Norwegian Cruise LineReviews 235

I am writing to express my deep dissatisfaction with the extremely poor service I received from the Excursions Booking Department during my recent experience with Norwegian Cruise Line.

I approached the desk to ask a few simple questions before and after booking an excursion — specifically regarding whether drinks were included and where the meeting point for the tour would be. The representative who assisted me was unhelpful, unfriendly, and visibly annoyed by my questions. Her attitude was dismissive and unprofessional, and it was genuinely difficult to communicate with her.

When I asked to speak with a manager, the representative reluctantly called one over. I began explaining the situation to him, but after less than a minute he abruptly stated that he did not want to continue the conversation and ended it without providing any explanation. I was shocked by this behavior, which is completely unacceptable for a company that claims to prioritize guest experience.

Following this incident, I filed a complaint at Guest Services. I was later contacted for a follow-up conversation with a higher-level manager. Unfortunately, instead of acknowledging the issue, he suggested that I may have used inappropriate language — an accusation that is completely false. I clearly stated that the staff members were lying, which does not justify the disrespectful treatment I received.

Overall, the level of service I encountered was appalling. The rudeness, dismissiveness, and unwillingness of the staff to assist guests is far below the standard I expected from Norwegian Cruise Line. Based on this experience, I feel compelled to give the lowest possible rating for customer service.

I hope this feedback is taken seriously, as no guest should be treated in this manner.

Sincerely,

This was my daughters and my first cruise via NCL. It was horrible. Even seasoned 'cruisers' who went on 20+ cruises said it was the worst cruise they had ever been on and would be filing complaints. It was a disaster from start to finish with irate workers irritated with us passengers when the entire NCL computer system crashed prior to boarding to the worst junk food freezer food being served to the captain skipping a port to 'beat a storm' which beat us LITERALLY. I never in my life saw so many things falling all over the place, people throwing up, waves going over the front of the boat - we literally though we were going to capsize. These are just the start of example of what went wrong. The rooms, gross, stained, dated. The price gauging from bartenders to excursions where we paid $300 up front only to find out we had to pay $20 per person to sit in a lounge chair! So much more to say but if you still go on an NCL cruise, I tried to warn you! I formally complained, tried to reach executive level personnel via LinkedIn when my complaint was falling on deaf ears further down the ladder and NOT ONE single person offered to contact me to refund the thousands of dollars we spent on the worst cruise experience! DO NOT USE THIS CRUISE LINE!

SNEAKY AND DISHONEST! When I paid a $250 deposit for a sailing - a full TWO years ahead of departure - NCL did NOT reveal that what I was about to purchase was NOT refundable. WHAT CROOKS! I cancelled 2 days later and NCL KEPT THE $250. DO NOT BOOK A CRUISE WITH THESE THIEVES!

I went on an "11" day cruise with my wife for our honeymoon on NCL through Europe, we spend a sizeable amount because it was our honeymoon and all that… from the time we got on the boat it smelt like we were next to a dumpster.

The first night there we had a reservation at Cagney steak house and they told
Me they were already out of select wines and various cuts of steak (on day 1). The food was bland and not what we had expected or experienced before with NCL.

We went to the complimentary restaurants for the first few days and left feeling hungry or put off by the food which was either glorified cafeteria food or over cooked. We accepted our fate and went to the buffet for the rest of the cruiser after having to send back a bagel 3x because it was so stale you couldn't even bite it.

The comedian was using jokes I've known for years, and the Norwegian Epic was very dated. The magic show was great, Staff were great, and the stops were beautiful… but I shouldn't have had to spend an extra 200 euro on food off the boat so my wife would eat.

Grossly overpriced for the experience, and when I spoke with customer service I was told "we will talk to the kitchen manager".

I called and told the NCL air program the timeline and stated that we would like to arrive in Rome 2 days before we will leave on our cruise. The said ok and they totally ignored what we spoke about and put us in Rome two hours before the ship leaves. At this point when calling them about the issue they would not give any explanation and refused to speak about it. We have not left on the cruise yet but we will never cruise with NCL again.

