Norwegian Cruise Line passengers want these complaints to stop

From a big-picture perspective, some issues cruisers repeatedly raise aren’t worth getting worked up over.

Mar 22, 2025 - 13:37
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Norwegian Cruise Line passengers want these complaints to stop

Whether you’re taking a cruise or going about your everyday life back on land, your perspective dictates your happiness.

Focusing on the negative side of situations is always going to lead to unhappiness, even when you’re on vacation.

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For those who are trying to focus on the joy of a cruise vacation, listening to other passengers complain about various aspects of the cruise experience can be a bit frustrating.

This was the case for one Norwegian Cruise Line passenger who recently took to the NCL Reddit community to share a rant about the behavior of fellow cruisers on board their ship. Many others in the Reddit community upvoted the post to signify their agreement with the sentiments.

“So I went on a 12-day cruise on the Escape recently and I have some thoughts that are still nagging at me,” Usual_Berry_113 began.

Among a list of concerns the passenger shared were two complaints that cruise passengers seem to make far too often, no matter which cruise line they sail. Both of these grumblings could easily be eliminated if passengers would look at the situations from a different point of view.

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Cruisers seem to find countless things to complain about, including the behavior of other passengers.

Image source: Shutterstock

Passengers want cruisers to stop complaining about food

“Y'all complain too much about the food. It's unlimited. If you go to the buffet and something isn't good, get up and get something different,” Usual_Berry_113 wrote. “Yes, there are some misses but overall pretty good. Same thing with MDRs (main dining rooms).”

Cruise food, especially the food that’s served in buffets, has generally always been more about quantity than quality. When taking a cruise, it’s important to keep in mind that the fact that meals in many dining venues are included in your cruise fare adds value to your vacation.

It’s easier to see past some shortcomings when you remember all the dining choices that you have available to you on a cruise, too. If you don’t like a dish, you can easily replace it with another.

Related: Key Norwegian Cruise Line improvement can’t come soon enough

If you aren’t satisfied with the quality of complimentary dining options on a cruise ship and want to spend a little more for higher-end dining, you do have options when sailing with Norwegian and most other cruise lines. Passengers can choose to pay extra for elevated dining experiences offered in cruise ship specialty restaurants.

Norwegian Cruise Line passengers often rave about the meals they’ve enjoyed in the cruise line’s unique specialty dining restaurants, which serve a variety of cuisines from French and Italian to Asian-Latin fusion tapas-style dishes and sushi.

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Passengers should remember what cruise tourism means for communities

In the Reddit thread, Usual_Berry_113 also pointed a minor nuisance that cruisers often overreact about when visiting cruise ports of call. This one serves as a crucial reminder that no matter where you’re traveling, it’s important to understand what tourism can mean for local communities.

“Stop complaining about being hustled on islands to buy things,” Usual_Berry_113 implored. “We are literally invading someone's country/land and they rely on tourism for survival.”

Related: Norwegian Cruise Line's new entertainment gets mixed reviews

The passenger reminded other cruisers that cruise port vendors aren’t working for the cruise line; they’re locals seeking to make a living from the tourism that cruise ships bring to their communities.

“These islands aren't amusement parks you've paid to enter, they are places people live and work and need resources to survive,” Usual_Berry_113 pointed out. “Buy some food, a trinket, a drink.”

Cruisers who make these kinds of complaints about cruise port interactions could benefit from reframing their perspective on the situation. Spending a little money shopping at local businesses and staying mindful of how your visit impacts the local community are simple ways to be a more responsible cruise passenger.

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