We love cruises, we had traveled on cruises since 1991. We usually take 1 to 2 cruises a year, starting with Carnival Cruise,Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity Cruise . This was our first and last Norwegian Cruise. We were disappointed, we knew the ship was not new, but it's dirty and at least my balcony was rusty. TV were small and the channels were 2 news, 2 movies of their times and choice, and around 4 advertising the cruise, no premium or music channels. The food was not what I anticipated, it was horrible. We only ate 2 days at the main dining room "The Summer Palace had the same food everyday with 2 new entrEes a day; it was an ordinary food it looks like a fast food Restaurant choices. We always try the specialty restaurant on every cruise but this time we felt it was not worth the money. Example: La Cucina Italian Restaurant was almost the same buffet food but "A la Carte". The Cagney's Steakhouse was better but not worth to pay $25 dollars service charge and an extra $10 dollars for half lobster tail. At Celebrity Cruise they only charge you a flat service charge for everything on the menu including seafood. The Teppanyaki Restaurant was hard to get a reservation so the freestyle cruise became a problem because you need to wake up at 7:00am to make Reservation because the only do it a day in advance so if you didn't call early you have to make other plans. Also the food was ok but salty. The best of all was the Tex-Mex Restaurant at Mambo's, the service, the taste, the menu choices and the value for your money. The Buffet at Garden Cafe was the worst of all. The food smells like school cafeteria food that is been sitting there for hours. The fish is always fried not grill, The salad bar was good and the Italian you have the choice of have them make the pasta on your taste at least was made in front of you.

The Buffet beverage, I was so disappointed because they only serve orange juice at breakfast plus the water and coffee, at lunch they only serve tea, water, and your choice of coffee. If you don't want alcoholic beverage or soda then you need to walk to the children dining area on the other side of the Restaurant to get apple juice or orange juice, they make it difficult so you just drink water or spend money on alcohol drinks and soda.

I took the time to speak to the Food and Beverage Director to only know he will try to change my mind by telling me the cruise was sold out and no one complain to him before me. I told him what my husband said; "Please don't waste your vacation time telling him how horrible the food is, they don't care. You already pay for the vacation they will not miss you next time, they will always have people like us that came for the first time to the freestyle experience and never come back again". I think that is how half of the guest will think and they will not cruise again with them like my husband. When I was sitting at the Great Outdoors bar I overhear a family they were complaining about how disgusting the food was and the way it smells even the employees told me how people eat that food smells so bad. I think this is how the company will make the money and I understand how we have inflation and food cost is high but they make good money with the drinks because they charge more than any other cruise I have been on. Also when you don't eat at the main dining room you already paid for that food so if you go to the specialty Restaurant you are paying again for your food and you are not spending their money. I think NCL is not giving there guest value for money, it's a win-win situation compare with other cruises, even Carnival Cruise line who charge also low trip fares give you a formal night specialty food were they include lobster and fillet on your main dining room, shrimp cocktails as appetizer every night and a change of menus that you already paid for on your fare. The rest of the service and entertainments was fair.