First, before my review, let it be known that prior to posting this review I submitted my thoughts to NCL in hopes that my comments would have some impact on the company. As of the writing of this review I've had NO response from the cruise line, so please read the following:
My wife and I, prior to our Mediterranean cruse aboard the Norwegian Dawn in May of this year (2024), have been cruisers on NCL seven times in the past. Our previous experiences have been excellent, and we looked forward to another pleasant cruise.
What a total disappointment.
The NCL transition from excellent to "bottom of the barrel" was amazing.
Although we had a premier suite we endured seven different interruptions of the sanitary system. Three days with NO HVAC, and dirt and rust on the exterior of the balcony.
Food!, from first to worst. We were so disappointed in the buffet that we ate there once and never again during the entire cruise. The quality and selection was nowhere near our previous cruises. Dirty, poor service and very low-quality offerings.
And everything is upsold. Wi-Fi, dinner add-ons, excursions, etc.
Two of our excursions were cancelled, and although we received credits, we were also charged $50.00 per cancellation. When we requested an explanation from the excursion desk we were met with a hostile attitude.
As noted earlier, we reached out to NCL in hopes that our experiences would be of some concern to the corporation, but sadly not.
That was our last NCL cruise.
We hope that the powers that be step up and halt the downward trend NCL is presently taking.

Ever since cruise Norwegian lines introduced the conveyance of 20% tipping charged directly to your card there is no more incentive for the crew to provided excellent service because they already receive there tip.
Now days tip is cruise lines payment for the crew. 15 minutes wait to get a drink in the bar, for which you paid and tipped for. Lunch time 10-15 minutes walking around buffet dinning room looking for a clean table, while crew assembled in a corner having a pow wow, laughing ignoring guests.

I've been going back and forth with this cruise line for months via email for a refund I made on the cruise for an excursion that was never attended because their was bad weather and are cruise was cut short. I spent $600 for a dolphin excursion that was never attended, however they refuse to refund me. The cruise $#*! itself was over crowded / this was one pool for the entire ship so you couldn't even swim. The rocky ship was so bad to the point where you felt you were drunk and going to vomit. I am so disappointed, I will NEVER book with this cruise line again.

My husband and I were on our 14th NCL cruise on April 3,2022. We left from California and sailed to Mexico on the Norwegian Bliss. On April 6,2022, we arrived in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We paid NCL for an ATV excursion (listed on the NCL website) called "Puerto Vallarta, Mexico ATV Adventure and Village Tour". This is a dangerous and unsafe excursion. It killed my husband. The safety orientation was inadequate. The ATV tires did not have sufficient tread. My husband died of a skull fracture due to the cheap and inadequate helmet. NCL does no safety inspection and denies any responsibility for the tours it sells to its guests.

Subject: Unjust Treatment and Lack of Compassion from NCL

I am writing to express my utter disappointment and frustration with Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) over the handling of my recent booking. My wife and I had booked a cruise, fully paid at $7000, and were eagerly looking forward to our vacation. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, my wife fell ill and we had to cancel our trip.

Despite our unfortunate situation, NCL displayed a shocking lack of compassion and understanding. Instead of offering us a cruise credit or some form of compensation, NCL decided to keep our hard-earned money for a cruise we never even embarked on. This is not only unfair but also unacceptable.

It is deeply troubling to know that while NCL reported record profits this past year, they chose to prioritize their financial gains over the well-being and satisfaction of their customers. It seems as though our hard-earned money was more valuable to them than our loyalty and trust.

I took the initiative to reach out to the board members and the CEO in hopes of finding a resolution. However, my efforts were met with indifference. It appears that NCL is more interested in maximizing profits than maintaining a loyal customer base by showing empathy and flexibility in challenging situations.

Customer service was no help either. I was advised to cancel and then write to guest services to request a credit, only to be denied once again. This lack of transparency and willingness to accommodate loyal customers is truly disheartening.

In conclusion, my experience with Norwegian Cruise Lines has been nothing short of disappointing and frustrating. I strongly urge potential customers to think twice before booking with NCL, as their treatment of customers leaves much to be desired.

My wife and I booked our cruise to celebrate our 40 anniversary. Most times I book myself but this time I phoned Norwegian to book all flights transfer etc as our 40 anniversary did not want anything to go wrong. Well everything did, ship Norwegian epic leaving from Rome sailing 12/01/2023. The guy that helped us I say that lightly gave us 56 minutes from our local flight to the international flight we made it our luggage did not. Eight days before we got our luggage on our flight home we had to pay a additional 60 us to get our damaged luggage on the plane. What did Norwegian do for us gave us 100 each for a future cruise will never cruise with them anymore. This was our 7 cruise with them no more.

