What sets Norwegian apart from the rest?

I tried ncl for the 1st time this past summer, going to alaska. My last 6 cruises were on disney and I've also sailed rccl and celebrity once each. We enjoyed ncl pearl so much, we booked her again for the the Xmas/new years sailing coming up. The big thing for me was the value I got from ncl. My minisuite to alaska was 1/2 the price of disney. Don't get, me wrong, I would certainly pay a premium for disney but an extra $5k in my pocket certainly makes up for not getting free soft drinks and chocolates on my pillows at night. Granted, the savings are not necessarily that large all the time, but when it is, I certainly am willing to overlook a few things.

The thing that sets ncl apart for us is not having to pack tons of outfits so we can eat in the mdr. We don't have to worry about eating with strangers and making small talk. I like meeting people, but not every night at dinner. Not sure if it was just the pearl, but our embark/debarked process was really smooth and I didn't have to vacate my cabin til 9am. Of course we left earlier, but no pressure that last morning. NCL was great with my son's food allergies. I was entertained adequately and everyone we met was cheerful enough, no less than other cruises we've been on. To me, if i pay a few thousand dollars less, I'm already happier going in.

To me, we will stick with disney for the overall disney experience(we are big fans) or ncl during peak season, when disney prices are out of reach. Perhaps try allure/oasis to see the engineering marvel, but I find no value and don't really have a desire to eat with strangers and dress up. Willing to go through the hassle with disney, but not really any other cruise line. Looking forward to sailing ncl for many, many years.

Dear sheeshshe,

As in art ..it is in the eye (opinion) of the beholder... eh..:eek:

Just wondering what makes Norwegian what it is, and why it is more awesome than any other cruiseline :)

A happy atmosphere - the crew just seem generally happier in their work than in my (albeit limited experience) on RCCL. The happy atmosphere and the Freestyle 'vibe' makes for a properly relaxing holiday.

 

I can eat what I want, when I want and with whom I want - I can get a drink without waiting 20 minutes - I do not need to pack a suit - what's not to like?

All of the above plus the entertainment, a lot going on while cruising the atrium area, and a vast variety of shows - it is the only CL we have found with abundance of things to do and see in the evenings for all ages. Or, just sit and enjoy a quiet pianobar or musician in the corners.

Beach towel exchange?

I've read here that you have to really keep track of your towel, or you will get charged for it. The didn't do that on my alaska cruise this past summer. We got a pool towel when we wanted one and never had to be certain of turning it back in. We just left it in our room with our other dirty towels.

Beach towel exchange? Isn't NCL's policy one beach towel pp and you have to keep dropping that one off and picking up a fresh one at the one counter by the pool? And they don't even have them on GSC or hand them out at the dock? Sorry, their beach towels policy stinks.

Thats usually what the word exchange means.

Yes, my post was in amazement that someone would cite this "exchange" as a feature that makes NCL so awesome above all the rest. The towel policy sucks. It sucks to only get one towel you have to keep track of for your week. Not much different from some other lines ( although DCL just has them out to take as you see fit) but not exactly a strong point.

All of my cruise experiences on ncl have been to alaska on either the Pearl or Jewel. I have been on both twice. These are the things I really liked about ncl.

The staff was great! They seemed very happy, always with a smile. They were always great to help with anything if they could. Upon passing any staff member in any area on the ship, they greeted you and said hello.

We thought the shows were very good, with a couple being excellent.

We absolutely love freestyle cruising!!!! We do not like dressing up for dinner. We love the fact that we can eat at times of our choosing. It would bother us having to stick with a specific eating schedule. NCL makes you feel comfortable with however you choose to make your cruise experience!!!

The Main Dining is good to very good. The buffet is excellent in my opinion. Many, many choices. I always found many things I liked!

The pool water was very warm. I was surprised at how warm it was. It was relaxing to float around and relax.

It was easy to find quiet places to sit and relax. Or if people watching is your thing, there are busier places, such as the Atrium where you can sit and meet people and have a good time.

There is a really good variety of activities offered on The Dailies. It should be easy to find several activities that would interest you.

My dh and I are really easy-going people, but this how we found our cruises on ncl to be. We will continue to cruise with them!!

 

The thing that sets ncl apart for us is not having to pack tons of outfits so we can eat in the mdr. We don't have to worry about eating with strangers and making small talk. I like meeting people, but not every night at dinner.

