Terrible Customer Service
We booked a 5 day cruise on Norwegian Gem on March 4. We decided to upgrade to a 7 day cruise on March 7 to the Norwegian Joy. This trip would cost us 1,000 more than the original. You would think that would be a good business decision for them to allow this. Unfortunately after calling and speaking to management twice, we were still denied the opportunity to switch. Customer service could care less about telling us no. Just no exceptions is all they could say. Very disappointing. Will NEVER sail NCL again. Be careful ....read all the other reviews and then book RCL. We've been on many cruises and you will find much better customer service with other ships.
Sherry
Worst cruise ever
Worst cruise ever. Paid for 3 specialty meals,good luck getting reservations unless you want to eat at 9:30. Same with entertainment,early show full. Food was mediocre at best. Drinks were mostly water. Signed up for an open top bus tour,spent most of the tour in town stuck in heavy traffic and loud horns when it was supposed to be of forest and greenery. Two hours to get off ship as tenders were not ready and first one broke down half way to port.Only upside was the ship staff.
David Herington
My issue is with the customer service…
My issue is with the customer service travel agent. I signed up with a large group. I was promised 100.00 ship credit. When I was onboard cruise I realized I did not receive it. I emailed my agent ( Chris Riesgo) and was informed he was on vacation. I went to customer serviceon ship and they said I had to talk to agent. I called ncl office and they said they could due nothing and said I had to talk to supervisor. Meanwhile I am in Mexico and they put me on hold to where I had to finally had to hang up. I filled out after cruise form to complain and they responded they could do nothing for me. Bottom line is do not use ncl travel agents .Karen
Karen L
Dont Cruise NCL - Spend Your Hard Earned $ Elsewhere.
NCL Joy December 2025 sailing to Bahamas. Buffet was inedible - chicken had an after taste, food was flavorless and stale. 18+ area had one hot tub which was gross - while sitting in it we had long pieces of someone else's hair tangled in our fingers and toes. Our balcony suite had an overflowing non-functional toilet for the last day. Despite notifying the guest services desk multiple times, it was not fixed. We ended up having to relieve ourselves in the public washrooms. Eventually we were offered a 111 USD refund per person for the toilet not working. I signed a piece of paper on board agreeing to recieve the amount. The final tab reflected only 80USD refunded per person. Continuous follow up with their customer service for an explanation re: the discrepancy has been futile. I have been asking them to honor the amount I signed for and they have been refusing to do so. Spend your hard earned money elsewhere.
Alia A
Norwegian Cruise Lines Casino Rip-Off
On the Norwegian Encore, played blackjack with the King’s Bounty side bet in their casino. Rules were printed in two places largely on the table. The side bet pays 1000:1 for two kings of spades versus the dealer’s blackjack. I bet $15 (maximum bet of $100 is allowed), hit the long shot, and they only paid me $5,000. The Pit Boss said it was “their policy.” No reasonable person would ever know that, especially with all the rules and payouts printed twice on the table. Very unjust and intentionally misleading.
Keith Brown
On the Escape New Orleans round trip…
On the Escape New Orleans round trip ... at 70 it was our first cruise and was full of hope... this was Mardi Gras Week so beware taxis not easy to find to the port and a 90 minute queue once there !Breakfast on board was ok but evenings its hard to find a show which isn't cancelled or changed be alert. Not many dining options unless you want to pay more... we paid £200 each for the vibe which was very noisy !! not impressed. Balcony was dirty and covered in old paint chips. Not easy to get evening drink without queuing at bars... wifi was next to hopeless... then 2 out of the 4 stops cancelled due to weather... however... the Viva was in port at Roatan ? Costa Maya the Carnival boat was in port ? so 50% cancelled. Staff were great but by now I was stir crazy... experienced cruisers said it was the worst line to choose... last gripe is disembarkation only Starbucks open... yes you pay for it.. No thanks NCL
steve
Not my kind of cruise line
Not my kind of cruise line, lack of professionalism. Cruise line needs lots of help with restaurants, activities and bands.
customer
Go elsewhere
Booked a cruise last minute, 2 weeks out from sail date. Norwegian charged my card and an hour later they canceled it. I tried to contact them and I was told sorry nothing we can do. The charges went through my bank, the hold didn't even last 24 hours. I had to file a dispute from the bank and they said they couldn't guarantee I would get my money back even though I had proof of cancelation. I would not even consider giving them a credit card number ever again.
