Is NCL worth the price anymore, given its post-pandemic changes?

Is NCL worth the price anymore?

When I first started cruising regularly, NCL provided the best value of all 3 resort category cruise lines available in the New York City area.  Carnival competed mostly in the "Value Oriented" (low price) category with its fares, while NCL and Royal Caribbean competed with their Entertainment and Food Quality.  A decade and a pandemic later, the price/value equations have changed, along with the competitive pressures in this market.

What has changed in the past decade (a biased personal perspective)?

Immediate Post-Pandemic Cruising:

In the early 2010's, I began cruising with a friend, sailing mostly on NCL out of the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.  Although we cruised with Princess a couple of times, my friend's loyalty level with NCL allowed me to get used to the benefits I now enjoy by having a platinum level in its loyalty program, such as 2 free specialty meals for all in my cabin and a free laundry bag.  

The pandemic related cruise line shutdown was a gut-punch to all major cruise line corporations, as cruising came to a halt from March 2020 to June 2021, when the gradual resumption of cruising began. Cruising had not returned to normal by the time I took my first post-pandemic cruise in December 2021, as I was on a ship sailing with less than 33% capacity.  It was a surreal feeling to see hang tags on the doors of empty staterooms reading "This room has been cleaned and sanitized" on the way to my cabin. When I dined in the main dining room, I had better service than I will ever have again in any dining area, as there was an excessive number of wait personnel to diners.  This couldn't last, as all the cruise lines would be bleeding money until cruising had fully resumed.

Although it took a while, cruising finally restarted, with NCL's unique 7-day Hawaii cruise being one of the last circuits to return to normal.  This would be one of the last NCL cruises I'd take where cost-cutting changes would not be that noticeable, as the only important change that had been made by December 2022 was to cut cabin service (bathroom and stateroom cleanup) to once per day.  NCL's Hawaii product was still in recovery while the rest of the fleet in other regions had already started to sail with normal staffing and capacity.

Post-Recovery Cruising:

In Autumn 2022, I took 2 cruises on NCL, and noticed changes which bothered me a little. NCL used to provide excellent food and service in the main dining room.  However, my cruise partner and I both noticed that the quality of steak being served was not as good as it was in the past.  Before, the steak stood on its own, and didn't need any sauce to add flavor, or cover up its flaws.  Now, the steak was served with some kind of sauce, unless one specifically asked for the sauce on the side.

On 3 of my first 4 post-pandemic shutdown cruises, I opted for the Free at Sea (FAS) promotion and sailed in the balcony cabin of my choice.  Combined with my platinum loyalty status, I enjoyed 4 specialty meals on each of these cruises.  If I had chosen an inside cabin with the Free at Sea promotion, I still would have received these 4 meals at that time.  (2 for FAS, and 2 for Loyalty Status)  However, this would change during 2024, where NCL would give only 1 FAS specialty meal on 7-day cruises if an inside or ocean view cabin was chosen.  Only if one chose a balcony cabin or mini suite would the 2 FAS specialty meals be available.  In either case, if I wanted more specialty meals, I could always buy a package for extra specialty meals at a nominal price.

Another post-recovery change that I noticed was that NCL was cutting back on the "Broadway Show" entertainment, with special versions of Broadway Hits presented in the ship's theater.  Now, NCL has cut back on these shows, with nothing of equivalent quality to replace this entertainment.  Instead, NCL has replaced these shows with revenue generators, such as "Deal or No Deal" games where a form of Lotto ticket is sold to audience participants in hope of winning prizes.

But these aren't the only changes.

"Free at Sea" becomes "More at Sea."

This is a subtle change which might not be noticed by many.   However, it is a big change for some NCL cruisers.  The old Free at Sea (FAS) package allowed the cruiser to order an unlimited number of alcoholic beverages priced $15 and below.  People who opted for the Free at Sea Plus (FAS+) for an extra $49/day would be exempt from this $15 limit.  Additionally, FAS+ cruisers would get 2 additional specialty dining meals plus unlimited Wi-Fi.

There are some advantages to the More at Sea (MAS) package.  One gets a fixed number of specialty dining meals based on the length of the cruise and the cabin category in which the cruiser is sailing. Additionally, there is no MAS+ package.  One gets MAS or one opts out from it.  However, NCL has eliminated the cruiser's ability to purchase extra specialty dining packages, and has reduced the number of minutes of "free" Wi-Fi each cruiser can get.  To make things worse, cruisers who purchased an extra specialty dining package with FAS will lose it for sailings after 1/01/25.

The site Travel-dealz.com provides an in-depth explanation of the differences between the old Free at Sea package and the new More at Sea package.  Given the nature of the changes, many cruisers who'd be willing to pay extra for these cruise perks may start looking for a different cruise line to cruise with.

Comparing NCL to Princess.

I've noticed the debasement of NCL's product on my post-pandemic cruises.  Others, more sensitive than I am to these changes, have noticed them as well, and are very unhappy about them. When I do a price/value comparison between NCL's Free at Sea/More at Sea packages and Princess Cruises' Princess Premier package, I find that I get greater value for each dollar spent on a cruise. For $90/day more, one gets a decent drink package, a great specialty dining package (unlimited meals in Princess' specialty restaurants), some free photo prints (with unlimited downloads), and pre-paid gratuities!  

