Norwegian Cruise Line

If you re Not into Freestyle Cruising, You will definitely NOT enjoy a Norwegian Cruise. I have been on quite a few Cruises myself and I can say That Norwegian is an OK Cruise line to sail with. What was truly on my favor is that Only Norwegian offer weekly Cruises to The Hawaiian Islands from Honolulu, they are actually the Only Cruise line doing this. The Pride of America sails from Saturday thru Saturday from Honolulu. The service I can say is just so so, the food I will say is actually very good, the Ports of Call and the amount of time spent on these Hawaiian Islands is fairly decent, their nightly shows are terrific, they do offer a variety of entertainment to suit everyone s taste, they do have a great children and teen program, Their Cruise Directors are truly involved and I recommend that if sailing with Norwegian to at least try one or two of their specialty restaurants. So Truly, though I have sailed with many other Cruise Lines and I definitely have something to compare Norwegian with, Honestly Norwegian will be a great choice for you if you decide on an easy family getaway and I myself will surely sail with NCL again.

1 – 12 to 1 – 22 ncl gem. Booked this cruise through ncl, BIG MISTAKE. Were told we had the last interior room at the lowest price, found out 2 weeks latter cruses only had a window room $ 406.00 less. Called ncl they said nothing they could do, travel co. have there own prices. Food on the cruise was fair, to ok with the exception of cagneys (great steak). 5 days at sea with 3 days of large waves was not fun, even with sea sick pills my wife spent 3 days in bed. ports of call were good, except only half day in tortula. 10 day cruise with 3 and a half ports. Excursions booked through ncl are way over priced.

This was our first cruise so I can’t compare Norwegian to other cruise lines, but I enjoyed the Dawn and our trip to Bermuda. I found it exactly as advertised. Yes, the cruise line does seem intent on adding as many charges to the base fair as possible, but they are very up front about it. No charges or fees are hidden and it was clear from our experience that automatic tipping is needed. We were shocked by how miserly people were (bringing on their own soda, five people in a room and complaining that it is small staying in a penthouse suite and complaining about a $ 9 drink and a $ 12 service charge for a weeks stay I call cheapskates!)
All of the waitstaff, cleaners and bartenders were very friendly and worked very hard to keep us happy. Service was relaxed, which I prefer on vacation. I would much rather wait a few minutes for a drink over being rushed through a meal. The included restaurants were all good. I was able to easily find things at every meal that I was happy to eat. Still, the specialty restaurants were. Much better and worth the extra cost. The shows were good and there was plenty of live music every afternoon and evening.
Nothing’s perfect, the décor is dated and if you don’t go all inclusive the drink and specialty charges can add up. Plan for it. We did, and had an excellent trip and would sail with Norwegian again. Separate from the trip Norwegian did an excellent job getting everyone on and off the ship incredible fast and hassle free. That plus not having to pay for airfare makes this a great first time cruise.