Janie Waltz
NCL Prima Western Carribbean
The ship is a weird set up, everything ends in jutted off hallway corners. Theater is small, and bars were so-so. Drink choices limited, nothing special. Buffet food I found like a cafeteria style rate. Nothing special. Bacon, breads, Mac & cheese, desserts and ethic style dishes were not good. Seemed cheap ingredients were used in order to get the bulk needed. I are only salad which wasn't much variety and pure protein meats they would have in the carver section. Even their omelets were cooked burnt or so loaded in grease you couldn't eat. Rooms were the best of the ship. Limited small pool always packed. Seating hard to find. Service was better & always rushed and crazy. Entertainment exceptional though. But NCL made you reserve EVERYTHING in & the first day was spent all day in long lines with lot of customer complaints wait to get a dinner or entertainment booked aboard ship. It was NUTS. We won't be back TJ NCL for a long time. Give it a "B" grade for rooms, service & entertainment. "D" grade all else.
Irene Jarois
Fraud by vendors - Norwegian profits
I boarded a Norwegian Cruise Line ship expecting a world-class vacation. What I did not expect was to become the target of a coordinated, high-pressure art fraud scheme operated in plain sight aboard a ship I was there to enjoy, with Norwegian Cruise Line's full knowledge and financial participation.Park West Gallery stationed their representatives aboard the ship and employed relentless, predatory sales tactics deliberately designed to exploit passengers in a captive, vacation-relaxed environment. The appraisals presented were grossly misrepresentative of actual market value. The transaction constituted consumer fraud, and I am far from alone in that experience.This is not a matter of buyers' remorse. Park West has faced more than two dozen lawsuits since 2008 alleging fraud, forged certificates of authenticity, and inflated appraisals. A federal class action accused them of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Their Trustpilot rating stands at 1.7 out of 5 stars. The pattern is well-documented and long-standing.Norwegian Cruise Line is not an innocent bystander. They receive a financial percentage of every Park West sale made aboard their ships. They profit. They know. They continue the partnership anyway. When I sought intervention and resolution from Norwegian directly, I received none. That indifference is its own indictment.Do not attend Park West auctions. Do not sail Norwegian Cruise Line until they sever this partnership. You deserve better than being defrauded while on vacation.
IvyRygel
Disappointing "customer service"
Just returned from a cruise on Escape with friends. Had a few issues which could not be resolved on board so wrote to the CEO - couldn't have cared lessPromised an upgraded package a couple of months before the the cruise. Found it was no longer available once on board. CEO response - tough. We can change anything under the T&C'sUnfortunately lost my wallet so enquired as to whether it had been handed in. Result was a finger tip search of our cabin and all belongings which made us feel like common criminals. CEO response - these are our procedures when something is reported lost!Broke personalised luiggage strap when dealing with luggage delivery. CEO response - claim on your insurance!Totally unbelievable and extremenly disappointed. Needless to say won't be travelling with NCL again
Pete Greatorex
Disappointment at Sea
The room steward, waiter staff, and bartenders were excellent. However, when you pay for a drink package and you find out water isn’t included, it lets you know you’re going to be nickeld and dimmed. My wife and I have over 50 cruises under our belt. This was our first cruise with NCL. Most of our cruises have been with Royal Caribbean, Princess, 1 MSC, 1 Carnival, and 1 Cunard Cruise Line. We were on a 14 day cruise on the Viva. We couldn’t get into the majority of shows i.e. comedy, karaoke, and vocalist not performing in the theater. We missed the majority of these performances because the forms were so small. Furthermore, the pool is not much bigger than the pool in my backyard on their main deck. There was never a place to lay out at the main pool deck because so many people were occupying the loungers on their limited space. There’s so much wasted space with the race track and video arcade no one is ever in. The steakhouse is the worst I’ve ever been to. Their idea of a ribeye was pathetic. I sent the first one back which was overcooked and couldn’t eat the second one presented. The prime rib was excellent, but the fillet was also of low quality. This was a two week cruise out of Galveston on January 24, 2026. Even NCL loyalist did not like this new class of ship.The service was excellent on the ship, but the forums were extremely disappointing. If you enjoy entertainment & dancing, you need to go an hour early and stand in line to get into any events. First and last cruise on this cruise line. We met a lot of really nice people from all across the country and Canada on the cruise line. Michael Gonzales
Michael GONZALES
Dishonest practices
Husband booked a cruise. Prepurchased drink package and internet. NCL offered room upgrade for certain dollar amount. He gets to the cruise and he got the upgraded room but they never told him it would cancel his drink and internet package. He has spent entire first day trying to get it fixed with crappy rude customer service. This wasn't good first NCL but it will be his last.
Shellie Pellegrini
Recently tried to book a Panama Canal…
Recently tried to book a Panama Canal Cruise were it was listed as one of 17 cruises with the Canadian $ at par. At the time of booking my NCL agent informed me it was not on the list that he had been given. 24 hrs later the resolution team (what a joke) informed me that a mistake had been made on the website and that they had no liability, and would not honor the advertised promotion. The kicker was when she told me it would take several days to update. I have been an avid promoter of NCL to this point. That has changed!
