I'm so glad ben and david made this video. Even though I was an NCL fanboy for the longest time, this is what needed to be said out loud. As someone who has been on 26 cruises since 2004, most of them on NCL, I have personally seen these cutbacks/changes (especially after the pandemic). They're catering to new cruisers who don't know any better. For experienced cruisers, we know there are better options out there now.
You may be right I’m a new cruiser and sailed on the Getaway last month and we found it fantastic. Food, entertainment, staff were brilliant, we couldn’t have asked for more from start to finish. My second will be with RC WOTS in March, interested to see if it can beat this experience
This is absolutely true. My last NCL cruise was in 2019, and the food , service , spa and water prices, and buffet was so much better , than my last NCL cruise to the Greek isles in 2024 on the same class of ship and similar cabin. It was impossible to assess the library, as it was only open 2 hours a day. The wifi was beyond awful and very difficult to access. The upselling for everything, including cruises was relentless, and made you feel like it was a timeshare presentation that never ended. I will not be back.
@@Skoie836 I was on the Getaway in March 2023 for a Bahamas 8 day and it was my first cruise ever. I loved everything about it. This video does not resonate with me at all. Not saying he's wrong, but I didn't experience anyone approaching me during meals to upsell me. Didn't happen. I loved it. Would go on that ship again. The only thing, it was fully booked and I am glad I took the Vibe beach club, because the deck chairs were hard to find. That is the only criticism.
He actually addressed this, he said the new ships feel like a different cruise line and are great. The older ships are just not being maintained. Maybe building new ships to address higher budget portion of the market without cutting out the less expensive offerings that are more dated.
Many of the older ships don't have the Haven, which makes them a ton of $$$. Sad to see how low NCL has dropped. Used to be our fav line, now we are out trying other brands.
Only thing I can think of is they are going for quantity over quality. Even though the new ships are nice, they have too much Haven. Being a Haven only customer, you would think I would think you couldn't have enough. But it just means it becomes less exclusive and more of a burden to the other passengers. They are also not that big on the wow factor and why after spending 25K on a stateroom do I have to pay extra for a soda or hounded all day long to spend more and more.
As NCL platinum members who have been sailing 20+ years, we are done. Switched to Celebrity & Princess. NCL used to be great. They stopped caring about their employees & customers in 2021. Heartbreaking.
@@sfmc98 i agree....Princess too has cut on employees and on perks and has raised prices on everything......money is now the prime objective...no more cruising for me....after 30+ cruises wit Princess....
I did Cunard QV last November and loved it and I’m back on tomorrow out of Istanbul and can’t wait. Doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the brand new Celebrity ships for example but it’s so elegant and the staff were amazing.
We just hit Platinum and haven't gone on a cruise with it yet. Because of all the changes/cutbacks we decided to try Celebrity and loved it. And it was an older ship.
I’m so happy to see this video. I have just returned from a 7 night cruise on the Norwegian Getaway. This is my 6th cruise but first with NCL and I’ve never been so disappointed with any holiday land or sea before. The cruise lacked entertainment. Things cancelled daily with no explanation. Kids in the adults areas. Room temperature food that didn’t taste great and very little options with the buffet being the same for breakfast lunch and dinner every day. We met some lovely staff however there were also rude staff who clearly didn’t want to be there. We were also sold a chat feature on the app when we boarded but we couldn’t get it to work. The next day we asked for help and they said they discontinued that function the day before ( the day we purchased it ) I have a huge list of things that were very disappointing and wrong with this cruise and that makes me sad when some of us save for so long to be able to cruise and when it only happens every few years you really get your hopes up. We will never sail with NCL again. We will be going back to Royal where we know they care and deliver. Thanks Ben for the video x
What Ben said is true. After raising the DSC, NCL made cuts in service by eliminating the evening turn=down service. I didn't mind that, but don't charge more money and give less. That is not right. NCL needs to reinstate everything that was cut, increase the quality of food, hire more staff, and bring back the entertainment that your passengers want and expect. Many passengers are complaining on Facebook about canceled ports after final payment was made.
Personally I think evening turn down is the most pointless stupid thing overworked cabin attendants have to do. When you stay at even the best hotels no one comes back in the evening to turn the covers down and shove a chocolate on the pillow. The rest of the cutbacks are indeed significant and the prices, once you’ve added on the extras, are now way above Celebrity (in the Mediterranean anyway on the older Celebrity ships)
One room cleaning per day is enough for me but I agree with a lot you said. We were in the Joy earlier this year and most of the staff did not seem happy. The wait staff in the dining rooms seemed to be rushed and the meals came out undercooked, overcooked, delayed and items forgotten. We saw the room attendant practically all day as unlike other cruise lines, they clean the room when peole leave their rooms and not everyone leaves at the same time so it does not appear they get a break during the day. We thought the food was pretty decent, and we are planning on giving them one last to try to impress us.
I’m also a platinum member the only change I have seen is b coming more children friendly although it sounds great it can become a problem if your adult looking to enjoy a great vacation.
I was on the Joy at the end of Aug & felt the MDR menu was too small, very underwhelming. I also missed how friendly the staff is on Carnival, at least try to upsell me w/a smile. Our room steward hoarded the TP too...I had to ask several times for more TP, our room had 4 butts & that TP disintegrates instantly.
I just got off the NCL Bliss and my goodness the NCL experience was terrible. The staff was completely overworked and understaffed. Most were still pleasant, but a few were rude. I went to the Local & asked for no onions on my burger. The waiter gave me a dirty look, and was obviously annoyed and just said "fine". All the upselling, oh my god. You can't walk through the ship without someone trying to sell you crap. NCL employs more pans handlers than you find in Time Square or Hollywood Blvd. Then the photo people running to shove a camera in your face. I said to one of them, "dude I'm trying to look at the glacier, I don't care about you bleeping photo packages. Leave me alone" Yeah, as a platinum loyalty status member as well, I'm not going to be loyal anymore to NCL. NCL is trying to charge Holland America prices while providing a MSC level of service. No thanks.
I tend to agree with most of your points. I am also Platinum on NCL with 18 cruises with them. I just got off my second on the Joy. My adult daughter is 1 point shy of platinum. Minimal theatre entertainment. The removal of the Broadway shows was crucial. They use 2nd rate comedians and magicians. The Beatle and Elements show are only 1 night each. Can't get into the smaller venues. There used to be morning fitness and zumba classes for free. Now 1 morning if you can find it. Cutbacks on food items in buffets. No eggs benedict, no breakfast sandwiches. for example. I was on the Sky afew years back, my husband was 1 point shy of platinum and they allowed him to go on my "platinum" perk backstage tour instead of me. I asked this week for my daughter who is in the theatre industry and was treated rudely by the Cruise Next crew member. Later he wanted to sell me cruise next vouchers. No thank you. Packed like sardines by the pool. The chairs are in physical contact with each other so yu have to slide backwards to sit down. You are basically in physical contact with a stranger next to you. I felt like I was in a middle airplane seat. We will be trying Royal, Celebrity and Princess before I sail again with NCl
We’re platinum on NCL and just made final payment on a January 2025 cruise less than a month ago. Got an itinerary change leaving us with 3 sea days + only Great Stirrup Cay and that they “increased time in GSC to make up for the port removal.” Arriving at their own island at 7am instead of 10:30am is no substitute for a full port stop. They weren’t willing to work with us at all to change ships, dates, or any kind of OBC or FCC. We paid the 25% cancellation charge and booked a different cruise with RCL for the same dates and for less money even considering the cancellation. Buyers beware, they are still advertising the cruise we cancelled on their website with the port that was removed! We have had many amazing trips on NCL, and have another pre-booked, but it really is a shame to see the cutbacks and culture shift at the company!
We are Sapphire on NCL and we are booked for Dec 2024. We too have received the itenary change scam and we are definitely looking for other options going forward. The CEO seems like he has no interest in rewarding loyal customers and is definitely heading in the wrong direction with the entertainment. Everything said on this posting is true
Accurate and succinct description of what we’ve experienced with Norwegian. Platinum level so have some experience. Our last cruise August 2024 was a mess. We no longer trust Norwegian. Booked 5 cabins side by side for a family reunion a year and a half out. Two weeks before the cruise found out we were scattered all over the ship. Norwegian offered no help. Their texting is $10 a day per person. Our cruise turned into trying to find each other on the ship because we could not communicate. Food was mediocre. Many things no longer on the menus. Food did not seem to be prep from scratch rather frozen or canned. Norwegian is also building its own docks that are not close to the cities in the itinerary. In Ketchikan, Alaska ship docked in Ward Cove. Absolutely nothing there but a warehouse of Norwegian merchandise. No way to get to town except buses by the time we waited in line for the 20 minute bus ride We lost over an hour of shoretime. Our group is canceling a cruise for next year because of our recent poor experience. Had two couples who were first time cruisers. They were not impressed at all and will continue vacationing at sandals, which is not cheap. Overall, not a positive experience. We won’t remember all the excuses, but we will remember how the experience made us feel. Betrayed by NCL.
We are Sapphire Level on NCL and we've seen some of the same cutbacks and negative things onboard. We are starting to try out other cruise lines like Princess and Celebrity. This really breaks our heart cause we've been so loyal and have loved NCL for so long. We almost feel some sort of ownership in the company. But if we find a better price and experience with another cruise line, you can bet that we're gonna switch.
Me too, I'm Sapphire Solo cruiser with NCL and loved Epic in the past... Had a really bad experience on Epic last December Christmas cruise. It just needed to be refurbed badly and no parties in H2O. My friend went on later in January and at least they remedied having the parties in H2O. Then, I went on Jade July 4th and that was great... But I'm now looking to do different Cruise lines too... Princess, MSC or Celebrity.
This is sad to see. We were just on the Jade and the food was plentiful and delicious, shows in theater were great, plenty of trivia and game shows. Nobody came up to us in any of the dining rooms to sell anything, no phone calls selling meals or cruises. No long waits for drinks. Maybe because it’s smaller ship? The ship was clean and comfortable. There were flyers with the daily but we just threw them out. And announcements were in English only. The crew was great. The buffet did close at 9:00 which I found a bit early, but O’Sheehans was open if you wanted a snack later in the evening.
We only used to cruise NCL. Well... April, 2021 the Getaway out of NYC was our last NCL cruise. It was awful! No staff, our room steward came to our cabin on the 2nd day of cruise. He was MIA. Our trash cans were overflowing and we had no towels. The dining staff was stressed and terrible. 4 hour meals. 6 hours to get on ship on embarkation day. No more. done with NCL. We are also Platinum members. It was the worst cruise we ever went on and we have been on at least 20 cruises.
To be fair that was during Covid. You should really try again now, it is nothing like that. I was on the Getaway in 2023 and it was amazing. No such thing as anything that you described.
The crew on the Msc Preziosa was wonderful, I paid less than half the price on MSC for the same route at the same time of year as I did on NCL and I had a significantly better time on board
Congratulations on your courage Ben and David - it takes a lot to create a scathing video about your preferred cruise line and tell us the truth. My family travelled NCL Escape in 2019 and experienced ALL of these issues (and a cabin steward stealing from us) and swore off NCL. We've become Loyal to Royal since and are thankful to NCL to pushing us to a far better Royal experience.
@@InsideCruise And the cruises are PACKED. Once they start losing passengers, then perhaps they will pull their socks up. It seems the traveling public will tolerate anything.l
As loyal NCL clients and sapphire level we have noticed a MASSIVE drop off particularly since covid and completely agree with your assessment here. We have started more land based vacations as cruising is no longer great value for money with the overall industry wide increases in costs and decrease in service which applies to all cruise lines. Let your feet do the talking and go elsewhere; I think this is the best practice to get companies to listen up.
I agree with you. We have been a little discouraged on taking cruises. We always travel land for several years and then take a cruise if we can take a good offer.