NCL - Canada / New England Cruise out of NYC:

Princess - Canada / New England Cruise out of NYC:

You'll note that at first glance, NCL is roughly $670 cheaper than Princess.  However, if one subtracts $280 from the price charged by Princess for the cruise to account for included gratuities, we have a rough $390 difference between the two fares.  Choose the Princess Plus fare ($30/pp/day less than Princess Premier), and the difference drops to roughly $20 in Princess' favor.  Given that Princess hasn't yet debased its product as much as NCL has, and one can easily see why some NCL cruisers are making the switch. 


New Ships v. Old Ships.

I started cruising on NCL over a decade ago when the Gem was one of the ships that regularly sailed out of New York.  Older ships tend to be less expensive to sail on, but do not have as many bells and whistles as newer ships. Lately, NCL is sending more of its newer ships (both the Breakaway class and the Prima class) to service the New York market.  This has resulted in higher prices being charged for what were once cheap and affordable cruises out of Manhattan.

Ships such as the Breakaway and Breakaway+ class vessels are now being altered to remove many free spaces on the ship (such as part of the observation areas) replacing them with revenue generating spaces.  Is NCL trying to charge more for less?

NCL now appears to be trying to attract a clientele which is more comfortable paying for things that used to be free.  For example, although NCL claims there is more public space available on NCL's Prima class ships, more of the public space requires a fee for use - including the Mini-Golf, which is free on older vessels such as NCL's Jewel class ships.

Given NCL's desire to charge more for fewer amenities, I wonder whether there is a limit to what NCL will do to its ships.  Luckily, there is a practical limit to how much NCL can alter the public spaces on its older ships, as NCL would have less time in the ship's life cycle to earn a return on any changes made to the ship.

What about other cruise lines?

My cruise partner and I decided to take two different cruise lines' 7-day Bermuda cruise offerings, and we found that MSC delivered this cruise for several hundred dollars less than NCL. (See last month's blog entry, "Comparing two 7-day Bermuda Cruises sailed by MSC and NCL") Although MSC didn't have any theater shows of the came caliber I've grown used to on NCL, they were entertaining.  But for the price, it provides excellent value for when a couple simply wants to cruise on a budget. 

Given what I'm experienced on my recent cruises, I'll likely choose MSC for when I simply want to get away for a week, and choose Princess when I want to take a bucket list cruise (excepting Hawaii).  Yet, there are certain cruises for which NCL has no competition.  And for those cruises, I will still choose NCL.

What do you think?

Comparing 3 cruise lines' 7-day cruises

In the past year, I have taken 3 separate 7-day cruises to 3 separate destinations on ships that I feel best exemplify both the best and worst of these cruise lines have to offer.   Given that we see what we want to see and disregard the rest (as Paul Simon might put it), I can't say that readers of this post will feel as I do about these 3 lines. Yet, I feel that by comparing 3 different types of experiences, my comparison should help a person in choosing a cruise that best delivers the desired experience that the person wants.

Comparing 3 cruise lines, 3 ships, and 3 itineraries is like comparing apples to oranges to pears.  However, the way 7-day cruises are handled by each cruise line can be compared, as one can discuss both the value and quality of staterooms, itineraries, service, food, entertainment, cruise line apps and embarkation/muster/debarkation procedures on each line.  Each line has a lot to offer, as well as a lot to be criticized about.  One should not expect these lines to be perfect.  Instead, one should recognize that each line makes trade-offs to deliver value to its customers, and that the targeted demographics of cruisers vary from cruise line to cruise line.

Ships Compared:

1. Emerald Princess - year built: 2007.
2. NCL Getaway       - year built: 2014.
3. MSC Meraviglia   - year built: 2017.

Each of these ships have been broken in for 7+ years.  As a result, the kinks should have been worked out of all service related problems, and the experiences described here should reflect an average cruiser's experience on these ships.  However, I selected different cabin types on each of these ships, and one may have a different opinion about the cabins than I had.

Stateroom/Cabins:

1. Emerald Princess - Balcony.
   
   The balcony cabin was well designed for use by two people.  It was easy to find enough storage space for a party of 2.  However, there was an issue with the light sensor over the area separating the closet area and the bathroom.  We did not know how to turn on the light, and with the help of the room attendant found out that a prior cruiser had damaged the motion sensor that controlled the light.  Once this was repaired, we had no problem with the cabin. 
   
   Unlike many of the newer ships I've cruised on, the shower area was separated from the rest of the bathroom by a shower curtain.  This is something I've noticed on older ships, such as NCL's Pride of America, that I would want to see upgraded when the ship next goes in for a major updating.
   
   
2. NCL Getaway - Balcony.
   
   The balcony cabin was well designed for use by two people. Like the Emerald Princess, the Getaway provides adequate storage for a party of 2.  However, some storage nooks will be found in places where they might not be expected, such as under the sofa.  Unlike my experience on the Emerald Princess, all lights, etc. were in working order upon entering the room.
   
