NCL's "Freestyle Cruising" is obviously corporate lingo for "let's milk our guests for every dime possible". First and foremost, many of their activities seemed to be focused on winning something (bingo, Deal or No Deal, daily casino tournaments) and the activities come at an exorbitant price. Seriously, how many bingo games do you need in a single day? Drinks were also more expensive than other cruise lines I've been on and include an automatic 18% gratuity despite not getting the best service (and even left a line to leave an additional tip...seriously??). Shore excursion were overpriced and for the most part were of poor quality. You could hire a taxi, private guide, and pay admission fees for less than what you pay for a NCL shore excursion.

Additionally, as a guest with an onboard cash account, I was constantly receiving notices from the front desk informing me that my charging privileges were suspended until I resolved the issue or gave them a credit card number. This was due to a number of spa and other charges being billed to my room that were not mine. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time in cues waiting to speak to a front desk agent who did not have the authority to resolve the issue. This happened on more than one occasion.

Overall, I felt NCL was more interested in profits rather than providing a quality vacation for their guests. I will never book another cruise with NCL in the future.