@@AMCAquatics MSC still give a very good service, I didnt feel that was the case with NCL, it was an ordeal. unfortunately I had booked another for January and not really looking forward to it
Agree 100%. Last January on Encore was our last NCL cruise. Entertainment removed and replace with for pay game shows. You pay for free at sea drinks and still have to pay for coffee, water etc. They changed the itinerary after final payment which messed up our Friends wedding that was to happen in St. Thomas. They canceled our vibe beach club the day before the cruise and would NOT refund my money, it was 10 day cruise so the cost was over $800 CDN, I had to fight with the Bank and Credit Card company to get my money back. I'll stop there but can go on and on. Needless to say we we NEVER cruise NCL again.
@raymondhorne9406 Imagine that! 😅 Sorry, i don't mean to poke fun. We've sailed 5 different cruise lines (Holland, Royal, Princess, Disney, and NCL). NCL is BY FAR the worst in customer service of all of them by a mile. I could give so many examples of minor issues they refused to correct. Here's one. We paid for Moderno in advance, pre cruise, to secure a reservation at the time we wanted. We had the confirmation from the cruise line. After dinner, we were charged the cover price again. We showed our confirmation. You'd have thought we were trying to give them a forgery. So ... i pulled up my credit card statement online and showed them the charge from Norwegian for the exact amount of the cover charge as well. We waited ages as multiple phone calls were made. They claimed that although we paid, the payment never made it to the ship (like that was our fault), and they would need to charge us again (Oh, IDK, instead of getting the money from wherever ours went?). We were annoyed it was taking so long, and we felt like we were being accused of being shoplifters, we paid and left. The next day, we alerted the concierge (we were Haven) and showed him the same paperwork. He said he'd take care of it. Followed up multiple times. Accounting wouldn't budge. Got a case number online and followed up post cruise via the online form as well as sent a direct email several people recommended. Crickets from NCL. Wound up contesting the prepayment on my credit card since they charged me again onboard. My credit card sided with me. I hope NCL had as much aggravation with that as they gave me.
Just finished an amazing cruise on the Jade to Canada. Everything was perfect! Food was amazing, service was great, everything was perfect. Cruisers were all kind, staff were happy! Not one complaint! Extremely pleased! Happy, happy!
I cruised on jade out of Tampa in Feb 2024. It was awful. No entertainment unless you like old movie s..I can stay home and watch old movies. The food was worse then golden corral. Drink package watered down, long waits, poor service. Awful. Dismal experience. Expect more for your money.
We're Platinum level and have noticed cuts and price increases too. They definitely cancel ports after the final payment. We're booked on the Bliss for a December Panama Canal 15 day. They canceled one port two days after final payment and decreased times in other ports. It's not right. I think this might be our last cruise with them. I wonder if MSC Explora will honor our Lattitudes level like they do on MSC. Your Explora cruise looked stellar! Mahalo for the great content!
In 100% agreement. Sapphire level here. Off the Joy in August, and the cutbacks have crossed the line and are entirely too obvious and disappointing. No major entertainment. What entertainment they did have was held in venues too small to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend. You had to waste 45-50 to arrive early. Not enough crew. Etc. NCL is relying on new cruisers who don't know any better. I wish them luck with that. We won't be back any time soon.
We just got back from NCL Star in August 2024 and loved it. Granted they did change our itinerary I think 4 months before our ship date. The swapped stops were fine with us and one extra day in Iceland was a plus! I mean there are some pros and cons but we enjoyed every minute of it. We’ve booked another cruise on Viva for next year! ❤ We also had no one asking us about booking our next cruise or trying to sell us anything besides when taking our photo at dinner 😅
Sorry, cruise next called my cabin every day and left a message 12 days straight. Food was awful. Cabin temp at 24 celsius, food awful.awful. expect more. Entertainment was sideshow Carney acts.. It was joke
Unfortunately these companies have become shamelessly greedy with their constant quality cuts and price hikes...but we as consumers are also the enablers to his abuse. As long as people will continue to fill ships with lower quality and higher prices, then the executives will continue this policy to the breaking point. They only care about making more and more money. These sociopaths have no honor nor shame. Customers have to stand up and finally say NO!
There was a time before algorithms and shareholders demanding every last cent be squeezed that companies had a notion of a fair deal. They made money but also provided a good value product. There were little things they could cut but didn't because they felt intuitively it would hurt them if they did. Now in the era of "big data" they treat each of us like bitcoin to be mined and couldn't care less whether anyone has a complaint because there are so many others. The airlines are doing the same exact thing. Until people actually create unions and associations as consumers to fight back, the companies are going to be more powerful and successful in screwing ordinary people.
The owners of these lines have absorbed all the profits. And they use the crew like slaves. I don't even believe they get their tips. We are done with cruising.
Our experience on the Breakaway was so bad that we'll never use NCL again. We have options and the best way to express our displeasure is by no longer sailing with NCL.
Our last cruise was on the NCL Gem in August 2023. Although we have noticed venues are small on all of our past cruises, we didn't notice any of the problems you spoke of. Our ship and stateroom were neat, clean , and food was excellant, staff were friendly and efficient. Are there crowds? Yes, it's to be expected on a ship with so many guests. Our next cruise is in 3 weeks on the Breakaway. We'll see how it is
We’ll be on Breakaway on Oct. 27th to Bermuda for our 30th wedding anniversary. We only get to go on vacation every couple of years unfortunately & after watching this I’m trying to be hopeful. Let’s be optimistic that in 3 weeks we ALL have a wonderful time 🩵
@@nicolewiltsey7793 Hi, Bermuda in end of October? What is the weather like? Assuming out of NYC? Hope you enjoy, I loved the Getaway to Bahamas in 2023, sister ship to Breakaway. Hope to get on the Breakaway this December for a Caribbean 7 day, out of Miami.
We loved our cruise for the most part (on the Prima), but the lack of housekeeping staff, reduction in good entertainment and small venues were a downer. We do agree that these issues tarnished our experience. (Just disembarked yesterday)
We are sapphire level and have done 15 NCL cruises. The company has definitely changed/declined since the pandemic. When the “smoked salmon” for the bagels was eliminated and the Salmon at dinner was replaced by Cod, it became clear it’s a different company now. We were loyal to them for over a decade but lately we have been doing Royal and Celebrity. On our New England cruise last fall we brought a friend that hadn’t cruised before. She said never again. The crew seems overworked and some even seem depressed now….SAD….
That was our experience exactly. 40 days sapphine level. Long lines and a sad overworked crew. First time I ever sent food back. The couple we were introducing to NCL wondered if we were crazy. We told them it didn't used to be like this. We are now on Celebrity for 43 days. Terrific
And the other part is, it doesn’t seem like it’s a short term “making money back for the two years we lost” type of change that’ll ultimately change back. These moves go one way and one way only
We always loved NCL as well and the last trip on Viva not good, food has dropped, cabin attendants not thoroughly cleaning, I left a cereal drop on the floor just a little round thing, I left it on purpose to see if it would get missed and it did, no vacuuming, it wasn't hard to miss. We are going to change to Princess and Celebrity from now on. These cruise lines had better watch their pricing as they can price themselves out of the market and no one will cruise with them. Time to boycott then they will feel it.
Honestly, we just came back from our first ever cruise and it was with NCL. I have to say I agree with the comment with the staff, they really did seem depressed or grumpy. And the food was average at best.
I am with you! My cruise last October was so disappointing & the changes in entertainment, food & costs were awful. If you don't drink or gamble the ships' offering will be limited.
Just got off Encore. The ship was beautiful. The staff was lovely. It seemed like the Mdr had an over supply of crew, but the room stewards were overworked. The food was dismal. I had better in the hospital. Entertainment was lacking for sure. Better cruise lines to choose.
We went on the Epic a few years ago and it was not good , the ship needs a total rethink all its interiors . No decent bars where you could find a seat after dinner . Dinner wasn’t brilliant either , dark dingy environment not relaxing at all . Only place after dinner we found was the karaoke lounge which was a nightmare . The restaurant was very tired , no nice lounges facing outwards for views or just relaxing watching the sea . They had planned three more ships,like the Epic and after launching it I think they realised the layout was not working and cancelled the others . Would never recommend the Epic ship , just too many layout problems on all,decks . Crew were great though
Just got off a 12 day Royal Caribbean Canary Islands cruise and we were constantly trying to be upsold on specialty dining, drinks and everything else. They didn’t let up the entire cruise.
My brother & I are platinum members with NCL and will not cruise with them again. Being charged for things we've already paid for and cancelling half the ports of call are the main reasons. The food has also gone down in the past few years. Embarkation was a nightmare the past 2 cruises.
We had our first cruise on the Joy over the summer. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I keep hearing people talking online about upselling but didn’t experience it onboard. I understand cutbacks on shows and entertainment could disappoint some. But I’m not that into musicals. Caught Elements (booked early) and was pretty good. Rooms were in good condition and the once a day cleaning like a hotel was sufficient. The food overall was good but some were better than others. Buffet was large and varied, specialty restaurants were extra nice.
I'm happy that you enjoyed your trip. I have have several years of good sailing with Norwegian too, I guess I can definitely see the downward spiral of the product and the steadily ascending cost. Summers is taking away most of the things we loved in the past
I went on my first NCL cruise in December 2019 and again last year in November. The state of the ship, crew, service and quality of food was so different. I was so sad and found myself just feeling so bad for the crew. Not to mention, everything was sooo much more expensive. They were obviously overwhelmed, burned out but trying their best to make things enjoyable. I will be going on virgin in March and looking forward to the simpler charging.
As a couple who has cruised both NCL and Virgin many times, you will not believe the difference. Virgin crew is *so* much happier and more accomodating, the ships are spotless, the food is amazing (and every venue included), ZERO upselling, and while the entertainment might not be everyone's cup of tea, there's plenty of it. And like you said, simpler pricing--just wish they had a drinks package!
You shouldn’t let this video make that decision. I was just on the Prima and it was amazing. You won’t find that elsewhere. They factor in the drink package. There are no rules on how many drinks. Great staff. I’ll only sail NCL
We were on the Norwegian Gem in September. Staff was friendly. The only beef, besides the fact that a lot of us passengers exited the ship with covid, was that our steward did nothing! He never took our dirty towels. They piled up. Kept bringing more. We also had dirty dishes that sat for 3 days. He never took them. The only thing he did was make the bed and bring towels. No vacuum, bathroom shower had mold. He still received a generous tip from us, but we weren't very happy with him. Others on the ship posted pics of their towel animals, etc. We had a pile of towels.
NCL JOY , twice got covid . Never got covid from anyplace else . The staff do not disinfect the rooms . Especially ♿️rooms should be but they r the worst ..
I've been cruising with Norwegian over 10 years now, 13 cruises overall. Last one was a Greek Isles cruise a month ago. I had a wonderful time. I did notice cuts too. For example, smaller selection in dining, entertainment, and turn down service. The upselling does not bother me in the least bit. If I'm not interested in the item, I won't buy it. I still enjoy their product, and will cruise with them in the future.
We were on the Bliss and the Encore in Alaska in September and had a great time. However we did notice a lot of the cut backs even since our last cruise on the Bliss in March. One thing that caught my attention was the lack of vegetables as side dished on the entrees. It was odd. The courses for the specialty restaurants cut back from 4 to 3, looks like more at sea will fix that. I chalked it all up to reducing waste, which I completely understand. But maybe having side dishes to order would be nice. Not giving up on them, because I do love Norwegian but I am not as brand loyal as I once was.
I'm glad that you brought up NCL's habit of making changes right after either final payment date or right after cancellation fee increases. I cancelled my Feb 2025 cruise and am sailing on MSC in Nov 2025
Just got off Epic on September 16 in Rome for 10 days mediterranean. 10 days, 8 ports. The ship seemed crowed compared to Royal Princess that we were on last year. I think the layout of the ship. Royal Princess is the same size as Epic but we never felt like it was crowded. It Costed us a fortune for Balcony stateroom. I chose NCL because of the itinerary. It took them forever to clean the stateroom. The bathrooms were dirty.
Wow. I guess never having been on a cruise isn't so bad. I will stick to watching Ben and David's videos for a vicarious experience. Thanks, Ben and David.
I haven’t tried Norwegian but I know my go to DCL has cut back on staff, dining, and other activities we enjoyed in the past. All while costs go up and they add concierge and reduce service for everyone else. It’s a sad change.