Bermuda to Boston Aug 22−29^th 2014
I’ve been on 5 cruises including Royal Caribbean, Holland America & Carnival. My review will focus solely on ship experience as it rained entire time & due to a hurricane our on island time was cut short a day. Understandably, this was in no one’s control other than Mother Nature.
We had 2 rooms — Aft facing penthouse suite floor 9 (room 9236) and next door balcony room. The penthouse suite was very nice & had a table for 4, couch seating, large bed, dressing room and full bathroom w/​tub, large balcony. It came w/​Butler service which was nice for room service, getting DVDs to watch (as it rained entire time), etc. Our butler was very nice (Marc) but our room steward was the highlight of the cruise (Rodrigo Ortega). Downside– we were constantly going outside to cigarette butts on balcony & lounge chairs from the room upstairs. Nasty! They also apparently cleaned decks above w/​buckets of water w/​out warning you. be VERY careful or you’ll end up w/​a head full of water after spending an hour getting ready for dinner. They should warn you when they will be cleaning so you can avoid going out on balcony during those times. The room came equipped w/​blow dryer, complimentary espresso machine (saves you a ton on coffee/​espresso at the Java bar on the ship), DVDs, robes/​slippers, room service, lots of free snacks/​chocolates/​treats delivered daily, we received free flowers and champagne on our first day, etc. The next door balcony room was nothing special (room 9238). Nothing to write home about… though certainly better than in interior room.
The food– barely edible. This was the worst food I’ve ever had and honestly, I was shocked! I’ve always had such great experiences with past cruises that I could not believe it was so bad. It was often stale, barely warm, tasted off/​funny, etc. Staff seemed unengaged and unhappy. The ONLY time we got good food and «ok» service was when we paid extra for Cagney’s Steakhouse ($ 30 per person). The Venetian, Aqua, Garden Café, Grills at pool were horrible. Tip– bring a case of water with you to save $ 2.50 (plus 18% tip) on bottles of water. Drinks were very expensive and very watered down. We paid for only a couple drinks– $ 9.25 on average for a rum runner type drink and it was mostly juice. The drink packages didn’t make sense for us as we would never drink 33+ drinks a day to make it actually worth having to buy it for all in the room. You can’t just have one person get it… one buys it… you all buy it.
The activities on board were boring and all upsells. We were stuck on this ship for a long time due to the rain and the hurricane. The activities were things that revolved around the shops– learn about watches (then buy one), learn about rocks/​stones (then buy the jewelry), learn about art (then attend the auction), deal or no deal (buy a ticket), bingo (again…buy a sheet), etc. Not a lot of fun at all! The illusion/​magic show we watched was entertaining but short (40 min max). If you’re not a late night person then you will never get to enjoy the «party» and dance. All of those activities started at 11pm. The «teen» activities are for 13 – 17 years old w/​NO exceptions. Our kids are 12 (13 ONE WEEK after cruise ended) and 14. They could not both attend teen club. We didn’t want them separated so they were unable to participate at all. The other age group is 2 – 12. Really? Toddlers w/​my 12 year old? Is she being paid to baby sit? Because that is a very large age gap. She was turning 13 one week after cruise ended but they refused to make any exceptions for us to keep our children together.
We had a $ 300 ship credit for booking the suite. We used this towards week long spa passes for my husband and I. Well worth it. The spa included a hydrotherapy spa, Jacuzzi, pool, quiet area seating, sauna, steam room, etc. It was definitely nice to get out of the general population (drunk people on the pool deck in the Jacuzzis) and into a more peaceful area.
We left Bermuda 1 day early and would have loved to get back to Boston a day early as well but no such luck. We were lied to and told that it took longer to get back b/​c they had to sail «around the hurricane». Not true. The truth is they don’t want to pay hotel costs, airplane change fees, 1 day credit to all passengers, etc. So instead we were all trapped on board for one more on sea day.
Tips/​Service Fees– every passenger is charged approx. $ 12/​day/​person automatically on their credit card account. TAKE THIS OFF! Go to the customer service desk and request this be taken off 100%. They will have you sign a sheet of paper and it will be removed w/​no issues at all. Just write that you will tip cash as appropriate. You will be charged 18% automatically on all drinks/​services anyway (watch this because there is still a tip line on the slip… you already paid the tip!).

WARNING– my brother bought 7 cruise tickets through Norwegian Cruises with insurance that he was promised the tickets could be refunded «at any time». They told him this over the phone (yet never sent him info on the insurance).
One couple cancelled so he tried to use his insurance for the promised refund. They didn’t stand by their salespersons word and only refunded $ 2500 of a $ 3500 ticket. He escalated it and they still refused, although they did offer $ 750 off his next cruise… as if any of us would take another cruise with them after their blatant false sales techniques.
We had two cruises we were planning to do through Norwegian. Their loss! On our cruises we had excursions for 5 at each stop, two of us spent major $$ on art plus drinks, games etc. Norwegian your failure to stand behind your poorly trained and/​or lying salespeople has successfully lost you far more than $ 1000. Yes, this is posted on my FB and some of my friends pages too.

Just completed a cruise with family to Bermuda.
Bermuda itself, of course, was lovely — but I would only rate NCL’s Dawn as adequate (especially considering the price).
The ship is starting to show its age — shabby carpets, dated décor, dings and rust here and there.
Service is always friendly, but can’t be called speedy — especially when it comes to bringing drinks during meals. We routinely received our drink orders well after our first courses had been served.
With the exception of the premium restaurant Cagneys, the food was mediocre. Desserts especially are a weakness.
Some entertainment (2^nd City troupe and ship singers and dancers) was enjoyable — but others (I’m looking at you, Noodles Levenstein) were quite poor.
Daytime activities were limited to hanging out by the pool (always over crowded), or activities where the NCL could make more money — Bingo, the Casino, art auctions.
One bright side was the extremely attentive service my father-​in-​law received getting on and off the ship (he is disabled).
To sum up – we would like to return to Bermuda, but not via Norwegian Cruise Lines.