   
3. MSC Meraviglia - Solo Cabin.
   
   The solo cabin's basic design is flawed, as it is meant to serve two purposes: (a) as a solo cabin meant to be occupied by a single traveler, and (b) as a cabin meant to be connected to one of the adjoining balcony cabins.  Although the cabin is listed as using 129 sq.ft., this space is used inefficiently.  The cabin's bed is a fold out sofa whose mattress is held to the bed by a railing.  Due to this railing, both getting out of the bed and sitting on the bed while getting dressed can be quite awkward and uncomfortable.  Additionally, when the bed is set up for sleeping, one cannot open the closet doors fully.  This prevents easy access to the cabin's safe and makes it more difficult to use the closet for storage of one's clothes.  I wondered: Why didn't MSC retrofit these closet doors with accordion doors, so that the closets could be used in all configurations of this room?
   
   

Itineraries:

1. Emerald Princess - California Coast / Mexico (June 2023)
   
   - Embarkation: Los Angeles
   - Sea Day #1
   - Port Day #1 & 2: San Francisco  
   - Sea Day #2
   - Port Day #3: San Diego
   - Port Day #4: Ensenada, Mexico
   - Debarkation: Los Angeles
   
   The embarkation/debarkation city was chosen for personal reasons (I wanted to visit a relative).  , I wanted a cruise that would spend most of its time in American waters and visit American cities.  Princess was the one line I found that did a roundtrip sailing out of Los Angeles that made port in San Francisco and San Diego.  (Monterrey, California was a common stop on this route until recently.  Now, ships are making port at Catalina Island and in Santa Barbara in its place.)  Other cruise lines tend to have cruises sailing out of Los Angeles do the "Mexican Riviera" route and not the California Coast.  
   
   As one would expect in California, the weather was sunny and dry.  However, it was surprisingly cool for June, and I was glad to have my windbreaker and sweater with me.  (San Francisco is notorious for its cool weather during the summer.)
   
   
2. NCL Getaway - Bermuda (November 2023)
   
   - Embarkation: New York (Manhattan)
   - Sea Day #1
   - Port Day #1, 2, & 3: Bermuda (King's Wharf)
   - Sea Day #2 & 3
   - Debarkation: New York (Manhattan)
   
   The embarkation/debarkation city was chosen because I live in the Northern NYC suburbs, and that I could reach the cruise terminal via mass transit (Metro North Railroad) and a short cab ride from Grand Central Terminal.  We chose this cruise because neither of us had ever been to Bermuda and that we wanted to explore a place where we would be comfortable exploring on our own.  Although there may have been another line sailing a similar itinerary, no other cruise gave us as much Bermuda time for our money as the NCL cruise did, as we had 3 full days in Bermuda on this trip.
   
   For 2 out of the 3 days we were in Bermuda, the weather wasn't that nice.  There was a storm that brought cool, damp, and drizzling weather to the island.  As a result, we needed sweaters and windbreakers while on the island, and didn't do any exploring until the last day there.
   
   
3. MSC Meraviglia - Florida / Bahamas (December 2023)
   
   - Embarkation: New York (Brooklyn)
   - Sea Day #1
   - Port Day #1: Port Canaveral, Florida
   - Port Day #2: Nassau, Bahamas
   - Port Day #3: Ocean Cay, Bahamas (Scheduled)  / Miami, Florida (Actual)
   - Sea Day #2 & 3
   - Debarkation: New York (Brooklyn)
   
   The embarkation/debarkation city was suboptimal for me, it was chosen because I could reach it without depending on an expensive cab service, or by spending even more money to travel out of town for the cruise.  I was able to reach the Brooklyn cruise terminal by a cab ride from Grand Central Terminal to Pier 11, from where I would catch the ferry to the Brooklyn cruise terminal. 
   
   Although other cruise lines sail similar routes, I chose to take this cruise because it provided a solo cabin for a price lower than the other cruise lines.  Most lines doing 7-day cruises out of New York (any terminal) during the winter tend to make 3 stops.  The first stop is usually in Port Canaveral, where cruise ships tend to provision themselves and sell the stop as a way to visit Orlando's theme parks for a day.  After that, there is a stop in Nassau or Freeport in the Bahamas, where people can visit a resort, explore the island, or do some shopping.  And then comes the cruise line's private island, where tourists can swim and sun themselves for a day.  This cruise was marred by bad weather from the time we left Port Canaveral to the day before we returned to New York.  That's a risk of sailing at this time of year.
   
   

Service & Food:

1. Emerald Princess.
   
   Room service was provided once per day.  It was professional, as would be expected.  Given that one almost always has their Princess Medallion on one's person when outside the cabin, we rarely had any direct interaction with our room attendant. Even if one turns on the light that says "please make up room", the room attendant will not enter the room unless the wearer is in some other area of the ship.
   
   Dining service tended to be slow in starting, and then was the best of all 3 cruise lines being compared.  The specialty restaurant we ate in (the steak house) would be one we'd enjoy on land.  However, the quality of the steaks we had were slightly below that of NCL's steak house.  The main dining room had better service than I had on either of the two other lines, and the staff was quick to anticipate our needs before we did.
   