The cutbacks are accelerated on Norwegian, but I've noticed this on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, HAL, & Cunard. The business model of increasing obnoxious onboard revenue production is maddening & cheapens the experience to the point of being tacky. The lower quality of service presentation is the reason I no longer cruise these mainstream lines. My solution is Viking Ocean. I can't sing their praises enough. Viking is everything I expect of a cruise line. Ship design, service, crew, dining, onboard atmosphere, ect. Higher price point, yet worth every penny.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. My husband and I are looking for a first cruise, so I've been watching videos and reading comments. I really appreciate ones like yours. We're in the San Francisco Bay Area so we'll be sailing out of Ca.
Having a little experience with MSC and NCL recently, I know you had your issues with MSC but I would gladly take an MSC cruise over any NCL cruise. Glad you made this video because it's good to keep these companies accountable.
Lots of historic passengers with NCL have stated they would never cruise with this company again owing to their uncaring attitude towards the guests when you have genuine concerns and complaints, we experienced the same on our recent trans Atlantic cruise, book with other cruise lines, they are so much better than NCL
We've been avid NCL Cruisers with Sapphire status and we have Shares to get a little extra spending cash on our cruises, so very loyal. However, we're starting to investigate other lines for prices, itineraries, and amenities. We currently have another NCL cruise booked for the end of October and decided that if this one gives us the same low vibe we have been getting, we will be going elsewhere for our cruises. And yes, I am tired of all the upselling and sales pitches we get subjected to while we try to relax. Thank you for being very vocal about what a lot of us are thinking quietly.
We sailed the Norwegian Sun from Seattle to Alaska in August of this year. Yes - everything in this video. Everything was LESS than on our other cruises: no towel animals, never had turndown service, acceptable food (but worse in Cagney's)(never amazing)(no escargot!), slow service in the bars... Surprised that smoking was still allowed in the casino - so we never played. The entertainment for 10 days? A juggler, a magician, and a comedian - whoopie! I got better internet via onshore cell towers than with the ship's wifi. That said, 95% of the staff with whom we interacted were fabulous people. It's not their fault there are not enough of them. But for what we paid, I expected a LOT more. Next up, the Breakaway to Bermuda at the end of this month. Fingers crossed! Will probably not use NCL again. But, hey, it was better than COSTA (floating Motel 6) lol
we sail March 12, 2025 on NCL Dawn from Cape Town to Lisbon and have already been told of port changes. Our first time on NCL, we are long time Princess cruisers but this itinerary looked solid.
Hope your cruise goes well as it has an amazing itinerary. I was going on that cruise and read so many negative reviews about NCL. Opted to spend more and now sailing with Regent. Be interested to know how you go.
We are platinum with NCL. Our last 2 cruises were terrible. They called tonight to ask if we were interested in booking something for this fall. I asked what ships were in Port Canaveral, our home port. The response: the Epic. Nope. No way.
@@jjk9275 I'm sailing on the Epic at the end of November to the Caribbean. It'll be my first time on NCL. I hear that the Epic, as a ship, is horrible. It just wasn't designed correctly. Rooms are weird, pool deck is too small, passageways & other areas are not big enough. What people like are the ports, the food and the drinks (drink package is actually affordable). I'm usually a RCCL customer, but their ships always go to the same ports. The really good RCCL cruises occur on dates when I can't go.
Having cruised for years and get that tipping has always been part of the cruise expense use to be great to get an envelope and put the cash in and hand to the person but things change I get that. But cruise companies are now using gratuities for profit not what it is intended for. This really needs to be looked at. I know some of the less lines like P&O have got rid of gratuities but some are exploiting this!
Been on 46 NCL cruises and the staff has told us time and again that they don't receive these so called gratuities. It's just more money for NCL. Plus, you pay so much extra when you book free at sea. Hundreds in gratuities there too...
We just got off NCL Encore to Alaska out of Seattle and had a fabulous time. Food was amazing, staff was so happy and kind. This is our fourth NCL cruise since 2019 and we have our next one booked with them for 2025!
It is still a great deal compared to staying in hotels and going to separate restaurants and shows. Your review seems a bit harsh....we have been on The Joy, The Spirit and The Star in the last 3 years and have been very pleased. Going on a NCL New Year's cruise on 12/29 to Mexico. Fingers crossed! 🙏🏼🤩
Thanks for the video. Just did a 12 night cruise on the Spirit. I had a list of complaints including the service charge. In the end I asked for a service charge waiver and wrote 5 pages of complaints.
Thank you so much Ben for making this video. My wife and I sailed the Joy in June 2024. We have sailed 4 times on NCL and have loved it until this cruise. We could not put our finger on exactly why it felt off. Now we know. The boat was 100% booked. Way too crowded. We used to be able to buy day passes for the spa or vibe but we were told we had to buy the whole week or nothing. Last year we loved The Choir of Men. This year the show was obscure and not as enjoyable. I am the type of person that likes to remeber staff who do great work and go to their bars. It felt lime all the crew were more busy and stressed than normal and normal is crazy busy. We are used to upselling but it was a bit much this year. It makes sense now. I'm sad to see this happening.
I sailed on the Epic in December and found the Ben and David critique 100 percent correct. I was very disappointed and will rethink Norwegian cruise line. Such a shame as I used to love norwegian.
My first and only cruise was on NCL Viva this March. Had the best time- wonderful food and service! I am trying to book a cruise for 2025 and there is a lack of variety on their Caribbean cruises- seems to be only 2 routes and not many options for going to Barbados and St Lucia. But what is striking me when I look at Northern Europe or Alaskan cruises is that the prices are exorbitant ! The ships are older and have flaws that I can’t over look. So now I am looking at other cruise lines because of lack of route options and newer ships. And I have unused Cruise Next credits that are waiting to be used.
Not to butt in, but if you're focused on itinerary, have you considered P&O for the Caribbean? I have done a 2 week with them, plus a 1 week + 1 week repositioning cruise with from Barbados back to Southampton. I prefer Celebrity in general, but the P&O 2-week Caribbean itinerary involves like 10 ports and isn't all centered on getting you to spend money on the line's own private island. And with flight packages from the UK, they usually seem the most reasonable from here.
I think you've nailed NCL, we just hit Silver with them and I agree with everything you've said. We just stayed on EPIC before you and you were 100% correct about that ship.
You think Royal Caribbean is any better? They have gone downhill for years. I won’t cruise them anymore either. I save my money and do less cruises and do Oceania and Viking
Can't speak for a lot of Royal cruises, but I like my little frequent 4-day run to Ensenada. 10 total, with five since October 2022 and another three on the way. Are the prices higher? Yes, everything is higher since the pandemic, not just cruising. When I cruise solo (four times so far), I don't buy drinks. I'm almost Diamond, so I may start drinking a little...or not. I do a specialty lunch and all main dinings (early seating). I get my pizza and lemon cookies between 10:30 and midnight. I don't do a lot of the activities and I don't leave the ship once I board until it's time to go home. No tenders, no excursions. Cruises, for me, are my chance to decompress--fully--with managed personal interactions.
Oceania is way over hyped. The food is just ok... I have had better food on Celebrity. The Evening entertainment is HORRENDOUS. For the price...Celebrity wins hands down.
Just returned from a trans Atlantic cruise with NCL, absolutely awful uncaring cruise line, absolute chaos at Port of Lisbon, queues over 4 hours long, people were fighting in the queue due to people pushing in, never again
I agree with everything on this video. It’s become a budget cruise with a premium price. The market will slow at some point and they’ll have lost their loyal fan base. I’m booking princess or celebrity until this CEO takes his golden ticket and goes
Great video with accurate stats and feedback. This video needed to be made and accurate info needed to be said. Well done! We booked off NCL to Celebrity for our Greece cruise next summer. Even though with Celebrity it will be on an older ship vs NCL for that itinerary, we want to experience better food and service without the upselling hassle always in your face.
I was on Epic in May and I agree with everything you have said. After I made my final payment they changed ports! Also the soot was so made it ruined a white shirt I had. Went to guest services and they said I should dry clean it when I get home!
My most recent cruise was on the Norwegian Bliss and I did notice my oddities. NCL changed my mother's shore excursion prior to our sailing date without even notifying her and there was at least one occasion when it took a long time for our cabin steward to make up the room. Beyond that, we had a pleasant cruise. We did receive the upselling notices you mentioned (art auctions, etc), but we tossed most of those immediately into the trash.
This review is 1000% spot on, considering I just got off of the NCL Joy today (8/7)! I haven’t sailed since pre pandemic 2019 and on day 1, I noticed the difference in service. We had to manually bring our bags to our room after they told us the rooms were ready. Typically these are delivered to our rooms soon after departure. But we noticed our luggage just lingering in the hallways. Extremely limited Broadway style entertainment and we also noticed the food options were as well. The buffet alone had at least 4 burger & hot dog stations. Not sure why so many are needed. Overall, the staff was very friendly and if they are being overworked, they didn’t show it to the guests. I do hope one day, the cruise line reads these reviews and work to get the cruise line back to pre pandemic standards.
We just got off our first NCL cruise, 10 days in the Adriatic. We had a lovely time, but definitely noticed the lack of things to do on our one at sea day, the constant pushing to buy Cruise Next certificates, pictures, jewelry, etc., and the mediocre (but adequate) food in the non-specialty dining areas. The staff was mostly absolutely lovely, the ship seemed very clean, and we were very happy with most of our excursions, but I think I'd like to try a couple more cruise lines.
We had the worst experience on the Breakaway, cabin wasn’t clean, left over stuff on the floor from previous cruisers, the balcony looked like it had not been cleaned in months, couldn’t even sit outside. Food was horrible, in the MDR, food always came out cold, I can go on forever, never again, we do at least 6 cruises as year and NCL is not one of them.
I've noticed the same kind of thing on Holland-America - cuts in services, ever more aggressive up-selling, less entertainment. The food is still excellent - you certainly won't go hungry - but you can see that the menu choices have been trimmed. Cabins cleaned only once per day, no turndown service. No "midnight dessert extravaganza" any more. The most disappointing recent change is on the Alaska cruises: the Glacier Discovery cruise used to terminate in Seward, now it terminates in Whittier: a tiny fishing village of about 250 permanent residents that was an Army supply depot during WWII and the early days of the Cold War, but which is now more-or-less abandoned except for the handful of Government workers who maintain what little infrastructure is left, and the seasonal workers who handle the cruise tourists. There's almost nothing to do in Whittier except walk the waterfront area and look at fishing boats. The larger the ships get, the more soul-less and impersonal they feel. The glory days of cruising were crushed into oblivion by the 2008-2011 financial crisis and I don't suppose we will ever see them again.
I’ve never had anyone ask us about purchasing another cruise during dinner. We’ve got 4 cruises this winter we’ll see how it goes. We love Norwegian cruise line.
We cruised the Breakaway last July getting a Haven room, which was located several floors away fron the main Haven. It looked like they slapped a sign Haven on our cabin as it looked like any balcony cabin. Uncomfortable wicker furniture - how cheap can you get. My wife was fuming when she saw the small balcony - two upright chairs no lounger. She complained the whole week. For the money spent, I felt cheated. The Haven itself and staff though was a nice experience. We are going on RC Symphony of the Seas in July out of New Jersey. Miami was dreadfully hot last summer. The larger ship should haaave better options for food.
We have been on one Norwegian Cruise and our only complaint was the lack of bartenders and other service positions. People were waiting in incredibly long lines just to get a drink.
Another disappointing NCL development is the closing of a big chunk of each Observation Lounge to replace it with suites. The OL’s have been a huge differentiator for NCL-calm, usually uncrowded public spaces where passengers can enjoy gorgeous views in an upscale setting free of charge. (The last bit being what put OLs on the chopping block.) With more cabins and less public space, each ship will be more crowded with a diminished customer experience. So sad! And bad strategy because NCL will be in the position to have to cut costs and spend big to win back customers. But those execs will already be set for life, so who cares.