This is the third time that Abner and I have done the Boston to Bermuda cruise. This was the best one and a lot of that had to do with having the Penthouse Suite. We got to the dock at around 11 am and immediately whisked away to a separate area, where there was coffee, juice and little sandwiches awaiting us. We had not finished our first canapé, when someone came to get us and brought us right to our room. We got dirty looks from the other passengers in line, but hey… this is what I paid the extra money for!
Our room was spacious and beautiful with our own deck and lounge chairs. There was a bottle of champagne chilling and chocolate covered strawberries awaiting us and we sailed out of Boston in style. Loved it.
Our butler for the week was Akhmad Mosleh and our concierge was Karabi Saikia, who were wonderful and really made our stay very special.
Because we had the Penthouse, we could eat at Cagney’s for breakfast and lunch every day. Everything was very good here. On the 2^nd day, we were invited to a champagne cocktail party with the captain. Very nice.
We ate at several of the restaurants. Bamboo, La Cucina, Le Bistro, Aqua and the Venetian. We always enjoyed our meals. We often had Espresso martinis at the Java Café also.
We did not care for the Blue Lagoon at all. Some improvements are needed there. However, the Pearly Kings Pub was very fun.
Bermuda was beautiful, as always.
Although we did go to the general pool area every once in awhile, we purchased the spa membership. Very often, it was just Abner and I in the whole place… our own pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room. That was an extra $ 129 pp, but we thought it was well worth it.
It was a relaxing week and I think it was mostly because we were able to be very comfortable in our suite with our own lounge chairs. It was on the back of the ship, so we could look out over the water all the time.
Great vacation. We put a deposit on another one before we left.

Two of us just returned home from a week-​long cruise on the «Dawn» from Boston to Bermuda and we had a wonderful time!
I’m really not sure why this cruise line gets such poor reviews. I’m an avid cruiser who’s been on many journeys and sailed with all different companies and found this experience to be a great one. I must admit that at first I was a little apprehensive about having an inside cabin (I usually get a window) and the fact that with «Freestyle Dining» we wouldn’t have the same waiter each night so the service in the diningroom would suffer… but I found each of these worries to be totally unnecessary.
Our cabin was cozy and comfortable and spacious enough for two with ample storage space and a bathroom that had a full-​sized shower with sliding doors (no flimsy curtain… yuck). I would have preferred real soap and shampoo to the wall-​mounted dispenser, but luckily I was prepared and brought my own. Our cabin stewart kept the room tidy and remade our (very comfortable!) bed twice a day.
The meals were good… nothing fantastic… but everything we ate was tasty. Perhaps the meals were not as gourmet and inspired as those I’ve encountered on other ships… but since I’m a simple eater, that was fine for me. We only ate in the main diningroom (none of the specialty restaurants) so perhaps the food in those is fancier. The portion sizes were adequate (not huge… which is a good thing) and you can order as much as you like. Can’t choose between two entrees? Get ‘em both. No problem.
The service was fantastic… everyone from the cabin stewart to the restaurant staff to the bartenders to the entertainment staff was as friendly and helpful as can be. I never (NEVER) saw anyone without a smile on their face. And the ship (while a bit on the older side as far as cruise ships go) was clean and very comfortable. There was plenty to do (or not do… we spent most of our afternoons reading and relaxing)… and the evening shows were terrific. It was a great trip and we would not hesitate to sail with NCL again.

I’ve been on several cruises and this one is far from the best. The crew was not polite. The food could’ve been much better. The amount you pay for this cruise line is not up to par with their service.

This cruise line has the WORST customer service ever!!! Stay away… the planning is horrible, their online website is down 99% of the time. If you call to book they answer right away when there are problems they have you on hold 20 minutes. I will never use them again! Save yourself the aggravation. Vacations are supposed to be fun and relaxing, this has been a nightmare!!!