   
2. NCL Getaway.
   
   Room service was provided once per day.  It was just as professional as that on Princess.  However, without a tool such as the Princess medallion, we ended up having more interactions with our room attendant.  Although this doesn't bother me, it can bother people who want absolute privacy while in their cabin.
   
   Dining service differed greatly between the main dining room (MDR) and that in the specialty restaurants.  While dining in the MDR, we occasionally had to flag down our waiter to get drink refills, among other minor services.  However, in the Steak House, the French Bistro, and in the Brazilian Churrascaria, both the food and service was top notch and the best of all 3 ships.  
   
   
3. MSC Meraviglia.
   
   Room service was provided twice per day.  It was professional, as one would expect on a cruise ship.  However, I did come into contact with my room attendant several times, once because I forgot my keycard in the room.  It was obvious that English was not his native language, as I could not communicate my request to have distilled water for my CPAP machine be brought to my room.
   
   Dining service was a unique experience on this ship.  MSC uses fixed seating/fixed dining times on their cruises for most experiences (see Cruise Packages - Add-ons in a later part of this entry), and I had requested late seating for the main dining room.  However, I was assigned an early seating, and had to request a change on the first night there.  Once this was  taken care of, I had to wait an extra hour to be seated, as the delay caused by showing early seating people to their tables on the first night of the cruise caused my seating to be delayed.  Service in the main dining room was both friendly and professional without mistakes, but felt like one was eating in a catering hall instead of in a restaurant.  Food portions were small, and not as tasty as I would have liked.  At least, both my wine glass and water glass were always being topped off.  The 3 specialty restaurants I visited were hit and miss.  I loved the Taco joint on the ship, as its quality as equal to some of the best places I've visited on shore.  The steak house was good, but the service and food quality was a notch below both Princess and NCL.  The seafood restaurant was good, but the service was a notch below both Princess and NCL. Yet, I must say that their linguini in clam sauce was one of the best pasta dishes I've had on a ship.
   
   

Cruise Line Apps:

1. Princess. 
   
   The cruise line is pushing people to use their app from the time one makes their cruise reservation to the day one leaves the ship.  One can enter almost everything into the app, then use it (as they say) to expedite boarding, make dining reservations, book shore excursions, chat with Guest Services, order food and drink (OceanNow®) delivery.  I found the app to be a bit buggy, and I expect that the issues I encountered have been resolved in the new version of the app.  
   
   
2. NCL.
   
   This cruise line doesn't seem to be pushing people to use their app.  I found that it can do most of the things the Princess app can do.  However, chatting to other cruisers via the app is an extra charge.  Yet, it seems to be the most polished of the apps at the time I used it, as I encountered fewer glitches while on my cruise.
   
   
3. MSC.
   
   The MSC app was the least useful of the apps.  It felt like it was cobbled together in a hurry, and does not provide as much functionality as either of the Princess or NCL apps.  Unlike Princess and NCL, MSC's app did not allow me to make reservations for specialty dining restaurants.  This is a notable flaw, as the lack of such ability made me spend extra time trying to find the restaurant where my reservations could be made.

Embarkation/Muster/Debarkation Procedures:

1. Princess.
   
   Embarkation.
   
   This cruise line uses its medallion as a universal replacement for a card key on the ship.  Most cruisers can pre-enter all of their pertinent data into Princess's system, upload photo ID, and be able to board the ship with minimal hassles.  Both my travel partner and I were assigned to the "Green Line", and we'd normally expect to show up with our medallions and our passports, then quickly proceed to board the ship.
   
   However, the above  was not our experience.  Unfortunately, I was the cause of our problems as  I had misplaced my medallion the day before my cruise.  I called Princess to see if this would be a problem.  They said "No", just talk to the people at the pier, and they would get you on the ship.  Although this was true, they didn't say how much of a pain this would be when we got to the pier.
   
   When one gets to the pier, Princess has cruisers go to either the Green Line (Minimal Paperwork - Mostly US Citizens and Residents) or the Blue Line (All others).  Although we were assigned Green Lane processing, we were stuck as if we were in the Blue Lane.  Reaching the check-in personnel, I explained my problem.  And then the "fun" began, because they had to (1) make sure I was sailing on the ship, (2) Print up an old fashioned key card, so that we could get onboard the ship, and (3) Tell me to go to guest services to have a new medallion made up for me.
   
   Once on the ship, we surrendered our keycards and my partner checked out her medallion (it worked), so we could drop off our bags before going to guest services.  And then we had to wait in a hot, humid area until I got to the desk.  And it then took a while for ship personnel to create a new medallion for me.  In the process of doing this, they screwed up my partner's medallion, so it was back to guest services to get this fixed once and for all.  After a few minutes, the problem was fixed, and we were free to enjoy the ship.
   
   Muster:
   
   This was a painless process.  One simply watches the muster video and then checks in at the muster station.  Ship personnel didn't care if one used stairs or elevators to reach the muster station, even though one would be using the stairs in case of a real emergency.
   
   Debarkation:
   
   This was also a painless process.  Facial recognition was used in the cruise terminal to verify that all passengers were accounted for.  Luggage was easy to find on the pier, and airport transfer buses left for the airport as soon as the buses were filled.
   
