RICHinNC
Contributor
Ok, If you are the type of person where everything has to be absolutely positive, I would not recommend reading any further. This was my first boat cruise (non-diving) and it didnt go very well. The only reason I decided to go ahead and put this on the board was just in case anyone else was considering the same cruise. At least they would be forewarned.
My girlfriend and I have been talking about a cruise for some time and decided to try the Norwegian Sea Cruise because it was .short (only a week) .was close (East coast) ..and reasonably priced. Normally our vacations entail us flying somewhere...usually Europe or Ireland .renting a car and just driving the back roads and seeing the sights. Never the same place two days in a row unless there is something very interesting there. So, we were not too sure how this would work out.
My GF lives in Harrisburg, PA so I had to fly up there from NC. Her parents were going as well .and there was some anticipation about that, but that part worked out splendidly. The tour offered a bus ride from Harrisburg for only $50 a person and we decided to take that offer because of the pain of driving to the New York city dock area and the cost (and danger) of leaving the car for a week in the city.
The bus was right on time. However, the bus driver had no idea how to get back to the New York dock area. If it had not been for some guy on the bus that had been to NY city before we would have been hosed from the start and missed the boat.
We finally found the dock area with the one guy sitting in the step well of the bus and giving turn here directions. Unloading and luggage actually went pretty smoothly. We got into the dock area and on into where the boarding process was to take place. Here is where it all fell apart the first time.
There were over 2,000 people waiting to get on the ship. Some had been there since 10 oclock that morning, and, it was already 8 in the evening. Apparently, the ship was 6 hours late getting berthed in the harbor. Now that wasnt entirely their fault. Apparently, that weekend was also the same weekend for some major boat show .regalia or whatever they do with boats. Point being .there were literally hundreds of boats of all sizes blocking the big ships from entering the harbor area. Every big ship was late that night.
However, and I mean however ..the ships crew or Captain did absolutely nothing to tell the people what was going on and what was causing the delay of getting on the ship now that it was docked. A comment was made by one of the crew that they were looking for 5 people that were missing. Dont think that didnt cause a little stir !!! A little information would have gone a long way.
We didnt get on that boat until after midnight. People were tired, kids were crying and screaming, old folks (about 90% of the people were over 60) were literally dropping like flies. One old guy was in such a panic because his wifes oxygen was about to run out and her spare tank was in her luggage. It was one zoo. Now like I said, the delay was not their fault. But, they did absolutely zip to keep the people informed as to what was going on and why. Also, once it was all over, there was one small apology and nothing offered as a thanks for being patient. Not a free drink, not zip. Now, you can call me small here I guess, but, if you dont think there was about 2,000 or so upset people for being put out the way they were and not getting even a free drink ..
Anyway, we finally got on the ship and made our way to our room. Now I had read a number of reviews about how small the rooms were. Personally, I thought the people were pretty stupid to think they were going to encounter large rooms on a cruise ship. But, people will be people. Our room was not bad at all. We spent the extra bucks and got a room with a window (waste of money). There was a TV and a phone (but you better make more $ than I do if you plan on calling anyone wow!!) and the bathroom was not bad at all.
The only gripe I had about the room was in the bathroom. The toilet had a huge sign over it .Pull up silver handle to flush. So, tell me how would you have tried to flush it??? Well, I pulled and pulled and pried the dang thing with my credit card with the ice handle thingy and couldnt get that silver handle to come up and flush at all. Then my GF came in and moved the towel and there was a button. Yep, you got it. Push the button .flush the dang toilette. What an idiot I can be I guess .reading directions and trying to follow them. Duh.
The whole first day we were at sea and headed for Halifax,Nova Scotia. The whole first day I spent trying to get my sea legs. I am an old Army guy not Navy .and I was one sick puppy. NEVER did the deed .but was sure woozy for a while. Thank God that feeling finally went away. We spent that day just getting familiar with the ship. In fact, as some of you probably know .there is a mandatory life boat drill the first day at sea. Well, they called it a life boat drill. We never saw the boat, never learned how to get into it or anything like that at all. All we did do was show up, stand in the freezing wind, and participate in a roll call.