 

To me, we will stick with disney for the overall disney experience(we are big fans) or ncl during peak season, when disney prices are out of reach. Perhaps try allure/oasis to see the engineering marvel, but I find no value and don't really have a desire to eat with strangers and dress up. Willing to go through the hassle with disney, but not really any other cruise line. Looking forward to sailing ncl for many, many years.

In case you're not aware, Royal, Carnival, Princess and probably others all have the option of "freestyle dining" although it's called My time dining, or anytime dining. You don't have to eat with strangers, nor do you have a set dinner time, unless you choose that option. You can eat when you want, with whomever you want and wherever you want on all the major lines. Hmmmm, sounds a lot like what was once unique to NCL. And the 2 formal nights on on a 7 day cruise on the non-NCL lines aren't very formal anymore. Let's try to stick to the truth.

Some of the things that set Norwegian apart for me are:

1. Freestyle: Others have copied the concept, but Norwegian originated and perfected it. You are free to do anything you want anytime you want to do it. Don't want to do something, don't do it.

2. Food: In addition to the freestyle dining options, Norwegian offers a tremendous and diverse group of specialty restaurants for cover charge. Most who try one of these options would say the cover charge is well worth the extra payment.

3. Entertainment: Quality of entertainment on smaller ships is tremendous, but when you get to the larger ships you REALLY see a difference. From BlueMan Group on Epic, to Rock of Ages on Breakaway, Burn The Floor on Breakaway and Getwaway, to the Illusionarium and ll of the other great things on all the ships - there's a lot of things to do on every ship.

4. Crew: The staff on the Norwegian ships I have sailed on have all been tremendous. Always a smile on their faces and always going out of their way to be helpful.

In case you're not aware, Royal, Carnival, Princess and probably others all have the option of "freestyle dining" although it's called My time dining, or anytime dining. You don't have to eat with strangers, nor do you have a set dinner time, unless you choose that option. You can eat when you want, with whomever you want and wherever you want on all the major lines. Hmmmm, sounds a lot like what was once unique to NCL. And the 2 formal nights on on a 7 day cruise on the non-NCL lines aren't very formal anymore. Let's try to stick to the truth.

The big difference in the formal nights is the dress code. NCL tells the guests what is acceptable, while the others don't publish their dress code application. The TRUTH is what sets NCL apart from the others!!! Some of the other lines limit the number of people who can partake in their version of "freestyle dining" while NCL does not limit that function.

Another thing that sets NCL apart is the size of the accomodations. Many mention that NCL has small cabins, but they also have the Garden Villas on some ships that are over 5000 square feet. NCL also has many different size cabins available for those who need or desire more space than the inside cabins provide. DW and I are considered normal size people and we are very comfortable in NCL inside cabins which some say are too small.

Love NCL and last week I told my husband that i really can't see us cruising on another cruise line.

In port at St. Maarten there was a carnival cruise ship across from our ship the Getaway. Just no comparison. The welcome back party from the Getaway had the people from Carnival dancing onboard!

The staff crew and senior officers on NCL is what sets them apart from the rest. They are so warm and friendly and make you feel like you are part of the family

In case you're not aware, Royal, Carnival, Princess and probably others all have the option of "freestyle dining" although it's called My time dining, or anytime dining. You don't have to eat with strangers, nor do you have a set dinner time, unless you choose that option. You can eat when you want, with whomever you want and wherever you want on all the major lines. Hmmmm, sounds a lot like what was once unique to NCL. And the 2 formal nights on on a 7 day cruise on the non-NCL lines aren't very formal anymore. Let's try to stick to the truth.

The truth is that while other cruise lines do offer an anytime dining option it is only offered to a percentage of passengers whereas on NCL it is offered to everyone. And while many cruise lines have toned down their formal nights they still have them (well, CCL has elegant night with a dress code comparable to NCL's, but in any event Freestyle is as much a state of mind as anything else).

The crew. On our Gem cruise they had crewmembers on the pier welcoming people back aboard with ice cream, cold towels and cold drinks. I saw the Food and Beverage Director and Executive Housekeeper handing these things out while the Hotel Director and other officers and crew members (about 20 or so) did a line dance. How did I know the F&B director, Exec Housekeeper and Hotel Director were the ones doing this? Because they had come to our meet and greet and introduced themselves and interacted with us throughout the cruise.

