So we took a cruise in April for spring break on Norwegian and it was not a good experience at all. A few of my girlfriends decided to book a weekend cruise and Norwegian offered the short weekend cruise with the dates needed. I was hesitant but thought I would give them a second chance. What a mistake.... NEVER AGAIN! DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!!! It started with a representative telling my friend an option to board without using her passport so she got on the plane to Miami and then was denied boarding at the port. Luckily we got a fax of her birth certificate but the supervisor said he would call back to help and still has not returned her call - this was Friday.... Norwegian has the worst customer service i have ever experienced. We could not get served at the bars, had to tip a waiter cash to come back and serve us and it took hours to get our food in the dining rooms. after waiting at a bar for 10 min and being overlooked and not served multiple times we tried a second bar. After standing in line for 10 min, i reached the bar. I ordered 4 drinks and was told i could only order 2. i showed him my friends in line behind me and gave him my drink order again. he repeated it incorrecty so i told him a third time and his response to me was this - you need to have your order ready because people are waiting in line! I was floored and never went back to that bar. we sat down to breakfast and ordered at 9:20. We then heard announcement that a crew drill was going to start at 9:45. One of our orders came just as the alarm was sounding and the waiter put the food in front of one of my friends. then told us his supervisor would follow up on the rest of our food. It finally came out at 10:15 and one of them looked similar to the first dish but slightly different and was not what my other friend ordered. the waiter brough over the ticket and said it was our mistake, but turns out the waiter put the first dish in front of the wrong person and the supervisor blamed us. After quickly eating we tried to get off the ship and got stuck between two doors for 5 minutes because of the crew drill. when the doors opened, the crew member shoved her hand in my face to get me to wait. she wanted me to wait until everyone on the other side went first instead of creating a two way flow but said nothing, just shoved her hand in my face. Noone said have a good day as we got off the ship or welcome back as we got back on. in fact one day we had to wait while the attendant finished a call to scan our cards so we could leave the ship. The sad part is that i have so many more examples that I could share - it was the norm and bad service was not just an exception. the entertainment - dancers and singers were some of the worst that i have ever seen on a cruise. the band was amazing and we thouroughly enjoyed the music by the pool when they were playing. The entire cruise had complete lack of communication. the first night show encouraged the passengers to get off early because otherwise they would have to get a ticket and wait to get off the ship due to tendering. So we took their advice but when we got to the island there was no food or bars open for 3 hours. Not once did they communicate that we should eat on the ship before getting off because there would be noone serving food or beverages (unless you wanted an $8 bottle of water) until 11:30 that day. we rented floats for $16 a float and used them while waiting for the food to open. We then stacked the floats by our chairs and went to eat. came back and the people behind us told us some guy and kids came and took the floats. so we went to the float counter and was told that it had never happened and we had to walk to other end of the beach area and talk to the office to get new floats. finally they gave us four new floats even though they had recorded us earlier purchasing 4. There is a consistent lack of customer service across the entire norwegian brand. It is so bad that none our group will ever select a Norwegian cruise again - especially considering the level of service you receive on Carnival/Royal Carribean and other cruises. Save yourself money and book with a different cruise line. See my other cruise review where i had the similar experience - Not a fan!!!! on the Norwegian Dawn in April 2018. I do not recommend Norwegian and will NEVER select Norwegian for any future cruise i book - same as the group of friends that went with me. Read Less

