How are the Norwegian Cruises?

Question

I am thinking bahamas for four days on Norwegian Sky. Any thoughts?

Answer 1

i sailed on the Norwegian Sun this past February. it was my 5th cruise. as far as free style cruising goes we had to wait at one of the two main dining room for about 20 minutes (we got there at 7 PM) the first night before the 6 in our party got seated. the rest of the week we got to the main dining room(s) at about 7:30-ish and got right in most of the time. the service was slow and the food and portions were mediocre. we dined at the steak house one evening and it was great..food & service, but i feel i should not have to pay extra for what other cruise lines provide in their main dining rooms. overall, i think my wife and i will give them another try come february.  

Answer 2

The Norwegian Cruise are good,because the let you do whatever whenever,hence it is "freestyle cruising".you don't have to dress up in suits and tuxes to eat dinner,you can wear jeans and a Polo shirt and they don't tell you when you can eat or do this.Its Good.

Answer 3

Everyone looks for and expects different things from a cruise. I have sailed NCL several times and never had a problem. We ate at the buffet and never waited more than afew minutes. I have gone out to eat at home at a sit down resturant and had to wait. Of some people you can never please. The main thing is to go with an open mind and enjoy the cruise. Every lines has their pro's & cons but, you will be the one going. If NCL fits what you are lokking for go & enjoy. As for Price they are usually less than others.

I would sail with NCL any time.

Answer 4

I absolutely hate NCL.  I did one and will never again.  It was my first cruise but everyone was telling me they'd been on RC and Carnival and that they were a million times better.  I wasn't sure cruising was for me but I gave Carnival a chance and realized everyone on the NCL cruise was right.  

NCL had so many problems I don't know where to start.  The bottom floor was where my cabin was.  There was no carpet and we had to walk through the cargo loading to get to our cabin.  Everyone on the floor kept mentioning that we were Titanic 3rd class passengers and as such, we wouldn't have survived.  

I was a college student in a dorm room at the time.  Well used to 6x6 cells and yet this was the smallest room I'd ever seen.  I had to sit on the bed while my cousin was in the bathroom.  The bath door took up the whole room.

The food and crew.  I'm a small woman and I was ordering 2 of everything.  I was shocked at the pathetic amount of food they gave you.  There was no midnight buffet and all the food like I'd always heard cruise ships were known for.  The one Chocolate Buffet they had--the crew was grabbing the food before we'd even gone through the line, grabbing it out of your hand.  The crew was too busy to serve you.  I had waiters laugh when I asked for a drink, a cabin steward leave soaking wet towels on the floor, and the photo person refusing to sell photos, shoving us out the door an hour before closing.

NCL had more breakouts of the nirovirus (however you spell it) during that epidemic.

Freestyle dining means you wait in line to eat.  It's vacation.  I don't want to wait.  Other cruise lines at 8:30 I enter room and sit down to eat.  Carnival gives water before shore excursions.  NCL doesn't.  I mean the list goes on and on--and everyone on the cruise noticed.  On these boards, I see many people had similar experiences.

Price.  For all the poor service and bad ships, the price isn't even any better.  That's the worse part.  If it was at least cheaper I could understand.  My exterior room was under the waterline so I couldn't even look out over it.  NCL is just a miserable time all around.

If I had a choice between a free NCL cruise or paying for any other line, I still wouldn't do it.  Consider another line.  Both Carnival and RC are great budget lines and have several short Bahamas cruises.  You can go to stops that aren't just private islands and have wonderful food and service.

Answer 5

We just came back from a Norwegian cruise. I loved it a lot. My family had a lot of fun and never had and problems...

Answer 6

I loved cruising on NCL. The food was great, the shows were pretty cool, and I liked the whole Freestyle cruising concept. I haven't been on one of their Bahamas cruises yet, but with fares so low right now, I'm dying to.  

Answer 7

I have been on several NCL cruises and I hate them and will never do another.  I don't like their Freestyle or their service.

Answer 8

I've been on two cruises with NCL and I have no complaints.  My cabins were good.  The food was fine and I loved the entertainment.  But as with all things, you get what you pay for.  It sounds like you tried to cruise on the cheap and it just isn't cheap vacation.  

Answer 9

If I had $200 and a free weekend it sure beats getting poked in the eye with a stick. If you've never cruised before, without a doubt you are going to have a great time. If you are used other cruise lines you will notice some differences and probably not all in a positive light.

If this is a trip of a lifetime, I'd open up the pocketbook a little wider.

Nassau is OK, it's not great, in my opinion. I have a friend who didn't plan anything so he just walked around and hated it. I took the kids to Blackbeard's Cay where they have a pen with a bunch of stingrays you can play with. They liked that. My wife loves Atlantis but I don't know if they accomodate cruisers there. A couple of the resorts, Paradise Island and Nassau Hilton offer day passes. Happy sailing.