I am also a Platinum NCL member and after our cruise next month will be Sapphire. You are right about itinerary changes. Right after the final payment date, our Panama Canal cruise that leaves from LA and ends in Tampa had a huge change. They took out five ports and only added three. Of course, the main ones we chose this itinerary for were the ones they took out. Now we have seven sea days instead of five. The letter they send out telling you about the changes is a stock letter we've seen before. Baloney!! We only sail on the smaller ships (hubby won't do anything larger than 2400 people) and have always had a good time. The bars are plentiful and the venues are large as well. I do agree that the staff is much smaller. We've sailed three times since the pandemic and the difference is very noticeable. I talk to our steward and the folks at Shore Excursions. They will tell you they are understaffed. I've written letters and done all the surveys they send after you sail. I can only hope it will help the crew. We're stuck with this cruise for next month because they have you over a barrel once last payment dates have been reached, but it will be our last with NCL.
Just finished our 9th cruise with NCL on Norwegian Pearl. We had a really lovely cruise, but we were in a very expensive suite so expected to get good treatment. However, the entertainment was dreadful, nothing like it used to be. Food in the buffet also well below what we have previously experienced with Norwegian. So disappointed with them.
I did notice the upselling, and small venues on my last Norwegian cruise. I was also bothered by abrupt cancelling of shows in the main theater with little to no explanation.
I like NCL's older smaller ships and I appreciate that NCL refurbishes these ships instead of letting them wear down while still selling top $$ cruises on them, looking at you Royal. The larger NCL ships (3500+ passengers) seem difficult under the best circumstances. NCL CEO has said repeatedly on earnings calls that the company would maximize profit on everything but the basic cruise cost so the upselling and emails are not an issue for me. Expect it, say no and enjoy your cruise. 🏖️☀️🍹🍸
We are on one now in Europe and you are correct. My drink package does not even include water? WTF? We did one in Hawaii 2 years ago our first one. Compared to Princess we just did to Alaska service is not as good at all. Short on shore and the map does not even make sense.
We used to sail exclusively on Norwegian. Then they turned into sleazy car salesmen. Their initial cruise prices are comparable with others, but then they wanted to start adding $400+ for “Port fees and taxes”. If you checked Carnival or RC for the same itinerary, their port fees and taxes were $100-$150. We have 2 Cruise Next coupons for $250 each, and even using those, everybody else is cheaper for the same cruise. Norwegian trying to screw people over. They deserve to be “Going Down”.
The same happened to us in 2022. Booked to sail on the Epic and after final payment day we got an email that the whole back of the ship (Spice H²O), sports court and running track where closed! As it was summer break in Europe the ship felt overcrowded outside on the Lido (the only outside place to go). The inside was very dark. If that was our first cruise I don't think we'd ever cruise again... On the bright side; the shows were very good and we liked the Free at Sea concept. Loved the Brazilian restaurant and the pub (is it called O'Sheehan's?) and didn't mind the special way the room was designed.
I went on NCL for the first time in early 2024 and I was also taken aback by all of the upselling attempts. It really spoiled my impression of an otherwise great time. I hope they can turn that aspect around and just let people enjoy the vacation they've already paid for
We travelled on the Prima from London to Iceland this year. We had never sailed with NCL before and it was fantastic. We didn't experience the problems you mentioned but the Prima is still pretty new and the itinerary was jam packed with only 2 at sea days. The crew were fantastic. We were on Shore Tours most days. We came back with a really good impression of NCL and especially the Prima. I'm sorry to hear that there is so many problems across the fleet.
Nice to hear. We are doing this cruise in August 2025(start in Reykjavik though). Amazing itinerary….Iceland, 3 Norway fjords, Belgium, Netherlands and England. No other line offers this as far as I know…personally it doesn’t get better than that.
My 1st NCL cruise was Prima Galveston to Costa Maya, Hondura, Cozume & Belize. Jan 5-12/ 2024 (as Solo). Loved everything about it. Donna Summers show was Spectacular with a well-deserved standing ovation. My one Specialty meal at Palomar was Exceptional. Doubt upcoming Dec 1-12 Breakaway Miami will favorably compare
If the CEO is the highest paid in the industry and he has cut staff like they were soiled goods on a sales floor, how do they expect the crew to feel? It sounds more like they are trying to cut costs to find a buyer.....Changing things after you have made a booking at all is bad enough but changing directly after final payment ? Dodgy as a stale crab stick. If I were in the market for a cruise I would be looking at reviews and I would NOT be using this cruise line.
I'm so bummed to hear this, we have only been on one cruise we bought cruise next so we planned to make NCL our main cruise. We loved our ship and food was amazingv. I really do think happy customers don't post as much as unhappy customers
Which ship was it? We've been on 2, our only 2 ever and they seemed great. Before we booked the first one a quick Google/forum search showed the Epic had mixed/poor reviews. We have done Encore and Escape.
I agree with this! We just got off the NCL Jade and it was great! I had been getting nervous with many negative comments in the Facebook group but I did not find any of the negatives to be true. 🤷🏻♀️
@@JustinM2025 we were on the Encore in Alaska. We have our next one booked on the Gem next year I expect it to be much different but all the review as I've read are mostly positive
Don’t be bummed, go in with a positive, open mind and you will love NCL. It won’t be perfect, nothing is…just don’t let a few negatives spoil your overall vacation… you are on vacation!!!
Take opinions with a grain of salt. Cruises are subjective to the persons expectations and we are living in an ungrateful and entitled world. I have been on 6 NCL cruises, 5 post Covid. I have had a wonderful time on all of them. I've sailed the Epic 2x. It's a different ship in design. If you understand the back story of what they were trying to accomplish, it is not so bad. What they learned what worked and didn't, they were able to design the Breakaway class. I like the design of the ship, contrary to others. I was on the Epic in November last year. I did not notice any filth. I noticed aging but nothing so ghastly. I've been on other cruiselines that have the same wear and tear.
The last time that I was on the NCL EPIC was 2016 and it was decent overall and included food was very good but hasn't cruised with NCL since 2019 just before the pandemic. I've heard about the nickel and dime thingy and now enjoy cruising with Princess and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Yes, you're so right a once good cruise line but not anymore. Thanks for the update.😀
I went on my first cruise earlier this year. Iceland/Greenland with NCL. The lunch and dinner buffet were not that good and not at all what I expected from a cruise. Specialty dining was wonderful and breakfast was fine. Staff was very professional and friendly. I did just book an Alaskan cruise on Bliss for 2026 so fingers crossed things get better.
We cruised in March of this year. I noticed less big shows but figured that was because it was a smaller ship. However the other entertainment around tte ship was amazing. Small groups playing around the various venues and the comedy shows were more than enough for us. Our room steward was busy but responsive. I really don't miss the second visit. I can turn down the sheets all by myself. 😊. Buffet was crowded, but we enjoyed the main dining rooms and breakfast in our room. We are doing a Transatlantic at the end of November are i am excited.
I’m platinum and a stockholder and I’m never going back. My last cruise was a transatlantic where they cut two days off the end, dropped ports and waited until late on Good Friday afternoon a week before sailing to tell us. The more I hear about the cutbacks, the more I’m happy to be spoiled and pampered on Viking.
7:16 - Wait the employees are getting more work and less pay BUT you mentioned just before the automatic gratuities are almost doubling? Does that mean NCL is keeping the gratuity increases instead of paying them as tips?
To start with we are platinum on CCL, and Princess, so we’ve been around a bit. Did the Prima in April from Galveston to Miami. Had a good time, but neither of us are interested in doing NCL again. Ship was different but we liked it. However, one weird thing was they start stacking the loungers at 6:30 PM, on deck 8. Then an aggravation was the art People would take over half of the observation lounge from like noon to 4 every day, so you couldn’t enjoy the quiet, probably because of the small venues. Otherwise we had a good time, but just didn’t feel the need to do NCL again.
Our last NCL cruise was on the Prima and it quickly became my favorite ship after Celebrity's Beyond. If I could take the thermal suite from the Prima and put it on the Beyond, I'd have the perfect ship! I can't wait to sail on her sister, the Viva when she begins to home port in Galveston instead of San Juan. Missed ports and itinerary changes have never bothered us because we're there for the ship and being on the ocean. Honestly, we rarely get off at ports because we've been so many times so I think experience is different for long-time cruisers versus first-time cruisers. I will say the Epic definitely looks to be in need of an extensive dry dock. For us, the ship is the destination but we do sail different lines. On NCL we've sailed Gem, Jewel, Encore and Prima and loved each one.
Hope you are not disappointed on Viva as we were, we loved the Prima it was perfect, food great, great attendant for our room, then we went on the Viva, not that great, food went down hill, room not getting cleaned properly. Changing now.
I did Prima last year and loved it (first cruise) - did Getaway this year and Hated it. Yea the Thermal suite on Prima is amazing, love what they did there.
I have been on a grand total of one cruise and it was with NCL this September. Customer Service before the cruise was very 'meh' but onboard was amazing. Our room steward went above and beyond for us multiple times. The excursion desk did some amazing stuff for us - even making a couple of exceptions for some extenuating circumstances. There were staff everywhere I looked and were constantly clearing dishes away, refreshening mini-buffet spread, and asking what I needed. I experienced a little upselling but nothing I don't expect. Lines at Guest Services was sometimes a bit long but always friendly and helpful. Maybe my expectations are a bit low. 🤷♀️
I'm so glad ben and david made this video. Even though I was an NCL fanboy for the longest time, this is what needed to be said out loud. As someone who has been on 26 cruises since 2004, most of them on NCL, I have personally seen these cutbacks/changes (especially after the pandemic). They're catering to new cruisers who don't know any better. For experienced cruisers, we know there are better options out there now.
You may be right I’m a new cruiser and sailed on the Getaway last month and we found it fantastic. Food, entertainment, staff were brilliant, we couldn’t have asked for more from start to finish. My second will be with RC WOTS in March, interested to see if it can beat this experience
There always were better lines, in terms of quality and value! 😉
This is absolutely true. My last NCL cruise was in 2019, and the food , service , spa and water prices, and buffet was so much better , than my last NCL cruise to the Greek isles in 2024 on the same class of ship and similar cabin. It was impossible to assess the library, as it was only open 2 hours a day. The wifi was beyond awful and very difficult to access. The upselling for everything, including cruises was relentless, and made you feel like it was a timeshare presentation that never ended. I will not be back.
I agree with you 100%. I love Norwegian, however, I am beginning to look elsewhere
@@Skoie836 I was on the Getaway in March 2023 for a Bahamas 8 day and it was my first cruise ever. I loved everything about it. This video does not resonate with me at all. Not saying he's wrong, but I didn't experience anyone approaching me during meals to upsell me. Didn't happen. I loved it. Would go on that ship again. The only thing, it was fully booked and I am glad I took the Vibe beach club, because the deck chairs were hard to find. That is the only criticism.
Cruising is supposed to be a vacation. Don't cut back. Charge what you need but SPOIL me! PLEASE!
Great point!
Except when you tell people the price they gasp lol
Why are they still building new ships and then cutting back on board their ships, it seems dumb.
So they can have more paying customers even with the cutbacks and reduced service.
He actually addressed this, he said the new ships feel like a different cruise line and are great. The older ships are just not being maintained. Maybe building new ships to address higher budget portion of the market without cutting out the less expensive offerings that are more dated.
Many of the older ships don't have the Haven, which makes them a ton of $$$. Sad to see how low NCL has dropped. Used to be our fav line, now we are out trying other brands.
Only thing I can think of is they are going for quantity over quality. Even though the new ships are nice, they have too much Haven. Being a Haven only customer, you would think I would think you couldn't have enough. But it just means it becomes less exclusive and more of a burden to the other passengers. They are also not that big on the wow factor and why after spending 25K on a stateroom do I have to pay extra for a soda or hounded all day long to spend more and more.
Guests need to stop buying & paying for the extra to send a message.
Ridiculous, guess I won't be returning to NCL
As NCL platinum members who have been sailing 20+ years, we are done. Switched to Celebrity & Princess. NCL used to be great. They stopped caring about their employees & customers in 2021. Heartbreaking.
Princess is honestly headed in the same direction. The focus on specialty, retail, upsells, and "exclusive" spaces.
@@sfmc98 i agree....Princess too has cut on employees and on perks and has raised prices on everything......money is now the prime objective...no more cruising for me....after 30+ cruises wit Princess....