   
2. NCL.
   
   Embarkation:
   
   Like Princess, NCL has embarkation down to a science.  However, they don't separate cruisers into Green Land and Blue Lane.  With the exception of small number of cruisers staying in Haven Suites, everyone else is steered to one of two sets of check-in stations where cruisers' paperwork and passports are presented before cruise cards are given to the cruiser.  Occasionally, one will need to have a new ID photo taken, but this doesn't add much to the time it takes to get on the ship.  Once the cruise card is in hand, one simply walks to the assigned embarkation point and boards the ship.
   
   Muster:
   
   The muster process used on this ship is similar to that used by princess, save that NCL encouraged people to watch the safety video at home before the cruise (as we did) instead of waiting until we boarded the ship.  (I'm pretty sure that they had used some webpage trickery to check who watched videos.)  And then, all one has to do is check in at the muster station.  We got very lucky, as our muster station was 20 feet from where we got on the ship, and we completed our muster responsibilities before taking the elevator to reach our cabin floor.
   
   Debarkation:
   
   Having had problems with finding my bag in the Manhattan Cruise Terminal after prior cruises, I made sure to have Tile Trackers on each of our bags.  This time, our bags were delivered to the correct zone, but we could see them on the path we had to walk before picking them up.  Our only problem was that in the confusion at the terminal, I left the secured area while my partner was still in the area looking for me.  I'm glad we had our cell phones with us on this trip!
   
   
3. MSC.
   
   Embarkation:
   
   Having most recently cruised on Princess and NCL, I expected to see a streamlined embarkation process used by MSC.  For the most part, this is true, save that the lines are much longer than that on Princess and NCL due to the size of the ship, and that they seemed to move slower through the terminal.  Unlike my 2 most recent cruises, I found the check-in line extending outside the terminal   (I've seen this happen with NCL, but that's an exception, and not a rule.)  Once in the terminal, it's easy to see why this is the case - there are not enough security stations to process the volume of passengers carried by a ship the size of the Meraviglia.  Luckily, after going through this gauntlet, the check-in lines moved reasonably fast, and one would board the ship relatively quickly.
   
   Muster:
   
   The muster process for this ship is the worst of any ship I've sailed on in the post-covid era.  Although it is similar to that used by Princess and NCL, it adds a needless extra step: One has to call a special phone number from the cabin to register one's viewing of the safety video before proceeding to the muster station to check-in.  In addition to this, one can't use the elevators during muster check-in.  This means that some minor mobility challenged people will be forced to use the stairs when they should be using the elevators.
   
   US Customs / Reentry to US Waters (Unexpected process due to itinerary change):
   
   This process only occurs when ships reenter US waters before reaching their final destination ports.  For this comparison, I'm comparing MSC to a trip taken on NCL before the pandemic.
   
   Due to bad weather, our cruise changed its 3rd port call from Ocean Cay (Bahamas) to Miami, FL.  This meant that we would have to clear customs.  The last time I had to do this, my cruise ship (NCL Breakaway) made port in Portland, ME.  Customs personnel boarded the ship, and each passenger had to check in (at an assigned time) at a station set up in the main dining room.  Once checked in (as I recall things), we could go ashore, or stay on the ship.
   
   Contrast NCL's process to that used by MSC in Miami, and one could get quite frustrated.  First, we were told that it would take about 5 hours for US Customs to clear the ship and that ALL passengers must leave the ship and not return until the ship had been cleared.  The cruise line recommended that we take a shore excursion to kill time (on a rainy day - aargh!) and come back in a few hours.  The rest of us were herded off the ship in groups, and not given any idea of what to expect when outside the terminal.  At least, MSC has the "kindness" to provide us with disposable ponchos for the weather outside.
   
   Like the debarkation process in New York and Los Angeles, facial recognition was used to verify the cruiser's ID as we left the ship to find no guidance on how to reenter the terminal to wait in its waiting area.  There was a line outside, but it wasn't moving.  (I later found out that these people were just as clueless as I was.)  Luckily, I found a path into the terminal where I was assigned a boarding group card.
   
   Once in the terminal, there were not enough seats for all of us to sit comfortably, as I found many people sitting on the floor.  When they started calling boarding groups, almost everyone started to move towards the terminal exit to the ship gangway.  After they called group #4, they stopped checking whether a person belonged to the selected group and just collected boarding group tickets.
   
   In short, the process at the Miami cruise terminal was a hot mess, and I don't know whether US Customs, the Miami cruise terminal, or MSC should take the blame for this mess.
   
   Debarkation:
   
   As bad as the Miami customs process was, debarkation was good.  Although tMSC's debarkation process is not geared to making it easy for people with air connections to make tight flight connections, debarkation went smoothly.  Once a debarkation group was called, one would walk the long line off the ship and easily find their bags in the cruise terminal.  Given that we had already cleared customs in Miami, we didn't have to take the time to show any ID to a customs agent.  The only time I had a quicker (and easier) debarkation process was in Hawaii, where it took less time to debark a ship carrying fewer passengers.
   