NCL tells the guests what is acceptable, while the others don't publish their dress code application.

That is not true at all. I have never known a cruise line to not define their dress codes.

Either they publish them on their website or in the cruise documents issued prior to the cruise.

I am just back from a trip on the Breakaway and in my opinion the entertainment was fantastic however the service was a hit or a miss. Lots of surly looking staff. Generally service was good in the bars but poor in the main dining rooms. Also thought the general cleanliness throughout the ship was lacking. When w boarded there were dirty hand marks all over the mirror in our cabin and the carpet didn't look like it had been vacuumed. Also the quality of food was poor compared to Celebrity who we cruised with in February. If they could improve the service and food quality it would be great.

On the Dawn, they had a huge push to get you to eat in the specialty restaurants.

On all of my NCL cruises, I have never had anyone "pushing" specialty restaurants. I truly don't think they care where I eat, with whom or when. It is one of the things I love about sailing with NCL. As a solo cruiser, I love the flexibility of dining, activities, entertainment.

But ... I admit I am a NCL cheerleader; they treat me right!!

:D

If they could improve the service and food quality it would be great.

I cruised the Pride of America last month with extended family and friends. To say NCL needs to improve service is a severe understatement. Most of our group either permanently swore off NCL or even cruising all together because of the service on that ship. I found myself having to reassure most of them they should not judge cruising on the POA. It was a real shame. If anyone can sense my current bitterness toward NCL, it's because of that cruise that I still haven't gotten over.

That is not true at all. I have never known a cruise line to not define their dress codes.

 

Either they publish them on their website or in the cruise documents issued prior to the cruise.

Note I used the word APPLICATION. Their published dress codes still suggest formal attire while NCL does not.

Their published dress codes still suggest formal attire while NCL does not.

NCL tells the guests what is acceptable, while the others don't publish their dress code application.

Nevermind. :rolleyes:

In case you're not aware, Royal, Carnival, Princess and probably others all have the option of "freestyle dining" although it's called My time dining, or anytime dining. You don't have to eat with strangers, nor do you have a set dinner time, unless you choose that option. You can eat when you want, with whomever you want and wherever you want on all the major lines. Hmmmm, sounds a lot like what was once unique to NCL. And the 2 formal nights on on a 7 day cruise on the non-NCL lines aren't very formal anymore. Let's try to stick to the truth.

I disagree. On my Royal cruise this summer we had my time dining and they made us (2 adults and our 2 kids) sit with a table of six other adults. We asked to sit with our family only and they said they had nothing available. This is not like freestyle dining on NCL.

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I disagree. On my Royal cruise this summer we had my time dining and they made us (2 adults and our 2 kids) sit with a table of six other adults. We asked to sit with our family only and they said they had nothing available. This is not like freestyle dining on NCL.

 

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So they forced you to eat with others? Or did you choose to eat with others instead of waiting for a table for just your family? Come on! As we all know there can be a wait for a table in the MDR, even on your beloved NCL. Ugh! I just gotta laugh at some of the cheerleader comments.

So they forced you to eat with others? Or did you choose to eat with others instead of waiting for a table for just your family? Come on! As we all know there can be a wait for a table in the MDR, even on your beloved NCL. Ugh! I just gotta laugh at some of the cheerleader comments.

No I just made that up so I could be a cheerleader for NCL. I come on message boards to lie about my experiences. I actually don't have a preference of cruise line.

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I disagree. On my Royal cruise this summer we had my time dining and they made us (2 adults and our 2 kids) sit with a table of six other adults. We asked to sit with our family only and they said they had nothing available. This is not like freestyle dining on NCL.

 

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You are right in saying that Freestyle Dining on NCL is different than My Time Dining on Royal. One of the biggest differences is that you may be able to choose My Time Dining on Royal or you may be forced into time slotted Traditional Dining. It all depends upon when you book and the numbers of people who are making which choice. I think the newer ships that will be coming out from Royal will probably be much closer to Freestyle than what they offer now. On Oasis and Allure I heard people grumbling that were forced into one choice or the other and found that wasn't what they wanted.

RCI is on the verge of going all "my time dining". Also heard rumors that HAL might be moving that direction too. Those who genuinely like traditional dining will lose out.

To OP's question I think it's the suite experience.