Just got back from traveling on the Boston to Bermuda cruise on the Dawn. I found the food to be fantastic ! Now the service was something that could use some work. From waiting a long time to be waited on at both the bars and dining rooms to no silverware in the buffet. Finding a paper coffee cup in the AM was impossible after the first day. I found lots to do on the ship and some of the bar staff (Irene and Jessie) where fantastic at night. Yes the ship is old need a huge updating and the casino is so smoke filled not sure why they cant put ventilation in it? Would I go on it again maybe but I think back to Royal Caribbean I go.

I just returned from the Boston to Bermuda cruise on the Dawn with my husband and his family. While we enjoyed ourselves, especially in Bermuda, there are definite things that need to be fixed about the cruise before I will ever go again.
The food on the ship was not that great unless going to a fee restaurant.
The Venetian/​Aqua– both restaurants serve the same food with different atmospheres. Everything was either over or undercooked. Salmon, steaks or mahi mahi were all overcooked each time anyone had them. The soups were ok. The Caesar salad was pretty good. Breakfast here is ok. The toast was always cold so the butter never melted and they don’t do it when it comes out. The service is horrible! We waited many times for someone to even wait on us. There was one server who noticed we were not bring taken care of so she took it upon herself to help us. That was the only got service we had here. It takes forever to have a meal here.
Bamboo was wonderful! Everything from the food to the service here was perfect. I highly recommend eating here. It is also the cheapest fee restaurant at $ 15.
Le Bistro at $ 20 was worth it as well. I had the mussels appetizer and Bouillabaisse entrée was delicious. My husband was happy with his filet as well. I tried it and it was good! Service was friendly and attentive.
The Garden Café food is not that great, definitely cafeteria style food. At least breakfast here is fast and since you toast the bread yourself, the butter can melt since its hot. The chocolate buffet was ok. It had a chocolate banana cake that was sooo good. The desserts everywhere are good.
The Pearly Kings Pub was our favorite. The staff are so friendly here and they make the best drinks. They are the only ones with popcorn so we were there a lot.
The Blue Lagoon is terrible. The spinach dip is soupy with very little spinach. The fish and chips were extremely greasy and limp French fries. The buffalo wings, according to my husband, are the best thing on the ship. Service here is horrendous! You’ll be lucky if someone even seats you.
The room itself is definitely in need of some updating. There are stains and tears everywhere. The towels are old and not plush with stains. The steward that we had was pleasant enough without going out of his way.
Bingo is very expensive! They didn’t have a lot of activities for everyone. At least nothing we were very interested in. They had karaōke night and the host was so funny! Bermuda was where we did everything. But this is not a review of Bermuda, just a review of NCL Dawn. So there it is!

