Anyone cruised on NCL?

[Anonymous]

Since it's the spongebob ship, I'm guessing it's kid friendly. We've only cruised Disney, and we loved it...will we be let down by ncl?

Any comments from people who have actually cruised ncl with kids?

[Anonymous]

We took a carribean cruise a year and a half ago for spring break on the Norwegian gem. It was my 3rd cruise after a P&O (British company) to the Baltic and a Queen Mary 2 crossing from UK->NY). I mention these as reference points--these were my points of comparison for the NCL experience.

I actually was really disappointed in NCL, for these reasons:
Clientele was overall sort of tacky--I mean lots of overweight middle aged men in tank tops, sort of thing, lots of "happy hours" on deck all the time. I wonder if it is because it started from the NYC area (I can say this--I'm from there!) or just what NCL attracts. The freestyle (=no formal /semiformal dress requirements at dinner) meant that people really dressed down and often broke the dress code (like no shorts in the formal restaurants) (I may sound like an old fussy-Duddy, but I'm not old --and it's just that in a nice dining room I would like to feel like it's a fancy experience ).

There were 2 minuscule pools only--one adults only, the other kids/only. So if you wanted to swim with your small child, it was not set up for that. (And imagine a pool about 20 ft on each side, but serving the 1000s of families on the ship. I also found too few quiet areas of the ship--music was always pulsating from the center deck/pool area and radiating out to other public areas.

The kids club was suitable, but they didn't serve food or take them to the restaurant (on the P&O cruise, you could leave the child there for lunch and dinner although you end up not actually putting them there for 12 hrs straight because that would feel too long). On the NCL cruise, you HAD TO collect your children at 11:45 and check them in again at 1, then had to collect at 5;00 or thereabouts. You and dozens of other parents waiting to sign out your kid.

That said, on NCL you could put your child in the kids club in port days and arrange to leave them there all day (meals included) even if you left the ship (P&O didn't allow that). Very nice option.
Our kids, 4 and 6, seemed to like the kids club, although it was a little more of a zoo than the other cruises. There was a varied, fun program.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, pp.

We're actually considering one out of NY. I figured it would be mostly NY/NJ folks.

We wouldn't use the kids clubs, and I don't think we would have high expectations.

We've only cruised with Disney, and we loved it. We loved the casual, kid-friendly attire (kids wore khaki shorts and polos to dinner). We loved have the same waiters that rotated through the restaurants with us, and we loved never having to wait for a table. We loved having the option to go to a kid-friendly show each night.

The pools were small on disney--I think that's just how it is on cruise ships.

Ncl is just so much cheaper (1/3 the cost of disney).

[Anonymous]

Pp here--I agree that the costs is attractive for NCL vs disney.
It sounds like you are fine with the casual feel--the only thing is to check your ships pool options. I mean, the Gem had only ONE small pool for kids. Didn't
the disney ship have more than one? Our other 2 ships had two or more pools to choose from. When there are so many kids, it feels so cramped to have just one pool.
Are your kids old enough to be entertained all day on their own? Mine needed the playtime.

[Anonymous]

We cruised on the Norwegian Epic when it was new (5ish years ago?) and at the time it was the biggest in their fleet (the new ships, Breakaway - which I believe goes out of NY - and Getaway may now be bigger, I can't recall). We had a good time and enjoyed all of the different venues and activities on the ship, but it was PACKED on the sun decks and by the pool. Getting a deck chair by the pool was pretty much impossible unless you got there early in the morning and camped out - we usually ended up on the higher-up sun decks (above the pool) or the adults sun deck (we weren't traveling with kids).

[Anonymous]

I have, from NY since that's where my family is. I can't stand NCL. I prefer RC.

Ships are "meh", though might be better on newer ones.

Ours had some kind of spongebob thing too, but I think i saw the characters once, just kind of dancing and doing silly games with the little ones.

We didn't use the kids club, but we actually ended up liking the half assed playroom set up for the under 2s, because we had a central meeting spot for other families we befriended.

Food is crap. Their menu hasn't changed in years and is pretty bad. I always think it would be nice to order the dessert cheese plate, but it's like a chunk of cheddar and some flavorless melon. The buffet lunch area and salad bar are fine. Like a previous poster, I like when dinner is slightly more formal, but there are definitely people in shorts in the main dining room. Because of the open seating, your waiters don't get to know you and don't do much to improve the experience.

Pool is crowded but fine. Nothing great. Loud music, but most ships have that.

I'd do NCL if family was planning and paying, but if it was up to me I wouldn't even look into it.