Actually we were the first people to show up in our boat group. Man, that wind was whipping around like crazy. It was hard to stand up. Anyway, the crew member in charge of our group kept calling me and her to come out from behind the fantail area and out into the wind to wait for everyone else. I yelled back that as soon as everyone else gets there we would come out, but we were not going to stand in 20 mph freezing wet winds to wait on stragglers. As I was mutinying, one of the ships officers came out of a door (hatch?) and hearing what I said, lit into the crew member for not using good common sense his words and moving his group to the fantail area where we were standing out of the wind. Man, he really blew the guy away. My old man was an old crusty Sargent Major and I dont think I ever remember a chewing out as bad as that. I really felt bad for the guy. Any military leader knows you never chew anyone out in front of anyone else. Keep it personal keep it private. Plus, as the officer went around the corner, he found two crew members playing basket ball during the drill and I swear to the Above I thought he was going to toss them overboard!!!
But, we never were told anything at all about the boats, loading procedures, what to watch out for or anything. They just made us stand in the wind for 20 minutes while they took a roster count. I would have hated to think what it would have been like if all those people actually had to use the life boats. Scary.
We finally got to Halifax and here is where my next two gripes come into play. I wont even talk about what a pain it was to get off that boat. Two thousand people headed for one exit only .and it was 4 foot wide and 6 foot tall. Talk about one huge traffic jam. By the 5th day the old folks were hitting each other with their canes !!!
Anyway, my first gripe is with the photographer. On every port we entered, he set up right at the end of the gangplank and tried to get people to have their picture taken. If someone did, they stopped everyone else from disembarking. Man were people upset. It really did slow down getting people off the dock significantly. By the 5th day people were just walking around behind and when he said something they said something back I wont put in here in case some youngster is reading this.
My other gripe was the amount of time we were allowed in port. We always had to be back to the dock by 3:30 or 4 pm. And, we never left the dock before 10 am, so that left us little time to see the sites. We were sitting around talking at dinner one night and most of the table couldnt figure out why we were given so little time when our ports were never more than a few hours sailing time. (Halifax to Marthas Vineyard to Bar Harbor, to New Port back to NY ..if I got one out of order you get the idea they were dang close!)
One couple who was at the table and taken more cruises than I got bruises from jumping out of airplanes just laughed at the comment. They asked us .how much of your money does the ship get that you spend on shore???? Well, duh. They said that the Norwegian Cruise line was notorious for short shore visits. They wanted you on the ship and wanted you spending money on the ship. Now, I can believe that. We went to play bingo one night. They wanted $36 per person to play bingo! OK, so I am an idiot, it wasnt for free ..but $36????
The last gripe I will mention is the food. Granted, you could eat 24 hours a day if you wanted. If all the restaurants were closed, you could have room service. Food was not a problem. The cruise director said .often .you come on board as a guest and leave as cargo. Cute the first 20 times I heard it .not there after. Anyway, while the food was abundant .it was really poor quality. We met a number of people that were members of a club called Latitude. Apparently, this is a club of people that are really into cruising. Some of the people had been on over 50 cruises!! A number of them said that this ships food was the worse they had ever encountered. We did have a couple of good meals, but for the most part I would have been happier with C-rations.
Was there anything good we liked??? You bet. They had some of the best entertainment we have seen in a long time. In some cases, Broadway quality. If you were a gambler, they had a small but really nice casino. And, if you were a novice, no problem. They took their time with you ..as they took your money. I actually came out even !!! Miracles do happen. And, being an art lover....they had some fantastic art auctions !
One thing really did surprise me though. It was how much the ship rocked. My God !! I thought big ships didnt do that in calm waters. We never had big waves, no white caps zip. And yet, that thing rocked liked crazy. Someone said they were having problems with the stabilizers. I didnt know ships had stabilizers. Like I said, Army not Navy. Anyway, it felt like all the passengers were running from one side of the deck to the other in unison the whole time. Plus, there were times the ship just vibrated and groaned like it was suddenly thrown into reverse. People just ran to grab something when that happened.
So, would we do another cruise?? Actually, my GF is already researching the internet for our next one. Will it be a Norwegian Cruise Line ship???? No way Jose. But, we do want to be fair. We dont want to judge all cruises by this one. But I can tell you, if the second one is like this .see you driving around Europe!!
