Norwegian Viva- First time I was mugged on the High Seas-by the Cruiseline.

[Grandma Oonut]

One cannot stop at a traffic light in Metro San Juan Puerto Rico without seeing huge billboards touting the Norwegian Viva. We were aboard from December 15-22. Perhaps this should have been a Thanksgiving cruise.

The Viva is a large turkey., Best throw the carcass out and go back to basics, You remember:  Value and service to your customers. If you make a significant profit from that, I applaud you. Kindly rejoice in our system of Capitalism without nickel and diming us, increasing gratuities without commensurate service, and generally leading us by our noses to any nook or cranny where you can grab our last vacation dollars. 
 

 

[3Sisters]

@Grandma Oonut It sounds like Norwegian Viva wasn't your thing! I have actually heard good things about the ship but not the best things about its service onboard. The gratuities are pretty expensive nowadays, but I don't mind as long as they go directly to the crew members. I'm assuming you enjoy the cruise experience, but not the cruise prices. NCL is on the lower end as far as pricing goes, but that's not to say cruising is cheap. With the prices they away they are, would you prefer another type of vacation experience? For me, the prices are high but still worth it. I can't imagine another vacation style I would prefer more for the price. Which cruise lines do you prefer? You may be better off checking out other cruise lines that are notorious for better customer service like RCL and CCL. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Grandma Oonut It's a bummer you didn't enjoy your Norwegian Viva experience. What were some of the things you disliked most abut your Norwegian Viva cruise? I think the cruise line is trying to improve its standards since some of the quality has noticeably declined. Signs of these changes are surfacing in the public eye including, the American Diner onboard many of the fleet becoming an included dining venue onboard. The American venue will soon be featured on six NCL fleet members. The restaurant's menu will be transitioning slightly, but the idea of having another included dining option onboard is a huge perk! 

[FJB]

On 1/4/2024 at 8:39 AM, Grandma Oonut said:

without nickel and diming us,. 
 

 

Out of all the cruiselines we have sailed, this is what we noticed about NCL and a reason we haven’t been back after our 1st cruise with them.  

[3Sisters]

@FJB That's really no good. When I'm cruising I want to feel like a valued guest. Once I feel like a cash cow, feeding into the cruise line's constant gimmicks, I'm not interested in cruising with the line anymore. I have yet to cruise with NCL and it's basically due to previews like yours and @Grandma Oonut. I prefer to prepay everything, knowing mostly everything about what I want on my cruise experience, and then stop myself from pretty much all other onboard purchases. This decision-making strategy helps me properly plan and budget ahead of time, ensuring I don't overspend on things that really won't enhance my cruise experience any. A massage isn't going to make or break my cruise. An onboard jewelry shopping spree isn't going to excite me either. It's easy to say no to those extra things when I already pre-paid and decided what I was going to spend on, and then enjoy those amenities I spent on to the very fullest!