Totally agree. Our next NCL cruise will likely be our last one. Prefer Celebrity, and will try Holland for the first time.
I did Cunard QV last November and loved it and I’m back on tomorrow out of Istanbul and can’t wait. Doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the brand new Celebrity ships for example but it’s so elegant and the staff were amazing.
We just hit Platinum and haven't gone on a cruise with it yet. Because of all the changes/cutbacks we decided to try Celebrity and loved it. And it was an older ship.
I’m so happy to see this video. I have just returned from a 7 night cruise on the Norwegian Getaway. This is my 6th cruise but first with NCL and I’ve never been so disappointed with any holiday land or sea before. The cruise lacked entertainment. Things cancelled daily with no explanation. Kids in the adults areas. Room temperature food that didn’t taste great and very little options with the buffet being the same for breakfast lunch and dinner every day. We met some lovely staff however there were also rude staff who clearly didn’t want to be there. We were also sold a chat feature on the app when we boarded but we couldn’t get it to work. The next day we asked for help and they said they discontinued that function the day before ( the day we purchased it ) I have a huge list of things that were very disappointing and wrong with this cruise and that makes me sad when some of us save for so long to be able to cruise and when it only happens every few years you really get your hopes up. We will never sail with NCL again. We will be going back to Royal where we know they care and deliver. Thanks Ben for the video x
Exactly...
Was this one a Western Caribbean out of New Orleans?
@@pauhanatravel no it’s was a Mediterranean out of Athens finishing in Portugal just before it did it transatlantic crossing
@@jermainewoods2641 Thanks!
We have the exact same issue where my husband had a charge of $9.95 on our shipboard account for using the app but the app never worked from day one
What Ben said is true. After raising the DSC, NCL made cuts in service by eliminating the evening turn=down service. I didn't mind that, but don't charge more money and give less. That is not right. NCL needs to reinstate everything that was cut, increase the quality of food, hire more staff, and bring back the entertainment that your passengers want and expect. Many passengers are complaining on Facebook about canceled ports after final payment was made.
Personally I think evening turn down is the most pointless stupid thing overworked cabin attendants have to do. When you stay at even the best hotels no one comes back in the evening to turn the covers down and shove a chocolate on the pillow. The rest of the cutbacks are indeed significant and the prices, once you’ve added on the extras, are now way above Celebrity (in the Mediterranean anyway on the older Celebrity ships)
Port cancelling is a very common practice from NCL. Have experienced it 3 times in the last two years.
One room cleaning per day is enough for me but I agree with a lot you said.
We were in the Joy earlier this year and most of the staff did not seem happy.
The wait staff in the dining rooms seemed to be rushed and the meals came out undercooked, overcooked, delayed and items forgotten.
We saw the room attendant practically all day as unlike other cruise lines, they clean the room when peole leave their rooms and not everyone leaves at the same time so it does not appear they get a break during the day.
We thought the food was pretty decent, and we are planning on giving them one last to try to impress us.
I’m also a platinum member the only change I have seen is b coming more children friendly although it sounds great it can become a problem if your adult looking to enjoy a great vacation.
I was on the Joy at the end of Aug & felt the MDR menu was too small, very underwhelming. I also missed how friendly the staff is on Carnival, at least try to upsell me w/a smile. Our room steward hoarded the TP too...I had to ask several times for more TP, our room had 4 butts & that TP disintegrates instantly.
I just got off the NCL Bliss and my goodness the NCL experience was terrible. The staff was completely overworked and understaffed. Most were still pleasant, but a few were rude.
I went to the Local & asked for no onions on my burger. The waiter gave me a dirty look, and was obviously annoyed and just said "fine".
All the upselling, oh my god. You can't walk through the ship without someone trying to sell you crap. NCL employs more pans handlers than you find in Time Square or Hollywood Blvd.
Then the photo people running to shove a camera in your face. I said to one of them, "dude I'm trying to look at the glacier, I don't care about you bleeping photo packages. Leave me alone"
Yeah, as a platinum loyalty status member as well, I'm not going to be loyal anymore to NCL.
NCL is trying to charge Holland America prices while providing a MSC level of service. No thanks.
I tend to agree with most of your points. I am also Platinum on NCL with 18 cruises with them. I just got off my second on the Joy. My adult daughter is 1 point shy of platinum. Minimal theatre entertainment. The removal of the Broadway shows was crucial. They use 2nd rate comedians and magicians. The Beatle and Elements show are only 1 night each. Can't get into the smaller venues. There used to be morning fitness and zumba classes for free. Now 1 morning if you can find it. Cutbacks on food items in buffets. No eggs benedict, no breakfast sandwiches. for example. I was on the Sky afew years back, my husband was 1 point shy of platinum and they allowed him to go on my "platinum" perk backstage tour instead of me. I asked this week for my daughter who is in the theatre industry and was treated rudely by the Cruise Next crew member. Later he wanted to sell me cruise next vouchers. No thank you. Packed like sardines by the pool. The chairs are in physical contact with each other so yu have to slide backwards to sit down. You are basically in physical contact with a stranger next to you. I felt like I was in a middle airplane seat. We will be trying Royal, Celebrity and Princess before I sail again with NCl
We’re platinum on NCL and just made final payment on a January 2025 cruise less than a month ago. Got an itinerary change leaving us with 3 sea days + only Great Stirrup Cay and that they “increased time in GSC to make up for the port removal.” Arriving at their own island at 7am instead of 10:30am is no substitute for a full port stop. They weren’t willing to work with us at all to change ships, dates, or any kind of OBC or FCC. We paid the 25% cancellation charge and booked a different cruise with RCL for the same dates and for less money even considering the cancellation. Buyers beware, they are still advertising the cruise we cancelled on their website with the port that was removed! We have had many amazing trips on NCL, and have another pre-booked, but it really is a shame to see the cutbacks and culture shift at the company!
That stinks. Robbery because they will still sell that cabin. So they got your money and someone else’s. Gross. Sorry to hear that
We are Sapphire on NCL and we are booked for Dec 2024. We too have received the itenary change scam and we are definitely looking for other options going forward. The CEO seems like he has no interest in rewarding loyal customers and is definitely heading in the wrong direction with the entertainment. Everything said on this posting is true
We have a group trip scheduled on the Joy in January and 3 ports were changed or eliminated after the final payment. I’m extraordinarily disappointed
The Cruise Lines are searching for extra revenue. Sure, but so are you with the plug at the end for contributions. What goes around comes around. 😮
My first ever cruise was on NCL the Southward In 1980
This is so sad. I used to only cruise with them but in the past few years have branched out. I am now loving Celebrity and Princess.
Accurate and succinct description of what we’ve experienced with Norwegian. Platinum level so have some experience. Our last cruise August 2024 was a mess. We no longer trust Norwegian. Booked 5 cabins side by side for a family reunion a year and a half out. Two weeks before the cruise found out we were scattered all over the ship. Norwegian offered no help. Their texting is $10 a day per person. Our cruise turned into trying to find each other on the ship because we could not communicate. Food was mediocre. Many things no longer on the menus. Food did not seem to be prep from scratch rather frozen or canned. Norwegian is also building its own docks that are not close to the cities in the itinerary. In Ketchikan, Alaska ship docked in Ward Cove. Absolutely nothing there but a warehouse of Norwegian merchandise. No way to get to town except buses by the time we waited in line for the 20 minute bus ride We lost over an hour of shoretime. Our group is canceling a cruise for next year because of our recent poor experience. Had two couples who were first time cruisers. They were not impressed at all and will continue vacationing at sandals, which is not cheap. Overall, not a positive experience. We won’t remember all the excuses, but we will remember how the experience made us feel. Betrayed by NCL.
NCL, just doesn't seem to care about their reputation anymore...
Understtood: NOWAY for this company.
I finished my 7th cruise on NCL this year and I will NEVER sail on NCL again. THis video is right on and I agree with almost everything said.
We are Sapphire Level on NCL and we've seen some of the same cutbacks and negative things onboard. We are starting to try out other cruise lines like Princess and Celebrity. This really breaks our heart cause we've been so loyal and have loved NCL for so long. We almost feel some sort of ownership in the company. But if we find a better price and experience with another cruise line, you can bet that we're gonna switch.
Me too, I'm Sapphire Solo cruiser with NCL and loved Epic in the past... Had a really bad experience on Epic last December Christmas cruise. It just needed to be refurbed badly and no parties in H2O. My friend went on later in January and at least they remedied having the parties in H2O. Then, I went on Jade July 4th and that was great... But I'm now looking to do different Cruise lines too... Princess, MSC or Celebrity.
This is sad to see. We were just on the Jade and the food was plentiful and delicious, shows in theater were great, plenty of trivia and game shows. Nobody came up to us in any of the dining rooms to sell anything, no phone calls selling meals or cruises. No long waits for drinks. Maybe because it’s smaller ship? The ship was clean and comfortable. There were flyers with the daily but we just threw them out. And announcements were in English only. The crew was great. The buffet did close at 9:00 which I found a bit early, but O’Sheehans was open if you wanted a snack later in the evening.
I just did the Jade in August and liked that ship
We only used to cruise NCL. Well... April, 2021 the Getaway out of NYC was our last NCL cruise. It was awful! No staff, our room steward came to our cabin on the 2nd day of cruise. He was MIA. Our trash cans were overflowing and we had no towels. The dining staff was stressed and terrible. 4 hour meals. 6 hours to get on ship on embarkation day. No more. done with NCL. We are also Platinum members. It was the worst cruise we ever went on and we have been on at least 20 cruises.
To be fair that was during Covid. You should really try again now, it is nothing like that. I was on the Getaway in 2023 and it was amazing. No such thing as anything that you described.
The crew on the Msc Preziosa was wonderful, I paid less than half the price on MSC for the same route at the same time of year as I did on NCL and I had a significantly better time on board
I'll be on the Presioza March 2025. So excited to see the difference between cruising in the US vs Europe
I’m on the Seascape right now Yacht Club never going back to NCL. Drinks are superb food is hit or miss but service is incredible.
I used to avoid MSC but our trip earlier this year was excellent and staff were brilliant.
Congratulations on your courage Ben and David - it takes a lot to create a scathing video about your preferred cruise line and tell us the truth. My family travelled NCL Escape in 2019 and experienced ALL of these issues (and a cabin steward stealing from us) and swore off NCL. We've become Loyal to Royal since and are thankful to NCL to pushing us to a far better Royal experience.
In fairness all the main cruise lines are rated below 2 on Trust Pilot. It seems they all have similar narrow short term vision. Let us hope!
Absolutely, there's been a big drop in general across the board since covid.
@@InsideCruise And the cruises are PACKED. Once they start losing passengers, then perhaps they will pull their socks up. It seems the traveling public will tolerate anything.l
As loyal NCL clients and sapphire level we have noticed a MASSIVE drop off particularly since covid and completely agree with your assessment here. We have started more land based vacations as cruising is no longer great value for money with the overall industry wide increases in costs and decrease in service which applies to all cruise lines. Let your feet do the talking and go elsewhere; I think this is the best practice to get companies to listen up.
I agree with you. We have been a little discouraged on taking cruises. We always travel land for several years and then take a cruise if we can take a good offer.
@@AMCAquatics MSC still give a very good service, I didnt feel that was the case with NCL, it was an ordeal. unfortunately I had booked another for January and not really looking forward to it
Ben, you nailed it. We are Sapphire on NCL, but after all the cuts, Virgin Voyages is our new favorite! Thanks for the video.
Agree 100%. Last January on Encore was our last NCL cruise. Entertainment removed and replace with for pay game shows. You pay for free at sea drinks and still have to pay for coffee, water etc. They changed the itinerary after final payment which messed up our Friends wedding that was to happen in St. Thomas. They canceled our vibe beach club the day before the cruise and would NOT refund my money, it was 10 day cruise so the cost was over $800 CDN, I had to fight with the Bank and Credit Card company to get my money back. I'll stop there but can go on and on. Needless to say we we NEVER cruise NCL again.
i have bought a Vibe pass, so you made me a bit concerned. Can you tell me why did they cancel your pass?