If you have done cruises and have any ideas, feel free to let me know. We want to do the Caribbean. I have been trying to find out .do they have ALL INCLUSIVE cruises??? Man, $6 beers can sure add up !!
My girlfriend and I have been talking about a cruise for some time and decided to try the Norwegian Sea Cruise because it was .short (only a week) .was close (East coast) ..and reasonably priced. Normally our vacations entail us flying somewhere...usually Europe or Ireland .renting a car and just driving the back roads and seeing the sights. Never the same place two days in a row unless there is something very interesting there. So, we were not too sure how this would work out.
My GF lives in Harrisburg, PA so I had to fly up there from NC. Her parents were going as well .and there was some anticipation about that, but that part worked out splendidly. The tour offered a bus ride from Harrisburg for only $50 a person and we decided to take that offer because of the pain of driving to the New York city dock area and the cost (and danger) of leaving the car for a week in the city.
The bus was right on time. However, the bus driver had no idea how to get back to the New York dock area. If it had not been for some guy on the bus that had been to NY city before we would have been hosed from the start and missed the boat.
We finally found the dock area with the one guy sitting in the step well of the bus and giving turn here directions. Unloading and luggage actually went pretty smoothly. We got into the dock area and on into where the boarding process was to take place. Here is where it all fell apart the first time.
There were over 2,000 people waiting to get on the ship. Some had been there since 10 oclock that morning, and, it was already 8 in the evening. Apparently, the ship was 6 hours late getting berthed in the harbor. Now that wasnt entirely their fault. Apparently, that weekend was also the same weekend for some major boat show .regalia or whatever they do with boats. Point being .there were literally hundreds of boats of all sizes blocking the big ships from entering the harbor area. Every big ship was late that night.
However, and I mean however ..the ships crew or Captain did absolutely nothing to tell the people what was going on and what was causing the delay of getting on the ship now that it was docked. A comment was made by one of the crew that they were looking for 5 people that were missing. Dont think that didnt cause a little stir !!! A little information would have gone a long way.
We didnt get on that boat until after midnight. People were tired, kids were crying and screaming, old folks (about 90% of the people were over 60) were literally dropping like flies. One old guy was in such a panic because his wifes oxygen was about to run out and her spare tank was in her luggage. It was one zoo. Now like I said, the delay was not their fault. But, they did absolutely zip to keep the people informed as to what was going on and why. Also, once it was all over, there was one small apology and nothing offered as a thanks for being patient. Not a free drink, not zip. Now, you can call me small here I guess, but, if you dont think there was about 2,000 or so upset people for being put out the way they were and not getting even a free drink ..
Anyway, we finally got on the ship and made our way to our room. Now I had read a number of reviews about how small the rooms were. Personally, I thought the people were pretty stupid to think they were going to encounter large rooms on a cruise ship. But, people will be people. Our room was not bad at all. We spent the extra bucks and got a room with a window (waste of money). There was a TV and a phone (but you better make more $ than I do if you plan on calling anyone wow!!) and the bathroom was not bad at all.
The only gripe I had about the room was in the bathroom. The toilet had a huge sign over it .Pull up silver handle to flush. So, tell me how would you have tried to flush it??? Well, I pulled and pulled and pried the dang thing with my credit card with the ice handle thingy and couldnt get that silver handle to come up and flush at all. Then my GF came in and moved the towel and there was a button. Yep, you got it. Push the button .flush the dang toilette. What an idiot I can be I guess .reading directions and trying to follow them. Duh.
The whole first day we were at sea and headed for Halifax,Nova Scotia. The whole first day I spent trying to get my sea legs. I am an old Army guy not Navy .and I was one sick puppy. NEVER did the deed .but was sure woozy for a while. Thank God that feeling finally went away. We spent that day just getting familiar with the ship. In fact, as some of you probably know .there is a mandatory life boat drill the first day at sea. Well, they called it a life boat drill. We never saw the boat, never learned how to get into it or anything like that at all. All we did do was show up, stand in the freezing wind, and participate in a roll call.