   

Entertainment:

1. Princess.
   
   The only time we went to see Princess's entertainment was when the comedians were performing, both on the main stage and in one of the lounges.  And each time, we were underwhelmed.  This was made up for by the piano player at the Crooners lounge who did a great job with the songs he sang.  The one flaw with Crooners was that the music was overamplified, and we couldn't hear each other speak.
   
   
2. NCL
   
   NCL has been known for the quality of shows in its main theater.  We have seen "Broadway Quality" performances of "Six" and "Footloose" on other ships, and we looked forward to seeing "Million Dollar Quartet" on this cruise - and we weren't disappointed.  This performance was as good as when I saw the show in NYC.  The one thing that disappointed me about almost all of NCL's main stage performances is that they cut the shows down, so that they can be performed in a one hour time window.
   
   
3. MSC.
   
   MSC's entertainment is a mixed collection.  On the whole, I found the lounge performers to be very good entertainers.  However, the stage shows leave something to be desired.  For example, the "Houdini" show in the Carousel theater was a jumbled mess, mixing mediocre musical performances with a poorly executed magic trick or two.  It was not worth the money they would have charged me for the show, save maybe for the Gin and Tonic served upon entry to the theater.
   
   Shows in the main theater varied in quality, and were disappointingly short, being only 45 minutes long.  The show featuring 4 magicians was very good.  The singer (forgot his name) was very good.  And the comedian, Dave Konig, was also very good.  But when MSC put on a variety show featuring the talents of ship employees, I had to walk out after half the show was over.  
   

Miscellaneous items of note:

1. Cruise Packages - Add-ons.
   
   Princess Premier.
   
   This package is the more expensive of the two "all inclusive" packages offered by Princess (Princess Plus and Princess Premier).  To me, it gives the cruiser the best value is one is a moderate drinker and one is a heavy computer user, as it includes all drinks (soda, beer, wine, spirits and mixed drinks) under $15, 4 devices of unlimited Wi-Fi, 2 specialty restaurant dinners, unlimited exercise classes, photo downloads (with 3 prints), and unlimited specialty desserts. Best of all - Princess takes care of the gratuities, something that the other two lines do not do with their packages.
   
   NCL Free at Sea.
   
   There is one big advantage to NCL's Free at Sea package - one gets to choose one's own cabin.  The other advantages are important, but are effectively add-ons, as they can be deselected to avoid paying gratuities on a drink package and a specialty dining package.  Yet, the gratuities are a cheap price to pay for a drink package that includes all drinks (soda, beer, wine, spirits and mixed drinks) under $15.  However, this package does not cover the mandated daily "staff service" gratuity fee, which is approximately $20/day/pp.  Yet, it does provide the cruiser with 150 minutes of free wi-fi.
   
   MSC Best Value + Fantastica.
   
   When I now think of MSC, I think of this cruise line as one where prices are kept low by making things optional.  In my case, I had to couple the Best Value option with the Fantastica package to get values equivalent to the range set by Princess's Premier and NCL's Free at Sea package.  Yet, there are some interesting differences that I must note.
   
   MSC offers two booking types: Best Price and Best Value.  Best Price is similar to the Guaranteed Cabin option types on NCL and Princess.  Best Value allows the cruiser to choose one's cabin within a category range (displayed on a later reservation screen) and includes the "Easy Drinks Plus" package, including all drinks under $10.  This is not as bad as it might look, as MSC's Easy Drinks Plus package includes canned sodas, sparkling waters, beers, selected wines, and selected mixed drinks (made with bottom shelf spirits).  Being a moderate drinker while on a ship, I found that I never had to pay extra for any of the libations I ordered.
   
   There are three experience types on MSC ships: Bella, Fantastica, and Aurea. The Bella experience is a basic package without specialty dining and spa options.  The Aurea experience is a high end package, where the cruiser gets a specialty dining package, anytime dining in one of the ship's restaurants, a Balinese massage, and access to the ship's solarium.  It is not offered to all cruisers.  I chose the Fantastica option, which included meals at 3 of the specialty restaurants on the ship.
   
   I feel that Best Value plus Fantastica options can bring MSC's total experience into the range set by NCL and Princess.  But it doesn't meet the same bar set by the other two cruise lines.
   
   
   
2. Photography (Packages & Studio).
   
   Princess.
   
   The Princess Premier package includes 3 printouts and unlimited downloads per person.  For most people, everything works fine.  In our case, it didn't because Princess didn't automatically associate any of my partner's photos as belonging to our cabin, because of glitches with Princess's facial recognition technology, or that they didn't scan her medallion prior to taking her solo pictures.  By the time this was detected on the last day of the cruise, it was impossible to deal with waiting on line at the photography station, as well as working with Princess to retrieve these photos after the cruise.
   
   On this ship, Princess places all photos for cruisers into slots associated with the day's sessions (port name, sea day number, etc.).  This means that all cruisers' pictures are available to anyone on the cruise and are subject to being misfiled when the cruiser chooses not to purchase the photo.  By the time the cruise ends, it becomes very hard to find one's pictures for purchase, as they have been completely shuffled by other cruisers.  If one's pictures are properly associated with a cabin, this isn't that much of a problem - one can download the photos and print them on land for a nominal price.  But, when the photos aren't associated with the cabin, they are lost forever.
   