I just came off NCL Escape and had a wonderful experience. My only gripe was the customer service desk which took 3 days to sort out a minor issue.
@raymondhorne9406 Imagine that! 😅 Sorry, i don't mean to poke fun. We've sailed 5 different cruise lines (Holland, Royal, Princess, Disney, and NCL). NCL is BY FAR the worst in customer service of all of them by a mile. I could give so many examples of minor issues they refused to correct.
Here's one. We paid for Moderno in advance, pre cruise, to secure a reservation at the time we wanted. We had the confirmation from the cruise line. After dinner, we were charged the cover price again. We showed our confirmation. You'd have thought we were trying to give them a forgery. So ... i pulled up my credit card statement online and showed them the charge from Norwegian for the exact amount of the cover charge as well. We waited ages as multiple phone calls were made. They claimed that although we paid, the payment never made it to the ship (like that was our fault), and they would need to charge us again (Oh, IDK, instead of getting the money from wherever ours went?). We were annoyed it was taking so long, and we felt like we were being accused of being shoplifters, we paid and left. The next day, we alerted the concierge (we were Haven) and showed him the same paperwork. He said he'd take care of it. Followed up multiple times. Accounting wouldn't budge. Got a case number online and followed up post cruise via the online form as well as sent a direct email several people recommended. Crickets from NCL. Wound up contesting the prepayment on my credit card since they charged me again onboard. My credit card sided with me. I hope NCL had as much aggravation with that as they gave me.
Just finished an amazing cruise on the Jade to Canada. Everything was perfect! Food was amazing, service was great, everything was perfect. Cruisers were all kind, staff were happy! Not one complaint! Extremely pleased! Happy, happy!
I cruised on jade out of Tampa in Feb 2024. It was awful. No entertainment unless you like old movie s..I can stay home and watch old movies. The food was worse then golden corral. Drink package watered down, long waits, poor service. Awful. Dismal experience. Expect more for your money.
We're Platinum level and have noticed cuts and price increases too. They definitely cancel ports after the final payment. We're booked on the Bliss for a December Panama Canal 15 day. They canceled one port two days after final payment and decreased times in other ports. It's not right. I think this might be our last cruise with them. I wonder if MSC Explora will honor our Lattitudes level like they do on MSC. Your Explora cruise looked stellar! Mahalo for the great content!
In 100% agreement. Sapphire level here. Off the Joy in August, and the cutbacks have crossed the line and are entirely too obvious and disappointing. No major entertainment. What entertainment they did have was held in venues too small to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend. You had to waste 45-50 to arrive early. Not enough crew. Etc.
NCL is relying on new cruisers who don't know any better. I wish them luck with that. We won't be back any time soon.
We just got back from NCL Star in August 2024 and loved it. Granted they did change our itinerary I think 4 months before our ship date. The swapped stops were fine with us and one extra day in Iceland was a plus! I mean there are some pros and cons but we enjoyed every minute of it. We’ve booked another cruise on Viva for next year! ❤
We also had no one asking us about booking our next cruise or trying to sell us anything besides when taking our photo at dinner 😅
Sorry, cruise next called my cabin every day and left a message 12 days straight. Food was awful. Cabin temp at 24 celsius, food awful.awful. expect more. Entertainment was sideshow Carney acts.. It was joke
Unfortunately these companies have become shamelessly greedy with their constant quality cuts and price hikes...but we as consumers are also the enablers to his abuse. As long as people will continue to fill ships with lower quality and higher prices, then the executives will continue this policy to the breaking point. They only care about making more and more money. These sociopaths have no honor nor shame. Customers have to stand up and finally say NO!
I agree, time to make a stand, boycott these ships it will hurt their pockets then they may wake up, we can only hope.
There was a time before algorithms and shareholders demanding every last cent be squeezed that companies had a notion of a fair deal. They made money but also provided a good value product. There were little things they could cut but didn't because they felt intuitively it would hurt them if they did. Now in the era of "big data" they treat each of us like bitcoin to be mined and couldn't care less whether anyone has a complaint because there are so many others.
The airlines are doing the same exact thing. Until people actually create unions and associations as consumers to fight back, the companies are going to be more powerful and successful in screwing ordinary people.
The owners of these lines have absorbed all the profits. And they use the crew like slaves. I don't even believe they get their tips. We are done with cruising.
Our experience on the Breakaway was so bad that we'll never use NCL again. We have options and the best way to express our displeasure is by no longer sailing with NCL.
My experience on the Gem was so bad that I will never cruise NCL again!
We were on Breakaway last June and feel exactly the same! Never again!
2nd NCL is in Dec 1-12 on breakaway. Sure hope I don't regret it as am pretty sure it's my last cruise anywhere due to affordability
@@hill77276 we are on that one too. I am beginning to have 2nd thoughts. Wanted to see the Sky Ice Bar, hope it is open.
Our last cruise was on the NCL Gem in August 2023. Although we have noticed venues are small on all of our past cruises, we didn't notice any of the problems you spoke of. Our ship and stateroom were neat, clean , and food was excellant, staff were friendly and efficient. Are there crowds? Yes, it's to be expected on a ship with so many guests. Our next cruise is in 3 weeks on the Breakaway. We'll see how it is
We’ll be on Breakaway on Oct. 27th to Bermuda for our 30th wedding anniversary. We only get to go on vacation every couple of years unfortunately & after watching this I’m trying to be hopeful. Let’s be optimistic that in 3 weeks we ALL have a wonderful time 🩵
@@nicolewiltsey7793 Hi, Bermuda in end of October? What is the weather like? Assuming out of NYC? Hope you enjoy, I loved the Getaway to Bahamas in 2023, sister ship to Breakaway. Hope to get on the Breakaway this December for a Caribbean 7 day, out of Miami.
We loved our cruise for the most part (on the Prima), but the lack of housekeeping staff, reduction in good entertainment and small venues were a downer. We do agree that these issues tarnished our experience. (Just disembarked yesterday)
We are sapphire level and have done 15 NCL cruises. The company has definitely changed/declined since the pandemic. When the “smoked salmon” for the bagels was eliminated and the Salmon at dinner was replaced by Cod, it became clear it’s a different company now. We were loyal to them for over a decade but lately we have been doing Royal and Celebrity. On our New England cruise last fall we brought a friend that hadn’t cruised before. She said never again. The crew seems overworked and some even seem depressed now….SAD….
That was our experience exactly. 40 days sapphine level. Long lines and a sad overworked crew. First time I ever sent food back. The couple we were introducing to NCL wondered if we were crazy. We told them it didn't used to be like this. We are now on Celebrity for 43 days. Terrific
And the other part is, it doesn’t seem like it’s a short term “making money back for the two years we lost” type of change that’ll ultimately change back. These moves go one way and one way only
We always loved NCL as well and the last trip on Viva not good, food has dropped, cabin attendants not thoroughly cleaning, I left a cereal drop on the floor just a little round thing, I left it on purpose to see if it would get missed and it did, no vacuuming, it wasn't hard to miss. We are going to change to Princess and Celebrity from now on. These cruise lines had better watch their pricing as they can price themselves out of the market and no one will cruise with them. Time to boycott then they will feel it.
Honestly, we just came back from our first ever cruise and it was with NCL. I have to say I agree with the comment with the staff, they really did seem depressed or grumpy. And the food was average at best.
Omg! Replaced Salmon with Cod?!! 😂
I am with you! My cruise last October was so disappointing & the changes in entertainment, food & costs were awful. If you don't drink or gamble the ships' offering will be limited.
Just got off Encore. The ship was beautiful. The staff was lovely. It seemed like the Mdr had an over supply of crew, but the room stewards were overworked. The food was dismal. I had better in the hospital. Entertainment was lacking for sure. Better cruise lines to choose.
Indian food at the buffet is amazing. The only thing I enjoyed honestly..
We went on the Epic a few years ago and it was not good , the ship needs a total rethink all its interiors . No decent bars where you could find a seat after dinner . Dinner wasn’t brilliant either , dark dingy environment not relaxing at all . Only place after dinner we found was the karaoke lounge which was a nightmare . The restaurant was very tired , no nice lounges facing outwards for views or just relaxing watching the sea . They had planned three more ships,like the Epic and after launching it I think they realised the layout was not working and cancelled the others . Would never recommend the Epic ship , just too many layout problems on all,decks . Crew were great though
I bet you loved the micro bathroom sink in the middle of the room.
Just got off a 12 day Royal Caribbean Canary Islands cruise and we were constantly trying to be upsold on specialty dining, drinks and everything else. They didn’t let up the entire cruise.
My brother & I are platinum members with NCL and will not cruise with them again. Being charged for things we've already paid for and cancelling half the ports of call are the main reasons. The food has also gone down in the past few years. Embarkation was a nightmare the past 2 cruises.
We had our first cruise on the Joy over the summer. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I keep hearing people talking online about upselling but didn’t experience it onboard. I understand cutbacks on shows and entertainment could disappoint some. But I’m not that into musicals. Caught Elements (booked early) and was pretty good. Rooms were in good condition and the once a day cleaning like a hotel was sufficient. The food overall was good but some were better than others. Buffet was large and varied, specialty restaurants were extra nice.
I'm happy that you enjoyed your trip. I have have several years of good sailing with Norwegian too, I guess I can definitely see the downward spiral of the product and the steadily ascending cost. Summers is taking away most of the things we loved in the past
I went on my first NCL cruise in December 2019 and again last year in November. The state of the ship, crew, service and quality of food was so different. I was so sad and found myself just feeling so bad for the crew. Not to mention, everything was sooo much more expensive. They were obviously overwhelmed, burned out but trying their best to make things enjoyable. I will be going on virgin in March and looking forward to the simpler charging.
As a couple who has cruised both NCL and Virgin many times, you will not believe the difference. Virgin crew is *so* much happier and more accomodating, the ships are spotless, the food is amazing (and every venue included), ZERO upselling, and while the entertainment might not be everyone's cup of tea, there's plenty of it. And like you said, simpler pricing--just wish they had a drinks package!
Good for you to provide this valuable information! I’ve never cruised with NCL, and doubt that will change.
You shouldn’t let this video make that decision. I was just on the Prima and it was amazing. You won’t find that elsewhere. They factor in the drink package. There are no rules on how many drinks. Great staff. I’ll only sail NCL
We were on the Norwegian Gem in September. Staff was friendly. The only beef, besides the fact that a lot of us passengers exited the ship with covid, was that our steward did nothing! He never took our dirty towels. They piled up. Kept bringing more. We also had dirty dishes that sat for 3 days. He never took them. The only thing he did was make the bed and bring towels. No vacuum, bathroom shower had mold. He still received a generous tip from us, but we weren't very happy with him. Others on the ship posted pics of their towel animals, etc. We had a pile of towels.
Imagine tipping for POOR service. It's no wonder they get away with it.
I may have been on that sailing and exited the ship in Boston with Covid. I didn't get to enjoy Boston as I was so ill.
NCL JOY , twice got covid . Never got covid from anyplace else . The staff do not disinfect the rooms . Especially ♿️rooms should be but they r the worst ..
I've been cruising with Norwegian over 10 years now, 13 cruises overall. Last one was a Greek Isles cruise a month ago. I had a wonderful time. I did notice cuts too. For example, smaller selection in dining, entertainment, and turn down service. The upselling does not bother me in the least bit. If I'm not interested in the item, I won't buy it. I still enjoy their product, and will cruise with them in the future.
I agree with you…. Same here will keep sailing with them
If you never cruised with RCL or Celebrity before (especially the new ships), I suggest you try them once.
You might never want to go back to NCL...
Same here. Did Croatia and Greek Islands on Pearl and had a great time. Pearl is a great ship. 5th Cruise with NCL.
We were on the Bliss and the Encore in Alaska in September and had a great time. However we did notice a lot of the cut backs even since our last cruise on the Bliss in March. One thing that caught my attention was the lack of vegetables as side dished on the entrees. It was odd. The courses for the specialty restaurants cut back from 4 to 3, looks like more at sea will fix that. I chalked it all up to reducing waste, which I completely understand. But maybe having side dishes to order would be nice. Not giving up on them, because I do love Norwegian but I am not as brand loyal as I once was.
