My "other board" is trying to make me regret my choice-NCL over DCL?

Hi all,

I recently posted on another board (where I am a regular, well-known contributor) that my family has decided to cruise on the NCL Gem next year instead of DCL's Magic (we have never sailed DCL). Someone posted that I "must have had a really good reason for doing that," and that "I should have a good time anyway." She went so far as to send me a PM to tell me how horrible NCL is (and she says she's a TA) and that after her experience with NCL, she tells her clients that NCL should be a last resort.

I politely responded that we chose NCL Gem for several reasons; home port, NEW ship, freestyle dining, larger cabin for the same amount of money WITH a balcony, etc. It will also be our 10-year wedding anniversary, and since we will be taking DS6, we want to compromise and not cruise a ship with tons of kids and characters this time around (we still want to try DCL).

Am I nuts for choosing NCL? When a TA says it's the pits, I guess I have to wonder....

I don't know if they will check in over the weekend but by Monday, you should have several TA's tell you that NCL is their first choice for their own cruises.

The main difference between NCL and others is the freestyle. You pick where, when, and with who you want to eat instead of being told those things. That is the attraction for most of us. Plus, resort casual is all you need to do for the main dining rooms. There will be a couple of Optional formal nights but you can leave the tux, suits, and gowns home if you wish.

Every cruise line has it's pros and cons. Dining is one of them for many people. I can do traditional dining and have a ball but prefer the freestyle.

Well...my hubby and I have cruised on both! :)

We loved Disney Wonder. Hardly noticed the kids...they are kept very busy away from most of the adult activities. They have their own separate pool area among other things to keep them occupied. The entertainment on Disney can't be beat by any cruise line that I know of. The rooms were very adaquate...we had a balcony and it was equal to if not bigger than others but not bigger than NCL. Our only problem with our Disney cruise was the food. For the money the cruise cost us (sigificantly more than other cruise lines for the same ports, days, and cabin), we thought that the food should have been of higher quality. Also...we had a heck of a time booking their one and only speciality restaurant. It was all booked up for the entire cruise 1 hour after boarding the ship...not a good thing! To be fair, our cruise was awhile ago so they may have improved on all of that since then.

As for NCL.....The food quality is about the same as Disney but the cruise is not as costly. The entertainment is adaquate but not as good as Carnival or Disney. The specialty restaurants are easy to book and the food quality is excellant in them...much better than the free restaurants. The NCL cabins are clean, a good size and just as nice as the Disney cabins in my opinion. "Freestyle" is what keeps us going with NCL and I have to say that I just don't see why any TA views NCL as bottom of the barrel. We loved our cruise in Dawn and are booked again for this coming spring. :D

We have also sailed on both and prefer NCL. Although Disney is wonderful, we prefer Freestyle dining over specific dining times. Disney was our first cruise and we were afraid that we wouldn't enjoy anything else because everything was so organized with them. Our next cruise was NCL and it was comparable to Disney in every way - the food, the service, embarkation and disembarkation were all equal or superior to DCL.

Read these boards, ask the questions you need to know and you can probably tell if NCL is for you or not. Unless someone has has experience with a particular cruise line it would be hard for them to compare it to what they know.

Hi all,

It will also be our 10-year wedding anniversary, and since we will be taking DS6, we want to compromise and not cruise a ship with tons of kids and characters this time around (we still want to try DCL).

I cruised the Magic last year with a DS5, DD7 DD12 DD14. Since it is your 10th anniversary and the kids program at Disney is VERY kid friendly, even on port days.....I think you would have a much more romantic experience if your DS was hanging out in the club. You even get a pager so you will know when he wants to be picked up. ABSOLUTELY eat a brunch in PALO. That was the best experience I have had for years. The stollen with freshh berries and cream is making me drool just thinking about it!!:p

Although there were kids and characters I did not seemed overwhelmed by them. My advice would be evaluate your decision on your child's ability to be entertained (without you). That will free you up for some grown-up time. :rolleyes:

Good luck. You are lucky because it is a win-win situation. You know you are cruising for your 10th anniversary.

