We had made up our minds several years ago to forgo cruising...they have just gotten where they are nickle and diming you to death. It all started with the "Pay to Eat" restaurants...cruise ships "claim to fame" was always the food, which was included with your cruise. When they decided to add the pay-to-eat restaurants, they spent a lot of time telling you how GREAT the food is and BETTER than the food inluded with your cruise. It was not better but the buffet food was pretty dreary as well. We ate once at la Cucina on Epic and frankly is was embarrassing. Cold 'Penny Piquante" that took nearly 45 minutes (come on...all the pasta is cooked ahead of time anyway...) an "Osso Buco" that was so salty it was inedible and had risotto cooked within and inch of it's life. Shrimp Fra Diavolo that they forgot to put the "Fra Diavolo" in...I was an Italian chef for 10 years and I can say with all honesty, the food was abysmal and all they wanted to do was sell us wine.

The cabin: Whoever the idiot was that designed the "mini suite" they should have never hired him! The toilet is enclosed is a very small closet with opaque doors, on the left as as you entered the cabin from the corridor. If you are a large person, I feel very sorry for you because I am not large and there was barely room to squat. On the right side as you enter was another opaque closet that houses the tub/shower. So picture this in your mind...if someone knocked on your door, you had to open the door so that a person in either the toilet or shower was visible. Who designs a bathroom that has a open hallway to the outside, down the middle??? In addition, the wall in the mini suite is "curved" necessitating one of the shortest beds on the planet. My husband is 5"11 and his leg and foot hung over the end at least 9 inches! Oh, and by the way, the "stops" on the sliding toilet and shower doors were completely worn off and we had to stuff throw pillows and towels into them at night to keep them from slamming back and forth in rough seas.

One last thing..."Free Sailing" IS NOT FREE. Because of the cabin we chose, we were allowed two "free" picks from several onboard offerings. We chose the "free" specialty dining and unlimited beverages.. Imagine my surprise when the "free" offerings were going to cost me $738.00, up front, non-refundable gratuities charged at 20% pr day for each of us. The last time I payed attention, "gratuities" were just that...if you feel at the end of the meal that the service was great, then you leave a gratuity and nobody twists your arm. I am not even sure it is legal to pre-charge a gratuity...a service charge is okay but a gratuity is your option. I informed NCL that I wanted neither of the "free" choices as I don't drink and we would have only eaten at maybe two of the "pay to eat" restaurants anyway (none after La Cucina.) The gentleman on the phone told me "I did not understand. They are two different things". I informed him I understood perfectly...If I did not pay the $738.00, non-refundable and upfront" there would be no "free" eating or drinking going on. Do you know you can ask to have the automatic room gratuities removed from your account? I suspect if one made a lot of noise, these RIDICULOUS charges would go away. Read more