NCL Sun to Cuba! Our drive from SW Florida to Port Canaveral was easy. Once on I-4 we got off onto rt-417 south of Orlando, saving at least 15 minutes in traffic. It connected to rt-528 for a straight shot to pier 10. With thanks to Michelle H at check in, went from the garage at 1130 to lunch on board at 1155. A very pleasant discovery at lunch, all alcoholic beverages, except call shots, were free for the whole cruise! We’d had upgrade offers for the drink package precruise but don’t drink that much. Yeah, we drank more than usual this cruise. Only served lunch was Seven Seas main dining room. Liked our table so much we reserved it for 5:30 early seating the whole cruise, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Very few people used it embarkation day, and only the last night was it full. We did eat at the buffet twice for lunch, when we got back too late from our excursions. Besides the great service, we prefer the controlled portions in the dining rooms. Some food notes. Most dishes were well prepared and tasty. Smoked salmon eggs Benedict is a personal favorite. I had it for my first breakfast and the muffin was too tough to cut. Ate what I could and alerted our server. When I had it later in the cruise it was better. I had tuna salad open face sandwich for a lunch that was good, but a little dry. Two nights they had special Cuban menu additions that were very interesting and good. One breakfast I had broiled scotch kipper, (fish). I’ve had it on other NCL ships, (eat like a Norwegian), but was disappointed this time. In Key West we docked at the Navy pier. From my research I thought we could walk to the old fort or the USCG museum 200 yards away. No way. The adjacent Navy base is active, and people could only take shuttles directly downtown. And no pictures allowed of the base from the ship. My lady and I had already BTDTGTTS. We stayed on board. I got a good shady spot by the pool with enough room to practice my tai chi after visiting the gym for a workout. Did I mention adult beverages were free? After a great cuban style steak we went to the single show that night. “The Who” would be proud. The main event, Havana, Cuba. We believe the best way to see the highlights of a place is a good bus tour. We took the Ultimate Havana tour and were not disappointed. Our tour guide was a professional, happily maintaining the party line. She pointed out all the free hospitals and clinics as we passed them. (She and our driver quietly accepted the bottles of ibuprofen I gave them, as suggested in my research. Plenty of healthcare, short on medicine). The ship docked right at the base of the downtown area, and the tour took us around town, and across the harbor to the Christo de la Habana statue. To get there the bus went through a tunnel under the harbor. We prayed during this part of the trip, because most buildings in Havana are so neglected, they’ve been known to collapse. The most depressing sight were the cathedrals that could not be entered due to poor condition. The white Christo statue is at least 40 feet tall, and visible from most of the harbor. Other reviews have mentioned the night lights of Havana, but the statue is not lit. Our tour also passed a park with weapons from the cold war and Bay of Pigs. Included was a USAF plane wing. The bus was notably quiet passing that. In the evening, we did a little OYO exploring. We took a 20 minute ride in a lime green 1953 Chevy convertible. Awesome ride for only 10 CUCs. (Pronounced “cuke”). Then we took a walk for a few blocks. The locals come out in the evening cooler temps to dine or drink in the local pubs. About a third of these pubs have street tables and bands. The locals all seemed happy and pleasant. Free socialist beer, maybe? We got back to the ship at dusk. Originally I had thought we were overnighting and had the next day in port. Finally found out we were leaving at 0600, thus being noted on our cruise documents as a day in Cuba instead of a sea day. The most notable thing occurring on this sea day was a diversion at full speed at dinner time to Miami to send a very sick person ashore for medical treatment. We made a big wake. Our last stop was the NCL private island, Great Stirrup Cay. Again for us, BTDTGTTS. Not a bad thing. If you haven’t been there, it is worth the tender ride. The snorkeling is great, and the BBQ tasty. Again, I got a great spot on deck. It got so hot in the afternoon I went to the Spinaker lounge at the front of the ship. There I found the dance troupe taking an art class on their afternoon off. Our return to Port Canaveral was routine. We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room. NCL still has the best corned beef hash anywhere! Disembarking went smoothly. We really enjoyed the new verbal declaration at customs. On our drive home we stopped at our favorite fruit stand at the Branch-Forbes exit of I-4. Great price on bananas. Read Less

The only pleasant experience on this cruise was the hibatchi restaurant. Staff was not able to communicate important information. Day at private beach was missed due to weather.... so they say. Overpriced and underwhelming. Stains on room floor and hallways were constantly wet from what I have no idea. Plumbing for shower drain was not maintained. Site said there was a renovation in 2018....right. When concerns brought to guests’ services attention no resolutions were offered only dismissive apologizes with overbearing security looming over help desk. Sad. I will not utilize this line for anymore of our family vacations. We missed 3 hours at Atlantis because the shore excursions’ representative was too lazy to assist us properly. Spent an additional $30 on taxi to Atlantis after local assistance. Then no Rep could located to provide prepaid wristbands. The resort assisted us and finally were allowed entry. Worst customer service ever on a cruise. Read Less

The food was horrible, it took hours to get our food, their were no umbrellas on the pool deck chairs, the third “bed” for our room was a convertible chair that had ZERO padding. They had to bring in a mattress to lay on it. The shower and the sink didn’t drain much at all and the room had a lingering sewage smell. The crew also wasn’t as helpful or friendly as I’m accustom to. Then to top it off weather prevented us from getting off on the private island so we were trapped on this floating garbage restaurant all day. I literally got better food at the gas station than I did on the entire trip on the ship. That being said, embarkation and disembarkation weren’t the best I’ve ever had. Quick and painless. Despite the maid banging on our door to leave when our hallway hadn’t even been called yet. Read Less

Nice little cruise for Labor Day weekend. This was our first time sailing with Norwegian, and we were pleasantly surprised by the condition of the ship. We had been told this was one of NCL’s older vessels, but it was a gorgeous ship, and everything was clean, modern and above expectations. Our room was very nice and actually larger than other balcony staterooms we have had with other cruise lines. Our steward was discreet and seemingly always available to us. While he was outstanding, the other staff on the ship was less than satisfactory. Perhaps it was a cultural miss on our part, but it appeared to us that most of the staff was not friendly at all. They performed their duties, however they certainly did not go above and beyond. One thing to note about this particular cruise. We were absolutely surprised by the number of rowdy bachelor / bachelorette groups that were on the ship. We like relaxation, and folks running up/down the hallway all night was more than a simple distraction. This was definitely a “party” cruise, and certainly catered more to singles crowd, which isn’t at all what we wanted. We have often heard great reviews from our friends about NCL. This cruise missed the mark for us. Not certain we will ever sail with them again. Read Less