Courtice Ont
Norwegian Cruise Lines is TERRIBLE
Norwegian Cruise Lines is absolutely the WORST cruise line I have EVER dealt with. I have gone on 10 cruises with Holland America, Viking, Princess, and Carnival-NCL was the pit. Norwegian has the worst food and worst service personnel I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. We had mediocre food, terrible coffee, expensive Wi-fi, and horrendous service… details below. Do NOT ever use this cruise line. There are so many, many wonderful options out there. As an experienced cruise person, I guarantee you can do better than NCL.First, on the Viva ship, there is the smallest buffet on the top deck that I have ever encountered on a large ship. Instead of offering food on both sides, they used the other side for a paid dining experience that is only open at night. This means that you cannot find seats once you've FINALLY gotten your food out of an extremely crowded line. You have to carry your food to a separate dining area far away from the buffet. This is a terrible design, made only to earn them extra money at a paid venue. The food was mediocre in every venue. The coffee was terrible unless you paid to buy Starbucks at exorbitant prices.Secondly, we paid for four expensive excursions- all of which showed up on our credit card statement well in advance. When we get onboard, our tickets said we only had 3 excursions. I didn't realize it had been sneakily refunded to me a few days before travel. When I went to get help, they told me it was sold out. I showed them my receipt from them, and they told me that my credit card must have been denied. It was not, but with restricted Wifi, I used all of my free Wifi looking that up. Their response was a typically generic one I encountered often onboard… they offer no real help and only canned responses. I found that they had taken our money, refunded it at the last second, and raised the price of the excursion to almost double. When I argued, used all my free Wifi to find proof, and was finally let on the excursion, I had to pay the double amount to go. Not only that, they were extraordinarily rude about it. Third, on one excursion on Rhodes, we arrived at the bus halfway through the excursion ON TIME after going to the restroom, to find that it had left. The ‘Let’s Take a Selfie: Rhodes’ departed BEFORE the assigned time and apparently without checking a roster. I was flummoxed… we had to flag down another bus who kindly let us stand up on their full bus to get back to the port. I got no refund or apology. When the guide saw us in Rhodes, she said they “must have counted wrong.” No apology from her or from the cruise line. It was scary, shocking, and just unbelievable.Fourth, the Wifi was also extremely expensive.
Kathy Burdick
Don’t buy the CruiseNext Credit “ 2,000 USD Credits for 1,000 USD “
Don’t buy the CruiseNext Credit “ 2,000 USD Credits for 1,000 USD “. It doesn’t save you 1,000 USD for cruise, it cost you more, because they told 8 coupons each 250USD, each time we book , we can use 2 coupons minimum or 3 coupons for special, meaning we can save 250USD for each cruise we book, we just find out we only can use one coupon for booking, 2 coupons for 300 days prior cruise, then we requested the refund we didn’t use, the supervisor Stacy told it only refund within 30 days of purchase, if you just bought this package recently, go to book a cruise now to see how much money you can save, if not or pay more, go to get refund. We booked prestigecruises.com or cheapcruises.com, they have a lot great deals and options.
Joanne Orozco
Disappointing Birthday Experience on Norwegian Sky
My birthday onboard Norwegian Sky was meant to be elegant and memorable.Instead, it became a lesson in poor coordination and disappointing service.From the first day onboard, I made a reservation at a specialty restaurant for my birthday dinner. On the actual day, I was informed that a window table could not be guaranteed — unless I arrived hours earlier to “hold” it myself. That completely defeats the purpose of making a reservation.I also ordered a celebratory breakfast to my cabin. What arrived was fruit salad, juice, and coffee. Nothing festive. Nothing special.When I raised the issue with Guest Services, I was told “Sorry, we will check.” No immediate solution followed.After leaving the ship for several hours, I returned to find a cake and four glasses of champagne placed in my cabin — next to the untouched breakfast items that had been left there all day.But it doesn’t stop there.There is only one designated smoking area on the entire ship — located on deck 12 — completely exposed to wind and rain.If you would like to enjoy an espresso with your cigarette, you need to go several decks down to the only place serving proper espresso — Starbucks — and then back up again.The ship may look appealing in photos, but the actual experience lacks organization, attention to detail, and guest comfort.For those considering Norwegian Sky for an important celebration — manage your expectations.Some experiences look better in brochures than in reality.
