The Cruise Ship and Cruise Line Discussion Thread!

[SharkTums]

Once again, Disney has shown how they are a cut above the rest:

 

Passengers on Disney Cruise Line's Disney Magic have been delayed on the ship due to gale force winds in the Bahamas.

 

Disney Magic had been due to return to Port Canaveral today after a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise. However, due to strong winds at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay, the ship was forced to remain in port overnight. Guests will now stay onboard the ship until tomorrow morning.

 

Disney has given guests onboard free cell phone calls and a 20 percent discount on future cruises.

 

Passengers booked on today's cruise -- an Eastern Caribbean itinerary -- will now set sail tomorrow (Sunday). In a statement, Disney has said guests have the option of spending the day at the company's Epcot theme park and resort rooms will be provided overnight.

 

Passengers will also be given $20 per person to help with meals today, $100 onboard credit per stateroom and a 20 percent refund of their cruise fare. Guests can also cancel without charge.

 

Look I'd be bummed to miss a day of my cruise too, but being handed tickets and a food voucher to Epcot, as well as a WDW Hotel, sounds like pretty awesome compensation!

 

Way to go Disney!

 

FYI, the cruise lines have tons of small print that makes it so they didn't have to do SQUAT for these people, yet are still going out of their way. Amazing. Really impressed.

[taytig]

Thanks for the update on DCL - I am glad they did what they did for their guests, even when they didn't have to do anything. BUT DCL has always gone above and beyond in my opinion. AS for an overnight at Castaway Cay - not fun, when you can't get off the ship! We had this once when I worked on the Wonder, and it is hard to explain to guests that they can't get off and explore the island....

 

As for NCL - I will never sail with them again. I spent my honeymoon (to Alaska) on the Norwegian Wind (I think that was the name at the time) and the ship was terrible. The food was about as good as Burger King (no offense to Burger King), the entertainment looked like it was from an underfunded high school drama department and the cabins were terrible. We had no working toilet for 5 of the seven days we sailed and they refused to move us to another cabin as there were non left in our price category and they would not upgrade us. I was on a strict diet due to a heart problem and was not allowed to drink and they sent me a bottle of wine as compensation on the last night of the cruise (after a $50 bar bill for the entire cruise from drinking Pepsi/Coke, you think they would have noticed this....). I was also told that we could use a public area toilet instead of fixing the one in our room -oh what fun at 3:00 am! After about 6-8 months of letters and phone calls, they offered me a 25% off another cruise - but only if I cruised with them in the next 6 months - not even possible due to going back to school to become a teacher. When I tried to address my issues on the ship, I was told (at 8:00pm one night) that a manager was not available! Where were the managers? - They don't go home for the night!

 

I have worked in the cruise industry and found NCL to be at the bottom of the barrell. I can honestly say that I don't think there is anyway they could earn my business back. I have heard other people have had better experiences, but I don't think they'll ever get my money again! If they offered me a free cruise - I'd consider it, but my expectations would be very low! I'd rather go with DCL or RCCL....

 

David

[tntornadox]

Not trying to defend them in anyway for what happened to you, fore that is inexcusable.

 

When did you cruise exactly? Norwegian Wind is an old ship by today's standards and has left NCL's fleet... their Jewel class ships look leaps above the old Wind.

[taytig]

We cruised 9.5 yeras ago - and the ship was supposed to have been redone. It was not a great experience, and a hard one to get over. Having worked for DCL, I know what could have happened, and nothing did. Overall negative experience that leaves little desire to go back.

 

As for freestyle cruising - I really don't think I like the concept. I like structure on a vacation like this so you can maximize your experience. Having to stand and wait for dinner would be a real problem for me!

 

David

[disneyfan1313]

Some photos have just been released of the Norwegian Epic undergoing sea trials. This is done quite a bit before the actual first cruise and before it is really painted or finished. It gives you a chance to see the rough shape of the ship in the ocean and how it is coming along. What is especially interesting about these photos is it looks like the Aqua Park is almost all done! Cool stuff to see...

 

Photos courtesy of cruisecritic...

It looks like an old, falling apart ship...but its brand new!

Looks like a lot of the stuff on the top deck is actually finished.

Aqua Park and pool deck area

[SharkTums]

^No no Reed, it pretty much will be that ugly when it's released!

 

Actually the sad thing is we were almost considering it the other day cause it's even relatively cheap for Holiday cruises compared to the other lines. Kind of scary that it's not pulling a premium price like other new ships normally do.