Our feedback to them after sailing Viva in Haven is that NCL had broken us forever from sailing with them ever again. What a shame.
We've been on the Viva twice and the ship was dreadful. We had to think of it as room and board for Europe. It shouldn't be that way.
I'm glad that you brought up NCL's habit of making changes right after either final payment date or right after cancellation fee increases. I cancelled my Feb 2025 cruise and am sailing on MSC in Nov 2025
Just got off Epic on September 16 in Rome for 10 days mediterranean. 10 days, 8 ports. The ship seemed crowed compared to Royal Princess that we were on last year. I think the layout of the ship. Royal Princess is the same size as Epic but we never felt like it was crowded. It Costed us a fortune for Balcony stateroom. I chose NCL because of the itinerary. It took them forever to clean the stateroom. The bathrooms were dirty.
Wow. I guess never having been on a cruise isn't so bad. I will stick to watching Ben and David's videos for a vicarious experience. Thanks, Ben and David.
I haven’t tried Norwegian but I know my go to DCL has cut back on staff, dining, and other activities we enjoyed in the past. All while costs go up and they add concierge and reduce service for everyone else.
It’s a sad change.
The cutbacks are accelerated on Norwegian, but I've noticed this on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, HAL, & Cunard. The business model of increasing obnoxious onboard revenue production is maddening & cheapens the experience to the point of being tacky. The lower quality of service presentation is the reason I no longer cruise these mainstream lines. My solution is Viking Ocean. I can't sing their praises enough. Viking is everything I expect of a cruise line. Ship design, service, crew, dining, onboard atmosphere, ect. Higher price point, yet worth every penny.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. My husband and I are looking for a first cruise, so I've been watching videos and reading comments. I really appreciate ones like yours. We're in the San Francisco Bay Area so we'll be sailing out of Ca.
Having a little experience with MSC and NCL recently, I know you had your issues with MSC but I would gladly take an MSC cruise over any NCL cruise. Glad you made this video because it's good to keep these companies accountable.
Totally agree, MSC are a much better cruise line, we have just returned from a trans Atlantic cruise which was so disapointing, never again
Lots of historic passengers with NCL have stated they would never cruise with this company again owing to their uncaring attitude towards the guests when you have genuine concerns and complaints, we experienced the same on our recent trans Atlantic cruise, book with other cruise lines, they are so much better than NCL
Utter nonsense.....NCL leave them standing - MSC are glorified ferries
@@arthurkettle3010 when did you last cruise with them, they are dreadful now
We've been avid NCL Cruisers with Sapphire status and we have Shares to get a little extra spending cash on our cruises, so very loyal. However, we're starting to investigate other lines for prices, itineraries, and amenities. We currently have another NCL cruise booked for the end of October and decided that if this one gives us the same low vibe we have been getting, we will be going elsewhere for our cruises. And yes, I am tired of all the upselling and sales pitches we get subjected to while we try to relax. Thank you for being very vocal about what a lot of us are thinking quietly.
We sailed the Norwegian Sun from Seattle to Alaska in August of this year. Yes - everything in this video. Everything was LESS than on our other cruises: no towel animals, never had turndown service, acceptable food (but worse in Cagney's)(never amazing)(no escargot!), slow service in the bars... Surprised that smoking was still allowed in the casino - so we never played. The entertainment for 10 days? A juggler, a magician, and a comedian - whoopie! I got better internet via onshore cell towers than with the ship's wifi. That said, 95% of the staff with whom we interacted were fabulous people. It's not their fault there are not enough of them. But for what we paid, I expected a LOT more. Next up, the Breakaway to Bermuda at the end of this month. Fingers crossed! Will probably not use NCL again. But, hey, it was better than COSTA (floating Motel 6) lol
We are done with NCL , if u seen the dirty vent , you be shocked. My doctor said I should report it to CDC .. then we go home sick .
we sail March 12, 2025 on NCL Dawn from Cape Town to Lisbon and have already been told of port changes. Our first time on NCL, we are long time Princess cruisers but this itinerary looked solid.
Hope your cruise goes well as it has an amazing itinerary. I was going on that cruise and read so many negative reviews about NCL. Opted to spend more and now sailing with Regent. Be interested to know how you go.
We are platinum with NCL. Our last 2 cruises were terrible. They called tonight to ask if we were interested in booking something for this fall. I asked what ships were in Port Canaveral, our home port. The response: the Epic. Nope. No way.
did you tell them to get forked?
I'm curious, since I was looking at the epic, is it a bad ship??
@@jjk9275did you see their videos on the Epic? It is actually that bad.
@@jjk9275 I'm sailing on the Epic at the end of November to the Caribbean. It'll be my first time on NCL. I hear that the Epic, as a ship, is horrible. It just wasn't designed correctly. Rooms are weird, pool deck is too small, passageways & other areas are not big enough. What people like are the ports, the food and the drinks (drink package is actually affordable). I'm usually a RCCL customer, but their ships always go to the same ports. The really good RCCL cruises occur on dates when I can't go.
@@LadyJay114 I sailed on the Jade a short while ago. Unusual design, no central chandelier or staircase, but I liked that
Having cruised for years and get that tipping has always been part of the cruise expense use to be great to get an envelope and put the cash in and hand to the person but things change I get that. But cruise companies are now using gratuities for profit not what it is intended for. This really needs to be looked at. I know some of the less lines like P&O have got rid of gratuities but some are exploiting this!
Been on 46 NCL cruises and the staff has told us time and again that they don't receive these so called gratuities. It's just more money for NCL. Plus, you pay so much extra when you book free at sea. Hundreds in gratuities there too...
NCL started changing when O'Sheehan left.
Those were the days😢.miss him
More like when old CEO left
We just got off NCL Encore to Alaska out of Seattle and had a fabulous time. Food was amazing, staff was so happy and kind. This is our fourth NCL cruise since 2019 and we have our next one booked with them for 2025!
It is still a great deal compared to staying in hotels and going to separate restaurants and shows. Your review seems a bit harsh....we have been on The Joy, The Spirit and The Star in the last 3 years and have been very pleased. Going on a NCL New Year's cruise on 12/29 to Mexico. Fingers crossed! 🙏🏼🤩
Thanks for the video. Just did a 12 night cruise on the Spirit. I had a list of complaints including the service charge. In the end I asked for a service charge waiver and wrote 5 pages of complaints.
Thank you so much Ben for making this video. My wife and I sailed the Joy in June 2024. We have sailed 4 times on NCL and have loved it until this cruise. We could not put our finger on exactly why it felt off. Now we know. The boat was 100% booked. Way too crowded. We used to be able to buy day passes for the spa or vibe but we were told we had to buy the whole week or nothing. Last year we loved The Choir of Men. This year the show was obscure and not as enjoyable. I am the type of person that likes to remeber staff who do great work and go to their bars. It felt lime all the crew were more busy and stressed than normal and normal is crazy busy. We are used to upselling but it was a bit much this year. It makes sense now. I'm sad to see this happening.
I sailed on the Epic in December and found the Ben and David critique 100 percent correct. I was very disappointed and will rethink Norwegian cruise line. Such a shame as I used to love norwegian.
My first and only cruise was on NCL Viva this March. Had the best time- wonderful food and service! I am trying to book a cruise for 2025 and there is a lack of variety on their Caribbean cruises- seems to be only 2 routes and not many options for going to Barbados and St Lucia.
But what is striking me when I look at Northern Europe or Alaskan cruises is that the prices are exorbitant ! The ships are older and have flaws that I can’t over look. So now I am looking at other cruise lines because of lack of route options and newer ships. And I have unused Cruise Next credits that are waiting to be used.
We too took a NCL cruise this summer and looked for a cruise the summer of 2025 ----lack of variety ==now booked RC on Symphony out of New Jersey.
Not to butt in, but if you're focused on itinerary, have you considered P&O for the Caribbean? I have done a 2 week with them, plus a 1 week + 1 week repositioning cruise with from Barbados back to Southampton. I prefer Celebrity in general, but the P&O 2-week Caribbean itinerary involves like 10 ports and isn't all centered on getting you to spend money on the line's own private island. And with flight packages from the UK, they usually seem the most reasonable from here.
I think you've nailed NCL, we just hit Silver with them and I agree with everything you've said. We just stayed on EPIC before you and you were 100% correct about that ship.
You think Royal Caribbean is any better? They have gone downhill for years. I won’t cruise them anymore either. I save my money and do less cruises and do Oceania and Viking
Can't speak for a lot of Royal cruises, but I like my little frequent 4-day run to Ensenada. 10 total, with five since October 2022 and another three on the way. Are the prices higher? Yes, everything is higher since the pandemic, not just cruising. When I cruise solo (four times so far), I don't buy drinks. I'm almost Diamond, so I may start drinking a little...or not. I do a specialty lunch and all main dinings (early seating). I get my pizza and lemon cookies between 10:30 and midnight. I don't do a lot of the activities and I don't leave the ship once I board until it's time to go home. No tenders, no excursions. Cruises, for me, are my chance to decompress--fully--with managed personal interactions.
Oceania is way over hyped.
The food is just ok...
I have had better food on Celebrity.
The Evening entertainment is HORRENDOUS.
For the price...Celebrity wins hands down.
Just returned from a trans Atlantic cruise with NCL, absolutely awful uncaring cruise line, absolute chaos at Port of Lisbon, queues over 4 hours long, people were fighting in the queue due to people pushing in, never again
@@garyberridge4110 we weren’t fans of the port of Lisbon either.
Very confusing.
I agree with everything on this video. It’s become a budget cruise with a premium price. The market will slow at some point and they’ll have lost their loyal fan base. I’m booking princess or celebrity until this CEO takes his golden ticket and goes
Great video with accurate stats and feedback. This video needed to be made and accurate info needed to be said. Well done! We booked off NCL to Celebrity for our Greece cruise next summer. Even though with Celebrity it will be on an older ship vs NCL for that itinerary, we want to experience better food and service without the upselling hassle always in your face.
I was on Epic in May and I agree with everything you have said. After I made my final payment they changed ports! Also the soot was so made it ruined a white shirt I had. Went to guest services and they said I should dry clean it when I get home!
They changed my ports too
My most recent cruise was on the Norwegian Bliss and I did notice my oddities. NCL changed my mother's shore excursion prior to our sailing date without even notifying her and there was at least one occasion when it took a long time for our cabin steward to make up the room. Beyond that, we had a pleasant cruise. We did receive the upselling notices you mentioned (art auctions, etc), but we tossed most of those immediately into the trash.
This review is 1000% spot on, considering I just got off of the NCL Joy today (8/7)!
I haven’t sailed since pre pandemic 2019 and on day 1, I noticed the difference in service. We had to manually bring our bags to our room after they told us the rooms were ready. Typically these are delivered to our rooms soon after departure. But we noticed our luggage just lingering in the hallways. Extremely limited Broadway style entertainment and we also noticed the food options were as well. The buffet alone had at least 4 burger & hot dog stations. Not sure why so many are needed.
Overall, the staff was very friendly and if they are being overworked, they didn’t show it to the guests.
I do hope one day, the cruise line reads these reviews and work to get the cruise line back to pre pandemic standards.
We just got off our first NCL cruise, 10 days in the Adriatic. We had a lovely time, but definitely noticed the lack of things to do on our one at sea day, the constant pushing to buy Cruise Next certificates, pictures, jewelry, etc., and the mediocre (but adequate) food in the non-specialty dining areas. The staff was mostly absolutely lovely, the ship seemed very clean, and we were very happy with most of our excursions, but I think I'd like to try a couple more cruise lines.
We had the worst experience on the Breakaway, cabin wasn’t clean, left over stuff on the floor from previous cruisers, the balcony looked like it had not been cleaned in months, couldn’t even sit outside. Food was horrible, in the MDR, food always came out cold, I can go on forever, never again, we do at least 6 cruises as year and NCL is not one of them.