Disney is great. Only thing I regret was having to leave the ship after just 4 days. If you can afford it do the 7 day instead!! Disney is significantly more expensive but it is a quality cruise too, I think worth paying a little more. Oddly enough kids are fairly segregated, they love the kids program and don't want to leave. There's an adult only beach on the private island. I don't think you'll feel like there are screaming kids everywhere. I didn't feel inundated with characters either, but they are around for pictures if you want. I have never had more fun on a cruiseline dance floor than on Disney. It sounds silly to mention but I really liked the nice movie theatre on the Disney ships.

Disney doesn't have a lot of options for departure ports or itineraries, however.

NCL has some beautiful ships too, and some fantastic itineraries. The 10 day that go down to Southern Caribbean sure look great. Next year they have a 10 day to canada and a great eastern med run on Gem. People love the bermuda trips. I love Hawaii and Alaska. Lot of options out there. A lot of mainstream cruiselines are cutting down on food budgets which is making people scream in various forums. As a first time cruiser though you won't know what you are missing. :) Freestyle is a nice relaxing change from set dining times and mandatory formal wear. NCL ships offer a nice variety of quality specialty restaurants. Disney only has one, but it's just really great.

Having a cruise that leaves close to home is a big advantage, if you find a ship and itinerary you like then jump on it. Have fun!

I am a disloyal cruiser who normally hops between lines willy nilly, but doing NCL lately because we love the pure-hawaii itinerary and travel companions don't want formal wear requirement...

Deescw: Don't worry! That TA was way out of line! Yes, there are pluses and minuses for every cruise line- but you will certainly have a wonderful time on NCL. We cruised on the Disney Magic in 12/03 and on several other cruiselines since then (including NCL Sun and Dawn and soon on the Spirit). We loved all the cruises- the Magic is a very nice ship, obviously oriented towards Disney (which we love). The good points: great theming, great entertainment, docking at their private island, decent size cabins. The downside: cost, food (not the best by far, although you do rotate among the three different restaurants). NCL's pluses are the Freestyle dining and a much more competitve price. We didn't "do" the kids' programs (our DD is now 22!), but the only plus I've heard for Disney kids' programs is the characters (quite abundant, if your DS is "into" them) and that their staff is supposed to have some first aid training (a friend with a "special needs" child researched this).

We now select cruises by price and itinerary. We do love Freestyle- and I wish we'd had that option when DD was little (kids want to eat "when they're hungry", not at a set time). I'm sure you will have a wonderful time on the Gem, it will not "be the pits" in any way! I hope you have a chance to try the Magic in the future, but please don't worry about the choice you have made.

I think he's right with cruise lines as well. I am absolutely no authority, but I am not in tight with any one cruise line when I look for a cruise. I look at the itinerary and ports, the cabins, the ship (size, age, decor, etc) and of course price. I must take price in to consideration.

I also realize that the cruise industry must cut some corners in order to keep my cruise at a price I can afford. I feel most of the main dining rooms serve food I normally do not see out in my part of the world. Now don't get me wrong, we have some really good down home cooking here, but we're a bit lacking in the variety and presentation department in my part of rural America. If you come from a big city with 4 and 5 star restaurants, you may be at a disadvantage when eating in many of the main dining rooms on mainstream cruise lines.

We spent well above what I normally would on my Inside Passage vacation, but I saved for a number of years to do it, and felt that it was important to experience it to the best of our financial ability. Now, that is not something I can do very often, so I think the market out there is set up for all pocketbooks.

Many times people don't like something because it's not traditional or not more upscale. While doing all my research, I have felt that NCL caters to those who are interested in escaping the entrapments of formality if they choose to. Many people love to dress up during dinner because they don't get the chance otherwise. Some people have to dress up all the time for work, etc. and they want to relax and stay in casual attire. Others just hate dressing up. I believe that's why there's such a variety of cruise products out there, and not all appeal to all people. I figure one just has to go out there and experience as many as you can. Even the different ships in the same line will give you a totally different experience from what I read on this site.