I just took my first cruise on the Norwegian Dawn from Boston to Bermuda with my family (husband, parents, sister, b-​i-​l, and niece) and had a great time! We all made it there and back in one piece and really enjoyed ourselves in the process.
I will admit, at first I was worried about being on a large ship out in the middle if the Atlantic with all the recent cruising issues in the news but none of that happened on this cruise.
The onboarding process was busy but moved along quickly. It took maybe 45 minutes to navigate through luggage drop off, security scan, check-​in and then actually to get onto the ship.
The Dawn is a big boat — it holds 2,200 guests and 1,000 crew comfortably without giving you that uncomfortable overcrowded feeling.
The room: My husband and I stayed in room 5508 — at the front of the ship on deck 5. We had a small porthole for our window and the room suited us just fine. I really liked the layout of the closet and the bathroom — talk about making the best use of a small space! I know another reviewer commented that the body soap in the shower wasn’t to their liking but we were fine with it and the accompanying shampoo. I wish our neighbors weren’t so freaking loud at 2am but the staff took care of it.
Our steward was fantastic and kept our room spotless. We joked that he was the towel fairy because we’d leave the room for a minute and the towels would magically refills themselves :)
OK, the food: There was a ton of it! The big buffet was up on deck 12 and had a wraparound dining room with beautiful views of the ocean. It was also a fantastic place to people watch and see some of them absolutely lose their minds over cake/​coffee/​ham/​insert food vice here. The food wasn’t bad, it was OK. It reminded me of cafeteria food. Just remember: you’re eating at a buffet on a boat in the middle of the ocean. I am conscious of portion control and benefit more from having a plate of food served to me so we frequented other restaurants that offered this at no additional cost.
Aqua/​deck 6: This was the first one we tried. We went as a group for dinner and found the food to be fine. They offer a set menu and then change it up some daily specials. This was a hot spot for dinner because it’s midship and has big windows with a nice view of the sunset.
Venetian/​deck 6: We didn’t find this place until well into our trip and I wish we’d found it earlier. Same menu/​food as Aqua but the service is a little more refined and the view is awesome — it’s across the whole end of the ship. Note: men are expected to wear pants here at night though Bermuda shorts were acceptable. This was our favorite place for breakfast in the ship.
Blue Lagoon/​deck 8: This was the diner option on the boat. We ate there three times but weren’t impressed at all. The food was OK but we had to keep asking for it. Another time it just didn’t show up at all! We avoided going after that.
There were several specialty restaurants onboard where you could pay a fee for dine. Some were totally worth it:
Bamboo/​$ 15 per person — delicious Asian cuisine/​deck 7
Sushi/​à la carte — phenomenal, really outstanding/​deck 7
Noodle bar/​à la carte — delicious but only open for lunch/​deck 7
Cagney’s/$ 30 per person — fantastic steakhouse/​deck 13
Others, not so much:
La Cucina/​$ 15 per person — subpar Italian food with a surly waitress/​deck 7
And you could get pizza delivered to you for a $ 5– fee or have room service delivered but we didn’t do either of these.
The people on the cruise: This is a family cruise so you saw all types of passengers: families, newlyweds, older couples, etc. The ship itself offered a ton of activities for every interest so there’s always something fun going on and you’d get the details for the next day every night in a guide delivered to your room.
I was concerned about seasickness so purchased Seaband acupressure bracelets at CVS before we left. These were a total lifesaver! We wore them every day on the ship and did not feel queasy at all.
Here’s the travel schedule:
Friday: Board, leave Boston at 4p
Saturday: At sea
Sunday: In Bermuda by 11a and go exploring
Monday: In Bermuda
Tuesday: In Bermuda, cast off at 6p
Wednesday: At sea
Thursday: At sea
Friday: Back in Boston
Bermuda is lovely and the people are super nice but food is super expensive. I’m so glad we didn’t have to worry about buying three meals a day and securing a hotel while we were there! We’re not big sun people but the beaches looked gorgeous.
Debarking the boat Friday morning: So much easier than I thought I would be! We tagged our luggage the night before and put it out for the steward to collect before midnight. Friday morning we got up, went to breakfast, freshened up and then headed up to the atrium to hang out and wait for our luggage tag color to be called. When it was called, we got in line and were off the ship in about a ½ hour. We picked up our luggage, hopped in a cab and were home in a ½ hour after that. That was it!