I've noticed the same kind of thing on Holland-America - cuts in services, ever more aggressive up-selling, less entertainment. The food is still excellent - you certainly won't go hungry - but you can see that the menu choices have been trimmed. Cabins cleaned only once per day, no turndown service. No "midnight dessert extravaganza" any more. The most disappointing recent change is on the Alaska cruises: the Glacier Discovery cruise used to terminate in Seward, now it terminates in Whittier: a tiny fishing village of about 250 permanent residents that was an Army supply depot during WWII and the early days of the Cold War, but which is now more-or-less abandoned except for the handful of Government workers who maintain what little infrastructure is left, and the seasonal workers who handle the cruise tourists. There's almost nothing to do in Whittier except walk the waterfront area and look at fishing boats. The larger the ships get, the more soul-less and impersonal they feel. The glory days of cruising were crushed into oblivion by the 2008-2011 financial crisis and I don't suppose we will ever see them again.
I’ve never had anyone ask us about purchasing another cruise during dinner. We’ve got 4 cruises this winter we’ll see how it goes. We love Norwegian cruise line.
We cruised the Breakaway last July getting a Haven room, which was located several floors away fron the main Haven. It looked like they slapped a sign Haven on our cabin as it looked like any balcony cabin. Uncomfortable wicker furniture - how cheap can you get. My wife was fuming when she saw the small balcony - two upright chairs no lounger. She complained the whole week.
For the money spent, I felt cheated. The Haven itself and staff though was a nice experience. We are going on RC Symphony of the Seas in July out of New Jersey. Miami was dreadfully hot last summer. The larger ship should haaave better options for food.
I appreciate your honest feedback. Thank you
We have been on one Norwegian Cruise and our only complaint was the lack of bartenders and other service positions. People were waiting in incredibly long lines just to get a drink.
Another disappointing NCL development is the closing of a big chunk of each Observation Lounge to replace it with suites. The OL’s have been a huge differentiator for NCL-calm, usually uncrowded public spaces where passengers can enjoy gorgeous views in an upscale setting free of charge. (The last bit being what put OLs on the chopping block.) With more cabins and less public space, each ship will be more crowded with a diminished customer experience. So sad! And bad strategy because NCL will be in the position to have to cut costs and spend big to win back customers. But those execs will already be set for life, so who cares.
I am also a Platinum NCL member and after our cruise next month will be Sapphire. You are right about itinerary changes. Right after the final payment date, our Panama Canal cruise that leaves from LA and ends in Tampa had a huge change. They took out five ports and only added three. Of course, the main ones we chose this itinerary for were the ones they took out. Now we have seven sea days instead of five. The letter they send out telling you about the changes is a stock letter we've seen before. Baloney!! We only sail on the smaller ships (hubby won't do anything larger than 2400 people) and have always had a good time. The bars are plentiful and the venues are large as well. I do agree that the staff is much smaller. We've sailed three times since the pandemic and the difference is very noticeable. I talk to our steward and the folks at Shore Excursions. They will tell you they are understaffed. I've written letters and done all the surveys they send after you sail. I can only hope it will help the crew. We're stuck with this cruise for next month because they have you over a barrel once last payment dates have been reached, but it will be our last with NCL.
Just finished our 9th cruise with NCL on Norwegian Pearl.
We had a really lovely cruise, but we were in a very expensive suite so expected to get good treatment.
However, the entertainment was dreadful, nothing like it used to be.
Food in the buffet also well below what we have previously experienced with Norwegian.
So disappointed with them.
I did notice the upselling, and small venues on my last Norwegian cruise. I was also bothered by abrupt cancelling of shows in the main theater with little to no explanation.
I like NCL's older smaller ships and I appreciate that NCL refurbishes these ships instead of letting them wear down while still selling top $$ cruises on them, looking at you Royal. The larger NCL ships (3500+ passengers) seem difficult under the best circumstances.
NCL CEO has said repeatedly on earnings calls that the company would maximize profit on everything but the basic cruise cost so the upselling and emails are not an issue for me. Expect it, say no and enjoy your cruise. 🏖️☀️🍹🍸
We are on one now in Europe and you are correct. My drink package does not even include water? WTF? We did one in Hawaii 2 years ago our first one. Compared to Princess we just did to Alaska service is not as good at all. Short on shore and the map does not even make sense.
We used to sail exclusively on Norwegian. Then they turned into sleazy car salesmen. Their initial cruise prices are comparable with others, but then they wanted to start adding $400+ for “Port fees and taxes”. If you checked Carnival or RC for the same itinerary, their port fees and taxes were $100-$150. We have 2 Cruise Next coupons for $250 each, and even using those, everybody else is cheaper for the same cruise. Norwegian trying to screw people over. They deserve to be “Going Down”.
The same happened to us in 2022.
Booked to sail on the Epic and after final payment day we got an email that the whole back of the ship (Spice H²O), sports court and running track where closed!
As it was summer break in Europe the ship felt overcrowded outside on the Lido (the only outside place to go).
The inside was very dark.
If that was our first cruise I don't think we'd ever cruise again...
On the bright side; the shows were very good and we liked the Free at Sea concept. Loved the Brazilian restaurant and the pub (is it called O'Sheehan's?) and didn't mind the special way the room was designed.
You Said it all, I've sailed with them for years, really letting the company fall apart, so sad.
I went on NCL for the first time in early 2024 and I was also taken aback by all of the upselling attempts. It really spoiled my impression of an otherwise great time. I hope they can turn that aspect around and just let people enjoy the vacation they've already paid for
We travelled on the Prima from London to Iceland this year. We had never sailed with NCL before and it was fantastic. We didn't experience the problems you mentioned but the Prima is still pretty new and the itinerary was jam packed with only 2 at sea days. The crew were fantastic. We were on Shore Tours most days. We came back with a really good impression of NCL and especially the Prima. I'm sorry to hear that there is so many problems across the fleet.
Nice to hear. We are doing this cruise in August 2025(start in Reykjavik though). Amazing itinerary….Iceland, 3 Norway fjords, Belgium, Netherlands and England. No other line offers this as far as I know…personally it doesn’t get better than that.
@1flames952 it's like they're the necessary evil due to their destinations. They've definitely changed since covid.
My 1st NCL cruise was Prima Galveston to Costa Maya, Hondura, Cozume & Belize. Jan 5-12/ 2024 (as Solo).
Loved everything about it.
Donna Summers show was Spectacular with a well-deserved standing ovation.
My one Specialty meal at Palomar was Exceptional. Doubt upcoming Dec 1-12 Breakaway Miami will favorably compare
If the CEO is the highest paid in the industry and he has cut staff like they were soiled goods on a sales floor, how do they expect the crew to feel? It sounds more like they are trying to cut costs to find a buyer.....Changing things after you have made a booking at all is bad enough but changing directly after final payment ? Dodgy as a stale crab stick. If I were in the market for a cruise I would be looking at reviews and I would NOT be using this cruise line.
I'm so bummed to hear this, we have only been on one cruise we bought cruise next so we planned to make NCL our main cruise. We loved our ship and food was amazingv. I really do think happy customers don't post as much as unhappy customers
Which ship was it? We've been on 2, our only 2 ever and they seemed great. Before we booked the first one a quick Google/forum search showed the Epic had mixed/poor reviews. We have done Encore and Escape.
I agree with this! We just got off the NCL Jade and it was great! I had been getting nervous with many negative comments in the Facebook group but I did not find any of the negatives to be true. 🤷🏻♀️
@@JustinM2025 we were on the Encore in Alaska. We have our next one booked on the Gem next year I expect it to be much different but all the review as I've read are mostly positive
Don’t be bummed, go in with a positive, open mind and you will love NCL. It won’t be perfect, nothing is…just don’t let a few negatives spoil your overall vacation… you are on vacation!!!
Take opinions with a grain of salt. Cruises are subjective to the persons expectations and we are living in an ungrateful and entitled world. I have been on 6 NCL cruises, 5 post Covid. I have had a wonderful time on all of them. I've sailed the Epic 2x. It's a different ship in design. If you understand the back story of what they were trying to accomplish, it is not so bad. What they learned what worked and didn't, they were able to design the Breakaway class. I like the design of the ship, contrary to others. I was on the Epic in November last year. I did not notice any filth. I noticed aging but nothing so ghastly. I've been on other cruiselines that have the same wear and tear.
The last time that I was on the NCL EPIC was 2016 and it was decent overall and included food was very good but hasn't cruised with NCL since 2019 just before the pandemic. I've heard about the nickel and dime thingy and now enjoy cruising with Princess and Royal Caribbean cruise lines. Yes, you're so right a once good cruise line but not anymore. Thanks for the update.😀
We have never had anyone sell anything will at dinner. Sailed on Epic multiple times and have never had any of the issues that you are having
I went on my first cruise earlier this year. Iceland/Greenland with NCL. The lunch and dinner buffet were not that good and not at all what I expected from a cruise. Specialty dining was wonderful and breakfast was fine. Staff was very professional and friendly. I did just book an Alaskan cruise on Bliss for 2026 so fingers crossed things get better.
Never have cruised NCL and now probably never will . Thanks for the truthful information Ben and David.
We cruised in March of this year. I noticed less big shows but figured that was because it was a smaller ship. However the other entertainment around tte ship was amazing. Small groups playing around the various venues and the comedy shows were more than enough for us. Our room steward was busy but responsive. I really don't miss the second visit. I can turn down the sheets all by myself. 😊. Buffet was crowded, but we enjoyed the main dining rooms and breakfast in our room. We are doing a Transatlantic at the end of November are i am excited.
I’m platinum and a stockholder and I’m never going back. My last cruise was a transatlantic where they cut two days off the end, dropped ports and waited until late on Good Friday afternoon a week before sailing to tell us. The more I hear about the cutbacks, the more I’m happy to be spoiled and pampered on Viking.
You now need to cruise on “almost all included” lines like Viking, which we love. Or Oceania, or most Celebrity cruises.
7:16 - Wait the employees are getting more work and less pay BUT you mentioned just before the automatic gratuities are almost doubling? Does that mean NCL is keeping the gratuity increases instead of paying them as tips?
We loved Heaven, but on the new ships, they overbuilt the Heaven area, and the space is inappropriate for the number of guests.
To start with we are platinum on CCL, and Princess, so we’ve been around a bit. Did the Prima in April from Galveston to Miami. Had a good time, but neither of us are interested in doing NCL again. Ship was different but we liked it. However, one weird thing was they start stacking the loungers at 6:30 PM, on deck 8. Then an aggravation was the art People would take over half of the observation lounge from like noon to 4 every day, so you couldn’t enjoy the quiet, probably because of the small venues. Otherwise we had a good time, but just didn’t feel the need to do NCL again.
Our last NCL cruise was on the Prima and it quickly became my favorite ship after Celebrity's Beyond. If I could take the thermal suite from the Prima and put it on the Beyond, I'd have the perfect ship! I can't wait to sail on her sister, the Viva when she begins to home port in Galveston instead of San Juan. Missed ports and itinerary changes have never bothered us because we're there for the ship and being on the ocean. Honestly, we rarely get off at ports because we've been so many times so I think experience is different for long-time cruisers versus first-time cruisers. I will say the Epic definitely looks to be in need of an extensive dry dock. For us, the ship is the destination but we do sail different lines. On NCL we've sailed Gem, Jewel, Encore and Prima and loved each one.
Hope you are not disappointed on Viva as we were, we loved the Prima it was perfect, food great, great attendant for our room, then we went on the Viva, not that great, food went down hill, room not getting cleaned properly. Changing now.
We were on the prima and we love it Brilliant ship ❤
I did Prima last year and loved it (first cruise) - did Getaway this year and Hated it. Yea the Thermal suite on Prima is amazing, love what they did there.
I have been on a grand total of one cruise and it was with NCL this September. Customer Service before the cruise was very 'meh' but onboard was amazing. Our room steward went above and beyond for us multiple times. The excursion desk did some amazing stuff for us - even making a couple of exceptions for some extenuating circumstances. There were staff everywhere I looked and were constantly clearing dishes away, refreshening mini-buffet spread, and asking what I needed. I experienced a little upselling but nothing I don't expect. Lines at Guest Services was sometimes a bit long but always friendly and helpful. Maybe my expectations are a bit low. 🤷♀️