Hello, I'm matt and I toke my family on a holiday cruise. We were on the EPIC and holy cow that was a big mistake, for starters we paid way to much for the cruise. At first I didn't mind cause it was a Christmas cruise, wanted to do something for the family. Getting on the boat was nice. Are room was small but I've learned you don't spend much time in your room, never have. The first night out we paid for a good dinner and enjoyed it. The next day went up for breakfast, lol it was horrible, the bacon was over cooked, the eggs where under cooked and they ran out of syrup for the pancakes, I get that but they didn't refill it. I had to run all over the place to find some. When I said something about it that day I was told it will not happen again. And it did, all week it happened. Now for lunch, the food was so under cooked the it was uneatable the only alternative was to eat at the paid restaurant. For witch you need a reservation to get in.as for dinner, it was just as bad as lunch. We ended up eating pretzel bits all week. For the bar we are not drinkers we drink soda. We would wait in line for 10 minutes just to get a pop, while they would serve all the alcohol first and then look for others. The hot tubs where like warm water baths and the pools were small as hell. We have been on a lot of cruises in the past few years and this was the first and last it with Norwegian, I will not give them a nother cent. Waste of my money and time. We I tried to contact someone about it they hung up on me and I sent a email asking for a refund, and I never heard anything from them since then don't waste your money on them use a different one. I know we are. Me and my wife are going on another cruise with someone else next month. Hope this helps others so they do lose there money and time with them.
Have a wonderful day...

I think it's crazy that due to weather the airlines cancelled our flights, there was no other way to make the ship. Close to $5000 dollars worth, and we can't even get a credit. I would love it if management would do something about this, cause time is to hard to lose all that money. Left a bad taste in my mouth, We're looking forward for this trip Res#*******

I attempted to get information via chat on a cruise price. The agent response was unprofessional. In one chat I asked if there is senior discount the agent responded "sir we would go out of business". Later, I attempted to ask about a price, I was told by an agent "sorry, can't help you. I can't see your screen". A simple no or a simple let me get the itinerary to check it out would of do it.

We booked a Christmas cruise Dec 2022 and Norwegian lost one of our suitcases at the point of embarkation. I tried for the next 7 days to follow up with customer service but they never found my luggage and only gave me a small pouch with a toothbrush, toothpaste and a small comb. I finally received a denial for my claim March 2023.

I booked a cruise that included airline tickets. NCL booked the tickets. The cruise departs in Rome and I live in Florida. They did not book a direct flight. Worse than that, I am scheduled to depart Orlando at noon, arrive in Altanta at 2:00 and then I am booked on a flight departing Atlanta at 3:15. So, if the Orlando flight is on time (unlikely) I will have about 45 minutes to get to my connecting flight. Since I am seated in row 40 on the first flight, I assume it will take me at least 20 minutes to get off the plane. Then I have to find my connecting gate, which will likely be in a different terminal (I'm going from a domestic to an international flight). I have called, begged, lost my temper, tried everything. I get no response except "we can't change, it's in the terms and conditions on our website." Buyer beware. Do not book a cruise with NCL!

We were promised we would get checked bags for our flights included, shuttle to and from the port, and gratuities were included. When we checked in for the flight we were told that checked baggage is not included. When we left the port to go to the airport they charged us more. We paid when leaving the ship so we had a zero balance and 4 days later they took almost $200 more from our debit card. Nobody can tell me what it's for.

We have not even left yet and it's been a goat rodeo. Trip is June 5th 2024. It is advised as going to Venice. Do not believe it. 5 months out prior to leaving, after you have spent $9,000, they send you a email stating the port in Venice can only handle so many large ships. So we are not going to be in Venice only to go to airport to fly home. You mean to tell me they didn't know this before, since they run this trip yearly. BULL. False advertising if you ask me.
They tell you one thing your travel agent you another.
I can't wait to give you a follow up after the trip. It should be a doosey.

Ncl promo was for free airfare. They had us flying back 13 hours after disembarking and refused to look at other options even though our friends ( who we were traveling with and going to the same city) were leaving 5 hours after disembarkment. We then cancelled that leg of the flight so we would not have to wait. They have now changed our flight to the port adding a 6 hour layover! Once again refusing to switch us back to our original flight out! Do not fall for this 'Freebie!