Tanq Georgieva
Pubes in the bathroom from last guest
My 2nd cruise on NCL..Solo traveller. Never again will I travel with NCL. It was one of the worst experiences in travel. I had upgraded to a suite as I intended to spend time to recuperate from a chronic illness. Enjoy the balcony and fresh air. I noticed after being told my room was ready that the bathroom hadn't been cleaned. The bedroom had, but the bathroom had been missed. I rang housekeeping.who had to clean it twice to remove the last guest pubes (I'm not kidding) from the floor and bathtub. The bin had tissues in it. The aftermath was the disgrace. Instead of a courtesy goodwill gesture of a bottle of water, they then said it was my fault. I don't quite understand how as I did nothing wrong. I entered my room as told by the staff member who opened the fire doors. It caused me so much stress that I ended up flying home early, as soon as docked in Seoul. I didn't get off the boat for two ports as I was treated so poorly for NCL's failure. Claiming it was sime random person that took a shower in between the cleaning and my arrival was one ridiculous suggestion. Then they blamed me for entering the room without the official tannoy announcement. If an official staff member tells you your room is ready and I haven't cruised in 15 years on NCL, it would be nice to know that is the process. The reality is I entered 15 mins before to a room half cleaned. No apologies. Just blame shifting. Post- covid, an absolute disgrace of a company to blame me or other guests instead of saying, wow, we missed the bathroom. They insisted they had cleaned the bedroom and so admitted their oversight. But then management said it was me. I would never ever sail with them again. You get bombarded with sales paraphernalia but no ship information about basic things like departure proces. I had picked NCL for the right reasons and had an appalling experience. Also they allow smoking in the casino which I found bizarre when in the middle of the ship. Again. Antiquated rules. Rude staff. There was 5 staff that were professional or genuinely nice out of maybe 40 I spoke to over 7 days. If you've ever gone on a hotel room half cleaned and who blames you, please sail with NCL. If you expect basic service, cleanliness and a response that values their customer go elsewhere.
CR Private
Very disappointed. Was not provided the services promised and paid for.
This review is for Kathy Clobridge…I would like to begin by saying that my first cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) was a very positive experience. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about my second cruise this month.I had a cruise booked with NCL from February 1st through February 8th, arranged by my travel agent, Rocky Tillman. I specifically requested to arrive on January 31st in order to enjoy the resort prior to departure. However, the flight that was booked for me did not arrive until 8:00 p.m., which defeated the purpose of arriving early. When I raised this concern, my travel agent was unwilling to assist in correcting the issue.When my flight was later canceled, I again contacted my travel agent for support. Instead of receiving assistance, I was simply given a phone number and left to resolve the matter on my own.We ultimately arrived at the resort around 7:00 p.m., leaving no opportunity to relax or enjoy the property before embarkation.Once onboard, our scheduled stop at Great Stirrup Cay was canceled. While we were told this was due to weather, the itinerary provided onboard did not list this stop at all. This raises serious concerns, as it suggests the stop may not have been planned from the outset. Regardless of the reason, passengers paid for a specific itinerary, and when a destination is removed, some form of monetary reimbursement or meaningful compensation should be provided. No such effort was made.Our second stop was Jamaica. There, we were placed on a shuttle operated by individuals not affiliated with NCL. We were required to pay before being allowed off the bus. During the process, the driver pulled over, argued with us, and left us in what felt like an unsafe area. As two women traveling alone, this was extremely unsettling and concerning.Our third scheduled stop, Grand Cayman, was also canceled, despite other ships docking that day. As a result, aside from Jamaica, we were at sea for nearly the entire cruise.When we approached Guest Services to address the cancellation of not one, but two ports, our concerns were dismissed. No reimbursement or meaningful accommodation was offered. When guests pay for a specific itinerary and onboard experience, they should either receive what was promised or be fairly compensated when significant portions of that experience are not delivered.Given the totality of this experience, I cannot recommend Norwegian Cruise Line. There are many other cruise lines that value customer satisfaction and stand behind the experiences they market and sell. I paid a significant amount for this vacation and did not receive the experience that was promised
Fabrizia DiMaio
1st and Last time Cruising with Norwegian
Our family’s experience was beyond disappointing — it was upsetting, humiliating, and financially damaging.During our cruise, money was stolen directly from our room. Ship security later confirmed that only my family and housekeeping staff had entered the cabin. Despite this, we received no meaningful updates, no reassurance, and no accountability from the cruise line.Instead of being treated like victims, we were treated like suspects.Security conducted a full search of our room with the door wide open while other passengers walked by and stared inside. It was incredibly embarrassing and violating. They went through our belongings top to bottom, made false accusations, and made us feel like criminals rather than guests who had just been robbed.Because of the stolen money, our family was financially burdened and unable to participate in planned port activities. What should have been a relaxing vacation turned into a stressful ordeal that completely overshadowed the trip.At no point did anyone from Norwegian provide proper communication, compassion, or resolution. We were left feeling dismissed, violated, and deeply disappointed.This was our first and last cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line. We have cruised before and have never been treated so poorly. Vacations are supposed to create memories — unfortunately, this one will always be remembered for all the wrong reasons.I strongly caution families considering this cruise line to think twice.
Samantha Friess