I do check these boards out for advice and comments, but I also have to consider my own tastes and expectations and go from there. I too have had friends that come back from cruises and were disappointed in some things, so I also come to these boards to ask questions about these issues if I feel they're important to me. I do not dismiss an entire cruise line tho because of comments made about somebody else's experience. Bottom line is you are deciding on the cruise and others should not "dish" an entire cruise line because it is not their type of experience. It may be just your "cup of tea." Go and give it a try and make your own judgment. :)

I've got an idea for you, but I am not sure it will work. Obviously, those who most frequent the DCL board will probably tell you to go with DCL as DCL is their fave, and likewise on the NCL board. Try posting this question on some of the other boards such as Princess, X, and HAL, and I bet you will get some good opinions there as well. Just a thought. Personally, never having sailed DCL I would be excited to try it, but wow, those cruises are about 25% more pricey than any others of the same itinerary.

I would not worry about making a bad choice here. My wife and I have cruise both, more so DCL than NCL. However, we are taking NCL for our second cruise with them in December. Are we partial to Disney? Of course. However, there are plusses for us. DCL gives us Florida Resident rates. They are not far from home, etc. NCL, I am generally looking at Miami or Tampa. We have no children and we still do DCL. The kids are never a problem. There service is above par and we are happy.

On the flip side, NCL has alot of things that we like. However, the wife dislikes Freestyle in her opinion, but we have only done cruise, so it is not fair. Our biggest complaint is getitng nickled and dimed on NCL (Wifes quote). Her issue is the extra charge for the restrauants. On DCL, you rotate through the restrauants as a group.

In my limited cruising with NCL and DCL, I think your in for the same treat.

Our biggest complaint is getitng nickled and dimed on NCL (Wifes quote). Her issue is the extra charge for the restrauants. On DCL, you rotate through the restrauants as a group.

 

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Having just stepped off the Sun this morning, I gotta tell you I never felt nickled and dimed, personally the extra charges for the restaurants I felt really was nominal and worth it. Considering what you pay for cruise fare compared to DCL, you probably come out ahead dollar wise if you sailed NCL and did the specialty spots only half the time.

deecsw, you are not nuts for choosing NCL. I assume that this is not your first cruise, but that doesn't really matter. You will notice that NCL is different than the other lines, but that is not bad, in fact you may prefer NCL, many do. I don't know why some travel agents discourage NCL, it would be good if they could explain their reasoning. NCL is not my favorite, but it is very satisfactory. I have never sailed with Disney, but sure would like to some time.

We have cruised NCL and DCL. While we had a good timeon the Disney Magic, it was our least favorite cruise. On the other hand, after our first NCl cruise, we keep heading back for more NCL. Some reasons:

I like freestyle. It makes the cruise much more relaxed. And the dining room service was far more polished on NCL.

My kids like the NCL kids clubs better than Disney.

Love NCL's new ships, they are so vibrant.

NCL has the best suites and suite perks around.

The Magic was overrun with kids (more than a thousand on our sailing) and too many of them did not know how to behave. Not very relaxing.

Adult entertainment options better on NCL, especially at night.

NCL is a better value. Price out a similar cabin/itinerary on the two lines and you'll see what I mean. And given it was more expensive, I thought DCL would have been a better cruise. It wasn't.

DCL does some things beautifully i.e.the Palo restaurant and their private island. And the characters are fun of course.

Now I love Disney world- we go once a year- so it's not that Disney isn't my thing. I just thought their cruise was not as good as other lines for our famliy.

So enjoy your NCL cruise. Can't see any reason why you shouldn't!

Am I nuts for choosing NCL? When a TA says it's the pits, I guess I have to wonder....

I'd have to wonder about the TA!

Seriously, the reasons you said you are picking NCL are the same things that are important to me. And they're many of the reasons I continue to sail NCL (another being I have the NCL credit card :) )

jmo

-Monte

Many thanks to everyone for your responses. We have pretty much decided on NCL, however, I have not let go of my DCL ressie just yet.

I have cruised before, I was very fortunate to have sailed on the QE2 when I was 12 (and it spoiled me!). My next cruise came 18 years later on the Celebrity Horizon to Bermuda (great food but IMO mediocre entertainment and activities). Next came the Carnival Victory to Nova Scotia (great entertainment, lots of fun, OK food).

I have an open mind when it comes to cruising and I always look forward to new experiences. I, too, am not loyal to any particular line. We originally chose DCL with our DS in mind. We are also Disney fanatics, averaging trips to WDW at least twice a year. DCL seemed to make sense for us. However, NCL has so much to offer and is very convenient. We'll save money on our cabin (and have a nicer one), it's close to home so we'll have no airfare, car rental or hotel expenses.