[jedimaster1227]

The official Disney Parks Blog has posted some news about their new Disney Cruise Line Facebook page.

 

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

 

I have really cool news for fans of Facebook and Disney Cruise Line. This morning we launched the official Disney Cruise Line Facebook page. Hooray!!!!! You can check it out here http://www.facebook.com/disneycruiseline.

 

What does that mean for me? Well, it means I’ll have to come up with more fun content and unique Disney Cruise Line stories to share with everyone. What it means for you? You now have a dedicated Facebook channel with the latest news about Disney Cruise Line, behind the scenes features, Disney Dream construction updates, fun games and a few surprises here and there.

 

So go and become a fan http://www.facebook.com/disneycruiseline.

[CoasterPete]

The Epic really is an odd looking ship. Definitely not as graceful looking as some of RCCL's bigger ships but I guess that's not what they're going for. My wife and I have only been on two cruises, first on RCCL's Liberty of the Seas and then on the Norwegian Dawn. Cruising in general is a great vacation but sailing on NCL after having sailed RCCL, just makes you want to only sail with RCCL. The freestyle concept wasn't anything out of this world because as it's been said I feel that the service at the meals definitely lacks. We don't plan on sailing again with NCL anytime soon but would like to try out the Disney Dream in a couple of years. Other than that, I think we plan on being "Loyal to Royal" as they say.

 

Just some thoughts....

 

Peter

[colinlyoung.uk]

Also went on the Norwegian Dawn last year to celebrate my 40th. It was our first cruise, and we deliberately chose NCL for their freestyle cruising (don't like the idea of being told when and where we have to eat, and who we have to sit with). Have to say we were very impressed with the food quality and the service. Would definitely cruise with them again, and are looking at Alaska for next year.

[SharkTums]

^You really should try another line as well.

 

NCL has done a very good job of convincing first time cruisers that other lines FORCE you to sit with strangers at specific times, when in fact ALL the major lines now offer some sort of 'My Time' Dining, where you go eat when you want, and can sit by yourself, with new friends you've maybe met, or with strangers.

 

There are also a ton of different dining venues on some of the new larger ships.

[Chroniq]

As a long time cruiser on princess and ncl, I've become really dissilussioned with the NCL product. The nickel and diming on those ships has become rampart as has the cost cutting. If anyone wants to read some of my previous reviews of NCL search for member "Chris Connolly" on cruise critic.

 

I really like what RCI has done in recent years with the cruise industry. Their largest ships essentially offer the exact benefits of freestyle. You can sit with who you would like to. There are upcharge restaurants. There are multiple activities going on at all times. My next cruise will be Oasis of the Seas as I like see innovation, not bait and switch.

[disneyfan1313]

I know something I have always been fascinated with is the life of a crew member. I found this great interview on Cruise Critic in which an American worked in food service for a few contracts on Carnival. This is especially fascinating because not only is it rare to have Americans in shipboard jobs because of the long hours and low pay, it is even more rare to have a server from the USA.

 

Some interesting tidbits...

Once you're officially working on the ship, regular shifts are three shifts a day, seven days a week, 80-plus hours a week, with no days off for eight months. There's not a set schedule because every itinerary is different, but on a regular weekly sailing, you're going to work breakfast, lunch and dinner -- with probably a lunch off. On some ships, every other week you'd get two of those lunches off. That, of course, is all you get, ever. When I worked on Carnival Legend, which did eight-day cruises, I would have one lunch off every eight days. That's it. NOT a happy time.

 

I'm positive that the important crew members are forbidden to drink to excess (able seamen in charge of lifeboats). Carnival is a freak about safety. And if you're working you can't go. For example, I was in charge of midnight buffet on Carnival Conquest, and they would close off the back pool. My crew would slink away and everyone was getting wild half naked and drunk. Of course they were allowed to have their break ... but they didn't come back! And the thing about management was they'd always turn a blind eye. If crew came in drunk from lunch, they didn't mind. "They work so hard -- let 'em play."

 

BDB: Worst I ever saw was when one of the waiters snapped about how obese Americans are compared to rest of world. Cow animals are what some crew call passengers.

 

Really worth a read.... The life of a Carnival employee.

So what do you think.... would you ever try working on a cruise?

[Swiminn6]

No way! Does not sound like fun at all and I would feel out of place. Also to me it would take the fun out of going on a cruise.

[Jew]

^^I couldn't do it as a line level employee, but the thought of being a manager on a cruise ship has always intrigued me.

