Norwegian cruise lines Feedback? Particularly the Cooking Light Ship Shape Cruise?

Question

Has anyone ever been on this cruise line? If so, was it any good? Can you give me the pros and cons of it? Also, if you have been on the Cooking Light Ship Shape Cruise that NCL sponsors, would you be so kind as to let me know how it is?

Answer 1

We cruised on NCL Pearl on December 9, 2007, and it was the cruise from h**l.

You could not get reservations in the dining rooms, and you could not stand in line and get into the dining rooms either. We literally ate hamburgers and hot dogs for five days for lunch and dinner.

Freestyle cruising on this line sucks, major.

Answer 2

I was on the Norwegian Star in October 2005.  I'll be on the Norwegian Jade in February 2008.  The main thing that separates Norwegian from the other cruise lines is its Freestyle program, which includes Freestyle Dining.

There are ten dining areas on the Norwegian Star. Six are free, four cost extra, and only three do not require reservations (Aqua, Versailles and the Blue Lagoon). It is noted that Aqua and Versailles (the two main restaurants) get very busy between 7pm and 8pm.

The advantage of Freestyle dining is you can eat when you want with who you want. However, that is only true in three of the ten restaurants. All the other restaurants require reservations. What is the difference between making a reservation and having a set dining time? Also, for groups this can be a problem. In traditional dining you show up at your table at the assigned time. You know the rest of your group will either already be there, or will arrive soon. With Freestyle dinning, your group has to decide where it wants to eat and when. If you have ever tried to get a group to agree on anything, you know what a chore this can be. Also, if your group is large enough, you can guarantee that someone will show up at the wrong restaurant at the right time, or show up at the right restaurant at the wrong time. For me, I don’t like having to take time out of my day to make a reservation. The whole idea of cruising is to have a carefree vacation. I believe that having to make reservations takes away from that experience.