Itinerary may be very important to some, but we like to cruise to experience the ships more, so sometimes it doesn't matter where we're going, as long as we are on vacation! DCL's Western sounds nicer than NCL Gem's itinerary (we sail in November 2007), however, we have never been to Key West (offered on both) and both have private islands.

Our minds are pretty made up but it really helps to hear from those of you who have sailed on both NCL and DCL to get an idea of the differences.

Thanks again!

I'm a TA and it embarasses me when another TA bash other lines. Personally I present the information and let my client base there decision on there own likes and dislikes. I remember when I was taking my TA course long ago, the instructor told us that there was no such thing as a bad cruise, only the wrong cruise and I live by that. There's a cruise line for everyone. Personally, my wife has only been on one cruise and that was our honeymoon, she did not like Carnival. To many kids and most of the entertainment was to risquee in her opinion.

Michael Wasiljov

Hagerstown, MD

Deecsw, Keep in mind that no matter how good a kids program can be, your child may not want to go, so don't weigh that factor too highly.

Many years ago when our son was 6 and we were celebrating our 10th anniversary, we were on a cruise with Disney employees running the kids program. The program was EXCELLENT and have many of the same features they still do today. Well, DS attended the kids program once for 2 hrs. and did not return to the program. He made up his mind, and no amount of coaxing could persude him to try it again.

BTW, we had a great time anyway, but was hoping for some 'alone' time..;) We didn't cruise again with him until he was 16 yo. and of coarse we kept 'losing' him. ... LOL...We kept our Disney experience to WDW vacations every other year, after that first experience with him.

Have fun ... no matter what you choose, you can't go wrong and we're partial to freestyle dining and have not had a problem with it on our 3 cruises on the Dawn out of NY. Also love the homeport option from NY.

our boys are 5 and 3 and we sailed on NCL last year. I would have loved to try DCL, but for the price we could not swing it. We are going on the Dawn for an 11 day with them and they are looking forward to it again. Loved the kids group. We love the frrestyle option as we are not a fancy group that likes to get dressed up. That option keeps us coming back to NCL. Either way you are on a cruise so how can it be bad? LOL

Let me start by saying we have cruised with DCL twice, once as a couple and the second time with our whole family including three grandkids. We had a blast! We are now getting ready to go on NCL in late October and are really excited about that too. The draw is #1- much more affordable and #2being able to leave from NYC. I also think the Freestyle will be a plus. We are going to "check it out" as to how it would be for the kids. They loved Castaway Cay, but NCL's island looks pretty good too! I'm wondering how the tender is because you just pull up to Castaway Cay. OP-Have a great trip and Happy Anniversary!

The TA might have a point but has forgotten one big factor - PRICE. It is like comparing beer to champagne or a Holiday Inn to a Hilton. We loved our Disney Cruise but now prefere NCL because in our opinion for the difference in price NCL is good enough for us. Take any 2 seven day itineraries on the same dates and compare prices. In some cases the total price for a family of 4 is almost double what it costs on NCL or Carnival for that matter.

If money is absolutely not a factor for you, go DCL (we loved it but my DMIL was treating:D ). If you are like most of us, you will find NCL to be a good value for what you are paying. Just don't expect champagne on a beer budget:)

Another thing to think about: Your DS who is 6 will love DCL for all it's Disney-like qualities for only another year or two. When my friends ask about which line I would recommend (either by experience or just plain addiction to cruise sites:o) I tell them to avoid DCL if they are trying to get the most out of their money but if they have a child under 8 and can only do a cruise once before the child gets older, DCL would be my 1st choice. My daughter absolutely loved DCL and everything that goes with it. My son, who was 12 at the time thinks all the ships we've been on have been great and can't choose one over the other. I thought he might hate DCL and think it was childish but he didn't and he actually loved the private island with the snorkeling trail. We went in December and they really do up the decorations on the ship and Mrs. Clause had cocoa and bed-time reading on the main staircase. It was truly magical for my then 6 year old.