[Jakemeister]

I just got of the Norwegian Jewel yesterday and although it was my first cruise I really liked them. I want to try other cruise lines out now but I liked Norwegian. The entertainment on The Jewel was good, the food was okay, but the price we got for being Fl residents was pretty good. Around $370 for 7 days. For that price the gripes I had were over look able and as I said I enjoyed the ship. As far as dining goes, as I said it's okay. The food although not bad is not great. I've had far worse food on vacation. The bar city concept is great, and for anyone cruising with people from the age of 18-20 NCL lets them drink wine and beer with parental consent and lets them gamble as well. I'll return to NCL for that reason probably over every thing else. I really like that since I'm not legally allowed to in the U.S. I really like the entertainment on board. The two comedians they had were great, and the group game shows were fun. I know other cruise lines have just as good entertainment but I was pleasantly surprised by NCL's in particular.

[disneyfan1313]

^ I really thought NCL nailed the entertainment piece. Could you throw together a photo trip report for us? We would love to see some pics!

[Jakemeister]

I can't make promises about a full fledged photo tr but I can probably through together a general photo tr.

[disneyfan1313]

This announcement from RCCL came out today..

Royal Caribbean has teamed up with DeFi to create an iPhone application specifically for guests abroad its cruise ships. Royal Connect allows guests to communicate with family and friends on the ship, make various reservations, and get updates on cruise activities. Parents can also use the application to keep track of where their kids are. through location updates from RFID wristbands. The technology is currently in use on Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship. Guests can rent a handheld device preloaded with the Royal Connect software for $18.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but up until this point on Oasis you had to have their special hand held device to access these features...right? It would be awesome if you could just use an iPhone app to communicate and receive the info. Hopefully they deploy this fleetwide!

[SharkTums]

^From what I understand, it is actual iPhones that they're renting on Oasis right now as well!

 

And yes I guess the idea is that guests could use their own iPhones with this app somehow. Still could be problematic though if you're not careful with roaming and data pushing. I love the idea of renting a shipboard iPhone that we can communicate with each other, make reservations, check the daily schedule, and more!

[BeemerBoy]

I know something I have always been fascinated with is the life of a crew member. I found this great interview on Cruise Critic in which an American worked in food service for a few contracts on Carnival. This is especially fascinating because not only is it rare to have Americans in shipboard jobs because of the long hours and low pay, it is even more rare to have a server from the USA.

 

Really worth a read.... The life of a Carnival employee.

So what do you think.... would you ever try working on a cruise?

 

Thanks for that interesting read! The short answer to your question? HELL NO.

 

Of course, this comes from personal experience in dealing with a similar industry for years - private yachts. But still, what's so strange to me is that in reading the article, I didn't realize how little I knew about their life on board. I mean, I used to pretty much literally live in Port Everglades. I could walk to the end of my street and watch the ships sailing off each evening. Because of the proximity, the fact that both industries used the same waterways, and even had access to all the same bars and hangout spots that the "yachties" had, I'm amazed that crew members' paths never crossed. Although, after reading that article, maybe I'm not so amazed now either.

 

Crews from the private mega yachts were pretty similar in terms of nationalities. It was very diverse, yet Americans have PLENTY of opportunities as opposed to cruise lines. Seriously, I had no idea that life and work on board the cruise lines sucked so bad. I feel rather fortunate, and spoiled now! I don't wanna hijack this great thread and go off topic, but if anyone is actually interested in pursuing a job at sea, I HIGHLY recommend going the private vessel route. Here's a site on the subject (ignore the "get rich quick" look of it, since it does have legit info): clicky, or ask me more about it.

 

Thanks again for posting that, Reed.

[Swiminn6]

This announcement from RCCL came out today..

Royal Caribbean has teamed up with DeFi to create an iPhone application specifically for guests abroad its cruise ships. Royal Connect allows guests to communicate with family and friends on the ship, make various reservations, and get updates on cruise activities. Parents can also use the application to keep track of where their kids are. through location updates from RFID wristbands. The technology is currently in use on Oasis of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship. Guests can rent a handheld device preloaded with the Royal Connect software for $18.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but up until this point on Oasis you had to have their special hand held device to access these features...right? It would be awesome if you could just use an iPhone app to communicate and receive the info. Hopefully they deploy this fleetwide!

 

That would be awesome and I like the idea that Elissa said about renting a iPhone on board! But like she also said, what about those roaming charges if you have your own?!