My entire party of 8 was extremely disappointed in the constant sales pitch that was our week at sea. Between the salon «tour» emphasizing that NO part of the salon could be used without a fee (not even the steam room/​sauna) so we should definitely get the spa membership package, to the actual Norwegian Jewel infomercials on the closed circuit TV channels proclaiming «there are only one or two of these stones available on each cruise and one has already sold,» I found it very difficult to relax. Could you relax at a used auto lot?
I found the discrepancy between the quality and variety of foods available to diners in the complementary dining rooms/​buffet and the specialty restaurants disrespectful to your guests who had invested in a vacation. The for fee juice at the buffet was the ultimate insult for my family. As very healthy eaters, we struggled all week to find fresh, real food options that would work for us. The fruit bar at the buffet never even had much of a selection of ripe fruit. When we finally saw fresh juice at the buffet during breakfast we were thrilled, as this is a regular part of our diet. The fact that your cruise line provides this healthy option only for an additional fee, demonstrates the inequitable attitude your cruise line has toward its guests of varying income levels.
We carried on cases of water to avoid the bottled water fee, and found the «soda program» option to be a disrespectful, unhealthy attempt at making a buck. How much can you possibly value the health and well being of your guests when you are promoting the «all-​you-​can drink» and excessive consumption of such an unhealthy habit. I can’t imagine why you would offer this and NOT an all you can drink water option. Bottled water was only available for purchase one bottle at a time, and the cups at the buffet held about 6 oz. of water. As a consumer, what inferences can I possible draw about your corporate values when these are your policies?
Your auto gratuity scheme is at the heart of the lack of excellent service. On Royal Caribbean I have always felt that my experience and that of my family, was truly a priority to all of the staff. From the chocolates on our pillows to the constant conversation– we have always felt that our cruise experience mattered. Here, I felt like the most important part of every interaction was me handing over my room card. My room was quite out dated as well. Room 9102 has stained carpets and a ripped couch (I will submit pictures separately). While our room steward kept it clean and stocked, stained and ripped accommodations do not help guests feel pampered let alone on a luxury vacation.
Additionally, the pools were incredibly overcrowded during our 1 sunny day at sea. Was our trip overbooked? As a result, we were relegated to the highest level’s sun deck (and we were out by 9:30AM)… which may have been okay~ if the giant cooling shower was working. It did not work at all during our entire trip. On what seemed like an overcrowded boat, that is a significant issue. It was much too hot without it, and after walking down two flights of stairs to find no room in the pool, we called it a day. Other issues in the pool area that need the attention of management include the slide that you needed to push yourself down (literally) and the stained towels that need replacing as much as the couch and rug in our room.
Lastly, on days at sea it would certainly improve your guests’ experience if you provided live entertainment by the pools. We heard a fabulous band one evening and hoped to hear them again. Instead, there may have been some music piped in through speakers… but it certainly not meet the «day at sea» expectation. I thought the library would be a nice place to escape the hot sun for a bit that day as well, but unfortunately found the library to be staffed (according to the sign) for borrowing for only 2 hours each morning. This is the case even for days at sea. The books were behind locked glass. I can’t believe you can’t schedule an employee for that station at least for days at sea… or unlock the cases.
We also found the rules around security at port very inconsistent and strange. In Florida we attempted to board the boat with half of an unfinished sandwich in a box and your security agent confiscated it and threw it in the trash… ON the boat. Later, when we boarded the boat in Nassau, my husband was allowed to bring his iced coffee onto the boat. Both times our bags were scanned and approved with water bottles and food in them. We found no rules posted accept those related to soil, animals etc.

I really expected more. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about cruises and the service but this was not great. The food was absolutely horrible. The boat’s indoor appearance was not very clean looking. The staff communication was awful. Way over priced for everything. Even the onshore excursion were way over priced. The conditions of the boat were in very poor taste. For the amount of money that we paid for the jack that we got awful.

First time on a cruise, went on the 3 day to Bahamas after Hurricane Sandy has passed! Did not enjoy the experience with this cruise line at all… Poor customer service, the food was not good at all with only one of the restaurant that they had but everything else was really bad.
When we went, they were working on the pool so we did not have a pool until the last day of the trip… They were painting part of the ship while people on board, talking about greed! Because of the Hurricane, they did not go into the private island… only to Nassau and came back.
After the trip, I made a complaint on their service and still have not hear back! This tells you that they don’t care about their customers.
We would go on a cruise again but not with this company

6÷24÷12 Sailed out of NY on the Star to Bermuda :-/​MUST admit I was disappointed. At every turn, CONSTANTLY hit up to spend $ on unworthy «required» extras. Don’t be duped, read ALL the fine print & keep your purse CLOSED. That’s all I’m going to say about that! The weather wasn’t great & that didn’t help either. Couldn’t wait to get home.

I got bed bugs from a Christmas cruise (2011) to the Bahamas and I sent a formal complaint letter to Norwegian only to receive a generic postcard in the mail saying that they’d look into the matter.
A New Yorker’s worst fear: Bed. Bugs.
Shit just got real, ok?
Oh and no follow-​up with my complaint either. So… yup.