That being said, while I really enjoyed the rotating restaurant theme and wish that NCLA would do that for the Hawaiian cruises, I have found the food/service on DCL, Princess, and Carnival all comparable, some better in some areas than others, but for the most part, equal (and great:)). They really catered to the kids in the dining rooms, making Mickey-shaped portions of ketchup and teasing, etc., which made the wait much easier. Of course, Carnival has the waiters entertaining you, though some might think that is cheesy.

For staterooms, our OV on DCL was by far the largest of my three cruises, with separation curtain for the kids area and a double-bath area. Our steward on DCL was the best of the three lines as well, very accomodating.

So, IMHO and lengthy reply, I might choose DCL just this once unless you can cruise again next year with your son. It's a one time thing for our family due to $$ and the fact that the other cruise lines are comparable in nearly every way but lack the Disney theme of course.

I know it's your anniversary but I think all cruise lines will allow you the same amount of alone-time, that all depends on your son and how he feels about being at the kids' club. My daughter had to be dragged out of the DCL club every evening for dinner and couldn't wait to go back in the am, but I think she'd do that at any of them.

Good luck and Happy Cruising whatever you choose.

I'm a TA and it embarasses me when another TA bash other lines. Personally I present the information and let my client base there decision on there own likes and dislikes. I remember when I was taking my TA course long ago, the instructor told us that there was no such thing as a bad cruise, only the wrong cruise and I live by that. There's a cruise line for everyone.

Michael Wasiljov

Hagerstown, MD

I agree with this totally. I am a TA also, and I find that some agents try to push certain cruise lines on their clients, and I think that is just crazy. I believe that each line is unique and has features that can be viewed positively or negatively depending on the perspective of the individual client. Everyone likes something different and this extends to all areas of their lives, whether it is clothing, the car they drive, hairstyle, or the type of vacation they enjoy. The wrong fit in any area can make for a bad experience. I'm lucky, I guess, because I am relatively easy to please and I haven't yet taken a cruise I haven't enjoyed. I'm just happy to get away and not have to cook or clean for a few days. Choose whichever cruise best matches your goals for your vacation (itinerary, budget, dining, entertainment, homeport) and you should have a great time.

Our first NCL cruise will be in Feb 07 so I cannot compare the two.

Our family has been on DCL twice and RCCL once. Our kids are now 7 and 17. The older one much prefers RCCL (he picked NCL for this trip --- his last as he'll be graduating hs in June). If it was just DH and I, we'd not choose DCL.

BUT ... for a young child DCL is truly a magical experience. That magic does not last for many years ... there's a window of opportunity with DCL. Their kids club is top notch ... open for many hours which will give you flexibility you may not find on NCL. The magic is extra special if you are all fans of Disney (which we are).

Please know your family will have a wonderful time with what ever you choose. We feel a cruise is the perfect family vacation.

We've cruised DCL 5 times: 3 times on the Wonder, and twice on the Magic. We absolutely love DCL and wish that their prices were more in line with other lines.

That said, we also loved our NCL cruises (and these were on two older NCL ships not built for freestyle). I loved freestyle, and I thought the food was equal to DCL in the main dining rooms. I did think that there was no comparison between Palo and Le Bistro--perhaps it was our ship, though. Each time I've eaten at Palo, I've had a wonderful meal, with excellent service and a stunning atmosphere. Le Bistro was none of that on our Majesty trip.

The entertainment was better on DCL--it is after all Disney, but after that many cruises on DCL, I was getting tired of the shows. I prefered the entertainment on the Wind to that on the Majesty.

Kid's Clubs: DD loved DCL, but didn't participate in many kid's activities on NCL. The Wind kid's club grouped her with 6 year olds (and she was 2 months from her 13th birthday). She was also used to having freedom on DCL, and on NCL, she would have to be checked in and out of the clubs.

Staff: I thought everyone we dealt with on NCL was good to excellent.

Cabins: Well my preference here is clearly DCL. Again, we were on the older ships, but the rooms didn't feel quite as luxurious as on DCL. I really missed the sitting area on our majesty cruise--there was no chair other than a desk chair in there.

I went into our NCL cruises expecting less, and was surprised by how wonderful they were. I want to sail them again, but can't find an intinerary that suits us and our schedule.