It maybe that a moderator on another board has read this thread and he's hemming and hawing about paying his own way and only writing the truth..lol Unfortuntely, I have found the cruise board you mentioned Eschew very biased PRO a certain cruise line and will brook very little anti=??. I do find that there on that board for that cruise line, okay, it's Princess... "cheerleaders" who are obnoxious continually and if they have had a bad experience (and one did) more than three years ago..harp on it continually.. As for the extra $$ for charge restaurants..the price of the cruise was a bargain and the itinerary "interesting"...so I didn't mind paying the extra $$ for three nights.. Spoke to a gentleman yesterday who is cruising with us in October and he tells me he is a "snob" (his words) and he eats in the specialty restaurants only.. As unhappy as I was about certain things on the Soltice.. I certainly would cruise the ship again...but not seven days..never, ever again..even if I had to stay on board ship and not get off to ports I have no interest in..

I thought the board that I mentioned was very much pro RCL. I also only read reviews and not the forums.

I haven't found anything that NCL offers that no one else has offered yet so there are always choices. I have not tred Costa as I have been told time and time again that they are subpar.

I do use the extra charge restaurants as a change of pace or when the menu in the main dining room is a bit boring.

I think each organization has its own policy.Some in the mainstrean media aren't allowed to accept free trips, but others are.It varies.