[Guest]

Can We have drink there.. I mean old wine..!! Cos I Love it all over..!! May I know? How much will it cost for the tour.. over all..!!

 

Danny.

[disneyfan1313]

So NCL is STILL losing money - sure they are doing better (loss of ONLY 39 mil!) but it remains to be seen if Epic will keep them afloat or sink them. With prices still ridiculously low - it isn't looking great. On other "not-so-good for NCL news", Conde Nast magazine released their 2010 cruise poll of their top 90 ships and NO NCL ships made it in the rankings. For those of you keeping tabs - Robb's B-day ship, the Mariner of the Seas was ranked #7 in the list of Megaships!

 

Norwegian Cruise Line, buoyed by rigorous management of revenue and expenses, reported Tuesday that its fourth-quarter loss narrowed to $39 million from $211 million a year earlier.

 

For all of 2009, the Miami-based cruise operator posted net income of $67.2 million, compared to a year earlier loss of $211.8 million.

 

NCL said its net yield, which is the amount of net revenue generated per berth per day, fell 4.2 percent in the latest quarter. Meanwhile, its net cruise costs fell 14.3 percent.

 

Revenue fell 6.7 percent to $401.7 million in the latest quarter from $430.9 million a year earlier.

 

The tight rein on expenses spanned both shipboard costs and those at the administrative offices, according to the cruise operator, which is jointly owned by two U.S. private equity giants, Apollo Management and TPG, and by Genting Hong Kong.

 

``We've had a razor-sharp focus on revenue management and getting the best pricing,'' said Kevin Sheehan, chief executive officer of NCL. ``We've got this great brand and the youngest ships and freestyle cruising.''

 

For all of 2009, NCL's revenue fell 11.9 percent to $1.86 billion from $2.11 billion a year earlier.

 

Sheehan said booking volume continues to be positive compared with last year and occupancy levels for 2010 are tracking 2009's record levels. ``I see many positive factors that are driving improved cruise demand, all of which reinforce the unmatched value of a cruise vacation,'' he said.

 

NCL plans in June to launch a giant new ship, the 153,000-ton Norwegian Epic, which will carry 4,200 passengers.

[rosscoe]

Hey my fellow Theme Parkers,

 

Heading over August this year, to join the IntimidaTour. Will be in New York for the week before the tour and in Orlando for Universal a couple of days after.

 

Was thinking of heading up to Niagara Falls from New York by train, but worked out that the cost for a over night stay and train fare was rather over priced.

 

Found a really good fare for a cruise with Carnival that leaves from Miami, visting Key West and Cozumel in Mexico with a day cruising back to Miami.

 

Since this could be my first cruise.

 

I have a choice of a suite with a balcony ( just over $1,000 for the four days )

 

There are no standard Balcony rooms left.

 

For around $400 I could get a inside room or around 600.00 I could get a room with a picture window.

 

Is it worth the money just to be able to sit on a Balcony and watch the world go by, or better just to go for the inside room ( I would be guessing that you would not be spending a lot of time in the room )?

 

I know the cruise covers meals, entertaiment on board. But the ship offers room service, is that an extra charge or is it covered in the costs?

 

I would be better off pre booking land tours, yes?

 

 

 

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

Can you do a Royal Caribbean or Norweigian Cruise Line cruise instead of Carnival? Well, I guess if you like to smoke, drink, party, etc. Carnival is fine, but I would try one of the other lines.

 

As for what kind of room to get, like you said, you're not in it very much...I would save the money and go for the inside. I sleep better in an inside cabin too!

 

Room Service is included, but you are expected to tip in cash to the person delivering the food.

 

Have you checked out our cruise thread on the main board?

 

 

I looked at some of the other companies, but could not find any at that time of year, that went to Cozumel. I don't drink, smoke or really party that much, was just looking really to sit on a deck and watch the sea go by and check out some mayan ruins. Have others travelled with Carnival?

[Swiminn6]

^ I would probably wait until Royal Caribbean does a cruise to the similar places. My best friend goes on Carnival every year (because he has too, his dad gives him no say) and he said he would much rather cruise on a Royal Caribbean cruise from hearing my reviews and 1 past experience on Royal. Also like Elissa said, go on a Carnival ship if you like to smoke, drink, & party

 

Also- Your icon really stood out to me when I was scrolling down and I happened to see your location said Cairns! Well that's cool if it's in Australia your talking about because someone in my business class did their project on traveling to that place!