   While browsing our photos, we met with a photographer who suggested we try the professional photo studio, which we did.  The fellow took 40 monochrome photos of us in various poses, individually and as a couple.  A few days later, we reviewed the photos and the photographer did some mumbo-jumbo with a spreadsheet showing old and new package photo prices.  He was trying to show great value for buying a 10 photo package for $1,500 - something which we would never do.  Instead, we ended up getting 3 nice photos for our walls for $300.  Yes, it was pricey, but I feel that the price was worth it for us.
   
   NCL.
   
   The NCL photo experience was the best of all three experiences, as they made sure that a cabin number was associated with each group of photos taken by scanning one's cruise card.  (Why Princess didn't do this was a mystery.)  Once the photos were taken, they are uploaded to a server onboard the ship so that they can be viewed at screens in the photo shop.  This way, no one had access to someone else's photos, and no photos could get lost in a shuffle. I don't recall buying any pictures on this trip, but I remember that they were reasonably priced for cruise ship photos.
   
   Please note that there is a professional portrait studio on this ship that we did not use on this cruise.
   
   MSC.
   
   This cruise line encourages people to have lots of photos taken.  Unlike Princess, they file each cabin's photos separately, so that they are isolated from other cabins' photos.  This way, they avoid the mess we experienced on our Princess cruise.  Unlike the other two lines, they include some 11"x14" photos in each folder as a way to get the cruiser to spend more on photos.  Their photo prices for 8"x10" photos are reasonable.  However, these process drop significantly if even a small photo package is bought.
   
   
3. Other items of note.
   
   Princess Cruise Demographics.
   
   Although there were some children on this cruise, we noticed that most of the cruisers came from an older, European, English speaking segment of our population.  In short, the people we encountered on this cruise would likely be found in any typical middle class community in the United States.
   
   NCL Cruise Demographics.
   
   The demographics of NCL cruisers are similar to that found on Princess cruisers, save that more children will be found on NCL cruises.  Given that our Bermuda cruise took place in Late October and Early November, we didn't see that many children on this cruise.
   
   MSC Public Areas.
   
   Although most cruise line ships are meant to impress, MSC tends to be over the top in glitz.  Nor only are the grand staircases embedded with Swarovski crystals, but the whole ship can seem "over the top" in its own way,  The pathway between two of the main dining rooms is bordered with highly reflective walls inset with wine bottles.  There is so much light being reflected, that people with certain visual impairments might have trouble navigating this section of the ship.
   
   A common trend in many cruise ships is to reduce the size of reading libraries.  Fewer people are seeking this kind of quiet place on cruise ships, and MSC has taken this to an extreme by making the ships' library a 2-3 meter long path of empty magazine racks off of the grand atrium.  
   
   MSC Cruise Demographics.
   
   My cruise may have been an outlier.  But many people have commented that there was a very large number of people from one ethnic and language group on this ship.  No, I am not talking of a language highly associated with South America.  Instead, I am talking about one highly associated with Asia.  Several bloggers who were on my cruise were offended by the cultural norms of this group and noted this in their blogs. As for me, I found it awkward, as it inhibited my ability to have the quick chats one might have with people at neighboring tables in the main dining room.
   

Conclusion:

If I had to rank these cruise lines, I'd have to call it a tie between Princess and NCL, as I have repeat cruises already scheduled on these lines.  Both of these lines sail itineraries I want to sail, and both have dining experiences that stand out from the norm.  MSC would come in third, as its USA division does not sail to places I want to visit as often as I'd like, and that its food underwhelmed me when not eating at the specialty restaurants.

You get what you pay for on each of these lines. Yet, I was a little put off by MSC's attempt to up-sell me once onboard the ship.  If one wants good entertainment, one should cruise on NCL (and maybe, MSC for shorter theater shows).  If one wants good food, I'd choose NCL and Princess. And, if I wanted low cost, I'd choose MSC.  All three cruise lines have their merits, and I would sail on each of these lines again, given the right conditions.

Emerald Princess - California Coastal Cruise Observations (06/17/23 - 06/24/23)

The following are my unfiltered observations in regard to the California Coastal Cruise on the Emerald Princess we were on in June.  Although I will not comment on the sites we visited in Los Angeles, I will mention how we got around, along with options that a tourist without a car can use.

Flight Arrangements:

1. We used a travel agent to handle of our booking requirements.  As a result, we were able to specify the airline to use for this trip (Delta) so that we each could get a free checked bag on our flights.  Additionally, we were able to select flight times, so that we didn't have to rush to the airport on either leg of this trip.

Pre-Cruise Hotel Arrangements:

1. The Marriott LAX is Princess's hotel of choice for pre-cruise stays.  All pre-cruise transfers take place between the airport and this hotel, and the hotel to the pier.
2. (Not a Princess issue) In order to get free Wi-Fi, one has to register in Marriott's loyalty program.  However, registering for this plan at the same time as checking into the hotel can be problematic.  I couldn't complete the data entry part of loyalty program registration, nor could hotel staff.  As a result, I was charged for the Wi-Fi upon leaving the hotel.
3. (Not a Princess issue) Dining choices near the hotel are very limited and are overpriced.  On our first night, we spent $120 for a simple dinner, each of us having a single drink.  Soft drinks and candy from the hotel's store easily cost twice as what one would pay at a local 7-11 store.  The only reasonably priced outlet where food and beverage is sold was the hotel's Starbucks outlet.