For Christmas 2010, I didn’t want my wife cooking for Christmas eve/​day and so I surprised her with a cruise out of NYC, Yay!
I also convinced my brother & sister in law to bring their kids as well. We are experienced cruisers and I was looking forward to not flying to Florida or LA. This ship is on my home turf baby!
When my kids were younger, we did all of the Disney Caribbean Cruises. 7 days of fun in the sun as well as Mickey Mouse, how can you go wrong? Disney also has their own island that is just beautiful. I walked all over that island and explored every area. I’ve had a massage once in a private hut at the far end of the island. So at this point I’m expecting nothing but greatness when I cruise.
The Disney processing is also magical. There are multiple check in folks at Port Canaveral and its overlooking the ocean. What does this have to do with Norwegian? Here is my NYC Norwegian experience.
The limo drops us off on the pier and the ship is right next to The Intrepid. When you walk in, there is a loooooooggg line with ugly gray terminals.
Any cruise ship that I’ve been on, the main focal point is their lobby. The Disney ship was so elegant. The Norwegian Jewel? Formica white tables along with a white and purple theme. Ugh…
The first thing you need to purchase is a Latte plan. For $ 30 bucks you can have 10 lattes. (Yes, this is not free on the ship) Soda is also not free on any cruise line. You’ll need to purchase a per person soda plan.
*Big important item to point out! If you ex-​military you get a discount!
So we have two adjoining rooms which was nice with an outside balcony between both rooms.
Going on a Christmas cruise out of NYC you have to keep in mind the weather. If you think your gonna jump in your shorts and start to drink pina coladas, guess again Skippy. We sailed on a Sunday and by Monday I was looking for the pool. The hot tubs had steam rolling off them and I jumped right in.
It felt like my friggin skull was on fire!
Hot water and ice cold winds? OMG, it was cold baby! Day two was better for swimming and hanging by the pool. So two days going down and two days going up on a 7 day cruise doesn’t leave too much swim time.
We get to their private island and from a distance, its beautiful. The water is blue and the island is looking good. With the Disney Cruise, they built a dock that you can just walk off and enjoy. Norwegian Cruise Line? They have boat tenders that take you back and forth. It was ok but there was a loooooong line to get back on the boat. No worries, there’s beer on the island to keep you feelin good man.
On the Disney private island, you can walk and really explore. Norwegian Cruise Line island is roped off with these huge tractors in the distance. It was private and nice. I had to get my groove on. I swam with my family but then… the jungle music was calling me. The beers were calling me. The Macarena was calling me! I gotta dance on the beach which I thought was fun. Disney is geared towards young families and there is no shakin your bootie in the Disney world.
Score Norwegian Cruise Line!
The food was ok but what I remember most is midnights. The kids were asleep and the four of us would go to get coffee and light snacks.
Also, every night about 9:00 was crêpe time! Here was our schedule:
Eat a nice meal
See a show
Go back to the room, change clothes and
CREPE TIME!
OMG, I need a crêpe making chef in my house! Peach crepes, chocolate crepes, banana crepes. Everything should be in a crêpe.
The rooms were also questionable. The Disney ship was really nice. In 2007 we went on a Carnival Cruise out of LA. We had a suite that was luxurious! I wanted to be next to my nieces so we got two rooms with a nice open deck between the rooms. The rooms were on the smaller side. Oh, and bring a bar of soap! On the Carnival cruise it was samples gone wild. Name brand soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, razors, you name it. On the Disney ship every day they gave you a fresh bar of soap.
Norwegian Cruise Line? Nada. For soap, they had a soap dispenser filled with body wash. yuck. When I got to the Bahamas, I bought a nice bar of soap at a soap store.
On the very last day, my youngest wakes me up. Dad! Lets go to the top deck and see the Statue of Liberty! So we throw on our clothes and run upstairs. When we get up top, there was a sheet of ice on the deck. We both flew in the air! My ass was killing me for two days!
So cruising out of NYC? Great but in the wintertime keep in mind its cold!
Enjoy life folks, you only get one of them.

Hi! everyone here I’ve a serius complaint about a cruise here in Boston that try to stay as a permanent bussines here in this area.
”THE NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE” it sounds good, Right??? but to tell you the true is not ok!!!, they try to engagge whole Boston to travel w/​them but they are a biggest bussines lier that I“ve never seen in Boston .
they kick off!!! from Florida and arrive here, unfortunately!!! to lie more to the good faithful people of Boston, come on! they offer manys focking things to client at the ship! but nothing is true!!! a beatuful trip is turn to a catastrofit matter. and also they Don’t want to pay to the Employees too!!! they hit and hide all he’s staff and if you are a foreing person they want to kill you!!! so, watch out! and be aware of the dogs!!! are you thinking to work here? jajajajajajaja focking pay check!!! send this people back to florida…