right. We laughed out loud about it. If you go to have a good time, you likely will. JMO.

Have a wonderful trip whatever you choose.

We loved our NCL cruise. I really wish we could go with them again to the Mexican Riviera, but they only have longer than 7 day itineraries that leave in the middle of the week and when you are a school counselor on Spring Break, you can't do that. We love the relaxed atmosphere and the Freestyle Dinig. We are ending up going with Princess again (we sailed wiht them in Alaska and enjoyed it) and they have "Anytime Dinigh" but they don't do as good a job with it as NCL does. I highly recommedn NCL to anyone who doesn't really get into formal nights. Their entertainment is great - especially the musicians in the little lounges.

Just returned from a 12 days Eastern Mediterranean on NCL's JEWEL & will give NCL a 5 out of 10 overall rating.
Free-style cruising is not for everyone. You can eat at the time you want & with who you want, but I recommend to make reservations, specially if you like to dine between 7:00 to 8:00 PM. No dressing up for meals, but some days expect from a tuxedo to a flip flop. Food was below average, very inconsistent in all restaurants specially at the 2 main dining rooms. Went to all of the 10 options available & only could give the Teppanyaki & Cagneys a good rating.
Service was not impressive, as you are charged $10 per day/per person for gratuities, why go the extra mile? Entertainment was average with only one great show, CIRQUE BIJOU. Cabins are on the small size even the ones with balcony. For more space have to go mini suites & higher.
Had taken more than 20 cruises, 2 with NCL. Picked the second cruise for the itinerary, but the first cruise with them was far superior than the second. The only positive comments about the ship was its cleanliness & its sanitation dispensers. Will not cruise with NCL again & will not recommend it.

It might help to know what your other cruises have been on so we know where you've "set the bar". I've cruised NCL and although the ship was beautiful, it was lacking in lots of other service areas. The staff could not have been nicer but I definitely had the impression that they're undertrained and overworked. I personally prefer ships with a lot fewer passengers than NCL carries but this is a personal preference. I too had a larger suite with a huge balcony, the standard rooms were very small. The food was hit and miss, had some great dinners and then other times by the time we got our food it was cold. I did like the casino though, large and friendly dealers. This is a cruise line that will really nickel and dime you to death.