Pre-Cruise Transfers:

1. Although Princess was supposed to provide a transfer from the airport to the hotel, we were not able to find it.  Instead, we used the hotel's shuttle to get from the airport to the hotel.
2. The transfer from the hotel to the pier ran a little late in arriving due to Los Angeles' traffic jams.  Once the bus arrived at the hotel, it was a relatively quick trip from the hotel to the airport.

Embarkation/Settling in.

1. The check-in process for people who have lost of misplaced their Princess Medallion needs to be fixed.  Although we had notified Princess of my problem a day in advance, they did not have have either a replacement medallion or a temporary cruise card available when we arrived at the cruise terminal.  We had to wait 30 minutes before a cruise card could be given to me before proceeding onto the ship.
2. Once on the ship, we proceeded to Guest Services and traded the temporary cruise card for a medallion.  However, it took 15 minutes' waiting at Guest Services for the replacement medallion to be printed and handed to me.
3. The Guest Services area did not have adequate air conditioning to keep people comfortable while in the area on embarkation day.  This is likely a result of the crowds of people needing service once they got on the ship.
4. Upon activation of my new medallion, my partner's medallion was accidentally deactivated.  We had to go back to Guest Services to rectify this.

Restaurants.

1. Buffet. (Complementary).
   - We were underwhelmed by the range of food selections found in the buffet.
   - The layout of the buffet made it harder to find the foods one wanted to eat, as there was no default flow of people through this space.
   - Buffet staff always handed us both plates and tableware when we went to get food from the stations. 
   - Buffet staff would fetch beverages for us, making it a more enjoyable dining experience in the buffet.
2. Botticelli Dining Room  (Complementary).
   - This was the easiest of the complementary dining rooms in which to get a table for dinner service, due to its location at the back of the ship.  
   - Once seated, the wait staff was friendly, professional, and efficient.  
   - At dinner, we were often served extra main courses and desserts, both containing items we didn't think to order. as samplers.  At one meal, we enjoyed the extra courses more than the dishes we had ordered.
   - On the last night, we were not prepared for the cruise director, and the noisy lights-out parade of sparkling Baked Alaska desserts.  This was very disturbing, and almost ruined our meal.
3. Da Vinci Dining Room (Complementary).
   - I found it hard to get seated in this dining area unless I arrived early.  If seated here, service was of the same quality as in the Botticelli dining room.
4. Crown Grill (Specialty Restaurant).
   - On both occasions that we went to this restaurant, there was no one waiting in front of us.  There was no one manning the host/hostess location, and we had to wait 5-10 minutes to be recognized and then get seated.
   - It took a while for table service to start, but once started, it was almost flawless.
   - Food quality was very good, but not as good as I've had at some land based steakhouses in the NYC area.  

Excursions.

1.  San Francisco - Japanese Tea Garden
   - The Japanese Tea Garden is an island of serenity in a chaotic city.  There is not much to do here, save enjoying the beauty of the place.  However, like many excursions, it involves a bus ride from the cruise ship.

Post-Cruise Debarkation and Airport Transfer.

1. Debarkation was very quick.  We were off the ship shortly after our color code was called, without having to wait on line.
2. Our luggage was easy to find at the pier, as our group's luggage was in a relatively small area compared with some other ports I have sailed from.
3. Customs at the Los Angeles (San Pedro) cruise terminal used facial recognition, and we breezed through the checkpoint without incident.
4. Buses were lined up for those using airport transfers.  As soon as a bus was filled with luggage and passengers, it was off to the airport.  We had booked a 2:20 pm flight to be safe.  We could have booked earlier flights, as the bus reached our airport terminal before 10:30 am.

Miscellaneous Items of Note.

1. We had purchased the Princess Premier package.  This entitled us to:
   - Photo Downloads of all pictures taken of us together or as individuals
   - Three 8"x10" print photographs of our choice for each person
   - Two meals at the ship's specialty restaurants for each person
   - Unlimited Wi-Fi for four devices each person
   - Unlimited specialty desserts
   - Exercise Classes (unused)
2. The photography area did not associate my partner's solo pictures with our room.  As a result, these pictures were lost to the ether.
3. Pictures in the photography area were hard to find in their displays.  Cruisers mishandled pictures, intermixing undesired pictures with those of other cruisers.
4. On the last day of the cruise, the photography area did not have enough staff to deal with both download issues (such as our missing images) and photo purchases.
5. The music volume at the Crooners' lounge was excessively loud, making conversation impossible without having to shout.
6. The "Baked Alaska" parade was a needless interruption of dining on the last night of the cruise.  For people with visual impairments, the lack of adequate light can create a dangerous environment.
7. On the last morning of the cruise, using the Da Vinci restaurant as a debarkation staging area is confusing, as people may think to go there for their last morning's meal on the ship and miss out on that meal.