Rate the Norway
Jan 25th, 2000, 07:40 AM
#2
Guest
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We sailed on her last year over New Year's Eve. It was our first cruise, so I have nothing to compare to, but we had a wonderful time. We are not gourmet cooks, so we thought the food was fine. They were really nice about giving you seconds or two entries if you wanted. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to e-mail me directly. I picked this ship because of her history and I wanted my family to sail on one of the last true ocean liners. The new cruise ships are so different.
Feb 17th, 2000, 05:25 AM
#3
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We are very taken over 20 cruises, of which 5 have been on NCL. Over the last five years, we have noticed a dramatic change in their services.Our last trip on NCL was on the Norway. We were very disappointed. The ship was very old(that we knew) , but it was not well kept or updated. The cabins were very worn, and in my opinion, dirty. We had to upgrade our cabin on the second day (the line to do so was so long, it took two days to get into the office to make the needed change!) We had to pay another $600.00 each to get to an exceptable cabin. We had originaly booked an outside stateroom (mid price)as we usually do. When we arrived, we were escorted to the lowest level. The room had one light buld, and bare wires where a light once was! The bed covers had stains on them (blood, and the furniture was dirty, kicked-in, and the room had a very musty odor. The bathroom was a disaster also. Due to the lines to get a room change, we were forced to stay in this mess overnight. The boiler pipes ran close to our room, and made explosive noise all night. We decided that we would get off this barge at the next port if we could not get another satisfactory room. $1200.00 later, we were moved to the upper deck, and may I say, the staff was rude during this process. The overall impression of this old barge was poor. It is not a cruise ship...it is an old passanger liner vessel. If you have a chance to take another ship...or even another cruise line, do so..... The food quality is OK, better than Carnival (but then everyone is!)The meals are repetitive, only the names change. The excursions are good, but the prices are higher than other lines.. If you are in Europe or abroad, do take the excursions. If you are in the islands...do your own thing. Bottom line: Take Holland American or Celeberty for the best bang for the buck....
Feb 17th, 2000, 06:29 PM
#6
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I have cruised aboard 18 ships, mostly <BR>on Carnival as we all have a wonderful <BR>time on their ships. <BR> <BR>We tried the Leeward and the Norway this <BR>year and it was the worse cruise of my life!!! <BR>Food was just fair, entertainment was terrible and the ship is in great need for refurbishment. They added a whole passenger cabin deck a few years ago, but failed to add additional public space, the ship is very crowded. <BR> <BR>We will never take another NCL cruise again, my adivice is if you can get out of going on the Norway you have no idea what you will do for yourselves. I wish we never cruised on her, but now we have learned our lesson. No discount, or any special price will ever get us on this ship again!
Feb 29th, 2000, 05:11 AM
#8
Guest
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I, for one,am PRO-Norway after this latest cruise. Having been confirmed HAL-fan I'm used to more-upscale accourtrements. <BR>The positives: She IS an OLD wood ship w/character which we prefer. We did not have MaryBeth's experiences because I did my homework & had a 264 sq ft cabin w/mini-refrig (as opposed to the other 220's)booked on the Norway deck right outside the nicer dining room we were assigned. Our steward was very attentive & the cabin was kept spotless. <BR>Cruise staff was very upbeat & interacted well w/audience but the activities were too short. <BR>Negatives: Maitre D' & waiter were poor. <BR>2nd nite I purposely loudly voiced my displeasure to my husband in another maitre d's hearing distance. Thereafter they were all over us & there was no waiting. Extra desserts etc were brought. Re food*: they crucified beef but the pasta was uniformly good. Soups were a joke. But they shined at unexpected times. To wit:the escargots were fabulous but the lobster tough. <BR>Le Bistro (the "alternative restaurant') was a joke. Salmon had bones & they tried to foist a higher priced wine even tho the barservice was from the outsidelounge. <BR>The shows were quite good(ballerina, gymnasts)& Broadway stuff & one comedian was Outstanding. One comedian just okay. <BR>The juggler act was mediocre but that's not our thing. <BR>The Outside restaurant had lesser-quality salads & food presentation could be inproved. However, midnite buffets were artfully arranged. <BR>We were on a 2-0r-1 cruise so the price was right & I was fearful of the debarkation lines but we were on our way to airport by 9:30 a.m. And my over the top meeting w/their customs people went very well. <BR>*I'm a foodie so that's important. If anyone needs more info, you can e-mail me directly.
Feb 29th, 2000, 09:16 AM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Glad you had a good cruise, Rhea! If anyone else is booked on Norway, and is nervous after reading some of the posts here, you might be reassured if you read the current thread at the rec.travel.cruises newsgroup. (You can either get there by subscribing to the newsgroup through your browswer, or go to Deja.com, and look for cruises. <BR>Although there have been some negative posts about this ship on the newsgroup, the current thread is really positive. "Zamgwar", (or something close to that!), wrote a several part review that was really glowing, and a number of people concurred with him. <BR>Sheila
Mar 1st, 2000, 04:22 AM
#11
Guest
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Sue, you're right..she orig was SS France built in 1960 but she sure gave the warmth of a wooden hull. (I married a 5 wooden-boat sailor so I best keep mum!) <BR>I neglected to mention that if one is booked on the 2 decks below the Norway one is going to be very disappointed as they were dark & dingy & not well-maintained. <BR>Maybe I just lucked out but I did take the advice of the Web agent & the negatives we encountered were resolved.