Actually we were the first people to show up in our boat group. Man, that wind was whipping around like crazy. It was hard to stand up. Anyway, the crew member in charge of our group kept calling me and her to come out from behind the fantail area and out into the wind to wait for everyone else. I yelled back that as soon as everyone else gets there we would come out, but we were not going to stand in 20 mph freezing wet winds to wait on stragglers. As I was mutinying, one of the ships officers came out of a door (hatch?) and hearing what I said, lit into the crew member for not using good common sense his words and moving his group to the fantail area where we were standing out of the wind. Man, he really blew the guy away. My old man was an old crusty Sargent Major and I dont think I ever remember a chewing out as bad as that. I really felt bad for the guy. Any military leader knows you never chew anyone out in front of anyone else. Keep it personal keep it private. Plus, as the officer went around the corner, he found two crew members playing basket ball during the drill and I swear to the Above I thought he was going to toss them overboard!!!
But, we never were told anything at all about the boats, loading procedures, what to watch out for or anything. They just made us stand in the wind for 20 minutes while they took a roster count. I would have hated to think what it would have been like if all those people actually had to use the life boats. Scary.
We finally got to Halifax and here is where my next two gripes come into play. I wont even talk about what a pain it was to get off that boat. Two thousand people headed for one exit only .and it was 4 foot wide and 6 foot tall. Talk about one huge traffic jam. By the 5th day the old folks were hitting each other with their canes !!!
Anyway, my first gripe is with the photographer. On every port we entered, he set up right at the end of the gangplank and tried to get people to have their picture taken. If someone did, they stopped everyone else from disembarking. Man were people upset. It really did slow down getting people off the dock significantly. By the 5th day people were just walking around behind and when he said something they said something back I wont put in here in case some youngster is reading this.
My other gripe was the amount of time we were allowed in port. We always had to be back to the dock by 3:30 or 4 pm. And, we never left the dock before 10 am, so that left us little time to see the sites. We were sitting around talking at dinner one night and most of the table couldnt figure out why we were given so little time when our ports were never more than a few hours sailing time. (Halifax to Marthas Vineyard to Bar Harbor, to New Port back to NY ..if I got one out of order you get the idea they were dang close!)
One couple who was at the table and taken more cruises than I got bruises from jumping out of airplanes just laughed at the comment. They asked us .how much of your money does the ship get that you spend on shore???? Well, duh. They said that the Norwegian Cruise line was notorious for short shore visits. They wanted you on the ship and wanted you spending money on the ship. Now, I can believe that. We went to play bingo one night. They wanted $36 per person to play bingo! OK, so I am an idiot, it wasnt for free ..but $36????
The last gripe I will mention is the food. Granted, you could eat 24 hours a day if you wanted. If all the restaurants were closed, you could have room service. Food was not a problem. The cruise director said .often .you come on board as a guest and leave as cargo. Cute the first 20 times I heard it .not there after. Anyway, while the food was abundant .it was really poor quality. We met a number of people that were members of a club called Latitude. Apparently, this is a club of people that are really into cruising. Some of the people had been on over 50 cruises!! A number of them said that this ships food was the worse they had ever encountered. We did have a couple of good meals, but for the most part I would have been happier with C-rations.
Was there anything good we liked??? You bet. They had some of the best entertainment we have seen in a long time. In some cases, Broadway quality. If you were a gambler, they had a small but really nice casino. And, if you were a novice, no problem. They took their time with you ..as they took your money. I actually came out even !!! Miracles do happen. And, being an art lover....they had some fantastic art auctions !
One thing really did surprise me though. It was how much the ship rocked. My God !! I thought big ships didnt do that in calm waters. We never had big waves, no white caps zip. And yet, that thing rocked liked crazy. Someone said they were having problems with the stabilizers. I didnt know ships had stabilizers. Like I said, Army not Navy. Anyway, it felt like all the passengers were running from one side of the deck to the other in unison the whole time. Plus, there were times the ship just vibrated and groaned like it was suddenly thrown into reverse. People just ran to grab something when that happened.
So, would we do another cruise?? Actually, my GF is already researching the internet for our next one. Will it be a Norwegian Cruise Line ship???? No way Jose. But, we do want to be fair. We dont want to judge all cruises by this one. But I can tell you, if the second one is like this .see you driving around Europe!!
If you have done cruises and have any ideas, feel free to let me know. We want to do the Caribbean. I have been trying to find out .do they have ALL INCLUSIVE cruises??? Man, $6 beers can sure add up !!