Delightful cruise in trying times - Letters - Letter to the Editor

Cruise Travel, March-April, 2002 by Andrea Peterson, Dennis Peterson

We just returned from two weeks aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sea, and had one of the best of our 20-plus cruises, sailing back-to-back roundtrip out of Boston north to Montreal. This was the week after the 9-11 tragedy, and NCL did a heroic job getting people to the ship, keeping up morale, and going above and beyond when it came to warmth and courtesy to all. Delays conforming to new security regulations were handled courteously and patiently. It was somewhat unusual to sail on a cruise accompanied out of U.S. harbors by armed Coast Guard patrol boats, but glorious to see the Stars & Stripes flying like never before. The wonderful people we encountered in the Canadian ports treated us like homecoming heroes, with welcoming committees usually reserved for heads of state and royalty.

This was our first experience with Freestyle Cruising and we loved it. Everyone onboard seemed happy to have a choice, and everybody respected and accommodated everyone else's dress codes, dining, etc. With an open mind and a spirit of adventure, this may be the only way to cruise in the future! NCL's food has come a tremendously long way from years ago, and was plentiful, imaginative, and delicious. Their increased dining room staff makes a world of difference in fast, attentive, courteous service, with all willing to please and genuinely friendly. With the Freestyle "prepaid tipping," there were no instances of waiters playing their little games to get extra tips, or pressure from the staff on that issue. We were stunned by the courtesy, attention to detail, and warmth of the staff, some of whom remembered us by name after only one meeting--and this was all over the ship. There is also concierge service aboard, not just for "high rent" travelers, but for all, and lovely gourmet VIP food item as surprises for repeat travelers.

An added bonus was the large number of French-speaking guests from Quebec who boarded in Montreal, and who added to the cosmopolitan flavor. They were blessedly multilingual, which gave those of us who struggled through French in school a chance to practice and to improve foreign relations both humorously and delightfully.

Andrea & Dennis Peterson, Quechee, VT