It was very disappointing that our final day planned full of excursions,shopping and rented cabana was cancelled. This was the highlight and reason for the cruise. We did enjoy the activities and casino environment. Drinks were bountiful and the staff charming. We meet people from all over and enjoyed the community areas on the ship, food was also bountiful and the specialty restaurants staff was attentive and pleasant. We also were happy that food was served at anytime during the wee hours after gambling. Room service was also excellent. We did have to wait quite awhile for our luggage to be brought to our room. We were in one of the only two owners suites and expected to have our luggage sooner. The concierge was very informative and attentive. We had to wait on our butler as he was assigned other duties in the beginning. I would stress that the ship make them available upon arrival when you are paying a premium rate to have access to a butler, he should have been available sooner Read Less

Excellent customer service. Cuba experience was beautiful and the music was great. Shore excursions guides were excellent. Dining was good and fast. During original embarcación we needed to wait about 30 minutes for a wheelchair and this should improve. We met nice people. Casino slot machines worked well and staff was efficient. Overall staff was helpful and knowledgeable. Rooms were kept clean by staff. NCL should be more transparent about Cuba visas by adding a highlighted link. A few carpeted steps in the 5,6, and 7 floor stairs need to be repair as they may become a hazard. One of the banisters in the middle elevator was almost out. I suggest emphasizing were is the Latin entertainment every night. The emergency drill needs better methodology. The current methodology is physically uncomfortable and it requires too much standing time. This methodology should be given the thought of using better technology as an option. Read Less

We have cruised with Norwegian on the Escape and the Pride of America so my expectations were high. The Sun is a bit smaller but nice size. We were able to get the layout fairly quickly. Stayed in cabin 9203 at the front of the boat. Spectacular views and the room was quite nice. One draw back staying in this room is we found we could not use the light on the deck when the boat was sailing. Probably should inform you ahead of time instead of getting a condescending call when you are sitting enjoying an evening. Another “rule” is no drinks near the pool or hot tub, not even water. The lifeguard’s shirt should read drinkguard not lifeguard because he spent the entire time taking everyones drink and setting the drink away from pool area. Maybe it was just this particular cruise on the Sun and not really a rule. But it became quite a joke by the second day. The majority of the cruise was okay, no complaints on the food. Cabin Steward was awesome, Butler did his job but nothing more. I would not sail on the Sun in the future. Read Less

To begin with, I only booked this cruise because it was going to Grand Bahama Island, which myself and my fiancé has never been to. However, before even leaving, the only destination besides the private island was changed to Nassau which we have already both been to 3-4 times, so that alone put a bad taste in our mouths, and Norwegian would not do anything to accommodate us for the port change that was the main reason for booking this cruise. Then once boarding, we found the food to be extremely underwhelming and the staff in the buffets, seven seas, and four seasons to be extremely unattentive and not at all friendly. Not to mention the food quality was sub par, I feel McDonald's has better food quality. To make matters worse, the food made us sick every day so in the end we decided just to eat pizza and nothing else. The entertainment on the ship was sub par or not even worth going to, and the ships staff aside from two of the bartenders unfriendly and rude. One night, my fiancé and I got dressed for dinner and to take some pictures the photographer was rude, demanding, and unfriendly, almost to the point of making my fiancé cry. Needless to say, we did not purchase any pictures taken on board at all. The ship itself was awful, it was so bad from the first night the halls smelled like vomit and urine all the way through. The final night, my fiancé and I decided it was a better experience for us to just hide in our stateroom on the balcony than be anywhere on the ship itself. Just overall, the experience with Norwegian was awful and neither of us will be sailing with this line ever again in the future and I will also be letting others know about the experience we had and that they should sail with another company, that Norwegian is not at all worth your time or money. I feel as though I took some of my hard worked PTO days of the year to have a miserable experience that I cannot get back. So upsetting and I would hate to have anyone in the world, go through what my fiancé and I went through. Read Less

it was a gift. and I love it. This was the first time I ever been on a cruise, I never even knew that the ship was moving. My cabin after it was cleaned was great. the water pressure for the shower was excellent, however it was a leak in the water line. The food at the buffet was good. I also ate a the steakhouse. The pricing was reasonable . The staff for the cleanliness of the cabin was great and had a positive attitude. One bad experience on the buffet side was one of the table porters ,who was kind of rude. The workout room was descent, but the temperature was too warm. On the pool deck, I guess they shut it down at a certain time and would not allow me to sit on the lounge chairs. I don't appreciate that. Trips cost too much money to say you cant sit here when it was only about 11pm. Read Less